It took nearly two whole months to finally catch my breath, and even then I felt like my world continued to crash down around me, burying me in the rubble of the aftermath. Knowing that Jeremy was out of the picture and we were all safe and sound should’ve put my mind at ease, but it didn’t mean that my problems stopped there. This was only the beginning.
Hunter checked us into a hotel, hoping the change of scenery would settle my nerves, but it only seemed to make things worse. Being in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar sounds at all hours of the night had my senses on high alert, and I spent one too many nights lying awake in bed with bloodshot eyes, wondering if Jeremy would slip out from the shadows and steal my family away from me. God, why couldn’t he just leave me alone? Even now, with him behind bars, he continued to torment me by instilling fear into every thought that crossed my mind. I was sick and tired of living like this, and the stress of carrying this burden day after day was beginning to take a heavy toll on me.
After everything that happened, I was so wound up that my blood pressure shot through the roof, and I had to be admitted to the hospital with severe hypertension. The doctors weren’t surprised when I explained all that I had gone through recently, but they were concerned nonetheless and didn’t want to take any chances. There was the possibility that it would eventually develop into preeclampsia, which was dangerous for both me and the baby. It ran the risk of having to deliver the baby prematurely or even worse… it could lead to stillbirth.
The second those words left my doctor’s mouth I was a complete mess, and Hunter was by my side consoling me. I could see fear piercing through the tears in his eyes, and it only made me want to fight that much more. We had gone through so much in just a few short months, and the thought of losing our precious baby girl when she had fought so hard to live was unimaginable. She wasn’t even here yet, but that little girl already held my whole heart in her tiny hands. If we lost her now, I had no doubt that she would take my heart along with her.
I was given labetalol intravenously to bring down my blood pressure, and the baby and I were monitored over the next twenty-four hours. At some point during the night, Hunter had fallen asleep beside me with his hand splayed over my stomach, and I loved that even in his dreams, he was protecting our baby girl… protecting his family. The next morning, the doctor was pleased to see how well I responded to the medication, and after writing me a prescription for the drug in pill form, we were given the okay to be discharged from the hospital.
Coming home to the apartment was bittersweet. I was happy to be back where I belonged, with Hunter by my side, but there was no avoiding the ugly reminder of what Jeremy had done to us. The bloodstained carpet in our bedroom what the biggest slap in the face, and although Hunter offered to move somewhere else, somewhere I wouldn’t be constantly haunted by the man who almost stole the two most important people in my life away from me, I just couldn’t bear to leave our apartment. He had already put so much work into the nursery for our daughter. The moment I stepped into the room, I knew it belonged to our little girl and there was no way I was taking that away from her.
After tearing up the carpet and giving the hardwood floors a good scrub, it finally felt as though the last piece of this on-going nightmare had been eradicated for good. The icing on the cake, though, was when we were notified of the charges being pressed against Jeremy. It seemed he had a history of stalking women, all former hook ups that ended the “relationship” in much the same way I had, and with the addition of assault and attempted murder to the long list of accusations, our lawyer had no doubt that he would get the maximum sentence of twenty-five to life.
I couldn’t believe my ears. Twenty. Five. To. Life. There was still the chance that he’d get parole after serving a certain period of time behind bars, but I wasn’t going to concern myself with that until the time came to face him again. I had more important things to worry about at the moment… like trying to walk down the aisle at Liberty and Shayne’s wedding without toppling over and face-planting in the sand.
Summers in Savannah were always my favorite, and I looked forward to them year after year, but while eight months pregnant with a stomach the size of a beach ball… not so much. It was hard enough having to stand on swollen feet while carrying an extra forty pounds around with me, and yet, somehow I managed to bear it all with the biggest f*cking grin on my face. Today was my best friend’s special day, and I wasn’t going to let anything stand in the way of her happiness.
Liberty approached me a few weeks prior to the wedding, offering to post-pone the big day until after things settled down and I had the baby, but I couldn’t let her do that. She deserved to have the wedding of her dreams on the day that she had originally planned, and if that meant I would have to stand in front of a hundred people looking like a beached whale on one of the hottest days of the year, then so be it.
