Page 108 of Unexpected

He wasn’t an emotional man, but his watery smile told me everything I needed to know. He was proud to be my father, to be a grandfather. And he loved me.

“Thanks.” I gave him a big hug. After all the shit we’d been through with cancer, it was nice to finally be at the hospital for such an amazing reason.

I crouched down before Sophia. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Okay, princess?”

“Okay. Take good care of my baby.”

My parents and I laughed. “I will. I promise to take very good care of Blair.”

“You chose a name?” Mom asked.

I stood, ruffling Sophia’s hair. “We did. Blair Elizabeth.”

“It’s beautiful,” Mom said. “Strong yet feminine. It’s perfect.”

“Thanks.” I smiled. “I better get back to them.”

“Yes, of course. Go.” She pushed me in the direction of Alexis’s room, and I gave the three of them one last wave.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” they called. “We can’t wait to see Blair tomorrow.”

When I returned to the hospital room, Alexis’s eyes were closed, and Blair rested on her chest. They looked so peaceful, I couldn’t help but stare. My whole world was wrapped up in Alexis, Sophia, and now, Blair—my girls.

Alexis’s eyes fluttered open, and I stood from the chair, going to her side. “Do you want anything? Something to eat? Are you comfortable?”

She glanced down at Blair before meeting my eyes once more. “I have everything I could ever want.”

I pressed my lips to hers, so incredibly grateful for this woman. “I know the feeling.”

“What three things are you grateful for today?” she asked.

“You, Sophia, and Blair,” I said without hesitation.

She grinned. “You say that every night, except now we know this little one’s name.”

“I say it because it’s true. And it will be true every night for the rest of my life.”

She removed one of her hands from Blair’s back and placed it over mine. “Thank you for taking a chance on me, for being patient and kind and loving. You showed me what love could be. What family could be. And for that, I will be forever grateful.”

I touched my forehead to hers, needing to feel that connection to her. “I love you.”

“I love you. So, so much.” She placed her hand on my cheek, pressing her lips to mine.

Blair stirred, and I peered down at her sweet little face. And I knew that life wasn’t made up of the big moments like weddings or graduation, it was lived in the small, quiet moments. The tender kisses we shared. The times Sophia wrapped her arms around my neck or told me she loved me.

I considered myself lucky, not only because I’d survived cancer. But because I’d been given the chance to live life—an amazing life. And I intended to savor every moment.