“Danielle?” he asked.
“For your dad,” she said, lifting her free hand to touch his cheek. “He raised an amazing man, and I want to honor him for that.”
Jude wasn’t one to cry, but in the intensity of that moment, he couldn’t contain the tear that slid down his cheek. “Thank you. He would be so honored.”
It took a little while, but soon, it was just the three of them in the room.
“Welcome to the world, Danielle Joy,” Jude murmured as he held her for the first time. “Your mom is amazing, and I hope you grow up to be just like her.”
He noticed that Angela had drifted off to sleep, so he pulled a chair over close to the bed and sat down, cradling Dani close to his chest.
As Angela slept, Jude prayed, thanking God for the blessing of Angela and Dani in his life. But he also prayed for wisdom and strength to be the kind of husband and father God would want him to be.
After the incident with Jim, he’d embraced Angela’s favorite verse along with his own, and the two of them had worked hard to build a strong foundation for their marriage.
They hadn’t dated for long before he’d proposed, and then they’d decided to forgo a big wedding and just get married at the estate with family and close friends witnessing the event.
Angela could now visit Serenity whenever she wanted, as they’d decided that Annie would reveal to her friends and acquaintances that she had a twin who she’d been separated from when they were young.
Annie and Angela still didn’t claim the Burke name, which made Duncan—and Jude—very happy. However, it didn’t mean they weren’t prepared if the connection was made at some point in the future.
“Jude?”
Jude looked up from Dani to find Angela watching him with a sleepy gaze. She had never looked more beautiful.
“Can I get you something?”
“I’m hungry,” she said.
“So am I. Let me see what I can get for us.”
There was a bodyguard out in the parking lot, so Jude sent them a message with a food order.
“Has anyone responded?” Angela asked.
Dani had been born just after four in the morning. But even though they assumed people would still be sleeping, Jude had sent several pictures and all the information about Dani to the family, as well as to Cooper and Melanie.
“Your dad replied that she was beautiful, and he and Elizabeth can’t wait to meet her.”
Jude read through the rest of the replies that had come in. Apparently, everyone had been eager for the news.
“Happy anniversary, by the way,” Angela said with a smile. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our marriage than to welcome a baby created through our love for each other.”
Jude's heart swelled with gratitude as he gazed at his wife. "Happy anniversary to you too, my love. This past year has been the best."
He carefully shifted Dani in his arms, marveling at how small she felt against his chest. Her tiny face was peaceful in sleep, her rosebud lips occasionally moving in a reflex that made his chest tighten with emotion.
"Can I hold her again?" Angela asked, reaching out her arms.
Jude stood and placed their daughter gently in Angela's waiting embrace. The sight of them together—Angela's tired but radiant face bent over Dani's sleeping form—took his breath away.
"I can't believe she's finally here," Angela whispered, tracing a finger along Dani's cheek. "After everything we've been through to get to this point…"
Jude sat on the edge of the bed, his hand covering Angela’s where it rested on top of Dani's tiny body.
"I keep thinking about how different things could have been," he said quietly. "If Jim had succeeded that night…"
Angela looked up at him, her blue-green eyes serious. "But he didn't. And we're here now with our daughter because God protected us."
