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He laughs. “Bald, red, and shriveled?”
Ignoring him, I gaze at her in wonder. “Hi. Hi, little Ever. It’s Mommy.”
Alec doesn’t say anything for a moment. “Ever?”
“Ever Florence Hutton-Mansfield,” I say with a smile. “Do you like it?”
He nods, and at that moment, a corner of our little girl’s mouth goes up into a wry smile. I know, I know, babies that young don’t smile, and it’s probably just gas bubbles. But I don’t care. It’s a sign.
“Do you want to hold her?”
He cautiously takes her in his arms, swaddling the pink blanket even tighter around her, and says in such a soft, sweet voice, “Hi, Ever. I’m your dad. We’re going to get to know each other pretty well.”
I smile as I watch him, rocking her, admiring his daughter. I know he’s worried about being a good dad, but he doesn’t have to be. There is no way on Earth this man will be like Mr. Mansfield. He’s already proven his heart to be so much bigger. That promise he made, to always be there? He has never let me down yet.
A little while later, after I get cleaned up, the first visitors start to arrive. First it’s my parents, then my brothers and their families. It’s all congratulations and joy … no bitterness to be seen. My father doles out some of the best cigars from his humidor, which he announces he’s been saving for this occasion. My brothers hug Alec and tell him to say goodbye forever to good nights of sleep. Smiling, Alec proudly and patiently shows little Ever off to everyone, and when she starts to become fussy, he does a great job at calming her down.
He’s a natural. I can tell, she’s already daddy’s little girl.
Eventually, though, even he can’t calm her, and he seems a little confused until the nurse gently reminds him that she needs to nurse. When he has to give her back to me, he seems a little sad … but it’s a good reminder that neither of us can be everything to Ever. She needs us both.
When I finish nursing and Ever drifts off to sleep, Campbell and Tenley arrive with armfuls of gifts since I never had a baby shower. Later on, Dr. Burns and some of the hospital staff come by to give their best wishes, filling the room with stuffed animals, balloons, flowers, and other presents. Everyone admires little Ever. By evening, the place looks like the site of a pretty fun party. The welcome for Ever goes late into the afternoon, but eventually, the reception line goes away, and it is just the two of us.
Eventually, we will go back to our home, back to reality, and we will be in our apartment … with a baby. Everyone has told us to enjoy this time in the hospital, because when we go home, we won’t have nurses to care for the baby. We’ll be on our own.
I’m a little nervous about the prospect because everything is so new. “You should go home,” I tell him as I nurse Ever again. “Get some rest. We’ll still be here in the morning.”
He chuckles and starts to pull out the folded cot. “I think I’ll stay right here.”
“Ugh.” That cot looks like it has the most uncomfortable, lumpy mattress on Earth. “Are you sure?”
He sits down on it. “Yep. I’m right where I need to be. With my family.”
Then, he reaches into his bag and pulls out another gift, wrapped in pink paper, and sets it next to her.
I have to laugh. “I think it’ll be a few years before she can open it.”
“You open it.” He’s eager.
I take the little envelope and open the card. At the top is Ever’s birthday, and it says:
For Ever,
Roses are red, violets are blue,
Always remember that I love you.
Yours, Daddy.
Tear spring to my eyes as I open the paper and find a soft little teddy bear. “Aw. For Ever. I like that.”
He smiles as he stretches out on the mattress. “Yeah,” he says. “You two are stuck with me for life. I love you. Both of you.”
I look down at our baby, and I think I might burst from happiness. I can’t wait to leave this hospital and begin our life as a family of three. “We love you, too, Daddy. Forever.”
Epilogue
Five Years Later
Alec
“Be careful!” I call to Ever as she and her older cousins run down the ocean path together.
All six of them, different in every way, and yet the same. The next generation of the magnificent Hutton clan. I always wanted to be a part of it. Now I’m lucky enough to be living that dream.
I’m holding my wife’s hand, something I always do when I’m near her. I can’t help seeking it out everywhere we go. Especially now, since she’s a little off-balance. Almost nine months along, baby number two should be making his debut any moment.
