“Rowan, look,” I tell him, and when he turns his eyes up to me, I bring my free hand to my mouth and open and close my thumb and index finger twice, making the ASL sign for bird. He smiles and tugs one of his hands free so he can try and do it. We’ve been surrounding him with sign language as much as possible, trying to get him used to seeing it so it’ll be easier for him to learn. Rowan loves Bran, and I know my cousin loves it when the kids try to sign with him.
Damien smiles down at our son, mimicking the sign and pointing at the birds in the sky. We take our time walking down the beach, neither one of us in a hurry to be anywhere other than right where we are. I never could’ve dreamed this is where my life would lead me, but I’m so glad it did.
Nothing could’ve prepared me for how much I would love being a wife and mom. As long as I have these two, then I’m more than happy to fly between our two families for the rest of our lives because my home is no longer a place. It’s with them.
When Damien looks over and sees me grinning, he gives me a wink and one of his big smiles, overwhelming me with love from just one look. I squeeze our son’s hand and laugh when he lets out another happy squeal. As amazing as my life is right now, I know it’s only going to get better, and I can’t wait to experience every second of it.
* * *
Damien
I kiss my son’s head and tell him I love him as he drifts off to sleep. We’re back in New York, and he’s exhausted after a day of visiting family and playing with his cousins. His head rests on my shoulder, soft breaths tickling my neck as his fingers grip my shirt and his sweet scent fills my nose. I’m overcome with love for him, so amazed that this is my life now. I feel his grip loosen as his breathing deepens, but I don’t stop rocking him. I’m not ready to put him down just yet.
His nursery is nature themed, and I love sitting in here with him. The underwater scene my Aunt Katya painted on the walls is filled with sea creatures, the adorable, kid-friendly kind that always make Rowan smile when he sees them.
Unable to resist, I turn and kiss my son’s head, feeling the baby-soft strands of his dark hair against my lips. Rowan is my pride and joy, a perfect little person that I created with the woman I love more than life itself. The love I feel for the two of them is limitless, and it never fails to knock me on my ass.
While he softly snores, I look over at the canoe-shaped bookcase that’s in the corner. It’s filled with baby books that Sitka loves reading to him, books that I hope our son can easily read one day. I know his chances are much higher at having dyslexia since I have it, and I feel guilty every time I think about it. I hope it passes over him. I hope he never has to suffer through the embarrassment of being called on in class while the other kids laugh because it’s impossible for his brain to make sense of the letters.
I kiss his head again and hope for the best. It’s all I can do. If he does have it, Sitka and I will be with him every step of the way. Our entire family will help him through it, just like they did for me. He won’t be alone. He’ll never be alone.
Keeping him securely against me, I stand and walk to his crib. Nyx lifts her head from the dog bed we put in here because she refuses to leave Rowan’s side, but when she realizes what I’m doing, she lowers her head back down and closes her eyes. Being careful to not wake him, I lay Rowan in his crib and make sure his favorite octopus stuffed animal is within easy reach.
I spend a few minutes watching him, because I never get tired of it. After he was born, I would come in here and watch him for hours, unable to tear my eyes away from his cute little face, mesmerized by the rise and fall of his chest and the tiny fingers that were always curled into tight fists.
Even though I’m unable to see the grey of his eyes, he still reminds me so much of Sitka. He has her nose and easygoing nature, and god help us all, I’m pretty sure he has her love of adrenaline. I see the glint in his eyes when he tries something new, something that should be scary but instead just makes him grin like a little maniac. It’s cute as hell, but it also has me scrambling to stay one step ahead of him and baby proof things that I probably shouldn’t have to.
“You’re worth the grey hairs you’re going to give me,” I whisper before giving him one last kiss and telling him I love him.
Before I leave, I check my phone to make sure the baby monitor is showing on it. Satisfied that I’ll hear him as soon as he needs me, I slip out to go in search of my wife.
The penthouse we live in is big, way bigger than the three of us need, but I wanted Sitka to have space. Anything smaller would’ve made her feel claustrophobic, and the last thing I want is for her to feel trapped. Plus, this one gives us a huge terracethat she and my mom have filled with potted plants and flowers. My mom’s been teaching her how to grow things, and every time her mom and grandma come for a visit, they add new things. With the trellises and climbing flowers, they’ve made it look as close to the natural world as possible, and I’m not at all surprised when I find her sitting near the edge of the pool. Solar lanterns hang along the patio, casting her in a warm glow, highlighting the curve of her shoulder and delicate line of her neck. My body instantly responds to the sight of her, just like it always does.
Without a word, I strip out of my clothes, place my phone on top in case Rowan cries, and then walk down the stairs into the pool. She watches me, a smile playing at her lips as she lazily kicks her legs in the water, leaning back on her hands like she doesn’t have a care in the world.
I walk over to her, grabbing her ankles as soon as she’s within reach and stepping between her legs. She immediately wraps them around me and brings her hands up to cup my face.
“Did he finally fall asleep?”
“A while ago,” I admit, making her smile.
She’s just as bad as I am about never wanting to put him down, so she understands my reluctance to let him go.
“He’s just too cute,” she says.
“He is,” I agree, stepping in closer and tugging her bottom towards the edge of the pool so my wet body is pressed against hers. I look down at the sleep shorts and T-shirt she’s wearing. “You should probably take those off. They’re just going to get wet.”
“Like last time?” she asks, making me laugh.
I slide my hands under her shirt and drag my fingers along her soft skin. “Entirely your fault,besyonok. You know I can’t help myself when I’m around you. When you see me, you should just save us both the trouble and get naked.”
She laughs, but she also knows I’m not joking, so when I start to tug her shirt off, she lifts her arms to help me out. Tossing it aside, I run my eyes over her bare upper body and groan while my dick goes ramrod straight in the water. With wet hands, I caress her skin, cupping her tits while her nipples harden beneath my touch and her body instinctively leans in to mine.
Wanting to see all of her, I slide my hands down and hook them under her sleep shorts and panties. Raising a brow, I wait for her to lift up so I can quickly pull them off. When she’s completely naked, I take a second to appreciate the view.
“How is it possible that you keep getting sexier?” I ask.
She laughs like I’ve just made a joke, but I’m being dead serious. She’d been worried about the pregnancy and childbirth ruining her body, but I think it’s more gorgeous than ever. I love seeing the light stretch marks on her stomach and thighs and breasts. They remind me of the life we created. She carried our son in her body and then went through hell to push him into the world. I’m in awe of her body and what she can do with it.
