Chapter 3:
Heart racing, skin perspiring, leg shaking, and hands trembling, Drake sat in the hospital's waiting area in fear. His wife had been rushed to the emergency room, his newborn son to the NICU. Nicki had stopped breathing only minutes after giving birth to her first child. Drake blamed himself for not being able to get her to the hospital before her contractions began. He felt he was at fault for everything that was happening. He worried about his son's well-being. Was his child okay? Did he suffer any birth defects because of an amateur delivery? How developed was he being that he was born a month early? Drake didn't know the answer to any of these questions floating around in his head and that ate at him. He needed to know how his wife and child were pulling through. Before he reached the hospital, he called both their families to let them know Nicki had given birth and she was in the hospital. He didn't delve into too much detail, but told them to make their way over right away. Mrs. Carol was the first to know. She immediately packed her bags for a few weeks stay and headed for the airport with Micaiah, Robert, and Jelani close behind. The Maraj's wouldn't know the seriousness of the situation until they arrived in Toronto. And after Drake called Sandi, she called Dennis. Both his parents quickly made their way. About an hour passed as Drake sat alone in the waiting area. He was then approached by a nurse in mint green scrubs.
"Mister… Graham?" She asked, looking from her clipboard to him.
Eyes red, Drake lifted his head from his hands. He made eye contact and waited for the woman to speak first. His stomach was slowly knotting.
"Sir, baby Graham has been transported to the nursery." She flipped through the child's chart until she found the page she wanted. "He's only… 5lbs and 2oz. but with our policy, newborns are able to be discharged at 4lbs 8oz. and since he's not suffering from any complications most preemies would have at this stage, you'll get to take him home today. He's a healthy boy."
"Oh thank God." Drake felt a weight lift off his shoulders. "When can I see him?"
"Now. If you want."
"And what about my wife? Is she okay?"
The nurse looked back down at her clipboard. She seemed afraid to answer. "Your wife…"
"How's my wife?" Drake asked again, this time more stern.
The nurse swallowed the knot in her throat before looking at him. She couldn't seem to find Nicki's chart. "Sir, I don't know. I'm sorry."
Drake mugged her as he stood. "You don't know?"
"I'm so sorry. If you just wait here I'll go—"
He brushed past her before letting her finish her statement. He sped to the nurse's station in need of Nicki's room number. Once he received it, he then made his way to the elevators. Impatient, Drake decided to take the stairs instead. He ran up four flights, taking two or three steps at a time. His heart was nearly beating out of his chest. He didn't know what to expect. Was she breathing on her own? With a respirator? Or was she even breathing at all? Once Drake reached her room, he quickly threw open the door only to find it empty. He stared down at the damp slip of crumpled paper he held in his hand. The smeared, blue ink matched the numbers on the outside of the door. Drake didn't understand. Where was Nicki? He walked into the room and sat on the edge of the neatly made hospital bed. Next to him lay a chart. He curiously picked it up, looking it over. Nicki's full name addressed the top of every page. Thinking the worst, tears began to sting his eyes as his throat tightened. Drake squeezed the clipboard in his hands, shutting his eyes.
"Aubrey?"
Drake whipped his head around at the sound of his name. In the doorway sat Nicki in a wheelchair, a nurse steering her into the room.
"Onika??" He dropped the clipboard and immediately went over to her. Drake collapsed to his knees and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Nicki held his head to her chest. "It's okay baby. I'm okay. I'm here." She cried. She kissed the top of his head as his face rested against her bosom. "I'm here baby."
The nurse who wheeled her into the room quietly made an exit after picking Nicki's chart up from the floor. She shut the door behind her as the couple reunited.
"You scared me, Onika. I thought I lost you." Drake lifted his head to look her in the eyes. He could tell by the bags under them that she was still very tired. "I thought I lost you."
Nicki placed her hands against his face, wiping his tears away with her thumbs. "Everything's okay now." She sniffled. "I'm not going anywhere." She pecked his lips then hugged him around the neck, laying her head upon his shoulder. Drake hugged her around the waist as he rested his head on her shoulder. They held each other in silence, only listening to the other breathe.
Moments later Nicki spoke up. "I wanna see our son, Aubrey."
Drake pulled back to look at her. "You haven't seen him yet?"
"No." She shook her head, tearing up again. "They were running tests and I was waiting for you." She sniffled. "I wanna see my baby."
Drake rose to his feet. "Alright." He walked around the wheelchair, opened the door, and carefully wheeled her out of the room. He told her he'd called their families and that they were on their way. When the two reached the nursery, Nicki stared through the large glass window at all the pampered newborns. It didn't even take her twenty seconds to spot her son.
Nicki placed her palm on the cold glass as she watched him wiggle about. "Aubrey look." She tapped on the window with her index finger. "That's him. The small one."
Drake bent down and followed her gaze. He smiled once he saw him kicking his little legs. "…wow…"
One of the RN's saw them looking through the window so she stepped out to aid them. "Hi. I'm Rebecca." She smiled brightly. "Do you two have a little one in there?" She asked, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear.
"Yes." Nicki smiled. "Our son." She looked at Drake, reaching up to caress the side of his face.
Drake grinned at her then looked back at the nurse. "Can we see him?"
"Of course. Come right on in." Rebecca held the door open as Drake wheeled Nicki in. "I'm just gonna ask that you wash your hands at this station right here." She tapped on the metal sink.
"Alright." Drake washed and dried his hands then the nurse wheeled Nicki over to the newborn with him not far behind.
