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While AJ beamed at his namesake, Dad’s expression swirled with both happiness and grief. “Good choice, son,” he choked.
“Thanks, Dad.”
Once he had recovered, a cocky smirk curved on his lips. “Since my middle name is Patrick, one could argue you did name him after me.”
AJ smacked his arm. “That would be for both of us. I am Alejandro Joaquin, you know.”
I shook my head. “Dear God, help us all if Patrick inherits any of the cockiness that oozes from the two of you.”
Dad and AJ laughed. “You call it cockiness—I call it being self-assured,” Dad replied.
“Keep telling yourself that.”
Clapping me on the back, AJ joked, “Since Patrick is a fine representation of your Irish roots, the next one can have a Spanish name, right?”
I laughed. “Considering what she went through to have this one, you’ll have to ask Gaby about when andifthere’s another one.”
AJ’s happy expression was replaced with anxiety as he glanced past me into the hospital room. “How’s my baby?”
“She’s fine. Great in fact. They’re just getting her stitched up.”
Both AJ and Dad winced. “Childbirth is why women are the stronger sex,” Dad mused.
“You can say that again,” AJ replied.
Holding Patrick out, I asked, “Who’s holding him first?”
Dad and AJ eyeballed each other for a minute. “I’m older,” Dad remarked.
“Is that supposed to matter?” I questioned.
With a shrug, Dad replied, “I just thought we could go by birth order.”
AJ took a step towards Dad. “It’s my daughter who gave birth to him.”
“Yeah, well, my son helped make him.”
I rolled my eyes at them. “Would you two please get a grip?”
Their defiant expressions turned sheepish. “You go first, Aidan,” AJ offered.
“No, no. You should go first.”
Before I could argue that we were getting nowhere, Mom appeared in the doorway. “The doctor is finished, and Gaby is asking for her son.”
“Guess you guys will just have to wait,” I mused.
With curses under their breaths, they obediently followed me back into the room. Once I had deposited Patrick into Gaby’s eager arms, AJ appeared on the other side of the bed. Leaning in, he gave Gaby a lingering kiss on the top of the head while rubbing her cheek. “Estoy tan orgullosa de ti,” he murmured as tears glistened in his dark eyes.
“Gracias, Papi,” she replied with a smile.
After swiping his eyes, AJ said, “Not only am I proud of you for giving birth to such a beautiful son, I’m proud of you for naming him after your wonderful father.”
Gaby and I laughed. “I don’t want to burst your bubble, but it’s not just for you. It’s for Papa Joaquin as well. I mean, he was the original Alejandro,” she argued.
AJ waved a hand. “He doesn’t need to know that.”
With a roll of her eyes, Gaby said, “You’re such an egomaniac.”
