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God, it feels good to love Talia.
When we finally pull apart, her eyes are bright. "I love you," she whispers.
"I love you, too." I kiss her forehead. "Now sleep."
She sighs contentedly and closes her eyes. I sit watching her and Hope, marveling at the family Talia has gifted me. My heart is so full it feels fit to burst.
I gently pick up Hope from her bassinet and cradle her against my chest as I walk over to the window. The sun is just beginning to rise over the city, casting everything in a warm, rosy glow.
"Look at that, little one," I murmur. "It's a new day. The start of your life."
Hope stirs slightly, nuzzling into me. I chuckle and brush a finger over her downy hair.
"You have your whole life ahead of you," I tell her. "And I promise, I will always be there to love and protect you."
I turn back to look at Talia, sleeping peacefully. "We both will."
At that moment, with my daughter in my arms and the woman I love by my side, I feel a sense of peace that I've never known before.
We're a true family now.
And I will do anything for them.
ChapterThirty-Nine
DARE
"I'm so tired," Talia sighs as I lead her into the formal living room at the Morgan Estate. "I love Hope to pieces, but my sleep is all out of whack because of hormones and her breast feeding schedule, which has me getting up every few hours. No one told me about that."
"I'm sorry. I know you haven't had a proper night of sleep in the last week."
She wrinkles her nose as I haul Hope’s bassinet into the room and set it beside the couch.
The late autumn chill bites through my cashmere sweater as I sit Talia down on one of the plush velvet sofas in the room. Dark circles pool under her eyes. Her auburn hair has been in a messy bun since we left the hospital. I don't blame her one bit for not managing her usual long, silky tresses while she's still adjusting to life as a new mom.
In Talia's arms, our newborn daughter Hope fusses, her tiny rosebud mouth rooting for a breast. Talia puts a blanket over the baby and adjusts her top so that she can breastfeed.
Solana enters the room at a run. "Talia! I want to show you something."
Talia gives her a weak smile. "What is it, honey?"
The little girl presents a leaf to Talia.
"I found it for you," she says. "Isn't it nice?"
"So nice. Thank you so much." Talia reaches out and cups Solana's face briefly, then takes the leaf. "I'll hold onto it."
Solana beams. "I'll look for more leaves for you."
"That sounds good to me."
Magda walks in, holding her side. She's out of breath and I try to offer her a seat.
"No seat." She shakes her head and sucks in a huge breath. "Miss Solana is high energy! She keeps me on my toes."
Talia smiles and nods sympathetically. "She definitely has a lot of energy. Thank you for taking care of her, Magda."
"Of course! I am so happy to have her here. She brightens up my day whenever you visit."
