A small cry escaped Taylor, and Zach looked down. She scrunched her face and a moment later, she opened her mouth, dropping her binky, and broke out into an eardrum-bursting wail. Fucking hell, that kid had a set of lungs on her.
Zach stood and scooped her up into his arms, grabbing her binky and holding her upright against his chest so her head could rest on his shoulder against his neck. She loved it when he held her that way. It wasn’t the way her mom did, but it’s how he always did.
“Shh. It’s okay. Uncle Zach’s got you.”
He pressed the rubber tip of her pacifier against her lips. She sucked it into her mouth immediately and continued crying intermittently. Rubbing her back, Zach paced the room as her cry softened further. Within a few minutes, Taylor quieted completely, until all he could hear was the constant suckling and her steady breathing.
“You always did have a way with her.”
Zach turned toward the door at the sound of Cael’s soft, deep voice. He hadn’t even heard him come in. His best friend looked worried and a bit unsure, but regardless, Zach was grateful to have him there.
“The nurse will be in in a few,” Cael added as he crossed the small room and stopped in front of Zach. Cael bent down to see Taylor’s face nestled against him, so close that Zach could feel his hair brush his chin.
“Hey, Tay-tay,” Cael said, reaching for her hand as he placed his other hand on Zach’s shoulder. Cael’s touch calmed and reassured Zach, serving as a physical reminder that he wasn’t alone, something he very much needed at the moment.
Taylor wrapped her tiny digits around Cael’s thick finger. Zach couldn’t help but smile as he watched Cael with her. His gaze drifted up from their hands to Cael’s face and lingered there for endless seconds.
His best friend had always been there. For his family. For him. And he always would be there, any time Zach needed him. It was selfish of Zach, but he was sort of glad Cael was still single because it meant he didn’t have to share him with anyone.
“Hey, man. Thanks for being here.”
Cael looked up at Zach, their gazes connecting, then straightened. “Where else would I be?”
“Excuse me, Mr. Rivas?”
Zach turned toward the voice. “Oh, hi.”
The woman frowned a little—no idea why—as she tapped the screen of the tablet in her arm, then tucked a stray bit of dark hair behind her ear. “Mr. Rivas, I’m Lin, one of the nurses here, and I understand we’ll be releasing Taylor into your care.”
“Yes. And, please, just call me Zach.”
“Of course. I have her care instructions if you’d like to go over them with me. Then I’ll just need your signature on some paperwork.”
“Okay.”
“Here,” Cael said, reaching for Taylor. “I’ll take her while you handle that.”
“Thanks.”
Zach passed his niece to Cael and left the two of them to hang out while he spoke with the nurse. She immediately began reviewing Taylor’s care instructions, mostly as it related to her broken arm and cast, and Zach mostly paid attention to her, but he also couldn’t help straying to glance at Cael, watching him slow dance with Taylor in his capable, strong arms. The sight reminded Zach once again of what he wouldn’t have anytime soon.
His own family.
His own special someone to love and with whom to share his life.
One of these days, Cael would realize that he was missing the same thing, and he would fall in love with some guy and start his own family. One that wouldn’t involve Zach so much, because why would it?
And, dammit, why the hell did knowing that hurt so fucking much?
Probably because he would have what Zach had wanted for years now and still hadn’t attained.
“Zach!” Cael whisper shouted.
Zach blinked his eyes, not realizing what he’d missed. Pulling his brows together, he shook his head a little. “Sorry. Just… lots on my mind.”
“I know you’ve had a rough morning,” the nurse said. “Do you need me to repeat anything?”
“Um…” Zach glanced at Cael for help.
