AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"She's beautiful," I whisper to Claire.
"She is," she says, her eyes shining with tears.
We stay like that for a while, just the three of us, basking in the glow of our newfound parenthood. The rest of the family comes in eventually, oohing and aahing over the baby. My mom starts crying, and Caleb is grinning from ear to ear.
"She looks just like you, Gray," Sadie says, smiling.
I can't help but laugh. "Well, let's hope she gets her mother's brains," I say, looking at Claire.
Claire rolls her eyes, but she's still smiling. "We can only hope," she says, holding our daughter close.
As the family takes turns holding the baby, I can't help but feel grateful for this moment. Everything that led us here, all the struggles and challenges, was worth it. We have a beautiful daughter, and I have an amazing partner by my side.
I'm gonna be a dad.
And I made Claire a mom.
A year ago, I was all alone. It was just me and my dog out in the Oregon wilderness, my family lost, love not even on the radar. Then I met this amazing woman...and she changed everything for me. Claire has brought so much love to my life, a daughter, she's reunited with my family.
But she's the thing I cherish most.
The girl who changed everything.
The love of my life.
And it all started with a contract.
Epilogue
Gray
Theceremonywasbeautiful.
We had to reschedule the wedding after our daughter was born, and we spent the next few months waking up every couple hours to take care of her. My family decided to stick around, taking turns watching the baby, helping us set up the nursery. We hadn't quite finished decorating, since she came just a little early.
I get it.
Little Blythe couldn't wait to meet the world.
We named her Blythe because it means joy--and that's what she brought to our lives.
As we stood there under the arch, exchanging our vows, Blythe cooed in her grandmother's arms. It was a beautiful sound, and it felt like a blessing over our union.
After the ceremony, we took photos in the garden. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over everything. I felt like I was in a dream. My new wife, the baby, our family and friends...everyone was here to celebrate with us.
And like I said, the ceremony was beautiful. The reception was fun. It looked like a few people even hit it off, my brother and our doctor included.
But that isn't what I was interested in.
I can't take my eyes off Claire all night, glowing in her white V-neck dress with draped sleeves. She looks like a queen all night, her cheeks flushed, her hair in chestnut ringlets down her back. It's been a few months since Blythe was born, and I'm already getting the itch again.
I think she is too.
And I'm going to take advantage of this single night, when Blythe is at her grandma's place.
It's winter in the mountains, a light snow falling as we pull up to our house. I come around to the passenger side to open the door for her, then I take her hand to help her out. Before she can even put her feet down on the ground, I scoop her into my arms, curling her to my chest just like I did the first night we had sex. She kisses me as we laugh and walk toward the door, my wife in my arms.
"Just gotta put you down for a second, then I'm picking you right back up again and carrying you across the threshold," I say, putting her down. "So you stay put..."
