Chapter 49: Celebrate New Life

Baby bro finally got married!!

He and Asia are such a good match. He’s a genius and she’s a geek, she’s romantic and he wants a big family, and she loves his work! She doesn’t mind him working on his rocket and other skills because she’s busy working on her own–she wants to be a master mixologist. Lucky for her we have a bar at home!

If I’m completely honest…their relationship makes me jealous sometimes. I wished I had a wife that appreciated me and what I do. I mean, I’m sure she appreciates my salary and the fact that I do work because she doesn’t bother me when I’m working. I don’t really know what to make of her these days. But, although Maliyah isn’t the easiest person to deal with, I don’t think I can completely blame her. It takes two to tango, right? If I look inside myself, I will find that I haven’t been the best either. I’ve been soo consumed with work and getting promoted, it’s all I think about! I come home, I eat, I workout, I work on my skills. That’s it. I hang with my girls if they’re around, but if not, I let them do what they want. And, if I’m painstakingly honest again, I don’t really know them that well. I don’t know how their grades are, I don’t know if they have a crush on anyone (they better not!!), I don’t know what their interests are! I know that Brittany has developed a thing for music because I hear her playing instruments, but I never asked her about it. Does that make me a terrible father? I wonder what my great-grandfather Xavier would think of all of this. I heard that he was a great man, and he built this house brick by brick with his own two hands starting with just one room! I heard that he was a man of integrity and family values. I heard that he aspired to lead a legacy with like values. But his son, who didn’t even want kids, had a bunch of drama and did things that grandpa X would not approve of. My father had better luck with his family and things turned out ok, but now I’m having issues. Does the trouble skip a generation?

Anyway, I’m not much of a spiritual guy, but I took that prayer thing very seriously. I prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed…and prayed some more for a son! I was very stressed out. I didn’t know what I would do if this baby turned out to be a girl. I would love her dearly, but life would not have been the same. I don’t think there would be another visit to the 50 Mile High Club in store for me to smooth things over. I’d be a failure! One more morning while everyone was getting ready for work and school, Maliyah went into to labor. I was off work that day, but I didn’t dare go near her. She was definitely in rare form that day! I was afraid she might actually try to hurt me. So I waited and waited for the sounds of my newborn’s cries.

Then I heard it. I was pacing with great anticipation. Maliyah finally came out of the nursery because she actually had to go to work. She cut her eyes at me and she walked past me silently in the hall and out the door. She was in terrible shape, and I really wish she would have taken the day off so I could care for her and the baby. She was exhausted and completely stressed out. I said one last prayer before I entered the nursery. I opened the door slowly to see what my fate was. There are only about five steps from the door to the bassinet, but I took them ever so slowly and carefully as if I could possibly mess things up by acting too hastily. I stepped in front of the bassinet and looked at my youngest child, and my eyes filled with tears. I picked up my new bundle of joy and said…

“Hello, my little one! I’m soo glad you’re a boy! Soooooo glad!! Your mommy is never gonna let me touch her ever again.”

I held him, rocked him, cuddled him…I could not let him go! Here you are, folks! The next heir to the Pruett legacy…Brandon Pruett!

I love this little guy!! He inherited his grandmother’s neatness and his mother’s love for the arts. Instead of changing rooms, we just decided to give him mom’s room because it is currently empty. We’ll see how we can adjust if/when Jared and Asia have a baby.

The girls took him mostly well. Bianca loved him the most, and she’s still being a great big sister, but Brittany didn’t really appreciate him much.

I guess she figured becoming a big sister once was enough. We celebrated Brandon’s birthday on a Friday, and that whole weekend was festive. The next day we had a family reunion of sorts. We invited all the family over to welcome Asia into the family.

She definitely appreciated the welcome, and I think she feels loved. Then, later that night, we celebrated Brittany’s teenage birthday!

I wish my dad could have been here so he could see that he got his wish of having a musician in the family one day.

The next week we celebrated Bianca’s teen birthday.

She inherited her grandmother’s cheerfulness, and I suppose she has been influenced by my work somehow because she says she wants to be a computer whiz! Maybe I’m not completely screwing this thing up.