Nicki's eyes lit up when she heard him gurgle. She gasped, "Ohhh, my God. Let me hold him." She never took her eyes off of him.
"Go ahead, pick him up. Support his head and neck with one hand, body with the other. Dad can help."
Nicki wasted no time. She reached for him with both hands. Drake helped her lift his small body. "Careful, babe."
"I got it." Nicki slowly brought the infant to her chest. He squirmed a little until he was comfortably cradled in his mommy's arms. "Hi baby." Nicki softly spoke to him, looking into his eyes. "Oh my God, his eyes are so big." Nicki looked up at Drake with a smile.
"And blue?" Drake asked puzzled.
"Oh my God, yes! Aren't they beautiful?" Nicki asked, stroking her son's cheek.
"All the nurses are calling him the heartbreaker." Rebecca giggled. "Hopefully he keeps that hue. But with some infants their eyes change color the first six months."
"Oh wow, I didn't know that." Nicki looked back at her baby boy.
Drake knelt down, staring at his son's small body. "Can't believe he's really here." He lifted his hand and ran his thumb over the newborn's soft, curly hair. Drake heard Nicki whimper so he looked up. "You okay baby?"
She nodded her head 'yes' as she pressed her lips together. Tears quickly streamed down her face. "I'm fine. I'm jus… I'm happy." She drew in a breath. "Our son is really here and I'm happy. I'm jus happy." She cried. "Jus look at'm. He's so innocent, Aubrey. He's beautiful." Nicki wiped her eyes. "I jus wanna give'm the world."
Drake smiled. "So do I, Nic. You know… we still haven't named him yet. What did you have in mind?"
Nicki looked over their son for a few moments. "I was thinking something with meaning. A name of honor… greatness… and bravery."
"Bruce?"
"Ew." Nicki giggled. "No. Not Bruce. I want a name that I hold dear to me. I was thinking of naming him after someone courageous. Somebody that's not afraid to take on a challenge no matter how difficult or unfamiliar."
"Like Martin Luther King?"
"Aubrey?"
"Yea… I guess this isn't my thing."
"No… Aubrey. I'm naming him Aubrey. Aubrey Drake Graham. He's the most courageous person I know."
Drake looked Nicki in her eyes as his skin sprouted goose bumps. "Seriously?"
"Yea."
"I don't know what to say…"
"You don't have to say anything."
They both looked back down at their son.
"Hey… Aubrey." Drake said to their child. The baby boy twisted his mouth in a way that resembled a smile.
"Oh my God. Babe, did you see that?" Nicki asked.
"Yea, he smiled."
"No, the dimple. Say it again."
"Aubrey? Hey man."
The baby boy raised the corners of his mouth revealing a depression in his cheek.
"Wow, haha. I see it."
"Now whose dimples do those remind you of?" Nicki asked, knowingly.
"Oh I don't know. There's this beautiful woman I'm in love with who has dimples just like that… but it can't be her."
Nicki giggled. "You're not funny."
"But you're laughing."
Nicki giggled harder. Liddle Aubrey then started to get fussy. "Oh, I'm sorry." She looked down at the baby. "Mommy's sorry sweetheart." The baby started to cry. "No, no. Don't cry." He kept on. "Drake what do I do?"
"Uhh, rock him?"
"I am. He won't stop… Ssshhh."
Rebecca made her way back over to the new parents. "Aww, you three look picture perfect."
Nicki looked up at her. "He won't stop crying. What do I do?"
"Oh, he's just a little fussy. He may be hungry. You wanna try nursing him?"
"Uhh, sure. Can I do it in my room though? I don't really wanna be all in the open like this."
"Yea, no problem. Let me just sign this little guy out." She smiled. Rebecca then took down the numbers on Liddle Aubrey and Nicki's hospital bands. "Alright, you can go ahead. I'll meet you in your room to show you what to do in about five minutes."
Once Nicki reached her room, Drake carefully helped her into the bed. She never let go of baby Aubrey. When she and her son were comfortable, Drake took a seat in the wheelchair then they all waited for Rebecca. She walked in with a clipboard and folder full of important documents.
"I'm back." She smiled. "Before we start, I need you to sign a few papers for me. Have you picked out a name?"
"Yes. I named him Aubrey, after his dad."
"Aww, isn't that just the sweetest thing. You must feel pretty special, huh?" She asked Drake.
He chuckled with a polite nod.
"Don't feed his ego, Rebecca. He ain't awllat." Nicki rolled her eyes.
Both ladies laughed while Drake just shook his head. After they signed the documents and birth certificate, Rebecca placed them back in the folder and sat them on a chair nearby.
"Alright, ready mom?"
"Um… yea. I think I am." Nicki forced out a small, dry chuckle.
"Ohhh, don't be nervous. You'll get the hang of it. I promise." Rebecca said to her.
"You have kids?" Drake asked.
"Yes." Rebecca replied. "Two boys. They'll be three this year." She smiled.
"Oh, wow. Twins. How hard is that?" Nicki asked curiously.
"Eh, they can be a handful at times, but I love them to death. I wouldn't trade being their mom for anything in the world." Rebecca admitted, fixing the pillows behind Nicki's back. "Can you sit up for me just a liiittle bit more?" Nicki did so. "Thanks hun. I'll be right, right back. I need a few more pillows." Rebecca jogged out of the room to fetch some more.
"Drake?" Nicki said without looking at him.
"Yea babe?"
"I'm scared… what if I can't do this?" She looked at him.
"You can do this. There's no reason to be scared. The nurse said you'd get the hang of it." He crossed his arms and placed them on the edge of the bed.
