Charlie
The soft sunlight of early morning streams through my bedroom window, framing Lance’s ripped torso and making him glow like a god. It’s a nice image to wake up to, not that I’ve gotten much sleep. I’m still low grade tired but somehow still alert, and when a small cry rings out, it blasts across my senses like a fire alarm.
“I’ve got her.” Lance turns and leans over the new addition to my bedroom—a sidecar crib. He picks up the baby, and my heart squeezes at the sight. “Hey there, little nugget.” Lance peers at the little blanketed bundle in his arms. “Oh, she’s looking at me.”
“Let me see.”
He leans over and shows me our little girl, her big blue eyes blinking lazily.
“She is so alert. And so quiet.”
“My sweet girl,” Lance croons. “You wanna see your new home? Hang with Daddy and let Momma sleep?”
I relax against the pillows, listening to his half-murmur.
“That’s right, you’re home now. That was your bed. This is Mommy and Daddy’s room, and you can stay here for a little while. But right now we’re going on a tour…” His voice fades as the bedroom door creaks shut. I let my eyes close. Our daughter is a pretty chill baby, except at two and four in the morning when she’s hungry and I don’t wake up fast enough. Not that I get much sleep when she’s sleeping. I just want to lie nearby and look at her peaceful little face.
When I wake again, the sun is a deeper shade of gold. It’s ten in the morning. Our daughter is back in the crib, bundled like a burrito in a buttery yellow blanket. I tiptoe to the bathroom and when I emerge, freshly showered, Lance is waiting with a cup of coffee.
“How’s my favorite girl?” He leans in and gives me a kiss on my forehead.
“Don’t you mean your second favorite girl?”
“Nah, you’re both my favorite.” He stretches his arms above his head to lean against the door jamb. This puts all the muscles of his chest and arms on display. Mmmmm. He flashes that playboy smile. “I knew I was born to be loved by more than one woman.”
I laugh and shake my head, then gulp my coffee. “How are you not exhausted?” I have craters under my eyes, but he’s as fresh-faced as ever.
He shrugs. “Training.” Then he scoops me up, coffee mug and all, and sets me back into bed. “Rest up. She’ll be awake soon, and hungry. And Rafe is coming by with the pack later today. I hope that’s all right.” His ocean blue eyes meet mine.
I nod. “Of course. I invited Adele and the rest to come over, too. They were giving us a few days to adjust, since our daughter decided to come early.”
Lance pretends to tsk. “She didn’t follow the plan,” he teases.
“She couldn’t wait to meet you,” I say.
I was washing dishes when my water broke. I stared at the wet drops dripping down my leg. And that’s when the labor pangs hit me. They came on so fast, Lance didn’t have time to get me to the hospital. He scooped me up and got me in the car. But that’s as far as we got. I gripped his shoulders and bore down, and our little girl came out fast.
Kylie was right. Shifters are pretty healthy and durable. “Like iron butterflies,” she told me on a call three months ago. I can’t wait to do a video chat with her and Jaylin. But first things first. My mom and dad are driving in tomorrow, and we’ll video conference with my brother then. Lance set it up again.
Lance grips my chin, studying my face. “You doing okay?”
“Yeah.” I nudge his hand, tilting my face up for his kiss. “I mean, I’m still healing, but I’m fine.” The doctors looked us both over and pronounced us in perfect health. “Thanks for letting me sleep in.”
His lips brush mine softly. “I made breakfast, too. Figured you could have pancakes and bacon in bed.”
I groan. “That’s the sexiest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“Yeah?” He leans back, a furrow between his blond brows. “I’ve gotta up my game.”
“Or I’m just super hungry. Nursing is hard work.” I lean back on the pillows. “Feed me, baby-daddy. Then I can feed her.”
It’s close to noon and I’ve managed to eat, nurse, and put the baby down so I can get dressed when Lance sticks his head into the bedroom. “I think I hear the cavalry.” He carries me to the couch, even though I tell him I can walk.
Voices murmur outside. Someone stomps up the steps. Lance opens the door and Rafe’s the first through. The brothers greet each other with a rough hug, complete with pounding each other on the back in a manly fashion.
Rafe greets me and then his eyes narrow. “Where’s my niece?”
“Sleeping, asshole,” Lance mutters, “Keep your voice down.”
Deke and Sadie walk in next. “Congrats, man.” Deke slaps Lance’s back.
“Thanks. You’re next.” Lance gives him a shit-eating grin. “Let me get my daughter so you can practice holding a baby.” He saunters off, leaving Deke stiff and still. His face goes expressionless, but his eyebrow twitches. He doesn’t show much expression to begin with but now that I’ve gotten to know him, I can tell when he’s a little freaked out.
Sadie’s all smiles. She sits down to give me a hug.
“Here she is.” Lance returns. He veers away from Deke. “No fucking way would I let you hold her.”
“Fuck you,” Deke mutters back, but his tone is mild.
“Hey!” Sadie’s eyes flash sparks. “No bad language around the baby.” Then Lance leans down to place our daughter in my arms, and Sadie’s face transforms. “Oh, look at you.”
She touches the blankets, her big, diamond-encrusted engagement and wedding rings winking on her finger.
My daughter reaches right for it and grips Sadie’s finger.
“Oh, look at that.” Channing’s arrived with Adele and Tabitha on his heels. “She has expensive taste.” Channing elbows Lance.
I tilt our daughter in my arms so the room can see her. “Everybody, this is Zoe.”
“Zoe,” Adele and Sadie exhale, while Tabitha lets out a mini squee.
“So what happened to ‘J’ names?” Tabitha asks playfully a few minutes later. Zoe is making the rounds. Or that was the plan, anyway. Adele looks ready to fight Rafe for rights to hold her. The newly minted uncle refuses to let his niece go. “Or my old favorite, Nebuchadnezzar?”
I shrug. “She came out so fast, and this is what suited.”
“Ooh, way to roll with the punches,” Tabitha says.
“Good work, Mom,” Adele says quietly. Rafe finally lets her hold Zoe, and my friend sways from side to side.
“Hey, are we grilling?” Channing walks by with a cooler that’s probably full of meat. “Let’s get this party started!”
“Shhh.” Zoe’s uncle and all of her godmothers hush his loud ass.
“We brought a ton of food.” Tabitha turns to me. “Plus dessert. The good news is Adele and I made cupcakes. The bad news is I took a turn too fast—”
“I told you—” Adele cuts in, shaking her head so her perfect curls bounce.
“And they flipped upside down,” Tabitha finishes. “But the other good news is Sadie apparently also made a cake. So it’s not a total dumpster fire.”
Dumpster fire. Interesting choice of words. “Adele once told me when life sets your plans on fire, you might as well toast marshmallows.”
Adele smiles at me. “And you know your friends because they’re the ones who turn up with marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate to make s’mores.”
“Oooh, s’more cupcakes. I could make those,” Sadie coos, handing me a glass of lemonade and holds her own up in toast. “To Zoe. To life.”
“To Zoe,” my friends echo.
In my backyard, the guys light up the grill. Zoe’s back in her dad’s arms, and he’s holding her in the crook of one strong arm with the ease of a pro. He sees me watching and winks. Warmth blooms in my heart.
Things didn’t go to plan, but that’s okay. Life is so good.
