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Merida lay back on the pillow and gave an exhausted half-laugh.
Ethan had told her that he knew now that there had been no affair with Meghan. And he’d told her about the hell of those family photos, being forced to smile when his heart was damaged almost to broken.
Then he’d told herhischild would never be exposed to that.
‘Ethan...’
‘I know.’ He looked at his wife, who was beyond exhausted. ‘No photos.’
And of all the things she knew of her husband, she knew he was doing his hardest to get this fatherhood thing right. That, even when his heart was both bursting with love and splitting with grief, he was doing his best to do right by her.
‘Of course he can have his photo with Ava—and if he wants a family shot then so do I. I’ll ask if there’s someone who can come and do something with my hair, and—’
‘I can do it.’
Naomi had just come from the airport. Her suitcases were stacked in a corner and she had popped in to glimpse her new charge.
‘I’ll help you get ready for the photos and then—’
A gruff voice interrupted the chatter. ‘There’s no need for all that.’
Merida looked up as Jobe Devereux was wheeled in.
He wore a silk dressing gown and his salt and pepper hair was immaculate. There was not a drip or machine in sight, and Merida could absolutely guess the effort he had gone to for this.
This was the amazing family she had married into.
‘So when do I get to meet her?’ Jobe asked.
‘Now!’ Merida smiled.
Ava was there, quiet in her little Perspex crib, so quiet that Jobe hadn’t seen her.
And now Merida watched as Ethan went over, pulled back the little blanket and picked up their tiny daughter.
She was a shock of dark hair and bunched-up pink legs, with name tags around her ankles and flailing arms, and she let out an angry cry.
But Ethan hushed her. He held her tight in his arms as he tucked her blanket around her, and he was just so tender with her that it brought tears to Merida’s eyes.
‘Meet Ava,’ Ethan said, and handed the tiny little girl to his father.
Merida stopped even trying to fight the tears as three generations met. Oh, she wanted photos. A hundred of them. She wanted these precious moments captured.
The way Ethan proudly looked on as his father embraced his granddaughter and told them things they could never have known without him being here.
‘Those blue eyes will be black by New Year,’ Jobe said, never taking his eyes from Ava. ‘Abe’s took four weeks to turn, and Ethan’s three...’
And Jobe passed on more of those tiny details that mattered and that only someone who loved you knew.
‘I’m going to head off.’ Naomi gave Merida a kiss as a porter came for her cases.
‘Thanks for coming,’ Merida said. ‘Your room’s all ready...’
‘Don’t worry about me,’ Naomi said. ‘I’m going to sleep off this jet-lag and be ready for when you bring Ava home.’
It was a wondrous, exhausting, exhilarating afternoon.
Even Abe appeared, minus Candice. He didn’t stay long.
