Page 41 of Only in Our Dream (Moonflower Cove #15)

Cameron

T heir first two nights with Luca had gone better than Cameron had expected.

Granted, they were at the hospital where they had access to anything they might need, as well as a full staff to help them if anything happened.

But she and Melanie had managed to get Luca fed, changed, and asleep several times throughout the night.

They shared the hospital bed with Luca sleeping on Melanie’s side in the bassinet.

Each time Cameron woke up she found Melanie’s hand on him as he slept.

Cameron hated how they ended up in the position they were in more so than she could articulate.

She couldn’t imagine Leah or whatever her name actually was leaving Luca like she had.

Had it been her plan all along to come in, lie about everything, have a baby, then leave?

Or had she changed her mind after Luca was born?

Neither option settled well with Cameron.

Wherever Luca’s mom was now, Cameron hoped she was okay.

The police had sent notices to almost every hospital in a hundred-mile radius to be on the look for anyone coming in postpartum that matched her description.

Although none of them expected her to show back up.

Everything had been so curated that it was hard to think Leah didn’t plan to do exactly what she did all along.

Although her heart broke at that thought, Cameron was also relieved that Leah had abandoned Luca at the hospital.

At least now he was able to get the care and love he needed and deserved during his first few hours on earth.

He had a team around him that was ready to love him unconditionally in the absence of his mother.

Melanie and Cameron had spent the previous day focusing on how to handle the Luca situation.

While Cameron had worked her normal shift, Melanie had taken off to stay with Luca.

Between patients, Cameron would be with them as they made a plan for what to do next.

Angela got all the paperwork and all the legal things taken care of for them.

After Luca’s doctor discharged him later in the morning, they would be able to take him home.

They had talked with Jonah and Dylan the day before about fostering Luca and they had both been on board.

Jonah was excited at the prospect of not being the only boy in the family while Dylan was excited to have a younger sibling.

Cameron had reiterated to both of them that they were currently only fostering him, but it did little to dull their excitement.

After all, Cameron knew after only a few minutes that they would be adopting Luca if they got the chance.

Seeing Melanie holding him was more than Cameron could handle.

When she’d seen them through the NICU window, Cameron had stopped for a moment to just watch them.

Melanie had her scrub top off and Luca was on her chest. She was gently rocking him as she nuzzled him close.

As much as Cameron didn’t want to say it out loud, Luca looked like Melanie.

They had the same dark hair and nose, even though Cameron knew she was probably projecting on the latter.

But if she let herself, she could imagine Melanie was holding their baby.

And in a way, Cameron knew she was.

If Leah didn’t come back, they would be able to adopt him.

Cameron knew it wouldn’t be a hard decision.

He already felt like theirs even after less than two days.

She watched as Melanie changed his diaper before picking him up and cradling him to her chest. Luca scrunched up his legs as she snuggled against her.

“Oh, there you go, sweet boy.” Melanie kissed his head. “I know that’s how you like to be held.”

“He loves you.”

“The feeling is mutual. Do you want to hold him?”

“Please.”

Cameron sat on the couch in their hospital room as Melanie handed Luca to her. She positioned him on her chest the same way Melanie had been holding him as Melanie carefully sat beside her. Luca yawned widely before resting his head on Cameron’s chest and closing his eyes.

“He loves you, too.”

“He’s so perfect.”

“Definitely top three cutest babies ever.” Melanie smirked. “After Jonah and Dylan.”

“All our babies are perfect.”

“They truly are.”

The trio enjoyed their quiet moments together as Luca slept.

His doctor came in and discharged him, allowing Cameron and Melanie to take him home.

It was then they suddenly realized they had no way of even getting him home.

They had no car seat, no crib once they got him home.

Cameron was about to spiral out when Vera and Isla walked into the room carrying a new car seat.

“We thought you might need this.”

“Oh, my god, we were just stressing about that.” Cameron hugged Vera then Isla while Melanie fed Luca a bottle. “You two are such a blessing.”

“We figured you would be stressed so we wanted to make it easier for all of you.” Isla smiled at them before sitting beside Melanie on the couch. She cooed at Luca as she looked up at Melanie. “He’s beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“We also set up a crib in your bedroom.” Vera handed the car seat to Cameron.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I’m not sending him home to sleep on the couch.” Rolling her eyes, Vera laughed. “We also put some casseroles in the freezer for you and left some diapers, wipes, and clothes for Luca as well.”

“You two are too much. Thank you.”

“Anything to help our best friends.”

Isla and Vera stayed with them as they prepared to leave the hospital.

They walked out of the hospital with Luca asleep in the car seat between them.

Both of them had their hands on it as they smiled at each other as they headed down the hallway.

Vera helped them get the car seat into Melanie’s car before Cameron took the driver’s seat and Melanie stayed in the back with Luca.

Thankfully, Vera offered to drive Cameron’s car home, so they didn’t have to come back to the hospital for it later.

Bringing Luca into their home was a feeling Cameron wasn’t prepared for. She watched as Melanie carefully carried him inside and turned to smile at Cameron.

“Welcome home, Luca.”

“We hope you never have to leave.” Cameron kissed his forehead as he slept in Melanie’s arms.