"No, it's not just that…" Nicki inhaled, her lips began to quiver. "What are we gonna do with a baby? What if we can't give him everything he needs?"
Drake could see the fear in her eyes as they began to water. "Onika… baby, we're gonna be wonderful parents. It isn't a matter of, "what if we can't…" because we can. We can give him everything he needs, alright? There's nothin' to worry about sweetie. I know you're scared, but just remember I'm here for the both of you and I always will be. If there's somedays you feel like you can't, look to me. I'll take care of everything. We got this, Nic." He smiled. He then wiped the tears away from her face.
Just then, Rebecca walked back in with the extra pillows. "Alright, alright. Got the pillows, now Dad, I'm gonna need your help." She handed him two pillows. "If you can, just slide those under her knees for me.
Drake stood up, pulling the bed sheets open on his side. He carefully lifted Nicki's legs and placed the pillows beneath her knees. "Is that comfortable?"
"Yea." Nicki nodded.
"Alright, dear. I'm just gonna slip this pillow under your elbow and put this one on your lap for your baby. The way you're holding him is just perfect."
"Oh my God. I'm so nervous." Nicki said with a half smile.
"That's normal for first time moms, but that should all go away once he's latched on."
"And what if he doesn't want it? What do I do?"
"Well it's not uncommon for a newborn to reject the nipple the first few times, but you just gotta keep tryin. He'll take it eventually."
Drake placed his hand on top of Nicki's head, smoothing her hair back. "You're gonna do just fine babe."
Nicki let out a deep breath and smiled at him. "I hope so."
"Alright," Rebecca began. "Since his head is already over here on your left, this is where we'll start. If you can, jus pull the top of your robe down a little."
After Nicki did this, the nurse instructed her on how to offer her milk to her son. About five tries later, Liddle Aubrey still hadn't latched on.
"This isn't working." Nicki admitted.
"Now don't be discouraged, some babies take longer than others. This isn't anything I haven't encountered before. Can we just try again?"
Nicki sighed and offered again. The baby turned his head away. Nicki placed her hand over her face as tears started to well in her eyes.
Sitting back in the wheelchair on Nicki's right, Drake placed his hand on her knee to comfort her. "It's okay, baby."
"No Aubrey, it's not!" She snapped. Nicki looked him in the eyes as she cried. "I… can't do this… I can't!"
Drake didn't respond. He knew no matter what he said, Nicki's mindset still wouldn't change. He just licked his lips and glanced at his child. He reached up to hold Liddle Aubrey's tiny hand while Nicki continued to cry. "Hey man…" He spoke softly. "Mommy reeeally wants you to eat. I know you're hungry, huh lil man? Can you eat for mommy and daddy? Hm? It'll make you biiig and strooong."
Drake's baby talk made Nicki giggle through her tears. "Babe stop." She grinned, wiping her face.
"Actually," Rebecca cut in. "That's the way to go. You wanna talk to your baby, coax him."
Drake looked at Nicki and made a face while sticking out his tongue. She grinned at him.
"So you wanna try again, Nic?" He asked.
She took a moment before nodding 'yes'. Drake spoke to his son while Nicki offered. Liddle Aubrey finally latched on causing Nicki to gasp. "He did it…" She said. "He did it."
"Yaaaayy!!" Rebecca clapped.
Drake and Nicki both laughed at her.
"Now what?" Nic asked.
"It's not hurting any is it?"
"No. It just feels weird, haha."
"Ok, that's great. It should never hurt or feel uncomfortable to nurse. You want you and your baby to be as relaxed as possible." Rebecca replied. "And if ever it is a bit discomforting, you just wanna reposition him and start over until you're both in a comfy spot."
"So how long do I keep him on?"
"He'll stop on his own. And that's usually when he falls asleep. You wanna nurse him about eight to twelve times a day every hour and a half to three hours or whenever he's hungry."
Nicki and Drake both listened to Rebecca's instructions intently.
"But you don't wanna go more than four hours without feeding him. And this counts for nighttime too so you'll definitely be up nursing during the night. I know it's not the best news, but it's all a part of being a mommy."
"Haha, I figured I wouldn't be sleeping through the night anyways. Is there anything else we should know?"
"Plenty. Some things you'll have to discover on your own, but I can help by telling you as much as I know on what to expect."
"Great. Thank you so much, Rebecca."
The nurse went on schooling the new parents on what to and not to do, and basic parenting tips. After she answered all of Drake and Nicki's questions, she left the two alone with their son. The room was quiet and calm as the snow continued to fall outside of the window. It was just starting to get dark.
Nicki watched her baby boy as he nursed, his eyelids getting heavier and heavier. She lightly held onto the back of his head while her thumb softly moved back and forth over his hair. Drake had been watching from a comfortable distance, his elbows propped up on the edge of the bed, his hands clasped under his chin. Nobody had spoken a word, for no statement could describe how beautiful this moment was. Minutes later, Liddle Aubrey had fallen asleep in Nicki's arms. She carefully detached him from her breast and pulled the hospital gown back up over her shoulder.
"Man that boy can eat." Drake said quietly.
Nicki smiled. "Hush."
"Haha, I'm only sayin'." Drake's pocket then began to vibrate.
Nicki looked over at him as he checked his phone. "Who is it?" She whispered.
"My mom. She may be here already." Drake answered his cell. "Yea?" He stood up and walked over by the window. A moment later, he put his phone back in his pocket and turned back to Nicki with a dissatisfied face.
"What's wrong?" Nicki asked.
