“It’s time to nap, pretty girl,” he said to her, pinching her cheek.
Xander helped her back onto her back, lifted the pacifier that had fallen from her mouth and was laying on the mattress. After giving her the pacifier and placing a stuffed animal beside her, he covered her and pressed a hand to her forehead.
“Sleep, sleep,” he whispered, before turning to leave, waving at the caregiver once more as he exited the room.
The moment he stepped out the door and closed it behind him, he stood on the stoop, inhaling the cold Brooklyn air and staring out at the tree-lined neighborhood in front of him.
He had no idea what would come next after all of this.
But he knew one thing for certain…
He wasn’t giving up.
Not on Rylee.
And definitely not on the idea of her having their baby.
twelve
RYLEE
“Ah!”Mrs. Walker shouted, pressing her hands to her chest. “Look how big you two have gotten.”
Rylee snickered as she ushered Nova and LJ through the Walkers’s front door and right into the arms of their grandmother, Ivy Walker.
“Hi, Grandma,” Nova and LJ greeted in unison, rushing up to her.
“Oh!” Mrs. Walker laughed as both children wrapped their arms tightly around her. “I can barely breathe, but who cares about breathing, right?”
Rylee snickered.
They’d just arrived at the Walkers’ residence for an impromptu visit. Not unusual. Rylee often stopped by with the kids so they could spend time with their grandparents, and the Walkers were always okay with it.
“Rylee, my baby.” Mrs. Walker extended her arms wide.
Rylee walked right into Mrs. Walkers’s embrace, closing her eyes in their hug.
“You always make it seem like you haven’t seen us in years, when we were just here last week.”
Mrs. Walker chuckled, playfully slapping Rylee on the back before stepping out of their hug.
“I knew I heard my favorite little voices down here.”
Rylee’s eyes landed on Mr. Walker—who she and everyone else called Cy. His locs, now more silver than black, swayed behind him as he made his way toward her and the kids.
“I wasn’t expecting y’all,” he said to Rylee, wrapping his arms around her first before crouching his tall frame down to hug the children.
“Yeah,” Rylee replied, her voice breaking a little. “I needed to come and talk to you guys and figured you’d want to see your favorite people too.”
The Walkers exchanged a glance before looking back at her.
Rylee bit inside her cheek and looked away.
She’d just come from her first prenatal appointment a few hours ago. She was lucky enough to be seen, and luckier that her doctor had a slot open.
That’s when she learned the baby was still in its earliest weeks.
She’d even heard the baby’s heartbeat.
