Page 127 of The Strawberry Patch Pancake House

‘I … he’s so small.’

‘I know. But the nurses wrapped him like a little burrito. Makes him easier to hold.’

Archer reached down and took the snug package that was his second child and held him in his arms. Big, unseeing eyes blinked up at him.

‘Hey, little guy,’ Archer whispered because whispering seemed to be the only thing he could force past the emotion in his throat. A tiny hand escaped the wrap and waved wildly in front of the baby’s face. Archer ran a finger over the back of it and the baby settled.

‘Oh, damn,’ Iris muttered from the bed.

‘What is it?’ Archer looked up in concern. ‘Do you need the nurse?’

‘No,’ Iris said with a frown. ‘It’s just the book club was right.’

‘The book club?’

‘Yeah, you look really hot holding a baby.’

‘I look…’

‘Never mind,’ Iris said, waving him away. ‘We should probably name him before Olive gets here.’

Archer chuckled, thinking about how Olive would react to her new brother. Two kids. He had two kids to take care of now, two kids to love, two kids to worry about. He looked up to find Iris still looking at him, a tired smile on her face.

Two kids and a partner to share it all with.

‘How about Owen?’ he suggested.

‘I was still kinda holding out hope for Knives, but Owen’s nice.’

Archer looked down at the baby. ‘What do you think, Owen?’ The baby blinked. ‘Feels like as good an answer as any.’

Iris laughed a little. And she looked tired and beautiful and perfect.

The nurse peeked in the door. ‘We have a very excited big sister here.’

Olive burst into the room and ran straight for him. ‘Let me see him,’ she whispered because she felt it, too. She understood that he was too little to talk to at a regular volume. At least not yet.

‘I’ll keep the rest of the guests at bay for now,’ the nurse told them. ‘But I’m not sure how long I can hold them off.’

Iris laughed, but Archer was glad for the moment alone with Olive and Iris and little Owen.

He sat on the edge of the bed and Olive climbed up next to him.

‘Olive, meet Owen.’

‘He’s very small,’ she whispered.

‘He’ll get bigger.’

She ran her finger over the back of his hand and now her little hands looked so big in comparison. More emotions crowded in Archer’s throat, and maybe a tear or two slipped out because Iris ran a hand over his back and said, ‘It’s okay, Papa Bear.’ And then maybe a few more tears slipped out.

‘I like him,’ Olive declared.

‘Good, we like him, too.’

‘Iris?’ Olive said, turning to face Iris on the bed.

‘Yeah?’