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“Rina.” Mason laughs. “You made us Easter baskets. I’m thirty-six years old and he’s nineteen. I mean, you obviously love the holiday.”
“I love any holiday.” My tone is smart as I pucker my lips at him. “You know this about me already.”
Opening the box, I squeal as I see the pink shirt Caleb’s purchased for me. It saysHatching in Maywith an Easter egg on it. “This is the cutest thing ever, thank you so much.” I pull him into my arms.
“Okay.” I wipe my eyes, emotional as hell about everything. “Let’s go to church and then meet the rest of the MTF for Easter dinner. We gotta get this show on the road if we’re gonna make it.”
As a family we walk to the Jeep, and Mason easily helps me inside. As I buckle in and watch Mason walk around the front, I glance back, seeing Caleb take his seat.
The moment is perfect, as we drive to the church. My husband, my son, and my soon-to-be-born daughter are all together as a family. When I moved to Laurel Springs, I never dreamed this could happen, but as we travel across town, I think, like I do a lot these days, just how lucky I am.
EPILOGUE
MENACE
May
There have been four days that have been the most important in my life. When Caleb was born, I joined the Moonshine Task Force, married Karina, and now this moment. When our daughter entered the world.
“Caleb should be here in the next fifteen minutes.” I read the text I just got from him so Karina knows what’s going on. “There was a wreck on I-65 and he got stuck in the traffic coming home. I told him we won’t let anyone else meet her until he does.”
Karina looks up at me, smiling. “Sounds good, I want him to be the first.”
This woman, looking at me the way she is, has blown my mind today. After waking up at three a.m. with her water breaking, she went through seven hours of active labor, refusing to call anyone until it was time to start pushing. She didn’t want anyone to have to wait around on her. By the time I called Caleb, I knew he wouldn’t be here in time, but I figured that saved us all from some major embarrassment. I’m a hundred percent positive he didn’t want to be in the same room as the person he sees as his mom with her legs spread for everyone to see what was going on between them. I had wanted to be able to concentrate on her, make sure things were fine, and there were no complications before we’d let Caleb know. Hell, more than anything, I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a false alarm. We’d had one of those last week, and he’d sleepily made the drive at two in the morning, only to end up sleeping in his bedroom at our house.
“You look beautiful,” I whisper as I lean into her, kissing her on the lips.
“I’m sure I look like a hot mess, Mason, but I love you for acting like I don’t.”
In between us, my daughter makes a noise, bringing my attention to her. Fuck, I’d thought Caleb was small when he was born. His little sister was smaller, by a full pound, but Jesus she has a set of lungs on her. One day she’ll either be a cheerleader or a singer, with the way she can scream.
“She looks so much like you,” Rina comments as she runs her fingers along the smooth face, scrunched up at the moment.
“Hopefully she’ll grow out of that,” I joke as I reach down, running my own finger along her skin. “Honestly, she looks like Caleb, I’ll have to get some of his baby pictures out and let you see. They’re definitely related.”
“He’ll fall in love with her,” she predicts, holding our daughter close, rubbing her nose along the blanket she’s swaddled in. “I know he will. He’s going to be the most amazing big brother the world has ever seen. Nobody will be able to touch her.”
“That’s the way it should be, and if he can’t take care of it, I will.” I feel myself getting irritated; just thinking someone could hurt this little girl of mine.
“Calm down, big guy. She’s a whopping hour old. I think you can hold off on having to harm someone as they come to the front door for a date. You have a few years before that happens.”
I grab her hand, bringing it to my lips for a kiss, a show of appreciation for all she’s given me. When I moved to Laurel Springs, never in a million years did I imagine this would be my life. Fuck, when we met in January of last year I’d never imagined this could be how I’m living. I’d assumed I would be eating microwave meals and trying to figure out how to fill my free time with Caleb gone. Instead, I’m doing things I wasn’t able to do the first time around, I’m experiencing all new life situations, and I’m living the way I want to.
“I’m almost scared to hold her,” I admit. “She’s smaller than Ransom, too.”
“Yeah, but I’m sure she’ll want her daddy to hold her as soon as possible.”
Daddy. A word I thought I’d never hear again. One I assumed I was done with. Fact is I’m not done, and I can’t wait to experience what this round will be like with a girl. Quickly I take my shirt off so she and I can do skin-to-skin, just like she and Karina had done. Grabbing her up from Karina’s arms, I hold her close, knowing she can feel my heartbeat coming through the distance between us.
Immediately, the smell takes me back to the first time I held Caleb. I remember how unsure I was, how scared I was. I realize I’m not scared this time, that I’m completely prepared for what’s coming my way. This child I’ll enjoy, this child will have those fucking cute cupcakes when it’s her birthday because she has a mother who loves her. One who loves me, and one who stuck around, who will stick around, even when times get tough. “I love you.” I lean down, kissing her small nose.
There’s a knock at the door, and when Caleb enters, he’s carrying flowers and a pink teddy bear. “I bought this for her as soon as you found out it was a girl,” he explains as he approaches the bed, setting the flowers on the bedside table for Karina. “For you, Kari. You look amazing for just giving birth.” He leans in, hugging her, but his eyes never stray from his sister’s face.
“You wanna hold her?” I ask him, motioning to the rocking chair in the corner.
“She’s so little.” His voice is as awestruck as mine had felt the first moment I saw her.
“You’ll be fine,” I reassure him.
