Page 34 of Echo’s Secret

"Wesley!"

He smirks. "What? You live here now. They're going to hear us again. Multiple times."

"Okay," I start. "We're really doing this, aren't we? Trying. Being a family for Theo. Being together."

Wesley pulls on his jeans and looks at me seriously. "Yeah. We are. Unless you're having second thoughts?"

"No. No second thoughts." I pull my own clothes on quickly. "But I want to do it right. I want to be the kind of parents we wished we'd had. The kind that stay. That show up. That make their kid feel safe and wanted and loved."

"That's exactly what I want too." He steps closer and cups my face in his hands. "Theo deserves parents who choose him every single day. Who make him know he's not a burden or an accident or too much. Just exactly enough."

Tears threaten again but I blink them back. "We can do that."

"We will do that." He kisses my forehead. "Together."

Together. Not alone anymore. Never alone again.

A car door slams outside, and voices drift up through the window: Nora's laugh and Ivy talking.

"They're back," I say, suddenly nervous. "With Theo."

Wesley takes my hand. "Come on. Let's go see our son."

Our son. The words still feel surreal but right.

We head downstairs just as the front door opens. Nora walks in first with Grace beside her, then Ivy carrying Theo.

My baby sees me and immediately reaches out, making grabbing hands. "Mama!"

My heart swells. That's new! He's been trying to say "mama" for weeks, but this is the clearest it's ever been.

"Hi, sweetheart," I say, taking him from Ivy. He immediately curls against my chest, content. "Did you have fun at the park?"

Grace signs something, and Nora translates: "She says Theo loved the swings. Laughed the whole time."

"He was perfect," Ivy adds. "Fed him the bottle you left, changed him once, played with him on the grass. He's such a good baby."

"Thank you for watching him. Really. I know I was only gone a couple hours but—"

"Hannah." Nora puts a hand on my arm. "We loved having him. Anytime you need help, just ask. That's what family does."

There's that word again. Family.

Phoenix appears from his office, Eden and Canvas right behind him. Rosie and Brick emerge from the kitchen. Judge comes down the stairs. Ranger walks in from the back courtyard. Within minutes, the whole clubhouse is gathered in the common room.

Everyone is looking at us, at me holding Theo, Wesley standing beside me with his hand on my back.

"So," Phoenix says, fighting a smile. "Sounds like you two had a productive afternoon."

My face burns. Wesley doesn't even blink.

"Yeah," he says calmly. "We did."

Canvas snorts. "Productive. That's one word for it."

"Shut up." Eden says, swatting his arm. But she's grinning too.

The teasing is good-natured. Not mean. Just brothers giving each other shit the way brothers do. And the women are smiling like they're happy for us.