He smirks, thumb brushing my jaw. “Trust me, sweetheart…if we weren’t waiting, you wouldn’t still be standing in front of me right now.”
* * *
When we pull into Cody and Karissa’s driveway, the curtains in the front window are cracked just enough for light to spill out onto the porch.
Cody opens the door before we can even knock.
He looks tired but he’s smiling.
“How ya doin’, Dad?” Mason teases, giving his shoulder a pat.
Cody shakes his head, “Still running on adrenaline, I think.” He pulls Mason in for a hug, then me. His voice drops to a whisper. “Wash your hands first.”
“Of course,” I nod, already stepping toward the sink.
“Oh. This is for you guys.” I hand him the breakfast cake.
Cody lifts the foil, sniffs, then looks between the two of us. “Did you make it?” he asks me cautiously.
Heat crawls up my neck, but I don’t know why. “Yeah. I mean…Mason helped.”
Cody and Mason exchange a look, one of those silent male conversations, and Cody nods slowly. “Alright…well, thanks,” he says, and sets it on the counter.
Mason and I wash our hands, and then we hear Emma’s little footsteps patter across the floor. She stops right in front of me, breathless and beaming.
“Mommy baby!” she squeals.
I crouch down to her level. “Mommy had baby Gage?” I ask gently.
She nods hard and grabs my hand with determination, pulling me toward the living room. Mason follows with Cody, both of them talking about something—half work, half brotherly nonsense.
Karissa’s on the couch, propped up with pillows. Her hair is curled, soft makeup on, cozy clothes. She looks like a mom—radiant in that brand-new way.
“Hey!” she says, shifting upright.
My eyes drop to the tiny bundle in her arms and my breath catches. “He’s so little,” I whisper. “And you look amazing.”
Karissa laughs, tired but warm. “Thanks. He’s a peanut. But I’m feeling good. Way better than with Emma.”
I sit beside her, close but gentle, because she looks fragile post-birth.
“You can hold him,” she tells me, already shifting the blanket. “He just ate. He’ll be out for a bit.”
I hesitate, not sure what to do with my hands, but she places him into my arms like she’s handing me something sacred.
He’s so light…but somehow the heaviest thing I’ve ever held.
He’s all swaddled, tiny fingers curled under his chin, his lips puckering like he’s dreaming about eating again.
Karissa tucks her legs up and leans back. “Delivery was good, thank the Lord. No complications this time.”
“Better than Emma,” Cody cuts in from across the room. “Considering she didn’t hemorrhage this time.”
Karissa smiles. “Yeah. I didn’t need a C-section either, so it felt like a completely different world.”
“That’s amazing,” I tell her softly. “I’m…really happy for you.”
Emma toddles over, eyes wide like she’s seeing her baby brother for the first time all over again. She reaches toward his face—fast.
