“Because you’ve grown up a lot. You’ve lived a lot. You’ve had a lot of life experiences. If things do work out for the two of you this time, you will appreciate it more. You’ll cherish it.”
Dallas steps into the room. “Ready to meet the newest McMahon?”
I’m the first to react, jumping up before the guys.
Aiden takes my hand and we follow Dallas into their room.
RiAnne is sitting up in bed, holding a little pink bundle.
“It’s a girl!?” I screech. “You were so sure it was a boy!”
“I know!” RiAnne says, happily. “We’re so glad we didn’t find out. It was a very fun surprise.”
I slather on hand sanitizer and then gently touch the baby’s cheek. “Look at her. Oh, RiAnne, she’s so beautiful.”
“You are, aren’t you?” Dallas says, nestling the bundle in his arms and continuing to talk to it. “Carder put your Mommy through ten hours of labor. And your sister, Fallon, twenty hours. So, you’re already our favorite.”
He hands the bundle off to me and I notice that he discreetly takes a box from Aiden.
“Thanks for picking it up, man,” he says, giving Aiden a guy hug.
“Congratulations,” Aiden says back. “You’re a blessed man.”
“That I am,” Dallas says, returning to RiAnne’s side and taking her hand.
Aiden sits next to me and caresses the baby’s cheek while I unwrap the cocoon of blankets.
“Look at her little chubby cheeks,” he says. “They’re so perfectly pink.”
“And look at her hands,” I say. “They’re so dainty. Ri, did you decide on a name?”
“I think we should go with Farryn,” RiAnne says to Dallas. “That was your favorite, right?”
He kisses her hand and looks into her eyes. “You’re my favorite,” he says sweetly to her.
RiAnne looks toward the baby and gets teary eyed. “We’re so lucky. It’s hard to believe my getting pregnant and us getting married so young turned out like it did.”
“No, it’s not,” Dallas says. “I knew this is exactly how we’d be. Happy. With a mess of kids. And I was thinking . . .”
“About what?” she asks.
“Our wedding.”
“Our wedding was a bit of a disaster,” she says with a laugh. “Remember how the wind picked up and almost blew the altar over?”
“I remember the groom was pretty hung over,” Riley says.
“So were the groomsmen,” Aiden adds with a laugh.
“It was still beautiful,” I say. “You were both so in love that the weather didn’t matter.”
“I think we should do it again,” Dallas says seriously.
“Do what again?” RiAnne asks.
“Get married. What would you think of doing it up right? Renewing our vows? Having a killer reception. We have a lot to celebrate in our life. Five beautiful, healthy children. We’re still in love. I know you hated being pregnant, especially this time, but this, this moment right here makes all that bitching worthwhile. Look at her. Ten perfect toes. Ten perfect fingers. And this one isn't a cone head.”
“Dallas!” she chastises but then he puts the box Aiden just handed him in front of her and opens it. RiAnne’s eyes practically bug out of her head.
“Son of a biscuit!” she says. “Is that for me?”
“Yes,” Dallas says, taking her hand, slipping off her wedding ring, and putting the new ring on her. “This one has five rows of diamonds for our five children.”
“And the huge diamond in the middle?” she asks.
He takes her face in his hands. “That one’s for us. Will you marry me again?”
“Ohmigawd, Dallas. Yes. Yes.”
Then she says, “Keatyn, holy shit, come look at this!”
I hand the baby off to Aiden, who pulls her close to his broad chest, causing my heart to swell. I can only imagine what it will feel like when he’s holding our own little bundle of joy in his strong arms. His smile will be on perma-blaze.
I go to the side of RiAnne’s bed and ooh and aah over her ring, but I can’t stop sneaking peeks at Aiden. He has on an pale green oxford shirt that plays off his beautiful green eyes. His sleeves are rolled up showing off strong forearms that look perfect with a baby in them. I laugh to myself thinking about what Katie said about Knox. That he would make her ovaries explode. That’s how I feel when I look at Aiden, only my heart feels like it could explode with joy. I touch my own little baby bump and smile.
After a little bit, a nurse comes in and shoos us out, saying the mother and baby need their rest.
“What are you doing now?” Aiden asks Riley.
“No plans, really,” he says.
“I bought some steaks. Thought we could grill out.”
“Marvel’s night off, huh?”
“It is.”
“You know what?” Riley says. “I think I’m going to take a rain check. I’m going home. This weekend has given me a lot to think about.”
“Are they happy thoughts?” I ask, giving him a kiss on the cheek goodbye.