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He patted her gently on the back then pulled away. Heath reached down and wiped away tears from her face. “You don’t need to fight my battles, little sister. I’m stronger now and more grounded. I still have work to do, but I’m a better man than I was five months ago. And I’m really excited about being a father.”
“You’re not a better man, Heath, because you were already the best.” She grinned at him. “I am happy for you. And I can’t wait to be an auntie again. I’m sorry for what I said. You know I love Bella.”
“Thanks. I’m happy to hear that,” he said. A feeling of relief swept through him. All he wanted was calm and clarity and to know that his family supported him. When they were kids their parents had always lectured them about a house divided. It had always been stressed to them that they were at their best when they were a united front. United we stand, divided we fall. Although with eight kids it hadn’t been possible to not fuss and fight, they had always known the importance of not allowing those arguments to fester.
“Let’s make a toast to the future,” Daniel said, holding up his can of diet soda. “May Heath’s child be born healthy and happy.”
“And please Lord, let the baby look like Bella,” Jason shouted, raising his glass high.
Laughter rang out amongst the group. Heath threw back his head and laughed right along with his siblings. Everyone raised their cups to the blessing being offered for Heath and Bella’s child. Suddenly, all was right with his world.
As the night came to a close, Micah drew Heath aside.
“I just wanted to let you know I think you’ll be a tremendous father. You’re one of the bravest and most honorable people I know. In case I haven’t said it, we’re all really proud of what you did over in Afghanistan. You’re a hero in our eyes.”
Hero? How many times had he been labeled as a hero? He still didn’t feel like one, especially since Vinny hadn’t made it out of the operation alive. He felt guilty being touted as heroic when so many men and women had died over there. So many families were in mourning because of those losses. It was hard to even view himself in that light. He’d only done what he had been trained to do. And he had survived. Did that make him a hero?
“I appreciate it, Micah, but to be honest, it’s hard to view myself that way,” he admitted. “I keep thinking of Vinny and how his life ended so tragically. He was with us one moment and gone the next. He’s the real hero.”
“Have you been able to get any closure about it?”
“Yes, I have, although I’ve been thinking a lot about going to see Vinny’s family.”
Micah’s eyes widened. “That would be amazing. Difficult, but meaningful for all of you.”
“It would be,” Heath said. “At the moment though my first priority is Bella and our child.”
“You’re going to try to win her back, aren’t you?” Micah asked.
Heath grinned at his brother. “You know me well, don’t you?”
Micah raised his fist and waited for Heath to raise his own. They bumped fists and smiled at each other. “Donahue strong!” they both called out.
As the sky lit up with a dazzling array of twinkling stars, Heath found himself filled with a sense of wonder. Life was truly beautiful. This was the first time in a very long time he’d felt this way. For so long now he had felt weighted down by sadness. He had felt powerless to change things. But now, he felt hope shimmering like a beacon in the distance.
“Every day brings the promise of something wonderful.”
Addie Donahue
Chapter Four
Bella wrapped her robe around herself and tightened the belt around her gently rounded stomach. Each and every day she marveled at the changes in her body. She loved feeling the baby move around in her belly. The first time it had happened had been a wondrous occasion. At first Bella had been oblivious to the significance of the sensation in her abdomen. Then it had dawned on her. Her baby was moving around inside her. The slight fluttering motion had been awe-inspiring.
These days she worked at Fish Tails, her father’s shop. The issues with her pregnancy made it the perfect job since it was a family owned store and her father allowed her to basically made her own hours. The business was in bad shape, with sales in a serious rut. Bella feared if things didn’t improve soon, her father would have to make a decision about the long-term viability of the business. It would break all of their hearts if Fish Tails went out of business.
Since the shop didn’t open until ten am, most mornings were leisurely affairs for Bella. This morning she had a doctor’s appointment so she wasn’t going in to Fish Tails till later on this afternoon.
She made her way downstairs to the kitchen, pulling out orange juice and fresh fruit from the refrigerator. The sound of her front door bell ringing forced her to head back down the hall towards the foyer. Bella didn’t have to guess who was at her front door. Last night she had been on a three-way call with two of her sisters. She had made the mistake of telling them that she had seen Heath and he knew all about the baby. They had told her they planned to come over first thing in the morning to grill her about Heath. Knowing her sisters, she had been a bit surprised that they hadn’t crashed through her door that evening.
Without even peeking through the curtain first, Bella yanked open the door. Much as she had expected, Sophia, Abby and Gina were standing on her doorstep. She held the door wide open and watched them file into her house. Everyone headed toward the kitchen. Her sisters made themselves comfortable, sitting down at her kitchen table and foraging around in the fridge. Abby turned the kettle on and began to rummage in her cupboards.
“Make yourselves at home,” Bella said dryly. She pulled out a box of oatmeal, cinnamon and some milk. She dug around in the top kitchen drawer for a small spoon.
“Don’t mind if we do,” Sophia said in a teasing tone. “Do you have any cereal?”
“Over there in the canisters,” Bella said, motioning in their direction.
“Mmm. I’ll have some of this fresh fruit,” Abby said, taking a spoon and serving herself.