"Well she's here. Downstairs waiting, but she said my father called her back at the last minute saying he couldn't make it." He exhaled.
"I'm sorry, honey."
Drake dryly chuckled. "So am I." He shook his head and began walking toward the door. "I'm gonna go get her. I'll be back."
"Alright, babe."
Ten minutes later, Drake returned with Sandi. She walked into the room with the brightest smile on her face. She excitedly, yet quietly waved both her hands at Nicki while mouthing the word "hi." She could tell her grandchild was asleep. Sandi quickly tip-toed over to Nicki.
"Ohhh! Hey beautiful." She said, greeting Nicki with a kiss on the cheek. They both spoke in hushed tones.
"Haha, hi Sandi." She grinned. "Look who arrived."
"I see, haha. He just couldn't wait could he?" She smiled, looking at the baby. "Wow… my first grandchild." Sandi placed the tips of her fingers over her lips. "He's so precious." She looked over at her son. "You know I'm gonna spoil him, don't you?"
Drake smiled and walked over to them. "Mom please… don't."
"Oh hush." She waved him off. "I'm his grandma. It's what us grandmothers do. You don't mind do you Nicki?"
"Well…"
"Not you too?"
Nicki giggled. "I mean, you have good intentions, but I don't want everything to be handed to him. I want him to learn hard work pays off."
"But he's only a baby. Trust me, you'll have plenty of time to instill important life lessons. Just let me have a little fun? I'm old. I don't know how long I'll—"
"Mom???" Drake interjected.
Sandi rolled her eyes. "Oh alright. Fine. I won't spoil him……… that much." She spotted the wheelchair behind her and pulled it up to sit. "Hey, where's Carol? And Robert?"
"Well they should still be on the plane." Nicki answered. "They should be here before the day's over with."
"Great. Can't wait 'til everyone arrives." She grinned, placing her purse on her lap. She opened it and took out a piece of gum. "Want some?" She held the pack up for them to see.
They both declined. Sandi put the gum back in her purse and zipped it up. She then looked at her grandson. "I wish he wasn't sleeping. I just wanna hold him so bad."
Nicki smiled. "You're never gonna wanna let'm go once you get'm in your arms." She looked at her son, softly running the side of her index finger across his cheek.
"I know exactly how that feels. I held Aubrey all the time. I think that's why he turned out to be such a momma's boy." She giggled.
"I am not." Drake said.
Nicki and Sandi both looked at him at the same time, same expression.
"I'm not." He shrugged as he continued to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Ok, babe." Nicki said, pressing her lips together.
"Hey, what's the baby's name?" Sandi asked.
"Nope. Not yet, I'll tell you when everyone gets here. I don't want anybody to miss anything." Nicki responded.
"Is there a story behind it?"
"Absolutely."
Drake smiled. The three then sparked up a conversation and spoke about current and past events. A nurse came in and checked on Nicki and the baby to see how everything was going. Around ten, Drake and Nicki received more visitors. Drake went downstairs to get them leaving Sandi and Nic to talk amongst themselves. Liddle Aubrey was still fast asleep. When Nicki heard hinges creaking minutes later, she trailed off. Her eyes immediately shot towards the door as a smile grew on her face. Mrs. Carol was the first person to step through.
"Mommy!" She shouted in a hushed whisper.
Mrs. Carol smiled while removing her coat. She handed it to Robert as he walked in behind her. "Oh my God." She said in her accent.
Sandi smiled as Carol walked over to them. "Heeey grandma." She said, standing to give Carol a hug.
Nicki grinned watching the two women embrace. They got along so well which pleased both Nicki and Drake. When they pulled apart, Sandi stepped out of the way so Carol could be closer to her daughter.
"Hi sweetheart." Carol smiled, kissing Nicki on her cheek. "Ohh, my baby." She smoothed Nic's cheek with her thumb.
She smiled. "Mommy look." Nicki raised Liddle Aubrey up just a little.
"Ohhh, I see. Look at him." Mrs. Carol placed both her hands on her chest. "He's gorgeous, Onika."
"Thanks ma." She smiled. "Jus wait 'til he opens his eyes."
Mrs. Carol stared down at her grandbaby, just admiring him. Robert then walked over.
"Hey pop." Nicki spoke.
"Hey sweetie." He grinned. "Congratulations."
"Thank you. Come see."
Robert stood next to Carol. "He's so small." He admitted in his heavy accent, looking down at the baby.
"Isn't he?" Nicki added. "Where's Lani and Cai? I want them to see their nephew."
"Your husband walked them down to the cafeteria." Robert replied.
"Ugh, they could've come said hi first."
"It was a long flight honey. Don't rile yourself up. They're just a little hungry." Carol reassured her.
"I guess…" Nicki looked back down at her son.
"What's his name?" Carol asked.
"I'll tell you all when my brothers and husband get back." Just then, Liddle Aubrey began to wiggle about in her arms causing Nicki to gasp. "You guys, I think he's waking up." She smiled. "Sandi come look." The three adults gathered around Nicki's bedside, all eyes on Liddle Aubrey. He moved his fist up to his face and breathed through his nose. His eyes began to slowly flutter open. "Look, look, look!" Nicki said excitedly.
"Ohhh, that baby has blue eyes." Mrs. Carol announced.
"You see???" Nic exclaimed. "Aren't they beautiful??"
"Yes." Sandi answered happily.
"Oh, that boy's gonna be di gyal dem suga." Robert said. They all laughed at his comment.
Liddle Aubrey stared up at his mommy.
"Look how he's looking at you Onika." Carol said. "He knows his mommy, eh?" She smiled.
