Chapter 31
Jayne
It’s just past midnight when the click of the front door wakes me. A moment later, our bedroom opens, and the familiar mix of hospital smells—soap, latex, antiseptic—drifts in before he does.
“How did it go?” I whisper, eyes still mostly closed.
“She’s stable,” he murmurs, leaning down to kiss my forehead.
“Good.” I breathe out, sinking deeper into the pillow.
“Kids okay?” he asks. I hear the rustle of him removing his clothes.
“Mikaela was floating until she completely folded,” I mumble. “Come to bed.”
The shower turns on in the master bath, its soft rush pulling me under again. I surface only once, when the mattress dips and his weight settles beside me.
His hand slides over my waist, warm and sure, pulling me back into him.
“I love you,” he whispers into my hair.
“I love you, too.” My eyes are heavy, but I force them open for a moment because this matters. “Tonight…when you left? It didn’t feel like you were leaving me. Not like before.”
His hand pauses on my hip. “No?”
“No.” I smile, pressing a lazy kiss to his chest. “It felt normal.”
His answer is lost to me. I’m asleep before the words even reach my ears.