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And then the Goodes show up one at a time. Sage and Adam first. Then Melanie. And then Caleb and Dean. Briar and Abby are out of town together on a mommy-daughter retreat, apparently. Part of me wonders if all of these babies being born in her family is affecting her, and I’m sure it is. But she’s taking it in stride. I’m glad she’s getting some quality time with her daughter. When she’s ready to see Henry, we’ll be here.
After everyone has come and gone, and our first day of parenthood is coming to a close, I’ve never felt more tired and in love in my life. I still can’t stop staring at Henry, and clearly, Lucas feels the same.
Our hospital stay lasts roughly two hundred and fifty days. Or at least it feels that way. Apparently, getting a C-section qualifies you for an extended stay, all-inclusive, of course. Bad hospital food and monster-sized pads are complimentary.
By the time we come home with Henry, I almost forget what a real bed feels like. Or what normal feels like. I can get around, but not comfortably and not fast.
Lucas is amazing. He does all the burping, bathing, changing, rocking, cleaning.
Not one single second does he appear to be a man who never wanted kids. He slipped into this fatherhood role like he was born for it.
As for Jax, still nothing. I think he’s scared. And I don’t blame him. I just hope he decides on something soon so we can stop waiting, but realistically, he may never fully decide.
For now, Henry is taken care of and that’s all that matters.
While I’m enjoying the best shower of my life, Luke gets Henry changed and cleaned up. We settle him into his bassinet next to our bed and Lucas pulls back the covers to make room for me to lie down. Once I do, he crawls in next to me. I rest my head on his chest, and he strokes my back.
It feels like the first day of the rest of our lives.
For some reason, I think about the day I moved in and how different it is from today. Lucas was cold, abrasive, and controlling. Since then, I’ve watched him thaw like ice.
I still love that dominant side of him, but I think he was so scorned by his own family that he never allowed anyone to see this side of him. He built a barrier around himself as a form of protection, and it makes me love him so much more to know that I get access to a part of him no one else does.
Henry and I both do.
“I’m going to ask Jax to sign over his rights,” I mumble against Luke’s chest.
I feel him tense beneath me. So I lift my head and look into his eyes. “I want you to be Henry’s legal father.”
His gaze softens as he brushes the hair from my face. “That’s a big decision, Sadie. I don’t need to be his legal father to call him my son. You know that.”
Nodding, I smile. “I know that.”
“I’m committed to you and Henry, no matter what,” he adds with a furrow in his brow.
“I know you are,” I reply as I sweep a long brown lock of hair from his forehead. “But…Henry deserves to have your name.”
His chest inflates as his eyes grow wider. Then he takes me by the chin and lifts it closer until our lips are just inches apart. Gazing into my eyes, he whispers, “And so do you. If that’s…what you want.”
A smile spreads across my face. “Of course, that’s what I want.”
“Then it’s yours. Take my name, little devil. Take it all.”
Our lips meet in a warm, passionate kiss. I cling to him as he deepens the kiss, and although we both know this is going nowhere sexy, he cradles my sore and tired body in his hands and delicately kisses me like he means it.
Forty-Six
Lucas
One month later
My phone buzzes in my pocket as I’m perusing the aisle-long array of diapers on the shelves. How can there be so many options? I pull my phone out to see Sadie’s name on the screen, so I quickly swipe the answer button and hold it up to my ear.
“Does Henry need diapers for crawling yet?” I ask.
She laughs into the phone. “He can’t even hold his head up yet. He needs diapers that don’t blow out the back. Is that an option?”
I scan the aisle again. There is a brand that specifically advertises blowout protection. “Got ‘em,” I say as I grab a package in his size.
