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"She really is. It's surreal she's ours. Like...we just get to take her home? I'm gonna need a more adultier adult to help me."
River laughs. "Your maternal instincts will kick in, trust me. And I wouldn't worry too much. Your mom and grandma will probably be camped out in the nursery to help."
Payton grunts. "Gonna need to change those locks if we ever want privacy again."
I snort. Over the past couple of months, my mom's been over a lot to help us set up the nursery and get the house ready. I hit my nesting phase, and we cleaned it from top to bottom. As much as Payton loves my family, he's an introvert who needs his quiet time and space.
"Privacy with the Bishops?" River mocks. "Good luck with that. When I was pregnant with Rowan, I woke up from a nap to Mama Rose measuring my belly. When I asked her what she was doing, she said she was trying to predict what I was having."
I burst out laughing. "That sounds like somethin' she’d do."
"That's mild compared to the years' worth of stories I have." River grins. "But we love her anyway."
Once Kaylee's finished eating, I hand her off to River while Payton sits next to me on the bed.
"Did your mom visit?" River asks Payton.
"She did. Actually, she left right before you got here."
"Oh, I missed her. That's okay. I'll see her in a few days for the bachelor auction."
"Speaking of, are there any bachelors left for it?" I laugh.
"A whole new generation of twentysomethings," River confirms. "I'm only goin' for Jessica's emcee commentary."
Jessica is Harper's mom, and she's hilarious.
"Yeah right, you're going for the same reason we are—sexy cowboys in tight jeans."
Payton clears his throat.
"You wanna participate?" I smirk.
"No, thank you. I've been humiliated enough from that."
"Well, technically, you're not married, so Mama might force ya," River explains. "Back in our day, the guys had to do it even when they were datin’ their future spouses."
My eyes widen. "I can't imagine that went well."
"Oh we all fought for our men, throwing money and elbows so no one else won."
Since River married Uncle Alex long before his brothers got hitched, she's been around the longest and always has the best stories to share.
Kaylee starts crying, and River lifts her to her chest, patting her back. As soon as a loud burp releases, she stops.
"How'd you do that, and can you teach me?" I plead when River sets her back in my arms.
Payton chuckles, patting my leg. "Have confidence, babe. You're a natural-born mother."
I blow out a breath. Even though I've done so much research and read stacks of baby books, I still don't feel prepared.
"You'll learn as you go, just like we all did.”
PAYTON
Watching the woman I love give birth to our child is a moment I'll cherish forever.
Kaitlyn was a champ, and even when she was exhausted, she pushed through until our beautiful Kaylee was born.
