Chapter Fifty-one

"There's a group of people claiming to be your family." One of the nurses said gently as she carried the little baby into the room that Sarah had just settled in to.
"Teenage girl, two teenage boys and an elderly lady?" Richie asked.
"Yes." The nurse answered as she placed the newborn in Sarah's arms.
"Sounds like our other kids and your mom." Richie said.
Sarah smiled when he said other, he still loved Caleb and Noah as his own kids even though he had his own biological son now.
"I can sent them in?" The nurse asked.
They both nodded.

Ava was the first to sit on the hospital bed next to Sarah to look at her newborn sibling. The baby was sleeping wrapped in a white cloth so only its head was visible.

Ava reached out to stroke its cheek. "So tiny." She said softly as she looked into the bright eyes that had just opened to look back at her.
Sarah smiled up at her. "Yeah he is."
"It's a boy?" Ava asked surprised. She leaned in a little closer to study her newborn brother's face. "He's perfect."

Sarah and Richie thought exactly the same about their 7.5 pound, 19.5 inches bundle of joy.

Richie made sure everyone knew their baby was born by texting everyone in his and in Sarah's contacts list. Not minding if some people got a double text.

Baby boy Sambora met the world on October 19, 1:35am. Measuring 19.5 inches and weighing 7.5 pounds. Perfect

After that a bunch of text messages were sent back. To dodge them, he had phoned his mom to tell her the good news even though it was the middle of the night. She was excited and even more excited when Richie told her he'd sent pictures soon. He knew his mom would want to come visit her first grandson but he'd arrange a flight in the morning.

"Can I hold him?" Ava asked hopeful. "I know how." She added quickly and held her arms like she was holding a baby to prove she could.
"Sure but be careful." Sarah sat up a little so Ava was able to take her little brother.
Ava looked at him with a mixture of adoration and amazement on her face. She already loved the little baby in her arms as much as any sibling could love the other. Her daddy was now someone else's daddy too but she didn't mind sharing with a baby this cute.

Caleb and Noah watched closely, both adoring their new sibling too.
"Can I?" Caleb asked after a little while and held the baby carefully as Ava passed him over. "Hi little brother." He cooed.

Sarah loved watching them, the adoration, love and amazement in their eyes told her that her youngest son would always be loved and protected by its older siblings.

On his way to meet grandma next, the baby had wiggled itself free from the tight cloths around him so he could move his tiny arms.

Abbey watched her grandson with the greatest joy. She hadn't expected to receive another grandchild in this life and here he is. A beautiful pink baby boy with the cutest little nose, perfect red lips, sweet baby blue eyes and a little bit of short blond hair on his head.

"Don't you want to hold him?" Sarah asked Noah, who hadn't yet.
"I can't." He answered quickly.
"Why not?" Sarah asked. "Come here."
Ava moved from the bed so Noah could sit down as Abbey passed the baby back to Sarah.
"Just hold your arms like this." Sarah showed him how she was holding the baby and waited for Noah to get his arms right before reaching over to place the tiny baby in his arms.
"See, you can." Sarah said.

Noah held him tightly, making sure he wouldn't drop the fragile baby.



An hour later, Abbey took the teenagers home again so Sarah could get some rest but she was still too amazed by her son.

Richie got on the bed next to his wife and kissed her cheek.

"You need to sleep. You must be exhausted and baby boy Sambora will need you in the morning." He reached over to check the little hospital bracelet that read:

Baby boy Sambora

Instead, the baby caught hold of his finger and didn't let go, tightly holding on to his daddy's finger.

"He doesn't want to go either, he wants to be with us." Sarah said. If she could, she'd hold him in her arms forever but Richie was right, she was tired.
"I'll hold him, he doesn't have to go back to the nursery just yet." Richie suggested. "Then you can sleep next to me."
Satisfied with knowing her baby wasn't going anywhere, Sarah agreed and moved the baby over.

Richie moved him gently so his head could rest on his shoulder and he could still hold him as Sarah cuddled into his other side to sleep.

"We need to name him something better than Baby Boy Sambora, although that's original." Richie said as he gently stroked the baby in question its back.
Sarah sighed. They still hadn't been able to name him and had a feeling it might take them a while before they could finally agree on something that was the perfect fit for their baby boy.