Earlier that day, as we were getting our hair and makeup done, a wave of calmness came over me that I hadn’t felt in close to a year. My best friend was about to marry the love of her life, I was a month away from giving birth to my precious baby girl, and I had a man who loved me so fully and unconditionally that he would go to the ends of the earth just to make sure I was happy and safe. I didn’t know how I got to be so lucky, but I considered myself very blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.
Liberty reached over from where she was sitting in front of the vanity and squeezed my hand. “What are you smiling about over there, little momma?”
I grinned, rubbing my free hand over my huge belly where my little girl had just stretched her tiny foot. “I’m just… happy.”
Liberty’s smile wavered a bit, a hint of sadness pooling in her eyes as she returned her gaze back to the mirror, but it hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“Oh no.” I slowly got to my feet and came over to stand in front of her. “I don’t want to see any sad faces today. It’s your freakin’ wedding day! You should be shitting rainbows and grinning from ear to ear!”
Liberty snorted out a laugh and dabbed at the corners of her eyes so that she wouldn’t ruin her makeup. “I just wish I had what you had.”
“What? My swollen feet and aching back?”
“Yes.” She smiled dreamily. “I want all of that. The morning sickness, the crazy mood swings, having to pee every five seconds… everything.”
“All right, now I know you’ve lost your damn mind.” I cocked an eyebrow and shook my head. “What brought on the sudden baby fever?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Seeing you and Hunter together, the way you flow so naturally, so in tune to one another, the way he keeps a hand on you at all times, protecting you, like it’s second nature to him, and not once have I ever seen you ask him for help. He just knows. When your hand grips the arm of a chair, he’s right there by your side, ready to help you up. When your face contorts in pain, his hands casually come around you to comfort you and rub out all of your aches. And don’t get me started on the conversations I’ve overheard of him talking to your daughter as though she were already here and hanging on to his every word. I swear, Maddie, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, watching you together as a family. That’s what I want… what I’ve always wanted.”
I gave her a warm smile, letting her know that I understood completely because I was right there with her. This was what I had always wanted, but I never thought I was deserving of it. However, that all changed the moment I met Hunter Bryant. “Liberty, you will have all of that and more. Honestly, I should be the one envious of you. You get to marry the man of your dreams today. And who knows, maybe this time tomorrow you’ll have a bun in your oven?” I shot her a wink, and her beaming grin returned.
“Maybe you’re right. I did go off the pill last month…” She trailed off, looking down at her hands fidgeting in her lap.
My eyes grew wide, as did my smile. “Shut up! You mean you could be preggers as we speak?! Why didn’t you tell me?”
Liberty giggled but waved her hands in front of her, shutting down any notion that she could be with child. “No, no, I’ve made Shayne use condoms for the last month. He’s been less than thrilled about it, but he knows how important it is to me to wait until after we’re married to get pregnant.”
“Yeah, you don’t want to do things backasswards like me.” I rolled my eyes.
“That’s not what I meant, Maddie. There’s no right or wrong way to go about starting a family. A child is a blessing, whether it was planned or not,” she stood and pulled me in for a hug, whispering in my ear, “and just because Hunter hasn’t popped the question yet, doesn’t mean he isn’t going to.”
My heart pitter-pattered, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek. I hadn’t told anyone about the ring Hunter showed me the day I woke up in the hospital; the ring that, to this day, he has worn around his neck, keeping it close to his heart until he’s ready to place it on my finger. God, I loved him so much and couldn’t wait to become his forever… to become Mrs. Hunter Bryant.
When the time came for the wedding procession to line up outside of their house, I hurriedly kicked my shoes off and dug my toes in the warm, soft sand. Liberty giggled behind me, but with my feet being as swollen as they were, I knew she’d understand. The music began, and Liberty’s little cousin Stephanie was the first to walk down the aisle, tossing flower petals in every direction, most of them landing directly in the guests’ faces. They all thought she was cute as a button and quickly laughed it off.
It was my turn next, and I slowly made my way toward the bubbling waves rolling up onto the beach. I had a bouquet of sunflowers in my hands, and my sapphire blue, chiffon dress flowed around my knees as a gentle breeze swept over me. The moment I saw him, my eyes locked on Hunter standing beside Shayne, and his smile grew exponentially with every step I took. Since my brother refused to be Shayne’s best man, or to attend the wedding at all for that matter, Hunter graciously stepped up to the plate to take on the role.
