Page 20 of Wrapped in Love

He waved away my apologies.

“Don’t be sorry, Shane. There is more to life than being a doctor. Find that balance. Be with the woman you love. If you’re happy at home, it will carry to your career. And the same goes the other way. You’ve been adrift for a while, without even knowing it. And since the holidays, you’ve looked downright lost. When David told me about your girl, I knew it was you who was meant for that position.”

He stood and shook my hand. “I’ll arrange the intro and start looking for a new body.”

“Perhaps it won’t work out.”

He shook his head. “You’re too good, and they need you. At least I have Nelson to torture.” He winked and sent me on my way.

“I’ve been working on getting to you ever since.”

She sighed, and I kissed her, studying her face. She looked exhausted.

“I think I got here at the right time. You need looking after, Miss James. And you’re lucky. I have a degree that certifies there is no one better than me.”

“You’re a pediatrician, Shane,” she pointed out with a grin, but she didn’t object as I carried her to her room and laid her on the bed.

“Hush. I am a Callie expert caregiver. It’s nap time, then I’m making you dinner and we’re having a bath.”

“What about you?”

“I’m locking up, then getting in there with you. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about everything and make plans.”

“Doctor’s orders?”

I bent down and kissed her. “Doctor’s orders.”

THE NEXT CHRISTMAS

I pulled into the garage and killed the engine. I stretched and yawned, then quietly made my way inside the house. The colorful lights from the tree in the living room cast a dim glow into the hall, and after kicking off my shoes, I walked into the room, stopping at the pretty tableau I found.

Callie sound asleep in the big corner chair she loved so much, and our daughter slumbering on her chest. They were covered by a light blanket, a discarded bottle on the floor. I watched my girls, the intense feeling of happiness flooding my chest as I looked at them.

Our Madeline—or Maddy, as we called her—had been a surprise to us both. It turned out those glow-in-the-dark condoms weren’t totally effective, and the tiredness and despondent mood Callie had been experiencing had been more than simply missing me. Her body was raging with pregnancy hormones. The biggest joke of all was neither of us realized it. I was so busy with the move and looking for a place to live, and Callie was going crazy with packing up her shop after accepting the offer on her place that we missed it. She was used to irregular cycles and thought nothing of it. I was so distracted, I was blind. It wasn’t until I was there one day with Elly, helping Callie pack up the shop. Callie became dizzy, and something clicked as I caught her. Her emotions, the constant tiredness, the occasional nausea. I had missed the obvious signs completely. Elly procured a pregnancy test, and later that day, I learned I was going to be a dad.

Joy wasn’t a big enough word to describe my feelings.

Life ramped into high gear. Within a month, we bought a house, moved Callie, I started with my new position, and we settled into a life together. It was as effortless as breathing with her. My family loved her, both my parents and Elly visiting often. As I expected, Callie and Elly were incredibly close.

I surprised Callie one summer day, getting down on one knee in the garden.

“Callie James, will you do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me?”

Her beautiful eyes filled with tears. “Yes.”

I slipped a ring on her finger and kissed her hand. I held her palm to my cheek. “Soon?”

“Name the day,” she replied.

A month later, we were husband and wife.

When Maddy arrived in September, our family was there, helping Callie, making sure I didn’t drop my infant daughter, and stocking the house with food and every other essential we could need. When they left, the quiet was welcome and the terror real. But like the team Callie and I had become, we worked through it together.

I crossed the room and kneeled before my girls. I laid a hand on Callie’s arm and the other on Maddy’s back, rubbing it lightly. Callie’s eyes flickered open, and a smile curved her mouth. “Hi.”

I bent closer and kissed her. “Hi, Mommy. How are my girls?”

“Good. We fell asleep waiting for you.” She paused. “How is Josh?”