Page 67 of Silver Spoon Falls, Vol. I

GRIZZ

“Fucking finally,” I sigh, scooping my baby girl up into my arms. I cradle her against my chest, my heart pulsing. I’ve been waiting all damn day for everyone to go away so I can have my wife and baby to myself.

Arina snuggles right in with a little grunt, her tiny fist against my throat.

“She’s so tiny,” Morgan whispers from the bed, watching us through sleepy eyes.

She is tiny. And perfect, exactly like her mama.

“She’s going to look just like you, bookworm.” I scowl at the thought. “Maybe it’s a good thing Miles and Giant are already fighting over who is going to be the best godfather. I’ll need all the help I can get watching over her.”

Morgan groans, dropping her head back against the pillow. “Don’t you dare encourage them, Grizz Delacorte.”

“I’m just saying.”

“Say less!” she cries, making me smile. “They’re going to drive me crazy.”

“No can do.” I stride across the hospital room toward her and lean down, cradling Arina carefully so I can press my lips to Morgan’s temple. “It’s my job to drive you crazy.”

She hums sweetly. “You’re so good at it, too.”

“Smart-ass.”

Her soft laugh hits me right in the heart, just like always. “The truth hurts, caveman.”

“Scoot over and make room for us. We have something important to do.”

“We do?”

“Mmhmm.”

She eyes me curiously as she wriggles over, making room for me to settle beside her. Once she’s situated, I hand Arina to her and then dig through the diaper bag beside the bed before pulling out the book I packed.

“Oh,” Morgan whispers when she sees it. “You brought a book?”

“You said Miles used to read to you all the time.” I settle onto the bed beside her. “They’re some of your favorite memories, so I thought you might like to carry on the tradition with Arina.”

“He read to me to drown out the sound of our parents fighting.”

“He read to you to remind you that the world was bigger than what you guys were going through,” I say, wrapping an arm around her. “He read to you to comfort you and to spend time with you. He read to you because he loved you. We’ll read to our kids for the same reasons, little bookworm.”

Morgan and I don’t fight. There will be no arguments to drown out.

But we will teach our kids that the world is bigger than their own bubble and that there’s comfort to be found between the covers of a favorite book.

I want them to appreciate reading as much as Morgan does.

I want them to live a thousand lifetimes, too.

“I love that.” She smiles up at me, her expression soft. “I never thought of it that way.”

“I’m a smart fucker sometimes, Temptation.”

“Occasionally.”

I growl at her, making her laugh.

“What book did you bring?”

I flip it over so she can see the worn, tattered copy of Les Misérables.

Her eyes light up. “Perfect,” she whispers.