THE HONOURABLE MAN

Episode 23

Ms Monroe has been away for months but she soon makes time to visit her son and the woman carrying her first grandchild, she visits them a few days before Janet’s due date. Janet is nervous about having her future mother in law around, from the first time they met she gathered she didn’t like her very much.

On the contrary Ms Monroe surprises her by being kind and sweet towards her. She has never liked Janet but she loves her now for giving her a grandchild she never expected to have anytime soon considering the fact that her son was married to his job and staying away from women.

Ms Monroe smothers her, she doesn’t want her doing any chores she only urges her to lie down and rest and let her take care of everything. They bond over picking a name for the baby and Ms Monroe gets emotional when she gets to feel the baby kick. “Ooh he is going to be one hell of a soccer player,” she beams. Bryce is glad to see his mother blissful, he doesn’t remember the last time he saw her this elated about anything.

Watching her warm up to Janet just because she is pregnant with her grandchild makes him believe he made the right decision by choosing his child’s best interests over his relationship with Kiana which no one could tell if it would have lasted but that didn’t make it hurt any less, he will always carry the pain of not knowing what could have been.

It is Four pm when he gets a call from his mother informing him that Janet is now in labour and they are already on their way to the hospital. He cancels all his appointments right away, drops everything and hurries to the hospital with his heart aflutter. Janet looks like someone who has just finished running a marathon owing to the sweat dripping from her face. She holds on tightly to Bryce’s hand screaming as she pushes as hard as she can.

“One more time,” the doctor urges and Janet pushes again with all of her strength.

One last push and the baby is out and they are moved when they hear his beautiful cry for the first time. “It’s a beautiful baby boy,” the doctor announces as she wraps the baby in a blanket and hands him over to his mother.

The smile on Bryce’s face is priceless and so is the joy in his heart, he is happy to finally meet his son and he falls in love with him straight away. Janet hands the baby to him and a name immediately comes to his mind. “Sam, his name shall be Sam Adams,” he proclaims.

Ms Monroe tears up with joy as she holds her grandson in her arms for the very first time, “hey there young man, this is grandma and she is very happy to finally meet you,” she whispers to the baby as she takes his tiny hand into hers.

Janet is discharged from the hospital on the following day, Bryce and his mother are on their way to pick them up and he is super excited to take baby Sam home. Sam’s room is ready and lovely, decorated with blue wallpapers, furnished with a beautiful cot bed, drawers and with stuffed animals decorated on the shelves.

Ms Monroe leaves a week after Sam is born hence Bryce takes a month’s leave from work to help Janet with the baby. He is very hands on, he baths the baby, changes his diapers and rocks him to sleep. He also cleans the house and cooks, reason being he wants Janet to rest and give her body enough time to heal and recover. He understands that carrying a child nine months and the labour process is exhausting to one’s body.

Janet is blissful and grateful she couldn’t have asked for a better man to have a child with. The cries of the baby filling the house make him a happier man who is eager to watch the baby grow up and reach his many milestones. He can’t help but day dream of all the things he would like to do with Sam when he grows up. He can just imagine playing football with him, video games and getting him a dog to play fetch with. He swears that Sam is going to be the most spoiled child in the world.

Bryce’s life is filled with a whole new meaning and purpose but although he is happy and he has a baby to distract him he still catches himself thinking about Kiana and feeling guilty for letting her go without telling her the truth.

He believes he made the right sacrifice for the sake of his child, he deserves a home and being raised by both parents, raising his child together with Janet helps him to slowly develop feelings for her and they soon begin to bond.

***

Six weeks after the baby is born, the doctor informs Janet that she can now get intimate with her partner and she doesn’t want to wait another day. It’s been a week since Bryce returned to work, when he gets home he finds her dressed only in her lingerie and ready to seduce him. She puts away his briefcase and takes off his jacket, pushes him to sit on the couch and starts massaging his shoulders.

Bryce is uncomfortable he is not sure he is ready to give her what she wants, he hasn’t touched any woman since Kiana.

Janet starts kissing his neck and unbuttoning his shirt but he grabs her hands to stop her, “Janet I’m sorry I can’t.” She frowns and folds her hands against her chest, “Until when Bryce huh? You haven’t touched me from the day I moved in here or perhaps there is someone you are sleeping with so I should also find another man to sleep with? You asked me to move in with you and be your partner, so what nonsense is this?” She grumbles.

“I know and I’m sorry but I’m tired right now it’s been a long day,” he walks away to his bedroom. Soon after dinner he goes to bed but Janet doesn’t plan to get him off the hook any longer, they have been sleeping in separate bedrooms ever since she moved in, now that she has delivered their baby she feels it’s time to consummate their relationship.

After putting baby Sam to bed, she lets herself into Bryce’s room and onto his bed, this time she is taking no excuses and not taking no for an answer. Janet pulls him by the neck and starts kissing him, he unwillingly kisses her back and then pauses for a moment. He accepts that he can’t go on without s*x forever, Kiana is gone and he has to move on with his life upon acknowledging that he finally gives in and has s*x with Janet.

The next morning while he is at work Janet moves her staff into his bedroom, from now on they are going to be a couple and share a bed every night, she is pleased and content, she has always wanted Bryce for herself and now he is all hers.