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She thought for a while and glanced at Mia. “I think I could use some ice cream.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It’s good for the milk.” She smirked, and I was left confused yet unable to deny her anything.
True to his words, Aaron stayed with us—right outside our room—the entire time we stayed in the hospital.
After Mia left to go through some exams and clean her slashes and bruises, Zach went to their parents with her, so they could release Danny and Sofia and everyone could get some rest.
A big lie, if I’d ever heard one.
I was worn to a frazzle, but for the life of me, I couldn’t sleep. I napped here and there, only to startle awake, looking for my baby or a menacing truck. I could calm down only after a few moments, when I noticed my surroundings and checked on Teddy in his hospital crib beside my bed.
Ben wasn’t any better. His sleep—if you could call it that—was agitated, and he spent the night jumping awake in the hospital bed by my side, ready to tackle whatever threat he was dreaming about.
I hoped when we could get to our place, being surrounded by our stuff and the familiar scent, things would be better, and we’d feel more comfortable.
When I was discharged, Ben texted our family to let everyone know, and I contacted April, finally having remembered I had a business to run. Being the godsend she was, she reassured me everything was fine, and she even opened Beans for a few hours, letting our customers know I was away for a while and getting them the coffee that would make them come back for more when I was ready.
I was glad for the insight she had weeks ago by suggesting to me I should teach her how to make some of my recipes. She wasn’t ready to do them all, but she baked quite a few.
As hard as it was for me to give the reins to her for the time being, I was trying not to freak out. I already had a lot to deal with, what with a newborn and crazy men trying to attack my family.
Speaking of which, when we arrived home, I noticed a few familiar cars parked outside. The mixture of scents—from lemon-scented cleaning products to warm cookies, from baby powder to chicken casserole—enveloped me the moment I stepped inside the living room.
Lively chatter greeted us, and I was happy to see Teddy was awake as Ben brought him in in his baby seat. I wanted his first experience in his first home to be the best one he could have. Even if he couldn’t remember that day, I wanted him to feel how loved and cared for he was.
Hugo was the first one to notice us. He crawled and whined as he approached us with the care only a good boy could have. His happy tail was so excited, his entire butt wiggled. Gabe was next, being not so subtle about it.
“The baby!” He ran as fast as his short legs allowed him.
“Careful, Gabe,” Haley warned.
Zach intercepted his eagerness, mindful not to make him feel embarrassed. “Would you look at that, kiddo?” He crouched behind the boy, who was oozing with excitement, and hugged him. “Let’s wait for them to get settled, then you have a new friend to meet.”
Ben placed the baby seat over the sofa, and Zach guided Gabe to stand in front of Teddy. Zach squatted again behind the kid, placing his chin over the boy’s head. Ben and I sat on each side of our baby, and I introduced the boys I hoped would become best friends.
“Gabe, meet Theodore. His friends call him Teddy.”
Ben whispered in conspiracy, “So you can call him Teddy.”
The boy’s face lit up. “So he’s myfwiend?”
“He sure is, kiddo,” Zach asserted.
As the new friends got acquainted and Hugo tippity-tapped around us to bring his toy for my baby to play with, Rosie and Jackson came from our kitchen, followed by Haley and Mia, who was munching on some apple slices.
“Our new boy,” Rosie choked out, and Jackson rubbed her arms before she sauntered toward us. Before I could get up to greet them, Rosie placed a hand on my shoulder. “You stay seated, sweetie. A new mom needs all the sitting and lying she can get. May I?” She pointed at Teddy.
“Of course. He’s excited to meet his Gamma and Pawpaw.”
She picked him up and cooed at my boy, singing praises about him. She sat on the loveseat and ushered Gabe to her side. Jackson came to me, leaned down, and pressed a kiss on the top of my head. Then he pulled Ben, who was standing up, into his arms and slapped his back.
“Congratulations to you both. Having a child is sure a lot of work. But you’ll know no bigger love than that. Now, let’s meet my new grandkid.” He perched himself on the arm of the seat where Rosie was settled, draping an arm over her shoulder as he watched my baby with unrestrained love.
Haley settled beside me, looped her arm inside mine, and squeezed my hand. It was her sweet way of showing me her love as she waited for her time to fawn all over my boy.
“Have the guys told you his name?”