Nicki pressed her lips together as she looked at her boy. "Yea…" She answered, trying to hold back the cry in her voice. "He does." Nicki reached for his tiny fist. As she held it in her hand, he opened his palm, wrapping his small fingers around her index. Nicki was amazed by the tight grip he had. "Hey sweetie pie. Mommy loves you so much." She spoke through the knot in her throat. Nicki raised her finger to her mouth and kissed his tiny knuckles. There was a peaceful silence until a loud ruckus echoed through the hallway. A plethora of different baritones neared Nicki's room. Everyone's gaze shifted towards the door.
"…when he missed that shot. I put mad money on that game too, B. That's still my team though." Said a loud Jelani as he entered Nicki's room eating a honey bun. Tucked under his arm was a bottled Pepsi.
"Be quiet boy! Don't you come in hear with all that noise!" Mrs. Carol warned him in a hushed shout. Her accent thicker than ever.
Jelani abruptly stopped at the door when he caught his mother's eye. He was well into his thirties, but he never dared to disobey his mom. "Oop! Sorry ma." In behind him walked Micaiah and Drake having a conversation that ceased once they stepped over the threshold.
"Hey Lani! Cai! Come here you two. Come see your nephew!" Nicki said enthusiastically.
"Heeey sis!" Jelani bellowed with a smile on his face.
"Wuddup Nika?" Said a teenaged Micaiah. His voice had cracked awhile ago so he sounded like a young man now.
"Haha, hurry up fat boy." She said to Jelani.
"This is all muscle." He smiled, rubbing his belly.
"Yea, okay." Nicki giggled. "Caiah hurry up, lamb chop."
He half grinned and walked over to his older sister. Carol, Sandi, and Robert stepped out of the way so the boys could be near the new mommy. Nicki received their greetings with kisses on the cheek. Liddle Aubrey then looked at both his uncles.
"Yo," Micaiah began with a smirk. "Why are his eyes blue?" He looked up at Nicki then over at Drake, who was now solitarily standing on Nicki's left.
"Right?" Jelani cut in. "You sure thas ya kid, Drake?"
Nicki gasped as her jaw dropped. She then punched Jelani in his stomach. "Of course he is, stupid!"
Jelani held his stomach and started laughing. "I'm jokin, I'm jokin! Hahaha, calm down Nika."
"Oh, Jelani stop it." Mrs. Carol told him.
"Haha, my bad ma."
"Go sit down Lani." Nicki said. "Your time is up."
"I'll be back lil man." He told his nephew. He then went to go sit on the long couch across the room and finished his honey bun.
"Come 'ere lamb chop."
Micaiah stepped a little closer to Nic. "It's Micaiah…"
"And I don't care if it's John, you're still my lamb chop. Sit." She patted a spot next to her on the bed. Micaiah sat down and waited for his sister to speak. "To answer your question, I don't know why his eyes are blue, but I love them." She smiled. "They're just so big and bright… you know you had big eyes too when you were born? You were jus this tiny little thing with the biggest eyes."
Micaiah tried to hide his smile.
"That's why I call you my lamb chop and I'm not changing that just because you're starting to grow hair in new places."
"Onika stop." Micaiah said, becoming embarrassed.
"What? Everybody in this room has been through what you're going through. Except my liddle man."
"Oh my God…" Micaiah breathed, running his hands over his face. "You're jus like mommy."
Nicki giggled. "Oh, am I? Well that's a good sign."
"No, it's not." He shook his head with a smile.
Nicki laughed at him. "Don't be so dramatic boy."
Drake let a small hiccup of a chuckle escape him causing Nicki to look up to her left. "Don't do it Aubrey." She then looked back to her little brother. "So tell me, how's school?"
"It's alright I guess."
"Caiah?"
"Well I'm passin."
"Cai??? You mean passin wit A's, right?"
"Somethin like that." He shrugged.
"You know what? I can't." Nicki shook her head. "I don't understand how you expect to keep playin football and your grades aren't up to par. We'll talk about this later."
Just then there was a nurse at the door. She knocked before entering although the door was already open. "Hello, hello." She smiled. "How's it going guys? I'm Michelle and I'll be your nurse for the night shift."
Everyone said their hello's as she walked over to Nicki. Micaiah stood up so Michelle could check on her. He went over to sit on the couch with his brother and mom. Robert was leaning back onto a wall near them, Sandi sitting in the wheelchair, Drake still by Nicki's bedside.
"Hi hun, how are you?" She asked Nic.
"I'm great." She smiled.
"That's wonderful. I see the little guy's awake. How many times has he been nursed?"
"Only once. He fell asleep right after. He just woke up actually."
"Okay, so that means somebody needs to be changed, huh?" Michelle smiled at Liddle Aubrey.
"I haven't changed a diaper in years." Nicki admitted.
"Haha, that's okay. I'll take you through all the steps. It should all come back to you immediately. This is your first child?"
"Yes." Nicki answered eagerly.
"Aww, congratulations. Welcome to parenthood." She looked over at Drake. "You must be Dad?"
"Yes." He grinned. "That's my boy. My first child."
"Nice to meet you, Dad." Michelle held out her hand. Drake shook it. "You two must be so happy."
"We are." They answered in sync.
"That's wonderful." She smiled. "Now let's get this little guy changed. You think you can walk with me over here to the changing table?" She asked Nic.
"Sure." Nicki pulled the covers back and moved her legs to hang over the edge of the bed. In her grey hospital socks, Nicki cautiously placed one foot on the floor. When she applied pressure to stand, she could feel the pain in her womb and it showed in her face. "Michelle, I don't think I'm gonna be able to walk over there."
