“Me too,” I agree, feeling the tears in my own eyes.
“I don’t think it was necessary for you to tell Chance and Sierra that I was crying while you were in labor though.” He grins.
“Oh, it so was.” I laugh.
He leans forward and brushes his lips over mine. “You’re lucky I love you enough to not want to get you back.”
I pull him closer and kiss him again, a full kiss that makes my heart beat faster as I feel the warmth of love filling me up. “I’m so happy right now.”
“Me too,” he agrees.
“Let’s try Matt again,” I say. “And I promise I won’t tell him you’re a big softie.”
He nods and hands me his phone.
I find Matt’s name and press call. I hang up when the call goes through to his voicemail. “He’s not picking up,” I say.
“Oh of course he isn’t,” Sebastian says. “It’s Callie’s graduation ceremony today isn’t it? I forgot all about it.”
“Of course, I forgot too. Well, he’ll call us back eventually.”
Sebastian takes the phone from me and sends Matt a text.
I am glad for this moment as it’s just the three of us. I turn my head to look at my perfect little daughter.
The peace doesn’t last long though. The door opens and within seconds, the room is full of people and I find myself swamped with kisses and hugs.
Sebastian
The door to the room opens and a crowd pours in. My parents, Kimberley’s parents, Bernie and her boyfriend and finally, Carl.
I bend down and pick Carl up. “Hey buddy, are you all right?” I ask.
He nods uncertainty. This must all be a little overwhelming for him.
I move to Kimberley’s side and Carl reaches his arms down to her. She takes him and gives him a hug and he settles down beside her.
I go to the bassinet and pick Aria up. I move to the side of the bed and sit down. “Carl? This is your sister, Aria. Are you going to be a good big brother?”
Carl nods, looking at the little bundle wrapped in white.
I pull the blanket down slightly and hold Aria out to Carl. “Are you going to give her a kiss?”
Carl leans forward and plants a rather sloppy kiss on Aria’s head. This gets an aww from the full room and Carl beams proudly.
“You’re going to be an amazing brother, Carl,” my dad says, stepping closer to Carl and rubbing his head.
My mom steps closer to me. “May I?” she asks, nodding at baby Aria.
I nod my head and she takes her.
My dad takes Carl and Bernie’s boyfriend joins their little group. Bernie and Kimberley’s parents are crowding around my mom, fussing over the baby.
I smile at Kimberley and she smiles back at me.
Her eyes are almost closed, but she looks content, happy.
She’s not the only one. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a time when I would be this happy, when I would have a family to call my own with the only woman I have ever loved. I shuffle closer to Kimberley and squeeze her hand.
She squeezes back and her eyes close. They fly open again when the door opens.
Matt and Callie burst in and she is still in her graduation robe.
“What are you two doing here? You’re supposed to be at your graduation ceremony,” I say.
“Like we’d miss this,” Callie says. She steps around me and hugs Kimberley.
“The ceremony is over,” Matt adds. “We’re just on our way to have a celebratory dinner with Callie’s grandparents,” Matt says.
“You’ll have to pretend like you two don’t live together.” I laugh.
“They know and they’ve given us their blessing,” Matt replies.
I laugh and clap him on the shoulder. “That’s great, bro.”
Callie has hold of Aria now.
“It won’t be long until she starts getting moody you know.” I laugh.
“She’s not the only one,” Matt says. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we really do have to get going. Callie wanted to pop in and see the baby, but we’ve left her grandparents downstairs, and they might stop approving of me if we leave them down there all day.”
“Of course, go.” I nod. “Thanks for stopping by.”
Matt and Callie’s departure seems to remind everyone that Kimberley is exhausted and we could really use some alone time. So, one by one, they all file out with hugs, kisses and promises to visit tomorrow.
I turn to Kimberley when everyone else has left. “It’s funny how it’s all turned out isn’t it? There’s me and you, childhood sweethearts who no one ever really believed would go the distance with two children. Chance who has been married to the job since he was old enough to leave school, actually taking time off to spend with his girl. And Matt, the sensible one who everyone thought would be the first to get married, still happily living in sin with his girl.”
“That’s what keeps life interesting. People surprising you,” Kimberley says sleepily.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” I stand up and kiss her forehead. “I’m going to go for a walk down to the cafeteria and get some coffee, so you can get some sleep okay? I’ll be back soon.”
Kimberley doesn’t argue. She’s already asleep by the time I finish talking.
I brush her hair back from her face and take one last look at Aria who is also asleep, her eyelashes laid over her little white cheeks. I’m so tempted to pick her up and hold her, but I hear Kimberley in my head, telling me if I wake her up, she’ll kill me. So, I slip out of the room.
I don’t go to the cafeteria though. I don’t want to be that far away from them. Instead, I sit down in a chair in the corridor to wait for Kimberley to wake. I still can’t believe this is real, that after all of those years of telling myself I didn’t love Kimberley, that I finally let myself just
