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I turn my head so I can press my face against her hair, feeling my eyes burn for the first time in my adult life. “I was so scared. So fucking terrified, Red.”
“I’m okay,” she assures me. “We’reokay.”
I look back at the tiny human we created together. “Wow.”
“I know.” Scarlett echoes my awed tone. “Do you want to hold her?”
I swallow. “Yeah. I do.”
The fake baby from the birthing class felt nothing like the real thing. Scarlett passes me our daughter, and she’s tiny and perfect andreal.
“We should have decided on names sooner.”
I smile wryly. “And ordered the crib, probably.”
Scarlett’s eyes widen. “Fuck.”
“I’ll take care of it,” I assure Scarlett. “She’ll have a bed.” I look at my daughter. “You’ll have a bed.”
“Wow,” Scarlett comments, staring at us. “You’re a total DILF.I mean, I figured you would be. But it’s different that it’s my kid too, you know?”
I snort a laugh, and it feels good. Expels the last swirls of anxiety.
“What about Elizabeth?” Scarlett asks.
I study the small, innocent face. That same tug from my wedding appears, wondering what my mom might have to say on a day like today. She would have known what to tell me when Scarlett was in surgery. I clear my throat. “Don’t feel like we have to—”
“I don’t.”
“Won’t your mom be offended?”
Scarlett scoffs, but then sobers. “I mean…it could be her middle name, I guess.”
“Elizabeth Josephine Kensington,” I say softly.
“Yeah.”
“I like it.”
“Me too,” Scarlett states.
“She’s here,” I tell her. “Your mom. Your dad too.”
“Really?”
“Asher called them along with my dad and Oliver. I was…well, I wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. And we hadn’t talked about who we’d call and when.”
Scarlett nods. “You can see if they want to come meet Elizabeth.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“Okay.” I’m reluctant to relinquish Elizabeth. Loathe to leave this room. But I hand her back to Scarlett and retrace my steps to the waiting room. They’re all still there. I wasn’t sure if they would be.
I clear my throat. “Uh, Dad? Hanson? Josephine? Do you—do you want to meet your granddaughter?”
All three of them look stunned. Maybe it’s just hitting them they’re grandparents. Maybe they didn’t expect this offer.