"Okay, that's perfectly fine. I'll see if I can roll it over here."
"Thank you."
After Michelle rolled the changing table to Nicki's bedside, Nicki carefully placed Liddle Aubrey on it's surface. Michelle took her through the changing process a couple times and then Drake. After the infant was diapered, Michelle swaddled him in a yellow blanket with a matching hat. Drake picked him up and cradled him in his arms while the nurse moved the changing table back to the other side of the room. She then told everyone goodbye and that she'd return later.
"Hey man. It's daddy." Drake said to his son. The boy stared up at him with a curious face.
Nicki looked on with a smile.
"So is anyone gonna tell us his name?" Jelani asked.
Drake looked at Nicki. She then looked at her family and nodded her head. "Drake, can you come here please?" She asked.
He walked over and stood next to her bed as she got comfortable under the sheets again. "Yea, babe?"
"Can you sit right here for me?" Nicki patted the bed.
Drake sat down on the edge facing the side of the room everybody was on. Nicki then reached out for his hand so he extended it to her. She placed her palm over his knuckles and held on as he ran his thumb over her fingers. "So you guys…" She began, looking at her and Drake's hand resting on the bed. "I named him something that meant a lot to me… after what Drake and I both experienced, I felt it was only right…" She turned her head to look at all the faces staring back at her. "His name's Aubrey." She smiled, then looked back at Drake. "After his father."
The room filled with smiling faces and a teary-eyed Sandi.
Drake smiled at Nicki then looked at everybody. "I was just as shocked when she told me. I wasn't expecting that at all."
"Well yea…" Nicki began. "That's his name." She giggled.
"That is so sweet, Onika." Mrs. Carol said. "You know, I think we should all meet the doctor who delivered him too. I need to thank him for delivering such a beautiful boy."
"Yes, I agree." Sandi said, wiping her nose with a Kleenex.
Nicki looked at Drake. Her grip on his hand tightened. She was about to speak, but her voice caught in her throat. Her eyes automatically began to water, droplets rolling down her cheeks. She stared into her husband's eyes as she spoke through her tears. "It was around this afternoon when I called Drake. I told him the pain I was in so he left the studio early to come home to me. I had no clue what was happening to me. I didn't know whether I was in labor or not…… but I was…… My water broke before Drake made it home. I started getting my contractions soon after. I was so scared and it hurt so bad, but I didn't know what to do. I was home alone just waiting. Drake called for an ambulance, but they never showed… my contractions were getting worse and closer together…… when Aubrey finally made it home, he helped me into my coat and my boots as fast as he could. We were on our way out of the house when I got another contraction…… that one did it… it seemed to last an eternity. I knew I had to get to the hospital, but he knew there was no way we were gonna make it in time… so he had me sit down, by the front door…"
"…I removed her coat and her shoes…"
"…and my sweats…"
"And I waited out her contractions with her. She was in so much pain… I never witnessed her hurting like that before and it pained me because I couldn't do anything about it…"
"He did what he could though. He went to go get some pillows for me, he prayed for us, and he gave me a little pep talk. I really appreciated that… a lot. But after some time, it didn't matter how soft those pillows were or how effective his pep talk was…" She sniffled. "I could feel the baby coming so I started pushing."
"I told her not to because we didn't know how dialated she was, but I guess her body knew better than I did…"
"It was the worst feeling ever. I had no medication to numb the pain."
"I was trying to keep her calm, but it didn't matter what I did… all I knew was that I needed to deliver our baby."
"And he did." She cried. "Aubrey delivered our son. When I heard him crying, I was so happy nothing went wrong… I held him so close… and then I… I… I started to feel a bit dizzy and my vision was getting blurry…" Nicki squeezed Drake's hand tighter. "I passed the baby to Drake and after that… I don't remember anything……"
"What? Onika what happened?" Carol asked, worry all over her face.
"She zoned out." Drake answered. "I was talking to her, but she wasn't there. I started to get scared when she stopped responding to me. All she did was look around the room… I felt like she didn't know where she was. I called 911 and they sent out another ambulance. The dispatcher told me to keep her awake so I tried my best… she also had me cut Aubrey's umbilical cord so I did and when I got back to Nicki, she looked worse…… I pleaded with her to stay awake…"
Nicki placed her free hand over her mouth to mask her cries. She squeezed her eyes shut as she held onto Drake's hand.
He looked away from her and over to their family. "She closed her eyes and I started panicking…" He looked to the floor. "Then she stopped breathing and… my heart dropped. Everything seemed so unreal. I thought she was gone." Drake shook his head as he pressed his lips together. "The ambulance came and…" He cleared his throat. "They came and they took her and our son away."
"I remember waking up in this hospital with an IV in my arm wondering where my baby was. I wanted to hold him so bad, but the nurse told me he was in the NICU having some tests done. I asked her what happened and she told me I lost a lot of blood which caused me to lose consciousness so I needed a transfusion. She told me I'd be here longer than expected because they needed to monitor my blood pressure. After that she took me to this one room where they ran all these tests on me. I needed Drake there with me, but I didn't know where he was."
He looked up at her. "I was right there with you the whole time. As soon as the ambulance reached the ER I was right there. I was beside you when they wheeled you in. They had Aubrey laying on your chest until some nurses came out to take him away. It all happened so fast I didn't know where they were taking him. They wouldn't let me go behind the double doors with either of you so all I could do was wait in the waiting area. Nobody told me anything for a long time. Eventually, a nurse came out to talk to me about Aubrey. I was so relieved. But I was still worried about you. She didn't have your charts so that's when I took it upon myself to find you…"
"I'm so happy you did. I really needed you." Nicki admitted, wiping her tears from her face.