I had to give it to him… my man looked so damn sexy in his beige suit with a white button-down shirt open at the collar. I could see the ring around his neck sparkling in the sunlight, and I was sure the tears blurring my vision sparkled just as brightly. Had it been anyone else’s wedding, I probably would have jumped him right then and there but, since it was my best friend’s wedding, I had to keep my raging hormones in check… at least until after the ceremony was over.
Liberty was a vision of beauty as she walked down the aisle with her hair cascading around her shoulders in soft auburn curls beneath her veil. Her strapless, sheath dress looked even more stunning than it had that day she tried it on at the wedding boutique, and the way the crystal beading danced across her curves with the sun’s rays hitting it just right, it was like watching a celestial being floating across the sand. Her father kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear before handing her over to the man she would soon call her husband. The smile she gave Shayne was so contagious that everyone around them couldn’t help but share in their happiness. I had never seen her smile the way she had when her eyes struck his, and today was no different. That right there was true love, my friends… plain and simple.
Just before the minister began, Hunter looked over at me, mouthing the words, “I love you,” and I mouthed, “I love you more” straight back. He shook his head, trying to bite back a huge f*cking grin, and I knew exactly what he was thinking: not possible. Funny thing was, I was starting to believe him, because that man loved me more than I ever thought possible.
The rest of the ceremony went by quickly. Liberty and Shayne exchanged vows they had both written, causing all their guests to laugh and cry as they poured their hearts out and shared some pretty funny personal moments. Tears streamed down their cheeks as they slipped rings onto one another’s fingers, and said “I do,” officially bonding them together as husband and wife. Shayne, being far too impatient to wait for the minister to give him permission to kiss his bride, swept Liberty up in his arms and planted one of the most romantic kisses I had ever witnessed on her eagerly awaiting lips.
They were down the aisle before the music could pick up again, and Hunter came up beside me, laughing as he kissed my cheek and breathed against my ear. “Bet you ten bucks they bang before the reception begins.”
“Hunter!” I smacked his shoulder with my bouquet and flower petals exploded around us as I glared at him through thin slits. “We are not placing bets at my best friend’s wedding.”
“What’s this I hear about a bet, baby girl?” Robbie snaked an arm around my shoulder and pulled me in for a side hug, while Lance came up on the other side of me and did the same. I had been getting a lot of those lately, considering no one could fit their arms around me now. For Christ’s sake, my belly had gotten so big, I couldn’t even see feet anymore!
“Hunter is betting that Liberty and Shayne will consummate their marriage before the reception begins.”
“Oh, hell yeah! I want in on that bet! You know those freaks can’t keep their hands off of one another for more than ten minutes.” Robbie pulled his wallet out, fingering through the loose bills, and all I could do was shake my head at them. Men.
Although… I had to admit that after the little chat I had with Liberty before the ceremony, I wouldn’t be surprised if those two wanted to get a head start on baby-making. Ah, what the hell. “Fine… but make it twenty.” The corner of my mouth slanted up confidently.
“That’s my girl,” Hunter chuckled, burying his hands in my hair and capturing my lips with a smile. “You’re on.”
He pulled back, lacing our fingers together, and led me over to the air-conditioned tent that was set up on the beach for the reception. The inside was absolutely breathtaking, and my jaw just about hit the floor as I took it all in. Twinkling lights and sheer, billowing blue drapes covered the expanse of the ceiling, making it appear as though we were standing beneath the night sky, gazing up at the stars. That unforgettable night Hunter and I shared on the beach in Hilton Head came flooding back to me, and the memory caused my heart to burst with so much love for the wonderful man standing behind me with his arms encircling my waist and reverently caressing my stomach. It was the same night he told me he loved me and stole my heart forever.
“It’s so beautiful.” I looked back at Hunter just as he pressed his lips to my bare shoulder.
“Not nearly as beautiful as seeing you walk down the aisle toward me.” His head dipped down next to my ear, his voice lowering huskily. “You have no idea how badly I wanted to lay you down in the sand and take you right there in front of everyone.”
I moaned breathily and had to squeeze my thighs together to alleviate the ache that had been steadily growing all day. “Funny, because I was thinking the exact same thing when I saw you standing there next to Shayne, looking all deliciously sexy in your suit.” I ran my finger along the lapel of his sports coat and tugged him closer. “Since we both seem to be on the same page, what do you say we sneak out of here and have a little fun of our own?” I wiggled my eyebrows and bit my lip, hoping he caught my drift.
