Page 20 of Rowdy & Kat

“We decided to color coordinate them,” Maria said and stroked the beanie on the nearest boy’s head. “Colson is blue. Cavan is green. Kat hopes we can keep track of them that way.”

I smiled at Kat curled up in bed. I still couldn’t believe I didn’t know where she had been twenty-four hours ago. Now, I was holding my son.

I was still struggling with my new reality when Kat woke up. She had her first trip to the toilet, which was apparently a big deal since the nurse came in to supervise. After pissing, Kat washed off and fixed her hair. She was likely nervous about meeting my parents.

Shuffling out of the bathroom, she walked to the cribs and smiled at our boys.

“That green and blue beanie plan sounds smart,” I said, standing next to her.

When Kat glanced up at me, the air got knocked out of my lungs. The woman was so fucking beautiful. Her nap had also left her in a good mood. Her gaze was bright. Her lips curved into a smile. She was everything I needed to be happy.

I pressed my lips against hers and breathed her in. The world made sense again. I was no longer overwhelmed. I had a very clear plan.

Maria encouraged Kat to return to bed. The nurse brought orange jello and coffee. I heard them talking about how she could eat soup at dinnertime.

Kat had finished her snack and was feeding Cavan when my parents texted to say they were downstairs.

I soon strutted my ass to the elevator and headed down to meet them. I saw Bebe first. My mom was such a beautiful woman with her dark hair cascading down her shoulders. Her big brown eyes spotted me and lit up.

My dad stopped fiddling with his boot strap and stood up next to her. His blond hair had gone gray, as did his bushy beard. Pax enjoyed freaking people out with his wild man appearance.

“Is this real?” Bebe asked me as I hugged her.

“Absolutely. Kat wouldn’t lie about something like this,” I said and kissed the top of her head. “My boys’ names are Colson and Cavan.”

My dad tilted his head and muttered, “Might want to run a few tests first.”

Ignoring Pax’s reasonable suggestion, I asked, “Are you ready to meet Kat, Maria, and the boys?”

“This girl hid the pregnancy from you for all these months,” Bebe said, struggling between a grandmother’s excitement and a mother’s duty to keep her son safe from an evil woman.

“She was scared. I’m a dangerous man, you know?” I said and shrugged. “I think she might have been more scared of your daughters.”

“Our daughters bought you clothes since you ran off with none,” Pax said and handed me a shopping bag. “There’s also hygiene shit and nicotine patches in there.”

“What’s happening exactly?” Bebe asked, gripping my hand. “When are you coming back home?”

“There isn’t enough sleeping space in the hospital room for Maria and me, so I’ll need to get a hotel room. But I’ll be back at the hospital every day until Kat and the boys are ready to head home. I’m not sure what’ll happen afterward.”

“This is really happening?” Bebe asked and looked at Pax. “I’m scared to get excited.”

Pax’s icy blue eyes gave me a cranky glare. “Your mom has been in a low-key panic since last night. Hug her again.”

Comforting my mom, I promised Kat was a good woman with only a few screws loose.

“You’ll love her if you can give her a chance,” I said and stroked my mom’s back. “Now, let’s go introduce Grand-dude and Grand-fox to their newest grandbabies.”

Bebe didn’t often get rattled, but her heart had been hurting since two foster kids went back to their family. She had let herself grow too attached to them despite knowing they would likely return to their old home. Now, she feared embracing the babies if they might be snatched away.

Meanwhile, my dad kept eyeballing me. I smiled at him until he relented in the elevator.

“Women lie, son.”

“Kat expected me to ask for a paternity test. What would be the point of her lying?”

“She could want money.”

“She has a job and a home. Kat and Maria seem to live comfortably.”