"Wow…" Micaiah said. "I'm sorry all that happened to you guys… I'm glad you're okay, Onika. You and my nephew." He stood up and walked over to Drake. "Thanks for takin care of my sister, man. You're a real good dude. I think you're gonna be a great father." He held out his hand and the two shook.
"Thanks Micaiah." Drake said.
Cai nodded his head and took a step back.
"Cai come 'ere." Nicki called, tears still in her eyes. She held out her arms for a hug. When he reached her, she squeezed him into a tight embrace. "Thank you sweetie. That was really mature of you. You're growing up already." She gave him a kiss on his cheek. "I love you, lamb chop."
"Love you too, sis." He stepped back as Carol, Sandi, Robert and Jelani approached Nicki's bedside. They all gave her their individual hugs and thanked God she was okay. They then gave Drake his props and thanked him for being so brave. A good half-hour later, Nicki's doctor came to pay her a visit. Aubrey Jr.'s birth story had been spreading around the maternity ward like wildfire. The doctor wanted to award Drake with something special. He received a certificate for being an honorary obstetrician. The doctor had it framed and all so it looked official. She couldn't stay long since she was still on duty so she said her goodbyes and left. After awhile Micaiah had fallen asleep on the couch and Robert, Drake, Jelani, and Sandi were in the cafeteria leaving Nicki and Carol to converse amongst themselves. Aubrey was now in his grandma's arms as Nicki looked on.
"He is such a handsome boy. You and Drake did very well, eh?"
Nicki smiled. "Haha, thank you mommy." Liddle Aubrey began to stick out his tongue. "What are you doing silly boy?" Nicki asked, looking at her son.
"I believe he's hungry, Onika." She looked at her daughter. "Are you feeding him naturally?"
"Yea, but it's really hard. He didn't take the first couple of tries."
Mrs. Carol smacked her lips. "Oh, that's nothing, chile." She waved her off. "You took almost a week."
"What??" Nicki asked in shock.
"Yes. I thought there was something wrong with me, but no. You were just a stubborn little thing."
Nicki laughed. "Oh my God. Mommy, that's crazy."
"You're telling me. I started to think that maybe you were just a little… behind."
"Are you saying I was slow?"
"Yes, very very slow." Carol admitted, handing Aubrey over to Nicki.
"I can't believe you just called me slow." Nicki laughed.
"It's jus the way you were, chile. But as soon as you started walking and talking, you were anything but. You caught on so quickly."
Nicki smiled, placing a pillow on her lap. "I'm so glad you're here, ma. I'm really gonna need your advice on a lot of this parenting stuff."
"I'm happy to help." She smiled. "Do you have an extra blanket, dear? You're gonna wanna cover yourself up."
"The one he's wrapped in is the only one the nurse left us with."
"Okay, well we're just gonna take that blanket off'm." Mrs. Carol stood up and unwrapped the baby. She pulled Nicki's cover back and repositioned the pillow on her lap. "Which side did he feed last?"
"Um, the left."
"Okay, we're gonna switch. You wanna get'm used to nursing on both sides." Carol helped Nicki rotate Aubrey to the right side. "Are you comfortable?"
"Mhm." Nicki pulled the covers back up over her and her son's legs.
"Alright, so go ahead."
"Um, can you turn around?"
"Oh larsh, chile." Mrs. Carol rolled her eyes. "Fine." She then turned around.
Nicki offered the baby her milk and he latched on immediately. "Yaaaay! My baby's not slow!"
Mrs. Carol giggled. "Can I turn around now?"
"Yup."
Mrs. Carol picked up the yellow blanket Aubrey had been wrapped in and went to place it over Nicki's chest.
"Heeey, what are you doin?" She stopped her.
"What does it seem like, chile? I'm covering you."
"But I still wanna see'm" Nicki whined.
"Well we don't wanna see you." Carol shot back. She placed the yellow blanket over her daughter's chest. "You'll have plenty of time to admire him, Onika. Don't fret."
Nicki didn't respond. She exhaled through her nose and continued to hold her child. A few minutes later, everyone returned from the cafeteria. It was now nearly midnight.
"Hey babe." Drake said as he leaned down to kiss Nicki's forehead. "I brought you something to eat. I know you haven't had anything all day."
"Thank you so much, baby. What'd you get me?"
Drake rolled the food tray over to Nicki's left and placed her food on top. "Well…" He began to slide the tray over her lap.
"Easy babe. Watch his head." She pulled the tray toward her just close enough.
"You guys good?"
"Yea."
"Alright. Well the café didn't have much to choose from so," He sat down on the edge of the bed. "I got you some meatballs and mashed potatoes. It was the best thing on the menu."
"It doesn't matter if all they had were Ramen noodles. I'm starving." She smiled. "Thanks, honey."
"You're welcome." He lifted the top from her dish and removed the fork and napkin from it's plastic packaging. "Here." He handed her the fork.
"Thanks… did you get me anything to drink?" Drake sat a bottle of Dasani on her food tray. "Thank you." Nicki then attempted to bring a meatball to her mouth. However, the gravy was dripping. She didn't want to make a mess, but she couldn't quite lean forward to reach her tray.
Drake noticed. "I got it." He took her fork and began to feed her.
"Well who's the baby here?" Carol asked, watching him feed her daughter.