“F*ck, baby, I would totally be onboard for that…” He moved back behind me, pressing his hard-on against my bottom, and whispered in my ear, “but it looks like the lovebirds are finally back.”
Liberty and Shayne entered the tent, both appearing rather flushed and a bit disheveled, and I couldn’t help the silly, knowing grin that lit up my face. Oh yeah, those two totally just f*cked at their wedding… and I couldn’t have been happier for them.
Hunter placed his hand on my lower back, giving it a soothing rub as he steered me over to the head table, and we all took our seats and dove right into dinner. With the baby taking up so much room and squishing all of my organs, I hadn’t had much of an appetite lately, so I picked around at the food on my plate while everyone else finished.
Once the waiters came around to clear our dishes, it was time for the maid-of-honor and best man to give their speeches. I was first up, but hadn’t written anything down, planning on just winging it and speaking from the heart. Hunter helped me up from my seat and kissed the back of my hand, before I accepted the microphone from the DJ. I took a deep breath, feeling a cramp pierce through my lower back and waited until it subsided to begin.
“Hello, everyone. I just want start out by saying, Liberty, you look positively stunning tonight. And Shayne… well… let’s just say you’re lucky to have such a gorgeous woman by your side to make up for your lack of good looks.” The whole tent erupted in laughter, and I looked over to see Shayne throwing his head back and laughing right along with them. At least he was being a good sport about it.
“For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Maddie, and Liberty and I have only been friends for a short while, but from the moment we met, I already considered her to be so much more than just a friend. She’s my sister from another mister.” A few “awws” filtered around us, and I looked over to see a tear trailing down Liberty’s cheek. “When she showed up in Savannah just under a year and a half ago, I thought I was the lucky one to have befriended such an amazing, caring, selfless person. Someone who has always been there for me through thick and thin and has the biggest heart of anyone I know. But now that I think about it, someone else here was even luckier for having met her… and he now has the honor of calling her his wife.”
I turned my attention to Shayne, who had the biggest smile on his face and tears glimmering in his emerald eyes. “I know this probably isn’t the time or place to do this, but I want to apologize for giving you guys so much shit in the beginning of your relationship. We haven’t always seen eye to eye, and that’s mainly my fault for judging you before I got to know the real you. But now that I’ve seen the love you share for one another first hand, and the way you look so passionately into each other’s eyes as if you’re reaching into the farthest depths of your souls, it’s proof that what you have is honest and real. I’m sorry that I ever doubted that. Fate clearly brought you together for a reason, and I couldn’t have chosen a better, more devoted man to marry my best friend.”
Another sharp cramp hit me, and I gripped the table to keep myself from hunching forward before continuing on with the rest of my speech. “I love you both very much and wish you all of the happiness, love and…” I felt something splash down my legs and around my ankles, and my eyes grew wide when I realized what all of those cramps I had been experiencing since I woke up that morning weren’t just Braxton Hicks contractions. I was going into labor! “Oh shit!”
Hunter grabbed my hand, his eyebrows pinching together at my sudden outburst, and I nodded down at the puddle on the floor. “Ladies and gentleman, I’m so sorry, but I’m going to have to cut my speech short. It looks like my water just broke!”
The tent fell silent as everyone was rendered speechless, and I looked over to Hunter who sat there slack-jawed with his eyes glued to my belly. Of all the times for Hunter to not spring into action, now was not one of those times! “Hunter, baby?” I cupped his shock-stricken face, brushing my thumbs along the smooth line of his jaw. “It’s time.”
His hands slowly reached out for me, ghosting over the swell of my stomach as his tear-filled gaze floated up to mine. “Are you sure? I mean you’re three weeks early. You shouldn’t be going into labor yet.”
“Well, it looks like she has other plans, because there is most definitely a pool of amniotic fluid swirling around my feet right now.”
Hunter chuckled softly, shaking his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe we’re finally going to meet our baby girl.”
I smiled, wiping away my own fresh tears and placed my hands over his. “We’ll get to meet her a lot sooner if you get me to the hospital.” Another contraction tore through the lower half of my body, and I gripped Hunter’s hand until I was white-knuckled and cursing his name. “Like now!”
