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"Edison, Reeve, Cash, Pagan, and Renny all declared the same thing," Bethany insisted, her dark eyes purple-rimmed from lack of sleep and her voice small. "We're not picking favorites."
"Right," he agreed with a nod. "That is all very... diplomatic. Besides, we all know it's no contest. I'm the favorite. It just goes without saying. I have the magic fingers," he added, stopping strumming and it was only a matter of seconds before the baby started screaming again.
"You do realize you have just booked yourself a full-time gig at our place, right?" Bethany asked, smiling warm if a bit defeated-looking.
"Sure. We'll be there," he agreed, moving closer to the little incubator thing they kept the babies in and starting to sing quietly.
Yes, we.
Cyrus was part of a we.
And his girl, well, let's just say him deciding to date her caused major conflict with some allies of ours in Navesink Bank and the outside world as well.
But that was a story for another day.
"What's that look?" I asked, moving up and sitting on the side of the bed before she scooted, wincing a bit as she did so, to make room for me.
"What about Charlie?"
"Charlie?" My brows drew together, trying to place the name, but coming up blank.
"Chaz's."
Where we had, for all intents and purposes, met
"No. Never mind. That wouldn't be a fun story to explain," she said, rolling her eyes at her momentary loss of sanity. "Ross? I mean, he's the reason you stayed in Navesink Bank in the first place."
That wasn't wrong.
But I knew Ross enough to know he wouldn't like that one bit.
That just wasn't his style.
"Or... Nave?" she suggested. "Like the town itself? Where I grew up. Where you felt led to. Where we met and where we fell in love and where we created a family out of our friends and a baby out of it all..."
"Fucking perfect," I agreed, wrapping an arm around her gently, not wanting to squish any sore spots.
"Hear that, kid? You finally got a name. Three days later," Cyrus informed our son who let out a shrill cry. "Well, I think he wants the boob, Mama," he declared easily, putting down the guitar and picking up the baby and bringing him over to us before excusing himself so Bethany could have some privacy as she helped our son latch on.
The second he did, she looked up at me, her hand going to the side of my face. "I love you."
My smile was warm, knowing that no matter how many times she said it after I practically had to drag it out of her six months into our relationship, I would never get sick of hearing it, of knowing every godawful shitty thing I had been through, had done in my life was exactly what had to happen and what I had to do because it led me to her. And in leading me to her, it led us both to Nave.
My hand moved out, stroking down the side of her cheek then sliding down the cleft in her chin. "I love you back."
