Caison’s expression softens. “AJ.”
“AJ?”
“Albert James Galloway.”
The name settles over us like something sacred.
“Albert, after you,” he says to Daddy, then turns to Marcia. “And James.”
“After your father. Daniel James,” she finishes for him. “It’s perfect.”
“He’s perfect,” Caison says hoarsely.
Shelby grabs his arm. “How big?”
“Seven pounds eight ounces.”
“Does he have hair?” Charli asks.
“A full head.”
“Dark or light?” I ask.
“Dark.”
“Does he look like Matty?”
He laughs. “Right now, he looks like a tiny, wrinkly red version of Grandpa Earl.”
We all laugh.
A nurse steps into the waiting room. “Wow. I don’t think we’ve ever had a crowd quite this large waiting before. You can come meet him now.”
That’s all it takes.
We surge toward the hallway like a herd of emotional cattle.
“Easy,” the nurse calls after us. “Maybe you guys should take turns.”
We stop and look around.
Grandma walks forward slowly. Grandpa offers her his arm.
“We’ll go first. Come along, Albert and Marcia,” she instructs.
Charli, Shelby, and I look at each other. Our barely contained eagerness rolling off of us. She glances over her shoulder as she reaches Matty’s door.
“Well, come on, girls. Stop dragging your feet,” she adds.
And together, we take off running.
Caison following us down the hallway.
Toward the tiny baby boy who just changed everything.
Three Months Later
The first thing I do when I wake up is stare at the ceiling.
