Page 133 of Falling Together

“Now, do you want to see the nursery?” Grant asks.

“You finished it?”

He nods. “Luke helped me.”

“You’re going to love it, Georgia,” Luke says. “Eli too.”

“Let’s see it then.”

Eli is sound asleep in my arms. At least my friends told me he’ll sleep well for the first few days.

I follow Luke and Grant down the hall to the room I haven’t stepped foot in since that day Grant told me he would take care of it. I didn’t want to see it. It would have made it too real that I would have been doing this on my own.

Thank God they came back. Because seeing the two of them love on Eli makes me happier than I ever thought possible.

Grant pushes open the door and the ever present tears start immediately.

“Oh, Grant.”

A chair rail border of wallpaper decorated with horses cuts the room. A small mobile of cowboy hats hangs over the crib. A soft fleece blanket is laid over the rocking chair with a plush rug on the hardwood floor. A tiny horse stuffed animal sits on the dresser next to the changing mat.

“I got him the horse,” Luke says. “A little Queenie for him.”

“You are going to be the best big brother,” I say. “It’s perfect. I love it.”

I sit down in the rocking chair, still sore from birth. “What do you think, Eli? Do you like it?”

He doesn’t stir.

Even the curtains behind me have little cowboys on them.

“There’s a bassinet in our room for him for the first few weeks,” Grant says. “Then we can transition him to his room.”

“Good.” I stare down at Eli. “I have a feeling I’m going to have a hard time letting this little guy go.”

“Oh, we also brought him this,” Luke says, fishing something out of the closet.

“Oh my God.” I burst out laughing, causing Eli to startle in my arms before settling.

It’s one of the plastic cowboy hats from the ranch with “number one cowboy” scrawled across the brim.

“Really?” Grant shakes his head.

“Eli needs to know what kind of family he’s getting,” Luke states. “I have a feeling he’ll be better than you, Dad.”

“That’s because you and I are going to teach him to ride, right?” I ask Luke.

“Yes. He’s going to love you teaching him.”

“I’m going to go change, but can we watch a movie?” Luke asks.

“Sure,” I say.

“Can I hold Eli when I come back up?”

I nod. “Let me feed him then he’s all yours.”

Luke darts out of the room and Grant shakes his head.