Page 24 of Curvy Girl and the Bad Boy Cowboy
A nurse pokes her head in. "There's quite a crowd out there asking about you three. Are you up for visitors? Just family, and just for a few minutes."
Naomi nods, and moments later my brothers file in, their partners and children hanging back to give us space. I see the emotion on each of their faces as they look at Grace—pride, love, welcome.
"Meet your niece," I say, voice still unsteady. "Grace Elizabeth Harper Covington."
Vincent steps forward first, Lucy peering around him with wide eyes.
"She's perfect, little brother," he says, his hand warm on my shoulder. "Lucy's been asking for a female cousin for so long."
Aaron moves in next, his usually stoic expression softened. "She's got the Covington strength already," he observes, noticing Grace's tiny fist gripping my finger.
Jackson's eyes shine suspiciously as he takes his turn, Sarah at his side.
"Look at you," he says, his voice rough with emotion. "The wild one, all grown up with a beautiful daughter." He clears his throat. "Dad and Mom would've been proud, Ethan. Really proud."
Cole is the last to approach, Luisa and Miguel hanging back respectfully.
"Welcome to fatherhood," he says with a knowing smile. "It's terrifying and amazing all at once. But you've got this—and you've got all of us." He glances at his own stepson. "Miguel's excited to have another cousin. He's already picked out a stuffed horse for her from all of us."
As my family gathers around us, I look at Naomi—tired but radiant, smiling through her own tears—and then at Grace, unaware of how completely she's transformed our world.
Six months ago, I thought freedom meant having no ties and no responsibilities. I never imagined that true freedom would come from this—from loving so fully that everything else falls away, building something lasting with the woman beside me, and holding this small miracle we created together.
"Thank you," I mouth to Naomi over our daughter's head.
She understands what I'm thanking her for—not just for Grace, but for believing in me when I didn't believe in myself. For giving me the chance to become the man I was meant to be.
For showing me that the greatest adventure isn't the one that takes you around the world but the one that brings you home.
