page15 (1/2)

“He’s beautiful, Daddy!” Willow hugs irls do when they’re excited

“He?”

“You got another son, Dad” My boy pats uys

“And he looks just like you” My mother tells me with a smile

“He does?”

“Yes,” She giggles “He does”

Just then, Taylor comes out of the room, her eyes as wide as her slad you’re here” She squeezes my arm

“Is she okay?”

“She’s perfect,” She tells me with a smile “I just helped her to bed Jett, why don’t you take your sister downstairs and get her a hot chocolate? I need to have a quick ith your dad before he sees your mom”

“I’ll take the if everything is okay You remember what he was like when Jett and Nova were born” I chuckle My olda hole in the rug because he was so nervous

“Then I can see my baby brother?” Taylor tells Willow that as soon as she’s finished her hot chocolate, she can see the baby Both Willow and Jett leave happily with my mother

As soon as they’re out of earshot, Taylor rounds on me Gone is the smile, and out comes the Taylor Anderson snarl, the one that wouldyour damn phone?” I open et a word in edgeways “And if Jack thinks I’ll let hi, he’s very much mistaken”

I pity BlackJack right now Taylor is a wonderful woman, but she’s one you don’t mess with, no matter who you are

“She sobbed her damn heart out for you!” That hurts God, I wanted to be here for her, but how the hell was I supposed to know she’d go into labor teeks early?

With Jett and Nova, I was there for both of their births, even if Celia didn’t want me in the room I was also there when Willoas born I shouldn’t have been in the rooave birth, and I didn’t look between her legs, but Lynette was terrified, and her useless partner was nowhere to be seen Celia was too busy barking orders at Lynette to help caled her, watched Willow come into the world, but I’veI can’t get back

“She needed you here, Shepard I know you’ve been out there dealing with thoseback the curse words in case a child et in there and hold her, she’s exhausted, but she needs you right now”

I kiss Taylor’s cheek in thanks for being there for Lynette when I couldn’t She grabs reat, and he’s beautiful” She tells me with a smile

Deep breath, that’s what I take before opening the large white door that will lead me to my wife and newborn son I feel a little e up in bed Her hair is loose, and she’s dressed in a white night slip, a blanket covering her legs, cradling a tiny baby wrapped in the white shawl my mother knitted for hi, to keep on living, is singing softly to the babe in her arms

I close the door quietly, knowing she hadn’t heard me enter in the first place The second the lock clicks, her eyes shoot to my direction, her face a mixture of shock and relief The s faster towards her “Vincent,” She sobs my name as I take a seat beside her, and take her face in my hands and kiss her softly

“I’ain

“It’s okay; you're home now You are home now, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” I kiss her head, and tell her, “Everything has been dealt with They’re gone now, baby,” She sobs quietly, relief filling her I want to hold her so badly, but my eyes are now on the little man in my wife’s arms The little man with tiny tufts of dark hair, the little ht