Page 99 of Afterglow

Both?

That’s when I notice Bryce.

I was asleep with my head in his lap, but he’s completely conked out with his head back on the cushion and his mouth slightly open as soft breaths rattle between his lips.

I love this man, even when he’s snoring.

A gurgled whimper issues from Lily, her tiny fingers grasping at the edge of the swaddle. I take her from Mom, settling into the corner of the couch.

I get lost looking at her—my baby girl. The pink bow of her lips is one of my favorite features, and I can’t wait to see if her eyes stay the dark brown they are now or if they lighten up to be more like mine.

“Do you want us to stay a while longer?” Dad asks, wrapping an arm around Mom’s shoulders.

I shake my head. “No, it’s okay. You guys go. We’re good here,” I say, though Lily squawks in protest of my lack of urgency to feed her. “Shh, baby,” I coo, and then start adjusting myself into a comfortable position to nurse.

“Okay,” Mom says before pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “There’s a casserole in the oven. It should be ready in about an hour.”

I’m overwhelmed with the amount of care and support our families have bathed us in over the past few days—months, really. We have a freezer full of food, a perfect nursery, and offers of help anytime we need it.

“Thank you,” Bryce says, pulling our attention to him as he ruffles his hair with his hand. He stretches as he stands and pulls each of my parents in for a hug. “We really appreciate all the help. We’ll let you know if we need anything.”

“Get some rest, you two,” Mom says, as if we have any say in the matter.

They head out the front door, leaving us alone in the house for the first time all day. The only noise is the soft suckling sound Lily makes while I work to get her latched on. I’m still getting the hang of breastfeeding, but it’s getting easier.

Bryce strokes my cheek with his thumb. “When you’re done, I can take her so you can get a hot shower in before dinner.”

Just the idea of the hot spray against my skin sounds like a dream. Who knew a shower would sound like such a luxury.

Lily nurses for longer than ever before and I spend the entire time staring at her in awe. And it felt like Bryce stared at us in awe the entire time too, at least until I finally convinced him to take a shower of his own.

He returns just as she lets out a loud burp against my shoulder. His hair is damp and falling across his forehead when he reaches down to take her. His shoulders and biceps flex as he settles her against his bare chest before taking up his spot on the other end of the couch, lying back so she’s stretched across his torso.

Her head rests perfectly over his heart, her tiny fists flailed out like she’s trying to reach around him with her little arms. He pats her bottom soothingly as his eyes drift shut.

In this moment, I know he’ll never let her down. He’ll be the calm whenever she faces a storm. He’ll be the rock she can stand on when the world feels unstable around her. He’ll love her no matter what, no matter how difficult she may be, or how frustrating. I know because he loves me that way. He’s loved me that way since way before I could recognize it.

His eyes flutter open to find me watching him and the smile that lifts his lips makes me melt. It’s the soft one he wears more often than not these days. It’s my favorite, because it’s the one that says he’s mine.

That he’s ours, and we’re his.

EPILOGUE

Bryce

Seven Years Later

Am I supposed to be okay right now?

It’s the first of September and I’m walking hand in hand with my baby girl up the steps of the elementary school to drop her off for her first day of kindergarten. Leanne is ahead of us, being hauled up the steps by Lily in her purple dress covered in butterflies.

Beside me, Jane Bryce Butler flounces along in a pair of jeans and a green flowy top—one we had to force her into instead of the ratty T-shirt she wanted to wear—and her cowboy boots. She’s my rough and tumble girl who’s always getting into scrapes and doesn’t care about a little dirt under her fingernails. Lily, according to Kimberly at least, is just like Leanne was as a kid—more cautious, less wild.

They’re completely different, and yet a perfect pair… Kind of like me and their mom.

“Come on, Jane,” Lily shouts over her shoulder from the top of the stairs. She’s excited to get to her second-grade class and see all her friends, but she was determined to be with Jane when we dropped her off.

“I’m coming!” Jane hollers and begins tugging my hand until we all meet at the main doors.