“Breathe, baby. Remember to breathe.” He stood, wrapping an arm around me to bear all of my weight as he helped me to the car. “Shit, we don’t have anything packed. We’ll have to go back to the apartment before—”
“No need,” Liberty interjected. “I just sent Robbie and Lance over there to pack bags for both of you, and Shayne already called the hospital to let them know you’re on your way. All you have to worry about is getting your girl there before that baby busts out of her.” She bent down to kiss my cheek. “Good luck, little momma.”
“Thank you, Liberty. For everything.”
“Hey, what are sisters for? Just make sure you return the favor when it’s my turn.” She winked and shut the door behind me.
The hospital was about twenty minutes away, and Hunter somehow made it there in under ten, almost getting pulled over at least a dozen times. He was lucky he hadn’t though, because if I’d had to wait a second longer to get some pain meds, I was going to wring his friggin’ neck. Holy hell, the contractions were unbearable, way worse than how they were described in all of my maternity books, and as another one shot through me like a lightning bolt, I couldn’t stop picturing the baby ripping through my stomach like a chest-burster from the movie Alien. I would much rather take that and get the whole damn thing over with than have to endure any more pain!
Hunter checked me in as soon as we got there, and a nurse came around to bring us to one of the private labor rooms. It was surprisingly nice, much homier than I thought it would be, minus all of the equipment in the room of course. After answering a few routine questions, the nurse had me change into a gown and did a quick pelvic exam to see how far along I was.
“Looks like you’re about seven centimeters dilated. Won’t be too much longer before you have to start pushing.” She smiled and pulled my gown back down. “How far apart would you say your contractions are?”
“I think about five or six minutes. They seem like they’ve been pretty close together and really intense.”
“I’ll say,” Hunter chimed in oh so pleasantly. “I think she gave me a few broken fingers on the way here.”
I glared at him, but the nurse just smiled, laughing it off. “Oh, you’d be surprised by some of the injuries men get while their wives are in labor. Worst I’ve seen was a pretty nasty concussion when one of the soon-to-be fathers passed out and bashed his head on the fetal monitor. I think I saw more blood pour out of his nose than I did throughout the entire birth of their child, so count yourself lucky.”
Hunter’s eyes grew wide, and now it was my turn to laugh. Broken fingers should’ve been the least of his worries, because I was the one about to push a six-pound bowling ball out of my vagina!
The nurse hooked me up to several monitors, one of which was an EFM belt that she strapped around my belly to check the baby’s heart rate and record the pattern of my contractions. She also started an IV to keep me hydrated and gave me Demerol to alleviate the pain. I could still feel pressure from the contractions, but they were easier to handle, and I was finally given some much-needed comfort before all of the fun began. Most of my comfort came from listening to my baby’s heartbeat thumping away steadily on the monitor, though. I was going to miss hearing that wonderful sound after she was born.
“I can’t wait to hold her, Hunter. I wish she’d hurry up and get here.”
He held my hand while rubbing soothing circles along my hip and feeding me ice chips. “She will be. Just a little while longer.” He smiled and pressed his lips to my forehead. “Hey, we still haven’t picked out a name yet.”
I shook my head, because none of the names we had previously come up with seemed to fit her. “I was hoping it would come to us when we finally get to see her.”
Another contraction hit me, spiking across the monitor, and although the pressure was really intense, I was able to bear the brunt of it. “Are you all right? Do you need me to get you anything?” Hunter’s eyes were laced with concern, and it tugged at my heart to see him so worried about me.
“No. You’re already doing exactly what I need you to do. I just need you here with me.”
“Always, sweetheart. Always.” He kissed me gently and smiled against my lips. “After she’s born, I’m never letting you girls out of my sight. You know that, right?”
“Oh, I know.” I patted his cheek, giggling. “I know.”
“Baby, I love you so much. I know I’ve already told you a million times, but I’m going to spend the rest of my life thanking you for giving me this precious gift.” He ran his hand over my belly and bent down to kiss our baby girl one last time before she made her grand appearance. “All right little one, we’re ready and waiting for you. Don’t make mommy wait too long. I think you’re wearing her out.”
He had that right. Pretty soon, I was going to take matters into my own hands and start pushing, whether the doctor was ready for me to or not. A few hours later, after several visits from the nurse, the doctor finally came in to see how things were progressing. She lifted my gown up over my knees and spread my legs, but I wasn’t expecting to hear what came out of her mouth next. “Oh my!”
