“How’s Ria?” Lunar asks, and Nate practically glows.
“She’s a fucking champion. I didn’t think I could love her more.” He sighs dramatically. “She’s perfect. Our baby is perfect. You all need to come and meet her. She’s adorable. Fuck. I didn’t know I could make something so gorgeous.”
“Look at you all smitten,” I tease, poking him in the ribs, and he smiles at me.
“I am, I’ll admit it. I don’t even care. Just come… see my daughter,” he says, turning and leading us down the hall.
I look at Matt and reach out, grabbing his hand as he looks at me with a bright smile. When we turn back to follow Nate, he’s walking so fast we have to run to keep up.
“He seems really good,” I say, and Matt nods.
“This suits him. I’m so happy. Nate’s finally found his groove. I’ve got an amazing woman. Life couldn’t be much better than it is right now, Alex.”
I chew on my bottom lip and rest my head on his shoulder as we walk into Ria’s baby suite. It’s almost like a hotel room in here. The area for the baby is like her own little luxury five-star suite, and I’m assuming the adjoining room is where Ria is currently resting. I look down at the tiny baby, who is wrapped in a blanket covered with drumsticks. Her cute little button nose is utterly adorable, and she’s the perfect mix of Nate and Ria.
She is, in fact,perfect.
Matt steps between Nate and me and wraps his arm around my shoulders. “Wow, man! My niece is going to be so spoiled. Does she have a name?” Matt asks.
Nate sighs, turning and looking at Matt. The mood suddenly turns serious, and I tense up as Nate swallows hard. He takes a deep breath and puts his hand on Matt’s shoulder.
“Sarah,” he simply says.
Matt lets out a deep sigh and replies with a simple nod.
I look at my boys and see their eyes welling up while I try to rack my brain, but then it hits me.
Sarah… is their mom’s name.
The mom who died when they were five. The mom who died on Nate’s bed while she was teaching him to read. I purse my lips together and try to hold back a sob as Matt leans in and embraces his brother. I look to the others who’ve figured it out, too, all of us equally affected.
It was only at a dinner party a few weeks ago when everything came out in the open about Nate not being able to read because of his mom. The guys had a vague idea, but they didn’t know to what extent it went or that Ria had been helping him, teaching him how to read and write.
It feels like the band has become closer as a whole now that they all have stable women in their lives. Because we all keep them in order, keep them under control, and tell them when they’re being douchebags. We’ve tamed the rockers and, in doing so, made them even better.
“Okay, Ria would love to see you guys,” Nate says.
Matt chews on his bottom lip. “You guys go. Alex and I will catch up. I wanna look at Sarah for a little longer,” he says, and I smile. Nate bumps into his side and winks at him as he walks off with everyone else, leaving me here with Matt.
Taking a deep breath, I wrap my arm around his waist as we look down at his niece. He’s holding onto me, resting his head against mine.
“She’s beautiful, Matt,” I murmur, and he clears his throat and nods.
“She is. I wasn’t expecting that…” he pauses, but then continues, “For her to be named after Mom.”
I tighten my arm around him and sigh. “Are you happy?”
He chuckles. “Undeniably. You think we will get here? To this stage?” he asks, and the question doesn’t freak me out. It doesn’t scare me. It fills me with hope and excitement that he’s on the same path I am.
“Yes, we’ll get there… in a few years. Let’s have some us time first. I’m selfish. I want you all to myself.” I chuckle and turn, pressing my lips to his neck.
He tightens his arm around me while still staring at Sarah. “I’m gonna marry you, you know?” he says, and I gasp.
“Um… is that a proposal?”
He looks down at me. “No, just a promise. Your proposal will be much better than that. Just know, I have every intention of marrying you, Alex.”
“Well, just know that when you do ask, I will say yes.”
