Their laughter from the garden drifted into the house, warm and carefree. I set the cheese-laden pasta dish on the table and slipped off the oven gloves, placing them beside the stove.
Maddie and Samuel loved this meal so much they never noticed the spinach and red peppers hidden inside it. I considered that a personal victory.
I moved toward the patio doors just as Samuel tried to pull himself upright on the grass. My breath caught in my throat.
He was on the lawn, at least. If he toppled over, it would be a soft landing.
Still, I hovered.
The evening air drifted in when I slid the patio door open. Maddox noticed our son and stilled the football beneath his foot, the game freezing mid-play.
“Ooooh!” Maddie squealed, bouncing on the spot and clapping her hands before throwing them dramatically into the air.“You can do it, Sammy!”
I chuckled softly. All that explosive enthusiasm was pure Hazel.
Maddox had already pulled out his phone and crouched low to the ground, angling the camera carefully.
“Come and get the ball, Samuel,” he crooned.
Our son wobbled where he stood, his tiny fingers splayed for balance. His brow furrowed in deep concentration, the way it always did when he was attempting something new.
Then it happened.
One shaky step.
Then another.
Samuel paused halfway, wobbling like a tiny drunk sailor before steadying himself again. His arms lifted instinctively as if they might help him stay upright.
And off he went.
No hesitation. No fear.
Just pure determination as he toddled forward toward his father.
I swallowed hard, a thick lump forming in my throat as I watched the moment unfold. Maddox let out a quiet laugh of disbelief behind the camera while Maddie cheered like Samuel had just won an Olympic medal.
Another milestone.
Another moment gone too quickly.
My hand drifted to my stomach without thinking, resting there lightly.
I wondered, not for the first time, if we should have one more.
Three was a nice number.
The thought made my chest ache in the best possible way.
I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye and watched Maddox scoop Samuel into the air while Maddie danced around them both.
Now I just had to figure out how to break the news to Maddox.
???
“He’s off now. You’ll need eyes in the back of your head from here on out,” Maddox said as he pulled the covers back and slid into bed beside me.“Why don’t you let me hire some help?”
I had always resisted the idea of having help around the house. The thought of strangers drifting through our space never sat well with me.