Hunter and I looked back and forth at one another, before he flew to the foot of the bed. “What? What’s wrong?” His mouth plummeted to the floor and his face grew pale, which in turn caused my heart rate to spike on the monitors. “What the f*ck is that!?”
“That would be a full head of blonde hair.” The doctor grinned excitedly and pulled over a tray of instruments.
“You can already see her head?” I smiled, and tears pooled in my eyes as I sat up on my elbows, trying to get a look at her, but I kept forgetting my huge tummy was in the way.
“Oh yes, she’s crowning quite nicely now.” She called one of the nurses over, who then helped me get into position so I could begin pushing. “All right daddy, jump on in and grab a leg. There you go. Perfect. Now, when the next contraction hits, I’m going to need you to start pushing until I tell you stop.”
I nodded, taking in a few deep breathes to prepare myself. As soon as I felt the pressure begin to build again, the doctor signaled for me to bear down, and I held my breath, giving it everything I had. Once the nurse finished counting to ten, I fell back against the pillow, gasping for air. How women went through this multiple times was beyond me, and the thought of getting my tubes tied was sounding more and more tempting as the minutes passed by. This same routine went on for another twenty minutes, and I was so exhausted that I was about ready to give up.
“Ahhh! I can’t do it. I’ve got nothing left in me.” I threw my arms down in sweaty defeat, panting heavily.
“Yes, you can. You’re doing so well,” Hunter said as he brushed back my hair and kissed the top of my head. “Just a few more pushes, and she’ll be here. You can do this, baby. Look at me. Keep your eyes on me.” I looked up into his heavenly gray eyes as they glistened with tears, and a lump formed in my throat at seeing the amount of love pouring from his unwavering stare. “You are the strongest woman I know, and I am so damn proud of you. Our daughter is lucky to have you as her mother.”
His loving words gave me just the boost I needed to keep going. “I love you so much, Hunter.”
“I love you too, sweetheart.” He chased my tear-stained smile with a kiss.
“I think one more push should it, so I’m going to need you to hold this one a little longer. Take a few deep breaths so you don’t pass out on us.” The nurse got a towel ready as she stood beside the doctor.
“Ahhhhh!”
She was absolutely right. It was the hardest one of all, but one more push was all I needed, and after the nurses cleaned her up, I heard the sweetest, most angelic sound slip past her lips. Her squealing cries pierced straight through my heart, and I instantly fell in love with her. The nurse wrapped her up all snug and warm in a blanket before handing her over to me, but she still managed to wiggle her arm free. Her little hand with all five wrinkly fingers, reached up to my face, and I kissed her tiny palm, loving the feel of her soft, newborn skin.
“Hello, my little angel.” I nuzzled her cheek, breathing in her sweet scent. “Mommy loves you so very much.” Hunter sat beside me on the bed, gently brushing his hand over her feathery, blonde hair. “God, isn’t she beautiful?”
“Most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes, next to her mother.” He kissed the top of her head, and I could tell he was breathing in her scent as well; it was so addicting. “She looks like you, you know.”
“You think so?” I looked down at her little face, her cheeks rosy and swollen from crying, and I couldn’t help but smile. “I bet you those blue eyes are going to turn gray, just like your daddy’s,” I cooed at her.
Hunter swept his thumb across my cheek, capturing tears I didn’t even know were there, and I looked up to see his own elated tears trickling down his face. Hunter was always the strong one, the one who kept his emotions in check even when I knew he was on the verge of breaking down, but seeing this vulnerable side of him, so raw and uninhibited, made my heart grow ten-fold. I loved this man so much, and he had no idea that he had just given me the greatest gift of all; another beautiful piece of him to share my heart with.
It didn’t take long for my hospital room to be overtaken by friends and family that were anxiously waiting to meet the newest addition to our family. Everyone had their chance to hold her and gush over her, throwing out their own ideas for names, but none of them seemed fitting. It wasn’t until after everyone left that the perfect name finally hit me.
I looked over at the vase filled with vibrant purple irises that Brett had given me, and as I sat there nursing our little girl against my chest while Hunter gently rubbed her back, I knew right away the name was hers. It was always hers. “Iris.”
