Partially because of finances and partially because I didn’t think this would all happen so soon, I hadn’t yet gotten a crib. I knew it didn’t make me Mom of the Year, Garrett’s flattering aside, but I just didn’t have the means to.
But there it was, perfectly constructed. Only one person had a key to my place, and that person had gone to the hospital at the same time as me.I guess there’s no better sign to show that he’s on board with us than that.
Gently, very slowly, I put Charles down into the crib. He stirred just ever so slightly, but when I gently cooed to him, he went right back to sleep. I had never seen anything so beautiful and so perfect.
“You are my everything, beautiful,” I said. “I will do anything and everything for you. I love you forever, and I will do whatever I can to give you the perfect life.”
The position of the crib and the railing made it a tad too difficult to bend over and kiss him with my lips, so I blew him multiple kisses and smiled at him. I knew the years ahead would present their own trials and struggles, but so far, this could not have gone any better if I had tried.
I almost felt bad leaving him in the room, because this would be the first time he’d be alone. The doctors and nurses at the hospital had taken him from me in spurts during the two days to check up on him medically, but he’d always had an adult presence by him. And now…
This is part of giving him the perfect life. To let him have his peace.
“OK, baby,” I said, blowing him one more kiss as I shut the lights off, opened the door, and stepped back out to the main atrium.
Which…
Had its lights off.
And candles lit by the table.
With Garrett standing by them, a huge grin on his face.
What in the world?
“What’s going on?” I said, having a suspiciously positive feeling that something wonderful was about to happen.
Garrett didn’t say anything at first as I slowly paced toward him. He also had two glasses of champagne in his hand; that might have been normal by itself, but the candles…and the rose petals leading me to him…
“You never knew I could use my charm for only one person, did you?” he said with a smirk.
“I…what’s going on?” I repeated, but my tone and my smile gave away how much I loved this.
Especially since what was about to happen was slowly starting to sink in.
“When I was at the hospital,” Garrett said, and I noticed his voice sounded different.Nervous. Shaky, even.“I told you that no matter what would happen, I would never leave you. I would always be by your side. But I felt that all I’d done was promise not to abandon you. That didn’t promise you that I would be by your side in a cheerful manner, even though I knew full well I would.”
Oh, Garrett…
“Hannah, if the last year has proved anything to me, it’s that you are truly a special person,” he said. “I’m willing to risk everything for you, and trust me, when Mason is beating your ass, it feels like you risked everything.”
“Damnit, Garrett,” I said, laughing harder than I meant to.
“But as special as you are, I’m not great with words,” he said. “Asking for shots isn’t just something I do because it gets people in a good mood. It’s because it’s an easy answer to default to. But relationships and parenting aren’t supposed to be easy. They take effort. But luckily, someone else taught me exactly what to say right now.”
What in the world?
“Hannah,” he said, placing the glasses of champagne on the table. “You are everything in my life, beautiful.”
Oh, you bastard! You were eavesdropping! Oh, how…how lovingly dare you.
“I will do anything and everything for you. I love you forever.”
He said. He really said it. And I know he means it.
“And I will do whatever I can to give you…”
And then he left me in disbelief.
