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I draw in a breath, but it hurts.
“Would you like to see your baby?”
I nod. “Yes.”
Marla smiles. “I’ll get Daddy to let go of him for a minute.”
“Can you bring them both in here?”
“Yes. I’ll get them now. We were just trying to give you some time to rest.”
She disappears, and my heart beats louder, knowing at any minute Leo’s going to come through those doors holding my life in his hands. Life I almost lost from my own stupidity.
Tears roll down my cheeks, waiting.
And then he appears at the door. His eyes are cast down at the baby wrapped in a thick white blanket in his arms. I notice the hair first. He has a full head of dark hair. Leo rocks him in his arms, smiling. “Ready to meet your mama, bud?”
Slowly, my eyes meet Leo’s. Then I’m reminded how mad I still am at him.
Okay, watching him hold our son, I’m no longer mad. Look how perfect he looks.
Leo makes his way over while the nurse elevates the bed slightly to a sitting position. Pain jolts through me, but I push it aside. I want to see my son.
Carefully, Leo hands him to me. “He’s cute, huh?”
And he is. He’s breathtaking. The most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t look like a normal newborn. His skin is a nice pink, warm. His eyes are closed, and he has a cute little pout to his lips. “Hey there, Shrimp,” I whisper, tears flooding my eyes.
“He looks like you,” Leo whispers, reaching for my hand and wrapping it around the baby and me. “And I’m so sorry,” he whispers, resting his forehead to mine as his lips press to my temple. “I was an idiot.”
I look up at Leo, attempting to think of how to respond.
“Don’t say anything else.”
“Why?”
I sniff, trying to hold it together. “Because… if you say anything more, I’m going to start crying, and my hormones are crazy. I’ll start and I might not stop.”
I think he knows I need a laugh and nudges my shoulder a little. “Turns out you didn’t need to bleach your asshole after all. They didn’t even see it.”
“Leo,” I gasp, thinking about what I must have looked like down there. I hadn’t shaved in days. “Get down there and check that shit. I’m afraid my goodies are ripped. I’m gonna be pissed if this adorable little monster destroyed me.”
He laughs and takes the baby from me when I wince in pain. “You had a C-section.”
The blanket unravels a little when he moves, and a small hand laces around Leo’s finger as he rocks the baby back and forth. I gasp at the sight before me, unclear as to what Leo is thinking. Can he see how special this little baby is?
I blink back tears, but so does Leo. A man like Leo Orting is nearly crying at the sight of his son in his arms. His brows scrunch, deep in thought maybe, and he sighs. “What should we name him?”
“I was thinking maybe Caleb Andrew,” I say tentatively. “I’ve always liked the name Caleb… and Andrew after Ami’s brother.”
Leo tips his head, peering down at the baby. “What do you think, bud?” He pats his thickly padded butt, bouncing him slightly, as if he’s a complete natural around babies. “Do you like that name?” He smiles at me, a question playing at his lips. “Caleb Andrew… Orting?”
“I love that.”
His brow furrows as he takes a seat next to me. “You never told your dad who the father was?” His tone isn’t accusing at all. It’s simply curious.
“No.” I never told my dad who the father was because it didn’t matter to him. He never asked. I hadn’t seen him in months.
“You know, I’m not really the sneak-around-behind-the-GM’s-back kind of guy,” Leo adds. “If we’re doing this, you need to be upfront with him and tell him we’re living together. And that someday I’m gonna marry you.”