Page 14 of Lily

10

Devin

The holidays with my family were incredible, even if the goodbyes were tearful. Lily and I return to the states newly engaged, and we are planning to get the family together the following day to announce our engagement.

We are wrapped around each other in bed at Lily’s flat when the phone rings.

“Bloody hell, it’s near one in the morning. Who is calling?” I grumble. I’m exhausted and jetlagged, and I really want to sleep.

Lily glances at her phone and shoots up in bed, quickly answering.

“Ri? What’s wrong?”

I can hear Riley’s voice a bit through the speaker, but not enough to make out what she’s saying.

“What? Already? Okay, we are on our way.”

Lily leaps out of bed and starts pulling on a pair of sweatpants.

“Love, what’s going on?”

“Abby is in labor! We have to get to the hospital!”

I jump up and throw on a t-shirt, some joggers, and slip into my shoes before grabbing my car keys.

“Right, do you have everything you need?”

“Yes, let’s go!”

***

Later we are sat in the waiting room in the maternity ward with the rest of Lily’s family.

Shay and Riley are chatting in the corner, and Bree is talking to a man near the coffee machine.

“That’s Matthew,” Lily says. “He’s Bree’s ex-boyfriend and high school sweetheart. Bree broke it off because she didn’t think she could handle a long-distance relationship when he went away for college, but she was sad about it for a really long time.”

Lily’s mother is here, and it’s the first time I’m meeting her.

“Mom, this is Devin. Devin, this is my mom.” Lily introduces us, and her mother smiles and moves to shake my hand, but her eyes fly to Lily’s hand when she takes a sip of her coffee.

“Goodness… Congratulations, honey!” She kisses both of us on the cheek.

“We want to wait to tell everyone. I don’t want to take the attention away from Abs and the baby.”

“Of course, dear. I’ll keep it quiet.” She winks and wanders off to chat with Shay. Lily is calm and strong throughout the night, always asking her mother and sisters if they need anything and comforting some of them when they get nervous at how long Abby has been in labor. It shows her nurturing side, and I think I might have just fallen a little more in love with her.

What feels like hours later, Abby finally gives birth. Jake comes out to tell the family, and we are brought back to Abby’s private room. It’s spacious and cozy, which is good with how large Lily’s family is.

The girls all take turns holding the baby, and when I see Lily cradle the tiny bundle to her chest, I know that this is it for me. My ultimate goal is to have this moment with Lily in the future, and I can’t wait to begin the rest of our lives together.

To be continued….