“Stable. We’ll observe her for another two hours, and then she can go be with Mom and brother,” she told me.
I nodded and relayed the information to Ella.
Ella:Thank you for staying with her.
Seth:Of course. How is baby brother?
Ella:He’s good. They need names… I wasn’t ready.
I smiled.
Seth:You almost gave birth in my truck.
Ella laugh-reacted to the text.
Ella:Would it be weird if I named him Paul? It’s James’s middle name. I want him to have something of his father.
My heart pinched for her.
Seth:Not weird at all. That’s very sweet. And for her?
I stared at the beautiful little girl in my arms.
Ella:The name June just came to me. Her birth month.
Chills flushed my entire body. That was the name Scarlett and I had picked for our little girl.
June.
Lord, what does this mean?Tears lined my eyes as I stared at baby June.
And I was reminded of Maggie’s dream. The one where the Lord had told her He would restore all that had been taken from me. And then, when the Lord had told me to wait for Ella.
Was this little girl in my arms going to be mine one day?
I could only pray that was true.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Ella
Three weeks later
I was sleep deprived, I hadn’t showered in three days, and I was pretty sure I was existing on coffee and cereal. But my heart was overflowing with love and joy. The moment I looked at June and then at Paul, my whole world stopped and my heart grew twice as big. It was like the grief of losing James fled at that moment. There was only joy. And Seth was by my side through all of it.
Maggie had been by my side through the labor, but the second they said I’d need to get into the OR and have surgery, I’d wanted Seth. I hadn’t wanted to be honest withmyself over the last few months out of respect for James, but Seth was special to me. Special in a way I couldn’t explain yet. It was too soon to put a word with the feelings, but I’d wanted him to be in that delivery room. I’d wanted him by little June’s side because I knew that Seth would protect her.
Now, my mom and I were leaving for Paris, and I was ready for the change. I was ready to get away from Seth and see if my indescribable, possibly romantic feelings still existed without him right next door to me all the time. I need to focus on being a mom and see where the next year took me.
“Ready?” my mom asked as we surveyed the house. All of my personal items were in storage, and the new tenants were ready to start living here and taking care of the animals today.
I peered down at the twins, asleep in their car seats, and then at my four carry-on bags.
“Yep, just gotta drop Honey off at Seth’s,” I told her and bent down to pick up my beloved chicken.
I’d caught her napping in June’s car seat the other day, and I was already teary-eyed, thinking about leaving her for a year. Seth was sweet to take care of her and promised to send me pictures and videos.
As my mom packed the car, I slipped out the front door and walked over to Seth’s.
