Epilogue: Sounds of Love (Ethan's Echoes)

The sound was familiar, and unfortunately for her, had been heard just an hour before. He was up again. This was the third time the baby had woken up tonight. He had started sleeping through the night, but since they moved into the new house, their son had been restless.

As she started to rise, Ethan stopped her and said he'd go. She remained prostrate, although she didn't allow herself to fall back asleep. Honestly, Ethan had gotten a lot better with children since he first kept Tess. His niece had brought light into his life again and actually had been the reason they got back together. After spending time with her and teaching him how to handle Tess, April accepted his request to join him for dinner. One dinner, turned into walks through Grant Park; multiple lunch and dinner dates; the standard morning after breakfast; and after a year, ended with a staged proposal on the Chicago Med rooftop. With every visit, Ethan was more and more comfortable with Tess and addressing her needs successfully. At that moment, his pre-K trainer, was asleep in the guest room upstairs. Emily and Mami Choi, had brought her with them to visit the baby. She'd been so excited for her first "big girl" trip and playing tag with Tio Ethan. And while the little lady slept, April was concerned with the baby gent who wasn't.

Truth be told, April had appreciated the gesture, but her husband hadn't spent much time settling their son, so she figured it better to stay up. Ethan would most likely not ask for help; which meant she'd have to jump in, before he and their son fell into a major panic attack. She began to smile, envisioning the scene, while she listed to her men on the monitor.

"Ok son, Sshhh." Ethan stated as he picked him up. "Your mother, and I, are trying to sleep, so what do you need?" Alexander decided to respond with louder cries and his father began to panic.

"Maybe you're wet?" Ethan reasoned while insisting his son quiet down. "Nope, not wet," Ethan sighed. "Son please stop crying." And wailing cries echoed through the house.

"He's still trying to reason with the baby," April thought, "it'll be a little more time." So she waited with closed eyes and open ears.

"Are you hungry?" Ethan asked as he tried to give him a bottle, but Alex shook his head and just cried louder. "Ok, not hungry," Ethan panted, "Or just partial to the breast; which I can totally understand son."

April smiled, "Uh-oh he's trying to make jokes? This isn't good. A little more time." Once again she continued to rest, waiting for the moment she'd have to step in.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star," Ethan sang, but Alex's cries drowned out his musical attempt.

"Singing? Really?" April's eyes didn't open, but her uncontrolled giggle had betrayed her sleeping appearance.

The baby kept crying, his wails becoming more labored, and now April could hear the frustration in Ethan's pleas for silence. "Alex, please give me a break. Give your mother a break! Tell me what's wrong?" It was the edginess of his voice that made April open her eyes. She knew her husband. He'd push himself to get the "right" answer, and in the end, he'd be balled up in the corner trying to catch his breath with Alexander.

April stood in the doorway, looking in on her men. "Babe, are you ok?" Her voice floated on the air like a smooth and soft ribbon in the sky.

"Tell me what I'm doing wrong?" She dropped her head with a miniscule giggle. It was rare that her husband allowed himself to be vulnerable, so she enjoyed these times when she could rescue him. "He doesn't need changing. I tried to feed him, he doesn't want it. He doesn't have a fever and he's only 5 months old, so he isn't teething. I've been bouncing him this whole time, but he isn't calming down. I mean I even tried singing, but it isn't working. What am I doing wrong?" Ethan pleaded.

"You're using your head, not your heart." Ethan was obviously confused by her response- she needed to clarify. "You're trying to think your way through it, but he's a baby. His actions and responses aren't founded in reason- they're instinctual." She walked over to them and rested her hands on their backs. "You're his father, Ethan. There's no need for you to be anxious or panic, because as long as he's in your arms, you know he's got everything he needs. So BREATHE."

April stroked her husband's face as he followed her instructions. "Ok, breathe deep and do it again. Calm yourself down and as you calm down, so will he." Ethan continued to listen. "Listen to my tone. Use that soothing tone you've used when trying to calm scared kids in the ED. Alex is your son. You'll be the first person he'll look to for protection, guidance, and reassurance. So reassure him… let him know he can be calm, because his DADDY has him."

Ethan followed his wife's wise words and his son's cries started to subside. As they grew quieter, Ethan became more comfortable, and the more Alex's wails trickled down to staccato whimpers. "It's ok son. Daddy's got you. It's ok," Ethan said comfortingly, trying to get Alex to fall asleep. Ethan looks up to see April watching carefully.

"He won't go to sleep. When you have him, he goes to sleep almost immediately, but with me he won't go to sleep. His eyes keep falling, but they won't stay closed." She begins to reach for their son, and Ethan turns Alex away from her. "No, I need to know how to do this. What do I do?"

April's head fell slightly and then she began. "There's one final thing. Now, you're jostling him correctly, not too hard and in a steady rhythm. But you also need to make a 'swooshing' sound while you gently pat his back and jostle him. The repeated swooshing mimics time in the womb and reminds him of the first sounds he'd recognize. Soon he'll fall asleep and we'll all be able to sleep… hopefully for more than an hour."

Ethan nodded in acknowledgement, as April turned heading back toward their room with a large grin on her face. "Now, I'm going to lay back down, but don't worry, I'll be awake if you need me."

Ethan chuckled at her declaration and began to sing his soothing swooshes to Alexander. Although his son was asleep within 10 minutes, Ethan found he didn't want to part with him just yet. He sat down in the rocker and just watched. This little bundle was the culmination of the greatest gift in his life- April's love. And though he had assumed his love for his children would seem greater in comparison, Ethan found that while his love for his son was infinite, his love for April seemed to be equal but different. "Alex, you are the greatest joy of my life, because you were birthed from the greatest love of my life. And no matter what you face in the future, you'll always know you're never alone, because your mom and dad will be by your side. So rest easy son… Daddy's here and I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Suddenly, as Ethan began to lay Alex in his crib, he heard a sweet humming sound. Alex was humming. Ethan kissed his forehead and went back to his room, where he found a sleeping wife and heard… humming.

"Well I guess I finally got it right, because they both trust me enough to go to sleep for real." And Ethan chuckled as he happily listened to the sounds of love echoing through their home.

THE END.