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I suck in a deep breath, overcome with emotion.
Dani leans forward. "What is it?" she asks. "Is everything okay?"
"You have a baby girl. And she looks perfect. Congratulations!"
"A girl?" Dani beams as the doctor passes our daughter up to her, taking her in her arms and holding her close to her chest. "Oh, my goodness. Hi, little darling."
Seeing my two girls together has my eyes filling with tears. I lean in and run my hand down my daughter’s back. "She’s perfect. Beautiful like her mama." I stare in awe at her stocky little body, the tufts of hair on her head, her tiny little fists balled up as she cries. I give Dani a kiss on the forehead. "You did fantastic, Dani. I love you."
"I love you too." She smiles up at me, then immediately her gaze returns to our daughter.
Nathan smoothes Dani’s hair back from her forehead. He is openly crying, without reservation or embarrassment. I hold my hand out to him and he gives it a firm shake, nodding, like he is so happy he can’t speak.
"A girl," Crew murmurs, his finger lightly stroking over the top of the baby’s head. "Look at her… she’s amazing." He’s misty-eyed too.
The only one of us not crying is Dani. She is beaming, all her fatigue replaced by the joy of holding our daughter. Her eyes are bright with love, her mouth turned up in a soft smile. She cradles the baby, kissing the top of her head. "Michael, look, she has your eyes."
She turns the baby a little for me to see. The baby’s eyes are big and unblinking. She gives a tiny yawn. I can’t see that she really looks like either of us right now. She just looks like a newborn baby to me, but I nod.
"Does she have a name?" the nurse asks.
Dani looks from me to Nathan to Crew, giving each of us a loving smile. "Yes."
We had all agreed that since the baby will have my last name, the first name should be a tribute to Nathan’s mom or dad, depending on the gender. The middle name was for Dani and Crew to choose together, and after Crew tossed around absurd ideas like Seventeen, after his hockey number, or Crewelle, a mash up of their names, they told us they had settled on a flower if it was a girl but kept it a secret.
Dani announces now, "This is Isabel Poppy Hughes."
It’s the perfect blend of all four of us. If I had chosen a flower name I would have gone traditional. Rose or Lily. But Poppy is just like Crew and Dani together—bright and vibrant and joyous.
"I love it," I tell her.
Crew nods. "It’s a solid name."
"Thank you," Nathan tells Dani. "For you. For this. For Isabel."
"Don’t forget to take pictures," the nurse tells us cheerfully.
I take a few pictures of Dani and the baby and close ups of Isabel.
"Can you take one of all four of us?" Dani asks her.
"Sure."
I hand her my phone and we crowd around the bed, leaning in around our girl on all sides, a complete family. Nathan with red eyes, Crew still is his jersey grinning, me, the proud puffed-up-chest father. Dani, glowing with pride and love.
The nurse shows Crew the shot while Dani passes the baby to me to hold. I stare down at her tiny perfection, feeling more than I ever imagined it could be possible to feel. "Welcome to the world, Isabel. You’re going to love it here," I tell her.
CHAPTER 27
Dani
"I’m not wearing this," Nathan says as he stumbles down the stairs, hair sticking up, plucking at the T-shirt he has on. "Otherwise, Merry Christmas."
"You clearly are wearing it," Michael says, blowing on the tea he’s made for me as he carries it over and sets it on the end table next to me. "And Merry Christmas to you too, Nathan."
"Thank you," I tell Michael with a smile as I nurse Isabel in the club chair next to the couch. I love the couch almost as much as Crew does but it’s not practical for breastfeeding. I smooth a finger down my daughter’s tiny cheek, in awe every time I look at her, which is every chance I get.
She’s absolutely beautiful and perfect and she completes our family. I’m tired and a little sore, but I’ve never been happier.
