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Jo shrugged. “Thought they were Braxton-Hicks.”

The doctor laughed. “Well, they weren’t. Your contractions are going to get worse, but your baby’ll be here soon.”

Jo looked at Cam. “Better call your mom and tell her not to bring Fiona until after Jack is born. I don’t want her to hear me calling you ugly names.”

Cam grinned. “Personally, I can’t wait to hear what you come up with. But you’re right. If Fiona witnesses that, we may never have any grandkids.”

Four hours later, Jack Pierce came into the world screaming at the top of his lungs. The doctor examined him, then wrapped him in a towel and laid him on Jo’s chest. “Hold him for a few minutes, then we’ll clean him up. His APGAR was a perfect ten.”

Jo looked down at the baby on her chest and her eyes filled with tears. “He looks just like you, Cam,” she whispered. “He’s beautiful.”

“Poor kid,” he joked. “I was hoping he’d be a looker like his mom.” He bent and kissed her. “Maybe the next one will.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “The next one? You’re getting a little ahead of yourself, Pierce.”

One of the nurses took Jack from Jo’s arms and whisked him out of the room. Cam pulled out his phone and called his mom. “Jack is here,” he said. “Seven pounds, five ounces and a good pair of lungs. Come on over whenever you want.”

“We’ll be there as soon as we get everyone into the car.”

An hour later, Fiona was sitting on the bed next to Jo, staring down at her brother. “He’s so tiny,” she said.

“He’ll grow fast,” Jo said. “How does it feel to be a big sister?”

Fiona touched Jack’s cheek with her finger, then let him curl his tiny fingers around her larger one. She looked up at Jo and Cam, grinning from ear to ear. “It feels real good. Can I hold him?”

“Of course you can,” Jo said. She looked around and spotted a chair with arms. “Sit in that chair, and your dad will bring him over to you.”

Fiona scrambled off the bed and ran to the chair. Then she stared at Cam, waiting for him to bring her brother over.

Cam cuddled Jack against his chest and walked over to Fiona. She’d gone to the childbirth classes with them, so she knew how to hold a baby. Cam put him carefully into Fiona’s arms, then watched as she smiled down at her brother. “I’m Fiona. Your big sister,” she whispered to him. “We’re gonna have so much fun. I’ll show you all the good hiding places in the house, and,” she glanced up at Cam, then bent to whisper in Jack’s ear, “and where they hide the cookies.”

Cam glanced at Jo and saw tears running down her cheeks. He had to blink a few times himself. Finally, he took Jack from Fiona and gave him to Jo’s mom to hold. Everyone got a turn, and Fiona was reaching for him again when Cam gave the baby back to Jo.

“Jo needs to feed Jack, and then she needs to sleep,” he told his parents and Jo’s mom. “We’ll probably go home tomorrow, then you can all come over, bring us tons of food, and hold Jack all you want.” He lifted Fiona into a hug, gave her a kiss, then kissed his mom, his dad and Jo’s mom. “Give us tomorrow to get settled in, and we’ll see you the day after that.”

As soon as everyone filed out the door, Jo dropped the shoulder of her gown and put Jack to her breast. He began nursing immediately, and she relaxed into the bed. Looked up at Cam and smiled.

“I love you, Cam,” she said. “We made a beautiful baby.”

“I love you right back,” he said, brushing a kiss over her mouth. “You’re everything I ever wanted, Jo, and Jack’s a great bonus. How did we get so lucky?”

“We both paid our dues,” Jo said, clinging to Cam’s hand. “Walked through fire and came out on the other side with a fabulous daughter and a brand-new son. This is our happily ever after, and I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”

“Are you going to be saying that when you’re up every few hours feeding Jack every night?”

“Of course, because you’ll be with me. And I know you won’t roll over and go back to sleep. You’re going to be right beside me.” She smiled. “I can’t say it too often, Cam -- you’re my one and only. My forever love.”

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