One of the surgical assistants came around from behind the curtain, a tiny human life in herarms.
Unwelcome tears slid down Alex’s cheeks, and he let loose a sob that rattled his chest. The surgical assistant laid the baby on his chest, then undid the straps holding his arms down. Very carefully, Alex lifted them and wrapped them around his child. Blue and purple and yellow exploded before his eyes, the most stunning display of color he’d seen since he’d metLaurence.
“Congratulations,” the surgical assistant said. “It’s agirl.”
Alex sobbed again. His little girl was still covered in amniotic fluid and vernix, but he thought she was the prettiest thing in the world. No matter how loudly she cried, or how she squirmed, or even if she never slept through a single night in her life, he knew that he’d love her forever. He hadn’t wanted children, but she was different. She was his rainbow after a storm, and he would never lose sight ofthat.
Never.
Love, and all of its complicating emotions, invaded his stomach, his chest, and his throat. They filled him so entirely that they bogged down his mind and anchored his thoughts in this small moment—his first with his newfamily.
Laurence leaned in and kissed his forehead. There was wonder in his eyes—the same kind of outstanding love that flooded through Alex and painted his world. In a voice meant only for Alex to hear, Laurence said, “I’m so proud of you. She’sbeautiful.”
The praise reached Alex more deeply than he’d anticipated, and he sobbed all over again. He ran his fingers tenderly over their daughter’s back, feeling the warmth of her skin. There would never be a moment more perfect than this one. If he never painted again in his life, he thought that he’d be okay, as long as he could look back on this moment of time and feel everything he was feelingnow.
Laurence was proud of him. Laurence loved theirchild.
Laurence lovedhim.
No matter how different they were—how young or how old, how worldly or how sheltered, how established or inexperienced—they were happy with each other. Every problem they’d gone up against added another splash of color to the canvas of their lives and unified their experience. Alex held the result in his arms. She squirmed and curled her fingers, seeking purchase on his chest, more precious than anything he’d seen before. What she did with her life, her successes and her failures, wouldn’t only paint her world in stunning colors—they’d paint Alex’s and Laurence’s as well. The notion added another dimension of beauty that Alex had never dreamed couldexist.
He couldn’t wait to see how striking the results wouldbe.
He reached up to take Laurence’s hand in his own and squeezed. Chemistry sizzled in the air between them, as powerful as it had been when they’d first met, but changed out of necessity of thesituation.
“Welcome to the world, Violet,” Alex whispered. “You’re more beautiful than I ever imagined you couldbe.”
There were no words to be said—their hearts were united, and their truth sang in blissfulharmony.
Science andart.
Together, they’d made amasterpiece.
Epilogue
Laurence
Gwynning:He’s doing so well. I wish you guys could behere
KnotMyProblem:pics?
xVerity: I don’t think he’s allowed to take pictures while in thegallery
Gwynning: I’m not,but…
Laurence glanced across the room, gaze passing from extravagant cocktail dress to fitted suit. As far as he could tell, no one was paying him attention. It was hischance.
As sneakily as he could, Laurence snapped a picture of the gallery. Alex’s paintings were hung beneath the display lights, and although most of the picture was occupied by the patrons who’d come to the exhibition, some of the paintings were stillvisible.
Laurence sent the picture to the Single Dads. As he waited for it to load into their conversation, he toyed with the fine, dark hairs on Violet’s head. She slept against his chest in an inward-facing carrier. The ambient noise in the room didn’t bother her. Laurence was convinced she could sleep through the apocalypse—not that he was complaining. Matthew had been far fussier at the same age, so he knew what kind of trouble he wasmissing.
The picture loaded. KnotMyProblem and xVerity started typing at the sametime.
xVerity: Whoa. The resolution on the picture you took isn’t great, but it’s still incredible. Those arepaintings?
KnotMyProblem: Your boy’s got talent, Gwynn. Also, that place looks crowded and rich AF. If he keeps it up, you’re going to get to retire at 45 while you live off his vastfortune.
Gwynning: I’m sure that he’d love that. I think we’ve got a little way to go… but not muchlonger.
