“I can do this.” I take a deep breath, pushing hard like the doctor told me to.
“Good, count to ten,” she instructs. “Press into the contraction.”
What the fuck does she think? I’m pressing into the great void? I wanna smack her, but I need her to get through this. It’s a dilemma I’m living in.
“Mandy, come on snap out of it.” Dalton rubs a cool wet cloth along my forehead.
“I’d like to snap you in two.” A voice I don’t recognize comes from deep within my throat. “I swear to God, the thing getting snapped are your testicles. We aren’t having another child.”
He chuckles. “I love you, babe.”
“Why are you so nice to me?” I cry.
“Because you’re my favorite person in the world.” He caresses my neck. “Now come on and let me meet my third favorite person in the world.”
That’s all it takes for me to give it everything I have. I scream, and as I scream, we hear a baby start crying.
“Congratulations! It’s a boy!”
They lay him on my stomach, his face scrunched up and pissed off, screaming his little lungs out. He’s definitely ours.
“He looks just like Walker.” My voice is watery as I look at Dalton.
“He does, we need to get him in here ASAP.”
They take our newest addition, weigh him, and clean him off.
“Can you put the beanie I brought for him in my bag?” I ask the nurse.
“Oh my God,” Dalton rolls his eyes. “You were that prepared?”
“I was.” I give him a wink.
When they bring the baby back over, I hold my arms out for him. He settles deeply into me, and I adjust his beanie so that it can be read easier. “Dalton Barnett Jr.?” Dalton reads. “Babe, my name…” His voice is scratchy, emotion filling the room.
“Is one of the best ones out there,” I interrupt him, our eyes lock, and I grab for his hand. “You’re a man of your word, you’re a man of integrity, the best father, the best husband, and one of the best friends anyone can ever have. Your past doesn’t define your name, no differently than my past defines mine.”
“I love you.” He leans in, dropping his forehead to my mine, putting his hand on our son.
“We love you too, Dalton. We adore you. It’s time for you to love yourself.”
“I’ll work on it.” He kisses me softly before his gaze moves down to our son. “Hey there, I’m your dad.”
I giggle, tired, but so thankful we’ve made it to here.
I must have dozed, because the next thing I hear is Dalton whispering to someone. Opening my eyes a tiny bit, I see him standing at the bassinet with Walker. “This is your little brother.”
“He looks just like me and you.” Walker’s voice is full of amazement.
“Yeah, yeah he does. He’s gonna have to grow into that nose, huh?”
Walker laughs. “Maybe he won’t break his the way we’ve both broken ours.”
“Maybe so, you wanna hold him?”
“What if I drop him?” Walker seems scared.
Dalton leans down. “You’re his older brother. He’s gonna look up to you for everything. All you gotta do is hold on tight and never let go.”
Walker slips his hand into the bassinet, Junior grabs hold of his finger, holding tightly.
“See.” Dalton grins. “He knows who you are.”
He reaches in, picking Junior up. “Go on over there and sit down.”
I don’t want them to know I’m invading their private moment, so I lie still, barely breathing, daring not to open my eyes any further. I watch my whole fucking heart; these three guys bond and it takes my breath away.
“Open your arms up, cradle like a football.”
“How do you know all this?” Walker asks.
“Easy kiddo, you. Had to figure out how to hold you.”
“Was it easy?”
Dalton snorts. “It was a learning process, just like it’s gonna be for you, but you got this. Here ya go.” He puts little brother in older brother’s arms. “Support his head, see you got it.”
“Hi.” Walker looks down at him. “I’m your older brother, and I’m gonna teach you everything. The same way Uncle Tyler’s taught me. The two of us, we’re named for the strongest people I know. Grandpa Liam and Dad.”
“You okay with him having my name?” Dalton asks, watching the two of them. He’s standing with his arms crossed over his chest, looking on with pride.
“Yeah, Grandpa Liam was the president of Heaven Hill, and you’re only the VP.”
Dalton lets out a choked laugh. “Oh okay, I see how it is.”
Walker grins up at him before looking back down at Junior. “When we get old enough we’re gonna have bikes, work at the shop, get our patches together…”
Tears silently run down my face as I listen to him speak to his little brother.
This is everything I ever wanted, but never knew I could have.
Everyone says there’s a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. Looking over at the three of them - I realize I’ve just found mine.
Epilogue Two
Caelin
Inside the sounds of the party spill out, to where I’m sitting on the back porch, finishing up the last of this particular pack of cigarettes. I always tell myself this one will be it.
The final one.
But within a few days I’m right back to the familiar hard pack. It’s my go-to for everything. When I’m stressed, when I’m bored, and when I’m doing my absolute best to keep my hands off Justice Walker, I smoke.
The party going on in there isn’t about to stop anytime soon. The Walker twins are popular at school, and the fact they’re turning eighteen on a Friday night into Saturday isn’t lost on anyone.
My phone vibrates and I take a minute to look at the pictures my sister sends me of my niece. Just what we needed, another girl around here. But she’s got me wrapped around her little finger. All of a sudden, I hear voices start