Drake and Nicki both looked over at her. Nicki covered her mouth and started grinning. After she finished eating, her primary nurse came in to check her vitals. Her blood pressure was still a bit high so her doctor decided to keep her overnight. As the night went on, everyone started to get restless. Jelani had found a spot on the floor to sit, with his father, and Carol shared half of the couch with a still sleeping Micaiah. Sandi was sitting in the wheelchair dozing off as Drake sat on the edge of Nicki's hospital bed talking to Robert and Jelani about a recent sporting event. Nicki was sitting up in bed watching Liddle Aubrey sleep as she cradled him in her arms.
"Onika?" Carol called, resting her head on her palm.
Nicki looked over to her mother.
"I think it's about time we go sweetie. This couch is killing my back."
"Oh… well ok… are you guys staying at a hotel?"
"No." Drake cut in. "I gave them the guest rooms."
"Yes, he sure did. There's a nice queen-sized bed with my name on it." Carol admitted, rising to her feet with a smile.
"Haha, okay ma. Well you guys drive safe. You're coming back tomorrow, right?"
"Of course, dear." Mrs. Carol said. She then tapped Micaiah for him to wake up. "Come on son. We're leaving." He didn't budge.
"Cai get up." Jelani said, standing up off the floor. The boy still didn't move. Jelani walked over to him. He then playfully hit him in the head with his empty Pepsi bottle.
Micaiah jumped up ready to fight, but noticed it was just his brother. "You play too much." He said with red eyes, punching Jelani in his arm.
"Boys don't start. Put your coat on Cai. We're leaving." Carol told them.
"Mom?" Drake called.
Sandi looked up. "What? What's happening?" She noticed everyone putting their coats on.
"Everybody's leaving." Drake answered. "You stayin here?"
"If they give me a bed." She giggled. "I can't sleep in this chair, Aubrey. I think I'll go too." She stood up and began to put on her parka. "I'll be back tomorrow, alright dear?" She said to Nicki.
"Alright. You be careful out there Sandi."
"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll be fine." She smiled.
When everyone was all prepared to go, they said their goodbyes to Nicki and Drake walked them down to the lobby. When he returned to his wife, he found her yawning in bed.
"Somebody's tired." He said, shutting the door behind him.
Nicki looked at him with lazy eyes and a smile. "Only a teenie bit." She showed him the amount with her fingers.
Drake walked over to her bedside, pulling up the wheelchair yet again to sit in.
"Nooo, Drake don't. Get up here with me." She said, pulling back the covers.
"Haha, I don't think that bed's made for two people."
"Well it will be tonight. Get up here… and take off your shoes."
"Okay boss." He removed his black, Timberlands and climbed in facing Nicki.
She then pulled some covers over him. "See? Not so bad." She gave him a kiss on the lips. "Thank you for being so amazing, Aubrey."
"You're welcome." He kissed her back. "I love you."
"I love you too." Nicki half smiled then looked back at their son, whose head was now on his mommy's left.
Drake kissed Nicki's cheek. As he lay on his side, he propped his elbow up on one of the pillows, resting his head on his hand. He then put his arm around her waist as she cuddled into him. Together, they watched their baby boy sleep.
"He is so white…" Drake whispered.
"Haha, like you weren't?"
"Well I still am."
"Bwahaha! Babe stop. You're gonna make me wake him up… And I'm sure he's gonna get some color to him soon. It's only been a few hours."
"Yea… a few hours… And it still feels so surreal. Like… I'm really a father."
"And I'm a mommy. And together, we're gonna be the bestest parents in the whooole wiiide wooorld." Nicki said in her baby voice.
"You bet we are."
Just then, Liddle Aubrey started to wiggle around, his lips twisting and fingers moving.
"Heeey, look who's waking up." Drake said.
"Oh my God, I knoooww." Nicki sat up a little causing Drake to do the same. The baby then slowly started to cry. "Oh no, sweetie. Please don't."
"You think he's hungry?"
"He can't be. I just fed him half an hour ago."
"Oh… maybe he's wet?"
Nicki checked his diaper. "No, he's not."
"Did you burp him?"
"Well he fell asleep right after he nursed and remember, Rebecca said not to wake him just to burp him."
"Well he's up now."
Nicki placed Liddle Aubrey in the burping position near her shoulder. She softly patted his back encouraging him to burp. Minutes later, a small belch escaped the baby boy and he began to calm down. "Aww, was that not the cutest thing you've heard?"
"Hahaha, yea… cute."
Nicki then cradled him in her arms once again. She removed the yellow hat from his head and started smoothing his hair back with her thumb. "You know… I would've never imagined him to be this beautiful, Aubrey… our baby boy. When I look at him, I see another part of you and me… our innocence just balled up into one."
"Yea…"
The couple watched their son as he drifted back to sleep. Once he was out, Nicki started to doze off.
"Nic?" Drake called.
"Hm?" She answered sleepily.
"I'm gonna take it from here. I see you fallin asleep." He went to reach for the baby.
Nicki pulled away. "Nooo, I'm not sleepy. I got it." She yawned.
"Onika? You're over here dozin off and you're not sleepy?"
"No."
"Babe, go to bed. You're gonna thank me later for this." He reached for his son again.
"But, but I'm gonna miss something." She whined, letting Drake remove the child from her arms.
"You're not. He's a newborn. They don't do much." He chuckled at his wife's sleepy behavior. "Go to sleep, sweetheart. I'll wake you up if he starts walkin."
Nicki closed her eyes and cuddled up with a pillow. "You promise?"
"Haha, yea babe. I promise."
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