I watch Millie, her arm wrapped protectively around Aura's body. Aura is fast asleep on her chest, every now and then, she lets out a soft sigh.
"You have her all tucked in," I say quietly, pulling the wagon beside them.
She smiles down at my daughter, the kind of smile that makes my heart skip a beat. "She's so easy to hold when she is like this," she murmurs, glancing up at me. "I could hold her forever."
I can't help but laugh, the sound of my laugh soft in the quiet evening. "I think we'd both be in trouble if you tried. But I get it. She's perfect like this. I wish she could stay this little forever."
There is a peace in Millie that I envy sometimes—the way Millie is always so present, always so calm, even though she has a million things running through her mind. I see it in the way she holds Aura, and the way she talks to her, like she's been doing this forever.
We reach the path the leads to our room, the quiet hum of the resort lights flickers on, casting soft light across the walkway.
Millie's eyes flick to the sky for a second. I follow her gaze. The stars are starting to show. There are only a few at first, more slowly coming into focus.
"Feels like time is standing still, huh?" I say, my voice almost a whisper as we reach the door to our room.
She stops. Her eyes are soft as she looks at me. "Yeah, it does." She presses her lips to Aura's forehead, brushing a few strands of hair from her face. "I wish we could freeze moments like this. Just stay in the moment forever."
I nod, feeling a familiar ache in my chest. I can't explain it, but watching them together, their bond growing stronger each day, makes me want to hold on to every second.
Time goes by too fast, and I already feel like time is slipping by. It feels like just yesterday I was in Beanstalk interviewing for a nanny. Millie offering herself up, despite getting ready to open her own business.
We get inside, and I hold the door open for her. The room is quiet, the ocean a faint hum in the distance.
Millie walks over to the crib and gently lays Aura down, making sure her head is resting just right. She pulls a soft blanketaround her, tucking her in with a tenderness that makes my heart melt.
"You're amazing," I say, leaning against the doorframe. My voice is soft but full of an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
She shrugs, "It's just… it's just love. I never expected it, but when you love someone this much, it all falls into place."
I lean down and kiss her forehead. The soft warmth of her skin against mine feels like home. "I'm glad I get to share this with you, share her with you," I say quietly, almost to myself, but I know she hears me.
She smiles, reaching up to touch my face, the pads of her fingertips gently brush against my skin. "Me too," she murmurs. "I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else.”
I pull her into a hug, and I don't say anything else for a while. Sometimes, there is no need for words. Just standing together, "I think we have earned some quiet time," I says, pulling back enough to look at her. "Can I get you a drink? Or we can just sit on the balcony."
"Yes, to both. Sounds like the perfect plan," she replies, smiling as she wraps her arm around my waist.
We move to the balcony. The evening air is cool against our skin. The stars shining brighter now. I settle into a chair pulling her into my lap. A bottle of wine waits on the small table beside us.
"I don't want this to end," Millie murmurs, more to herself than to me.
I turn my head to look at her, the corners of my mouth pulling up into a smile. "I know, Bumper. Me neither."
Neither one of us feels the need to say anything else. We sit there, wrapped in each other's arms, watching the waves and stars above. It all feels like enough.
The Lucky Ones
MILLIE
The morning lightis soft and warm, spilling through the balcony doors. The air is different here. Tropical, fresh, and alive with the sounds of nature outside. The hum of the ocean waves mingles with the chirping birds.
I lay in bed, curled up against Gabriel, my head resting on his chest. He has his arm wrapped around me, holding me close the way he always does.
I can hear the soft little breaths telling me Aura is still peacefully sleeping. A reminder that we are doing something right. For all the uncertainty and sleepless nights, there’s a certainty that we are a family now.
I feel the gentle rise and fall of Gabriel’s breathing underneath my cheek. Steady and calm. I smile, tracing the lines of his muscles with my fingers.
I shift just enough to look at Gabriel. His features are soft in his slumber. His hair is disheveled from sleep, and I can’t help but smile at the way it lays on his forehead. He’s always had a quiet strength about him, a presence that makes everything feel grounded, even when life is anything but.
