Page 96 of Worthy of Sunsets and Second Chances

“Huh?” Confusion wrinkles her brow.

“Do you know what Wren’s middle name is?” I ask Kendra.

A look of horror melts her face, tears coming fast to her stormy-blue eyes. “I am the worst mom ever, I don’t even know my baby’s middle name.”

“I’ve never told you her middle name, sweetheart. Purposefully.”

“Why?” Kendra shifts Wren expertly to her hip and we make our way into the living room, which is now furnished with a cozy cream sectional, an oversized plaid reading chair, and a large playpen for Wren.

“Because I did it effortlessly, it just felt right. And afterward I realized it was also a tie to you, which also felt effortless, right. So I kept it to myself, to not freak you out.” I kiss her cheek and shake my head when she tries to put Wren in the playpen.

“No, I have something to show you. Bring her with us.” I lead us to the stairs.

“Fine, but are you going to tell me her middle name?” she grumps.

“Yeah, it’s Elizabeth.”

Kendra freezes on the landing. “My middle name is Elizabeth.”

“I know,” I whisper in her ear.

Bottom lip wobbling, Kendra says, “That was also my mom’s name.”

We both look at Wren. “That I didn’t know at the time,” I admit, “but it’s just another tie, another reason it was the right fit. Why I was called to use that for her. Nothing else clicked until I whispered that name in the dark, pacing around my old apartment.”

“I love you,” Kendra says.

“I love you too.” I smile at her. “Do you want to know how our little peanut knows to call you Mama?” I stop outside the new nursery door.

“How?” Her eyes shine looking from me to Wren.

“Because when I hold her and we talk about you I call you Mama. When we see you I whisper in her ear, ‘There’s Mama.’ And when we look at pictures I point to you and tell her Mama. I tell her all the time how lucky we are and how much Mama loves us, loves her.”

Kendra leans her head on me and cries more. “This is too much.” My body stiffens and she feels the change immediately. “No, no, that’s not what I mean.” Cupping my face, she says, “I am just feeling very overwhelmed by how amazing you are, by how much I love you, and how I never thought I would ever have this.”

“I want to give you everything,” I say, opening the bedroom door and taking Wren from Kendra so she doesn’t accidentally drop her when she sees what I did, because her go-to move when she is overwhelmed with emotions is to crumple.

Kendra steps into the pink room and sinks to her knees, fluffy green rug cushioning her landing this time, and sobs.

“Please don’t run away,” I beg, worried for the first time that I might have overstepped and my multistep plan might actually be too much.

“The only place I want to run is into your arms, Hulk.” Kendra shakes her head. “I just can’t believe this is my life.”

“Our life.” I sit down next to her and Wren starts to crawl around exploring the space.

“This is the most incredible room I have ever seen.”

She wipes her cheeks and takes in the soft pink walls, wooden spindle crib, cushioned rocking chair, dresser with a changing area on top. There is a little bookshelf with a toy bin next to it in the corner where Wren is happily chomping on a carrot teether. The magic of the room, however, is the mural that Rem painted on the wall behind the crib, similar to Kinsley’s room. This time he made a colorful garden overflowing with various sizes and shapes of butterflies with a dreamy sunset dipping behind a stone garden wall.

“You like it?” I ask nervously.

“Obsessed with it.” Kendra tackles me to the soft rug and kisses the hell out of me. We break apart when we hear squeals from Wren and see her charging back to us at a furious crawl, not wanting to miss out on the excitement of her two favorite people being floor level.

“Come here, peanut.” I toss her up gently and catch her, then blow a raspberry on her belly making her giggle. There is no better sound.

“What does this mean, Eli?” Kendra asks, holding Wren’s hand.

“It means I am tired of going back and forth. Of you being in this house and me in that house. I want us in one place, all of us. This house.” I nod up at the roof.