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This was my life now.
The next half hour seemed to pass quickly, in a blur. My father walked me down the aisle, gave me away. I was crying before I’d even made it to Bear, but as I stood there in front of our family and friends, he lifted his hands and wiped my tears away with the pads of his thumbs, never once taking his focus off me.
I don’t even know if I’d said the right thing, spoken the correct vows. I was in a haze as I stared at the man I’d loved for longer than I could ever even admit.
And then it was done, we were joined as husband and wife. There was clapping all around, our friends and family witnessing the start of our lives together. I couldn’t stop the grin that spread across my face, or the tears that formed in the corner of my eyes.
“I’m really yours now,” I whispered.
“You’ve always been mine.”
God, wasn’t that the truth.
Epilogue Two
Bear
Three years later
“Push, baby. Come on, you can do it.”
“Bear, if you don’t shut the hell up, I’m going to kill you,” Susie said once her contraction subsided. I reached for a rag and wiped the sweat from her forehead, strands of her hair sticking to her temples. “Is Rooney okay? He’s not scared or anything? I’m trying to keep my shit together.”
I shook my head. “He’s fine. He’s outside with Cherry hunting for frogs to put in the pond.” With Susie in labor with our second child, I should have known how all of this would go, been prepared. But hell, I was a wreck and hated that she was in pain.
And then everything happened fast. She started pushing, the contractions coming on one right after the other. I felt my heart race, but I tried to appear calm, stay collected for her.
The minutes passed, blurring into an hour, Susie bringing our family’s newest addition into this world.
“That’s it,” the midwife said, giving her support.
And then I heard our baby cry, a sweet but high-pitched squeal that had me grinning and looking over at Susie. She had a couple tears falling down her cheeks, and I leaned over and wiped them away with the pad of my thumb.
“A gorgeous little girl with a head full of dark hair,” the midwife said and I felt pride fill me.
“Just like Rooney,” I said and took the baby from the midwife, bringing her over to Susie. I handed our daughter to my wife, the only woman who had ever made me feel alive.
“Can you bring him in here?” Susie asked and I nodded, leaning down and kissing her on the forehead.
I left to go get our son, knowing he would be excited to meet his sister. Once I had him in my arms with Cherry following behind, her hands covering her mouth as she cried because of how happy she was, I went back into the bedroom.
Rooney was wiggling in my arms and babbling about meeting his new sister. We walked into the bedroom and I saw Susie sitting up in bed, the baby bundled up and cradled in her arms. She looked so small in the pink blanket, her dark hair matted to her head because she still needed a bath.
I set Rooney on the floor and he ran toward his mom, trying to jump on the bed. “Easy, buddy,” I said and grabbed his hand, gently pulling him toward me. I got down on my haunches and looked him in the eyes. “We have to be gentle. Baby sister is very little and fragile.” Rooney puffed out his chest and tipped his head back, getting this serious expression on his face. At three years old he had the world in his hands and he knew it.
“I’m gonna protect her,” he said quickly, his voice full of pride.
“I know, buddy,” I said and ruffled his hair. “You’ll be the best big brother.” He turned and looked at Susie and she held her hand out for him. She pulled him in close and helped him up on the bed to sit beside her.
I rose up and sat on the edge of the mattress, watching as she spoke softly to Rooney, telling him about his baby sister.
“What’s her name?” Rooney asked, his little face turned toward the baby, his focus trained right on her.
“Bailey,” Susie said and grinned when Rooney looked up at her, his eyes wide and his mouth open in surprise.
“That’s the name I picked,” he said excitedly, his voice hushed as he glanced over at the baby, clearly fearing he’d woken her.
“That’s right,” Susie said softly and leaned in to kiss him on the forehead. “We loved the name you picked out so much we decided that baby sister should be called that.” Rooney lifted his hands and covered his mouth, giggling softly.