Hunter’s eyes met mine, and a grin slowly crept up his handsome, stubbled face. “I love it.” He looked down at our daughter, and his smile grew even wider. “What do you think, sweet pea?” She let out a tiny squeal as she nuzzled against my breast. “I think she likes it, too. Iris it is.”
Iris Amelia Bryant.
Once we added it to her birth certificate, it was official.
We were given permission to bring her home three days later, and I was so excited to finally be able to hold her in her nursery. As soon as we entered the apartment, Hunter picked Iris up out of her car seat, cradling her against his chest as though he had done it a hundred times before. He was a natural, and I knew he would be the best father to our daughter. He slipped his free hand into mine, leading me back to her room, and it was like déjà vu all over again, as he slowly pried the door open, only this time, he had both of his girls with him. I sank down into the rocking chair, and Hunter placed Iris in my arms, positioning himself at my feet so he could look up at the two of us. I couldn’t have imagined my life being any more perfect than it was at that very moment.
A few weeks later, as I was getting ready for one of Iris’s nightly feedings, I stood in the doorway of her nursery and found Hunter speaking to her so sweetly that it just melted my heart into a pool of mush. He had just changed her diaper and was kissing her tiny feet and blowing raspberries against her little tummy, which caused her face to light up at his silly antics. I leaned my hip against the doorframe and smiled at my beautiful little family. To think, it was just about a year ago that none of this was even a twinkle in my eye, but if I had the chance to go back and change that fateful night that Hunter came into my life, I wouldn’t have changed a damn thing. Had it not happened, I wouldn’t have been standing there right then with the love of my life and our beautiful daughter.
“So, do you think we should give this to mommy now?” Hunter leaned forward, kissing Iris’s chubby cheeks, and her mouth opened wide to smile up at her daddy. “Remember what we practiced.”
He picked her up, and her little head peeked over his shoulder, her eyes growing big and round when she saw me approaching her. “Is our little sweet pea hungry yet?”
“I don’t know about her, but I sure am.” He nibbled my ear while placing her in my arms.
“Iris, tell your daddy to behave himself. He still has two more weeks before he can come near this hot mess.” She let out a tiny squeal that always made my heart sing. “See, the lady had spoken.”
Hunter groaned, following close behind me as I took her back to our room. I pulled back the blankets on the bed, getting nice and comfy before I had to nurse her, but when I lifted her from my shoulder, I noticed a tiny bow tied around her thumb. “What’s this, sweetie?”
I was surprised to find a ring loosely tied to the bow, perfectly nestled in the tiny palm of her hand, and my eyes instantly filled with tears. Hunter was now kneeling beside the bed, and his face had broken into a ridiculous smile as he took our daughter’s hand in his.
“I wanted her to be a part of this, because the promises I’m about to make are meant for both of you.” I choked back a sob as tears poured out unwillingly. “Baby, I have loved you since the moment I first laid eyes you. You have brought so much joy and meaning to my life, and until that first night I held you in my arms, I never knew what was missing. It was you. Always you.” He slowly untied the ribbon from Iris’s finger and held it up between us. “I promise to love, cherish and protect you and our daughter for as long as I live, and I will fight with every last breath I take to make that happen. I will always fight for you, just as you have fought for me and for our daughter. I think that was what drew me to you the most.” He captured my lips in an all-consuming kiss. “You’re a fighter, baby… but I’m glad you never fought loving me.”
My eyes burned with emotion, and I couldn’t hold back my answer any longer. “Yes!”
He chuckled as he brushed his lips across the back of my left hand. “Babe, you’re jumping ahead of the gun here. I haven’t even popped the question yet.”
“I don’t care. Whatever you have to say, my answer is yes. It will always be yes.”
Hunter took our little girl in his arms and kissed her chubby cheek. “I don’t know, Iris. Do you think mommy is ready to officially take our last name? Think she’s ready to be Mrs. Bryant?” She reached up to touch his face, and that was all the confirmation he needed from her. “Looks like that’s a yes from her, too.”
He slid the ring on my finger, and I could barely make it out through my tear-filled eyes, but I had seen it so many times before that I knew how beautiful it was… just like the man kneeling before me, like our precious daughter who had fallen fast asleep in his arms, and like the wonderful journey we were about to embark on as husband and wife.
Life was truly beautiful, and I couldn’t wait for ours to begin.