I glance into the rearview mirror, a smile plastered to my face the way it is every single time I spot her in her car seat. We have a mirror on the headrest in the back so I can see her sweet sleeping face while I’m driving.
I shake my head and focus on the road in front of me.
“What’s so funny?” Syd asks next to me. She yawns big and leans her head against the seat. Despite all the sleep we don’t get and that she should be napping right now, she’s smiling too.
“Are you watching her again?”
“I can’t help it.” I laugh. “I know it’s been two months, but I just can’t wrap my head around this small, breathing person who is my responsibility and who is just sleeping without a care in the world behind us.”
To prove my point, I glance at the rearview mirror again. It’s like a bad habit I just can’t shake.
“You need to keep your eyes on the road.”
“I’ve learned a lot since becoming a parent, but one thing I didn’t expect to learn was how distracted I would be by her being here.”
“I get it. I just want to stare at her all day long too.”
I grab Syd’s hand, pulling it to my mouth to kiss her knuckles. “You should go back to sleep.”
“I know.” She sighs. “It’s just hard sometimes. I wasn’t a big napper before Stella was born, so it feels weird when I do it now. That and I feel like I should stay awake to enjoy this moment of me time.”
The other thing I’ve learned since Stella was born is that being a mom is a lot of fucking work and being the dad, well, you just need to be there, even if it’s for her to vent to you. Even though I might want to suggest she keep trying to nap anyway, I can’t even begin to comprehend what she’s going through.
“Well, if you want to nap, great, and if you want to stay awake, I’m honored to spend this time with you.”
Her laughter warms my heart.
“Were you always this cheesy? Or was I too smitten to notice?”
“Smitten, for sure. But considering how hard I had to convince you that we are meant for each other, we might go with denial as a keyword too. Too in denial to notice how cheesy and perfect for you I am.”
“Good thing I figured it out.”
“Good thing.” I shoot her a wink and slow the car as we near Jackson Hole for Tripp and Lennox’s wedding.
Tonight will be the first time in more than a month that my old group will be back together and all in one place. With a couple of additions, of course.
I couldn’t be happier.
As soon as the wedding weekend is over, Syd and I head back to finish packing for our move. We are going to rent out our house in Wyoming when we aren’t here. When we come back for visits, we plan to make them lengthy, so keeping a house here makes sense. So does moving, as we decided to do.
Money isn’t everything, we know this, but we have the option to give our child a wonderful life, and we are going to take it for as long as it’s there.
“Do you think we should have hired a babysitter for the wedding night?”
“I’ll buy your brother a plane ticket right now if that’s what you want. I’m one hundred percent happy taking care of her while you enjoy the night, but if you want him here, I’ll call him.”
“I’m beginning to think you rehearse all these smooth lines.”
“Every morning.”
“Oh, stop.”
Stella stirs behind us, and Syd twists while I hit up my good ole rearview mirror. Just a sleeping squeak, but go figure, we’d both go into high alert at any sign of movement.
Syd relaxes back into her seat and closes her eyes, tucking loose hair behind her ear. The rock on her left hand practically winks at me.
If that diamond could talk, boy, would it have a story to tell.
