Page 42 of Romance Reset
A soft sob ripped out of Amelia’s chest, one of relief and love and the overwhelming gratitude for such a blessing. She and Lincoln had wasted no time on making things official. Since it was Amelia’s first time tying the knot, Izzy had insisted they do it right, and when Lincoln realized that she did have a certain wedding in mind, he’d hired Marsali’s best friend and miracle-working wedding planner, Eliza Bellefonte, to create Amelia’s perfect beach wedding at sunset.
It had been yet another example of Lincoln’s love for her, that of withstanding the fuss and preparation when she knew he would’ve been happy with a trip to the courthouse.
Eliza had truly outdone herself. The woman had weddings down to a science, and somehow she’d been able to pull off Lincoln’s one demand—the ceremony had to take place within two weeks. Thirteen days later, Amelia’s father had walked her down the aisle to where Lincoln stood and given her to the man she’d loved all her life.
Piper had made an adorable flower girl, Izzy was Amelia’s maid of honor, Breanne a bridesmaid, and Carter and Brendan had stood in as Lincoln’s best man and groomsman. As the sun set and the sky filled with a dazzling array of colors, Lincoln sealed their vows with a kiss that had left her toes curling into the sand.
Amelia closed her eyes and pictured it now, the way Lincoln had stood there so tall and broad. The sweet hugs and kisses from his children as they accepted her as one of them. She knew she’d never be their mom, but she would do her very best to honor the woman who was and fill the void left behind by her passing.
“What are you thinking about?” Lincoln asked.
A contraction built in her belly and she smoothed her palms over the taut surface. “Our wedding. How beautiful. They’re next,” she said, smiling. “Wait and see.”
“Who’s next?”
“Okay, Mama, you ready to go again?”
Amelia nodded to the midwife when the contraction grew in strength and intensity. She forgot all about her friends and focused on the physical act of breathing and the pain shredding her body.
Due to her age and the endometriosis, her doctor had agreed to fertility medication that sometimes produced multiple births. In their case, they’d been given a double blessing. The second of which was now— “Owww,” she said, groaning and crying and struggling to fight through the pain.
“Your baby girl is stubborn,” Lincoln said, whispering the words in her ear. “Just wait until she’s a teenager and you two butt heads. Come on, Amelia, push. You can do this. Come on.”
She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth and bore down hard, but it still took three more minutes of pushing before their daughter followed her brother into the room. When she did, the L and D suite was filled with baby cries that were the sweetest music ever.
“Congratulations,” the midwife said.
Lincoln gently hugged her tight before he extracted himself from behind her on the bed to take photos as the nurses cleaned up the babies and did the initial assessments. Amelia leaned heavily into the pillow at her head and tried to catch her breath, tired and elated and overwhelmed by everything as the post-birth process took place.
She opened her eyes in time to see Lincoln lean over the bed. He brushed the tears of pain from her cheeks and gave her a slow, sweet kiss, and she reveled in the feel of his touch, smiling when she thought of his statement that morning outside of her condo door.
The baby making was definitely the fun part. This? Not so much.
“You were amazing, sweetheart.”
She lost herself in the love shining out of Lincoln’s gaze, happier than she could ever remember being.
“Here you go,” the midwife said, approaching the bed carrying one baby while a nurse followed with the other. “One for each of you. Do we have names?”
“We haven’t settled on those yet. We wanted to see them first,” Amelia said, taking her pink-hatted daughter into her arms and cradling her next to her chest.
Lincoln received his son, and Amelia was struck at how utterly sexy he was with his arms bulging as he held the tiny bundle of blue.
This. This was what she’d wanted.
Him. Them. This precious moment that represented all the love she had to give and the family she had taken on when she’d taken her vows. Breanne and Brendan had thrived in college, making the dean’s list both semesters. They’d just finished their finals and had moved back to Carolina Cove in time to find summer jobs and help with the babies, both of them excited to meet their baby brother and sister. For the last several weeks, their home had been filled with laughter and fun, baby showers, and last-minute preparations. With all the kids under one roof, she knew it would be bursting at the seams as their family got to know one another and settled into a routine.
Amelia pressed a soft kiss to her daughter’s wrinkled forehead and whispered her love to the scrunched-up little face. Lincoln sat next to her on the bed, and after a bit, he asked if she wanted to meet her son. Lincoln gave her their son for the swap, and she held both babies in her arms, looking up to find Lincoln struggling to contain his emotions. “What? What is it?”
“You,” he whispered, clearing his throat gruffly as he bent over them and pressed a kiss on her temple. “If not for their stubborn mama, I would’ve missed out on this, and now I can’t imagine not seeing you like this, with them. I love you, Amelia.” His voice choked as he whispered the words, and tears trickled down Amelia’s cheeks as she watched her husband cradle their little family, his arms wrapped around hers.
Lincoln kissed her again, lingering over the caress before shifting to hold his daughter for the first time. “Hey, you,” he said, settling her against him. “Let me see you. What’s your name, huh? Who are you? Tell me.”