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Dom let go of my hand and nudged my shoulder. I lifted my arm out in front of me and wiggled my fingers as all the eyes in the room zoned in on the diamond accenting my hand.
Penelope’s glass clattered against the kitchen sink and she dropped it and stomped over to me. “Oh my God.” She grabbed my hand and examined the ring closer before looking up at Dom. “I thought you were waiting until Christmas?”
He chuckled. “Well…”
“God, it’s beautiful,” she interrupted. Twisting my arm side to side to watch the ring glitter. She waved my hand at her boyfriend. “Take notes.”
He frowned, and a vein seemed to pop out on his forehead. Vexed amusement danced in his eyes. “I’ve been waiting my whole life to propose to you. You won’tletme.”
“Well, when I do, take notes,” she responded without looking back at him.
Carter rolled his eyes before strolling over to Dom and hugging him. He shouldered Penelope out of the way and hugged me too. “Congratulations, Mace.”
“So, what’s this all about Vegas?” Penelope asked.
“We’re going to get married right now,” I said casually. “We need witnesses.”
Carter cocked his head. “Why do you need to get married right now?”
Dom and I grinned at each other. “Because we’re impulsive and we don’t feel like waiting.”
“We’re also a little reckless, so there is another reason for the rush.” I smiled down at my stomach, placing my hand atop it.
July
Dominic
“Dominic, she’s doing it. She’s sucking on my nipple!” my wife exclaimed from the other side of the hospital room.
“Like father, like daughter.” I smiled.
My best friend choked back a laugh.
Macie’s eyes shot up to mine and the glare in her expression was the most adorable thing I’d ever seen. I could only grin back at her. My daughter is four hours old now, and she had a little trouble latching at first, but she seemed to be catching on. I swore, if she did nothing else for the rest of her life but learn how to breastfeed, I’d be the proudest man on the planet. She could do no wrong.
Carter and I stood on the far side of the room to give Macie some space to feed since it’d been stressing her out. Penelope sat at a chair on the edge of the bed, staring down at my wife and child with tears in her eyes.
Macie’s water broke four days before she was scheduled to be induced. It was a quick labor. My parents were currently on their way from Arizona, and the last I spoke with Macie’s, they were stepping on the plane in Portland. By tomorrow morning, we’d be sent home to a house filled to the brim with over-excited grandparents. For now, it was just the four of us in the tiny hospital room, and secretly, I was grateful for that.
“How’s it feel, Dad?”
A lump in my throat formed at the title Carter used. I swallowed it. “Sometimes I still don’t think they’re real.”
“They’re real. You did a good job.” He patted my shoulder because I was terrible at keeping the emotion out of my voice. “Allie’s beautiful.”
Allie.It’d been a tough first few months of Macie’s pregnancy when we didn’t know the sex of the baby yet. She kept suggesting God-awful boy names likeTravis. It was infuriating. But as soon as we learned we’d be having a girl, we both immediately knew the name we’d choose. There were no questions to be asked. Allie Mae Evans was six pounds and four ounces of dark haired, dark eyed, pink lipped, button nosed perfection.
Her mother was the strongest, toughest, most incredible woman I’d ever laid my eyes on, and the two of us were the luckiest people on the planet to call Macie ours. I couldn’t wait to watch my daughter grow up to be exactly like her.
“You guys gonna make one of those things?” I nodded toward my child that was now in his fiance’s arms. Penelope crooned at her in an inaudible I’m-an-adult-talking-to-a-baby language.
“Nope,” Carter said casually. “Pep doesn’t want kids.” I gave him a side-long glance. He shot me one back. “Kids aren’t for everyone. A family can be complete without them.” He shrugged. “She wants to visit every country and swim in every ocean. That’s what fulfills her, and that’s okay.”
I huffed at his defensiveness. Though, they were both pushing thirty and I imagined they were forced to give that spiel often. Macie and I made it a point not to ask most of the time. Seemed like a bear that wasn’t worth poking. Though, the question had kind of just fallen out of my mouth as I watched Penelope hold my daughter in her arms.
“What is it thatyouwant?” I found myself asking him.
“The only thing I’ve ever wanted in my life is her,” he responded without missing a beat. “And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that before we ever had that conversation, I always knew that I wanted to travel the world too. Kids never crossed my mind. And if she asked me for a baby tomorrow, I’d give her that. But I am utterly, deeply, truly happy to spend my entire life with her and her alone.” He looked at me, and I saw only sincerity in his eyes. “Plus, we might adopt someday. Become foster parents. That’s important to her.” His gaze settled back on Penelope as she and my wife gushed in hushed tones.
