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“That was a quick nap,” he grumbled. “Let me go check in on her. Maybe I can get her back to sleep.”
“Or not,” Liam said with a smirk. Cameron scowled at his brother. He was pretty sure Liam was enjoying seeing him a little bit frazzled. He walked a few feet down the hall until he reached the nursery. Cameron wrinkled up his nose as soon as he opened the door.
“What’s going on?” Liam asked from right behind him.
He turned toward his brother. “There’s a baby in there who doesn’t smell too good.”
Liam threw back his head and chuckled. “Dirty-diaper duty. It’s part of the terrain, Cam.”
“Hey, you wouldn’t want to show me how it’s done, would you? Show me the ropes?” he asked hopefully.
“Listen, this is a rite of passage. It’s a dad thing. You’ve got to do this and take it on the chin.” He gave him a thumbs-up sign. “No worries. You’ve got this.”
“Thanks, Liam,” he muttered as he entered the room and advanced toward Emma’s crib. She was lying on her back and looking up at the mobile he had just placed on the ceiling yesterday. It was a sun, moon and stars. At night they lit up with a phosphorescent glow. Despite her earlier cries, she now seemed content to babble and stare up at the whirling figures.
Cameron gazed down at her, overwhelmed by the depth of his love for this sweet, amazing child. He wouldn’t trade her for anything, dirty diapers and all. Just then Emma looked up at him and gifted him with a beatific smile. She began to pump her little legs in the air and reached her hands up toward him.
“Dada. Dada,” Emma cried out. “Up. Me up.”
It felt as if all the air had just left his lungs in one single breath. Dada! For a single moment everything went still and he had to lean against the crib railing for support. His knees threatened to give out underneath him.
Cameron reached down and lifted her into his arms. He cradled her against his chest as he fought back tears. Dada. She had said the most precious word in the universe. He felt like throwing his fist up in the air in triumph, but he didn’t want to startle Emma. No, he would act as cool as a cucumber even though he wanted to jump up and down.
This moment would be forever imprinted on him like a tattoo. Someday he would describe this event to Emma in excruciating detail. He might even tell her about her dirty diaper just to see her roll her eyes at him. For now, he simply wanted to savor this blessing.
God was good. A few weeks ago he hadn’t even been aware of his daughter’s existence. And now she was firmly embedded in his heart. He had officially fallen in love with his baby girl.
* * *
Paige checked her watch again as she waited in her car at the end of Cameron’s driveway. After counting down the minutes until she could be reunited with Emma, she’d decided to just wait near his home. She’d arrived about forty-five minutes ago, but thankfully, her car was hidden from view by a copse of spruce trees. She didn’t want Cameron to think she didn’t trust him with their daughter. It wasn’t about him. It was about her attachment to Emma and her having to adjust to the idea of co-parenting. For so long her daughter’s care had rested on her shoulders as the sole custodial parent.
This too shall pass. Once they got into a routine, she would be fine. She wouldn’t be lurking in her car with a pang in her soul.
Finally, at exactly four o’clock on the dot she was standing at Cameron’s front stoop pressing the doorbell.
When he opened the door, she let out an involuntary sigh. Emma was resting at his hip and he looked like an impossibly handsome, rugged father—the type who would be featured on the cover of a trendy magazine. Alaskan Dad. Laughter bubbled up inside her at the thought of it.
“How was everything?” Paige asked, resisting the urge to scoop Emma up in her arms. It was reassuring to see her daughter so secure with Cameron. Every little girl needed a daddy to adore her.
“She’s still in one piece,” Cameron teased. “And so am I.”
Paige laughed as Cameron ushered her inside his house. Emma, like most babies her age, could be a handful. Something about Cameron’s expression told her that she had indeed pushed him to the limit. “She pretty much blew me away by calling me Dada,” Cameron said in a voice bursting with pride. “Not just once, mind you. Several times.”
She turned toward him and grinned, knowing how much he had wanted this moment. “I’m so happy for you. That type of moment is priceless.”
They’d made their way to Cameron’s living room and she saw Liam standing there smiling warmly at her. He held his arms open to her and she walked straight into a bear hug. Of all three of the Prescott boys, Liam was the most demonstrative one.
“I can’t believe we’re seeing each other again after all these years and under these circumstances.” Liam looked over at Emma. “Your daughter is one beautiful little girl. Thankfully, she looks like you and not her father. She dodged a bullet,” Liam teased.
“Ha-ha. Very funny,” Cameron said.
“So far everyone else seems to think she looks just like her dad, so I’m hoping to see some of myself in her personality,” Paige said.
“I think I might have caught a little bit of that similarity today,” Cameron drawled, the corners of his mouth twitching with merriment.
Liam covered his grin with his hand and jabbed Cameron in the side. Paige didn’t know what the inside joke was but she raised an eyebrow at Cameron.
“Aidan keeps asking about his little baby cousin, so we’ll have to arrange a meeting really soon,” Liam said.
