I touch his cheek, my heart unable to handle the overwhelming surge of warmth stronger that the pain I just endured as it washes over me.
“Hi,” I whisper, tears streaming down my face. “Hi, baby boy.” I kiss the top of his head as Jase leans over us, pressing a kiss to my forehead. His voice cracks as he says, “You did it. You brought him home.”
I don’t answer. I am too busy falling in love with the baby on my chest, and with the man holding us both. My husband. God, I’ll never tire of the sound of that. Most importantly, I’m proud of the fierce, fearless version of myself that has survived everything to get here. I don’t feel broken anymore. My baby boy and my man have completed me.
“Daddy,” Millie says, “would you like to cut the cord?”
“Daddy King. I like the sound of that.”
Jase groans, slowing the truck to a stop, as he cuts the engine.
Shutting the door as he gets out, rounds the hood, and opens my door with a maddening smile. “Hard no, Moonshine. Daddy King is my father, and I will not be reminded of him every time you say it.”
I laugh, scrunching my face in disgust. “Eww, Jase. A simple no would have been enough. No way, I do not want to think of that man when I’m calling you.”
There are half a dozen cars parked along the driveway, our family and friends eagerly awaiting our arrival.
“They promised it would just be a few people,” I say, already hearing the muffled roar of voices and laughter inside. We asked everyone to wait for us to come home, since we wanted to surprise them with the gender of our baby. Luckily, my labor went great, and a day later we’re ready to bring our baby boy home.
“Ready, Mrs. King?” Jase asks, reaching out to help me out of the truck.
I laugh, the feeling of utter contentment still foreign as I take my husband's hand. “I’m exhausted, hormonal, and I haven’t taken a decent shower in over twenty-four hours. But yes, husband, I am ready.”
“And yet you're still fucking beautiful, wife,” he murmurs, leaning in to kiss me.
Jase and I got married the week after he asked me to marry him. It was simple, just the two of us, and how we’ve kept it a secret for almost three weeks is astonishing. We couldn’t wait, or more so, we didn’t want to. I was so eager to be his wife, I’d carelessly said it one night as we lay in bed going over baby names.
At first, Jase thought I was joking, but when I said it a second time, the look of sheer joy on his face was exactly the thing to tell me we had to do it. Now, as husband and wife, we’re bringing our baby home.
A small cry sounds from the back seat, and I can’t help but laugh as Jase lets my hand go to reach for the car seat. He lifts the seat, our son bundled inside, so tiny and precious it makes my chest ache just looking at him.
“So this is how it’s going to be, huh, Little Man,” Jase jokes, lovingly gazing at him dressed in a fuzzy cream-colored onesie with a matching beanie, his name embroidered in baby blue on both. “Already cockblocking your daddy.”
“Jameson,” I scold, “no cussing in front of the baby.”
“Moonshine, he’s a day old. It’ll be months before he repeats anything. Not to mention, it would be pretty funny if his first word was cock.”
“You're insufferable, you know that.”
“And I’m all yours.”
“Ours,” I correct. “You're all ours.”
The moment we step inside our home, the house erupts in cheers and applause. Everyone is gathered around the foyer with confetti, streamers and balloons as they shout “welcome home”.
There is a giant welcome home sign hung up on the wooden beams leading into the living room, a beautiful balloon arch, much like the one we had for the baby shower, over the staircase with a backdrop of a little brown bear. Everyone’s wearing either blue or pink, based on what they think the baby will be, and I can't help but smile when I see all the men wearing blue.
My brothers wouldn’t know what to do with another woman in the family.
Of course, they’re the ones to surge forward first, Nash snatching the diaper bag from my shoulder, Monty hugging me like he thought he’d never see me again, and Beau leaning in to press a kiss to my temple while pretending he isn’t misty-eyed.
“Welcome home, Izzy,” Nash says, hugging me once Monty finally lets go. They all hug Jase too, and as if my heart could swell any larger, it does at the sight of my brothers accepting Jase into our family.
Things have been rocky since the baby shower, but I know all of them were rooting for us to get back together. Luckily, there has been no sign of Indigo, and although Mr. and Mrs. King stopped by last week to apologize for their part in it all, they’re not here today.
The girls rush up to us next, squealing over the baby, who blinks up at them with wide blue eyes and a prompt yawn, causing them all to awe in sync.
“Everyone,” Jase says, raising his voice over the noise, “meet Atlas King.”
