Dipping my head, I captured her lips. I was suddenly glad Charlotte never gave me the time of day. If she had, I never would have met this beautiful woman who faced down every challenge with a smile. I never would have found my perfect match.
40
Sierra
Every moment since I found out I was pregnant was tinged with a fine layer of panic. I’d never thought I’d be ready. I’d cried over it, tried pretending it wasn’t happening, and did everything else other than acknowledge it. It wasn’t until they put the baby on my chest that I finally let go of the fear. I let out a soft breath, leaning my cheek against the little thing still wailing. This was my baby. I glanced up at Justin, who had tears streaming down his face. Not a bit of that big scary biker on display. Our baby. I could do this as long as I was with him.
“It’s a girl,” Mel said softly, her hands steady on the baby to keep her from slipping. “You did it, mama. You should be so proud of yourself.”
And I was. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt proud of myself. But I carried this little girl inside me, and got her to air. For maybe the first time in my life, I was one hundred percent proud.
They kept her there on my chest for a few minutes, until her cries calmed and she settled a little. I whimpered when Mel pulled her away, but she was all smiles as she explained, “We’rejust going to give her a quick check. Make sure she’s healthy. Then we’ll hand her back. I promise.”
“Justin,” I murmured, watching as they took my baby away.
“I know. I’m watching, sweetheart. I won’t let her out of my sight,” he promised. His voice was tight and when they brought her back wrapped in a blanket and handed her to him, he choked on a sob as he pulled her against his chest, staring at her like she was the only thing in the world. I felt my heart swell watching as he held his daughter for the first time.
When he finally looked at me, that pride I felt for myself was mirrored in his eyes. “You did so good, sweetheart. She’s perfect.”
Once I wasall stitched up, they moved me and the baby to the room we’d stay in for the next few days. It was nicer than I expected, with a couch along one wall and a huge tv set into a hutch with drawers for our clothes so we didn’t have to live out of bags. The lighting could be dimmed and there was a table with a couple chairs in one corner. My favorite part, though, was my parents waiting there for me. Dad held a balloon bouquet in his hand and Mom had a teddy bear. They both were beaming at me when they wheeled me in the room, and wrapped me in hugs the minute Mel told them it was okay.
Justin came in next, wheeling the little bassinet the baby was kept in with a proud smile. Mom squealed quietly as she rushed over to meet her grandbaby, but Dad stayed by my side, hugging me tight and murmuring against my hair.
“You did good, Peanut. I knew you could do it.”
“Don’t,” I blubbered, fresh tears spilling from my eyes. “I swear whenever I think I’ve got no more tears left, they just keep coming. Don’t make me cry again.”
He chuckled in that warm and gentle way he always did, kissing my head again. “Nothin’ wrong with cryin’, sweet pea. You cry all you want.”
“Here. This will make you feel better,” Justin murmured after a few minutes. When I opened my eyes, he handed me our daughter with a soft smile. “She misses you.”
“Oh! You should be doing skin-to-skin,” Mom rushed out. “Did they let you do it in the OR? Take the blanket off, it’s better for her to feel you.”
She didn’t stop fussing until the baby was against my chest, nothing between us, and a blanket was resting on top of us to keep us warm. She poked Justin in the side when he sat on the edge of the bed next to me. “You’re next. She’ll need skin-to-skin time with you too. It’s better than a pacifier.”
“Are you trying to get me to take my shirt off, Mrs. Martin?” he teased.
Mom spluttered for a moment before rolling her eyes. “Oh hush. Now have you two picked a name yet? I need to get to embroidering some things now that we know the gender.”
Justin and I looked at each other. We’d thrown out a few names here and there, but we hadn’t chosen any.
“Uh…” Justin rubbed the back of his neck with a frown. “How bad is it if we say we don’t know?”
Mom made a tick sound, making a shooing motion at us. “Well, hop to it. I’m gonna go get a nurse, see if I can feed you. You look pale, baby.”
“Noelle, stop fussin’,” Dad insisted as he followed her out. “She just had surgery. Of course she’s pale.”
“You hush, Graham.”
Their voices faded as they walked away. I shook my head with a smile.
“Think that’ll be us one day?” Justin asked quietly, putting his hand on top of mine on our daughter’s back.
I hummed, leaning my head against his shoulder. “Maybe. But I think you’re more likely to be cracking jokes than anything else.”
“Hey, I’m not as much of a prankster as Rooster,” he tried to defend himself. When I looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, he grinned and kissed my forehead. “How the hell do you know me so well already?”
“Magic.”