Since Dylan was in school, they took advantage of the quiet house to get in a nap while Luca slept.

It had been too long since Cameron had had a newborn that she forgot how needy they were.

Not that she didn’t love it, but she’d also gotten used to a full night’s sleep as well.

But seeing Melanie asleep on the couch with Luca asleep on her chest made Cameron realize they were going to be okay.

The Mackenzies had picked up Dylan from school and dropped her off at home. Cameron greeted her at the door with a huge hug.

“Is he here?” Dylan excitedly asked.

“He is. Mama’s with him in the living room.”

Following behind Dylan, Cameron watched as she hurried to the living room only to stop short when she saw Luca in Melanie’s arms. Dylan covered her mouth with her hand as tears welled in her eyes.

Melanie held her arm out to her as Dylan carefully sat beside her on the couch and snuggled up with her.

Cameron carefully sat on the coffee table as she watched Dylan and Luca meet for the first time.

“Dylan, this is Luca.”

“Hi, Luca.” Dylan cooed as she gently rested her hand on his stomach. “He’s so tiny.”

“He’s a whole six pounds, eleven ounces,” Melanie beamed with pride. “Do you want to hold him?”

Dylan excitedly nodded and Melanie carefully handed Luca to her.

They had changed him out of the hospital donated onesie into one with the words little bro written on them.

Cameron knew they still had some hoops to jump through before Luca could officially be theirs, but she believed it in her heart that he was meant to be their son.

Watching Dylan with him only confirmed that.

Later that day, Jonah arrived home and met Luca as well.

He was just as smitten as Dylan was and Cameron’s heart melted seeing her babies hold Luca.

They fought over who got to feed him or hold him and Cameron had such a peace that everything was going to work out exactly as it should.

As she looked across the dining room table to Melanie, she knew she felt it, too.

The heaviness Melanie had carried around with her the days before had dissipated for the most part.

Cameron knew she was still sad about Leah leaving Luca, just like Cameron was.

It wasn’t going to be something they suddenly understood, but it was something they’d have to learn to live with not having the answers to.

In her arms, Luca stirred slightly as Cameron readjusted his position. She knew they were probably spoiling him by having nearly every nap be a contact nap, but Cameron didn’t care. Cameron had done the same thing with Jonah and Dylan and they had turned out amazing.

“So,” Cameron cleared her throat as she sat her fork down, “I know we kinda sprang all of this on you two. Is there anything you want to talk about?”

Dylan shrugged as she looked at Jonah. It was clear that the kids had talked about the topic among themselves and Jonah had been deemed the one to ask the question.

“What happens if Leah comes back? Does Luca have to go with her?”

It was a valid question. Cameron and Melanie had asked the very same ones.

They explained it to them the same way it had been explained by the caseworker.

Since Leah left her baby at a safe haven, she had forfeited her parental rights.

That was how Melanie and Cameron were able to foster him.

There was a waiting period to make sure that no family members showed up to claim Luca, but they knew that the possibility of that was slim.

Leah obviously didn’t want anything to do with her baby, which was why she’d lied about who she was and left him.

“So, after that waiting period, then what?”

Cameron and Melanie exchanged a glance as Melanie picked up the answer.

“Then Mom and I have the option to adopt Luca. Of course, that’s not a decision that would be made without talking with both of you. We wouldn’t do it unless all four of us were on board.”

“We are,” Jonah and Dylan answered firmly in unison.

“We’re on board,” Dylan said.

“We talked about it last night. We support adding Luca to the family. He can even have my room if you need it for him.”

“Jonah, that’s so sweet.” Cameron squeezed his arm as he smiled at her. “And Mama and I want both of you to know that we will be completely open with both of you during this entire process. I know we’ve talked about fostering before, but we all got thrown into it blind with Luca.”

“It’s because he’s meant to be part of our family.” Dylan’s firm nod punctuating her statement.

“I can’t argue with that,” Melanie laughed as she took a sip of her iced tea.

Later that night, Melanie and Cameron were cuddled in their bed as Dylan and Jonah were on either side of them while they watched a movie.

Melanie had her legs bent as Luca lay on her knees, looking around the room as he took everything in.

Cameron’s heart could nearly explode at how happy she was at their new family of five.

Even though she knew things weren’t going to be official for a while, Cameron had a calmness in her that told her things were going to be okay.

“What are you thinking?” Melanie asked as she watched Cameron watch Luca. Both Jonah and Dylan had fallen asleep, leaving only the three of them awake.

“That we’ll be so old when he graduates high school.”

Melanie chuckled. “Shut your mouth.”

“Like you haven’t thought the same thing.”

“I’ve just been thinking how lucky we are to get to love this precious baby boy.” Melanie rubbed her nose against Luca’s like she used to do with Jonah and Dylan when they were babies. “I never thought we’d have this. Me and you together. Jonah and Dylan thriving. A baby of our own.”

“It’s perfect.”

“Something that before happened only in our dreams.”

“Mmm,” Melanie snuggled up with Cameron, who put her arm around her. “I’m so glad we’re living in our best dreams together.”

“You and me both, babe.” Cameron tenderly kissed Melanie’s cheek. “I love you, Mel.”

“I love you too, Cam.”