Chapter 40 #2
Hannah and Amelia park themselves on the edge of the bed, each taking one of my hands.
And for a minute with them and Jo, Pam to my right, and Cece to my left with my daughter still in her arms, we all look at each other, and we’re tethered together by an understanding and a kind of knowing that flows between us without a single word spoken.
It’s love and trust and friendship and sisterhood and everything I’ve always wanted but never knew I could have.
It’s big and special and important and more powerful than any magic could ever be.
“Okay, whatever is going on here right now is spooky and I need to see my niece, stat,” Chris says, coming to stand next to me, leaning down and kissing me on the head. “You had a whole entire baby, Ev. Why do you look so damn pretty?”
Rio backhands him across the stomach. “Mi amor, that was not on the approved list I gave you of appropriate things to say to your sister five hours after she gave birth.”
Cooper snorts out a laugh, hugging Chris and then Rio. “None of us are ever appropriate. Welcome to the family.”
Pam rolls her eyes as Chris turns to study the baby still in Cece’s arms. “You’re a little late to the party, Coop. I already welcomed them to this family months ago. I trade recipes with Rio, and I’ve sat behind home plate for three baseball games since opening day.”
“You go to baseball games without me?” Noah asks, practically pouting.
“Dude, you’re not the only person who can get tickets to a baseball game,” Elliot says, tossing an arm over Noah’s shoulders. “You’re a dentist. Chris over there is a whole entire baseball player.”
“Oral surgeon,” Noah mutters, shoving Elliot’s arm off his shoulders. “I’m an oral fucking surgeon.”
“You sure are, baby,” Hannah says, patting his hand. “You’re the greatest oral surgeon to ever pull a tooth.”
Jordan hoots out a laugh, hooking an arm around Noah’s neck. “Spicy Hannah is my favorite Hannah.”
Noah shoves him off too, sitting on the end of the bed behind Hannah and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, tugging her back against him. “Every Hannah is my favorite Hannah.”
Cooper sits down next to me again, sliding an arm around my waist. “How you doing, Rhodes?” he asks, kissing the side of my head.
I lean my head against his, surveying the room. Chris and Rio peering at the baby Cece is still holding hostage, Rob and Pam watching them with a smile, the girls still perched on the end of the bed with their guys behind them. “I’m great. I’m really, really great.”
“You sure are,” he murmurs, turning my face to his and kissing me, long and slow. I could live a thousand lifetimes, and I will never forget how it feels for Cooper to kiss me like this in my hospital room on the day our baby was born, his whole family around us.
Our family.
It feels perfect. It feels like everything.
“Excuse me, but visiting hours are long over.” Everyone’s attention swings to the door where a nurse stands, her eyes sweeping over the crowd in the room.
“Hey, Mary!” Jordan ambles over to the door, his You’re going to give me whatever I want and like it grin stretched across his face.
“Dr. Wyles,” she says, smiling back at him. “It’s been a while since you graced us with your presence. Are you here for a consult?”
It never occurred to me that, as a pediatric surgeon, Jordan would do consults here on the maternity floor, but I guess it should have.
Newborns sometimes need surgery too. At that thought, panic curls in my stomach and my head whips around, relief gusting through me when I see the baby happily asleep, still in Cece’s arms, decidedly not in need of surgery.
I take a long, slow breath, and Jesus, is this what it feels like to be a mom?
Jordan starts talking before I can contemplate whether the next eighteen or so years of my life are going to be one long string of me catastrophizing over all the terrible things that could befall my child.
“Nah, no consult today, Mary. That’s my sister-in-law.
” He points to me, and I don’t bother to tell him that I am not, in fact, his sister-in-law because I can practically feel the glee pouring off Cooper at Jordan’s words, and honestly, the idea of being part of this family officially? I don’t hate that at all.
“She and my brother had a baby today,” Jordan continues.
“I know visiting hours are over, but it’s our first baby, and my grandma is being really territorial over her, so we haven’t all gotten a chance to hold her, and we don’t even know her name yet.
If we’re really quiet, do you think we can hang for a while?
” He gives the nurse his brightest smile.
“She’ll fold,” Jo murmurs quietly. “Even I can’t resist Jordan in full sunshine mode.”
“You can’t resist Jordan in any mode.” Hannah laughs, her chuckle low.
Jo shrugs with a grin. “True story. I just fucking love that guy.”
“Oh my god, they’re going full court press,” Amelia mutters, eyes dancing with amusement as Cooper stands from his perch on the bed.
We all look over to see Noah, Cooper, and Elliot flank Jordan, all four Wyles brothers standing shoulder to shoulder, matching smiles on their faces.
The nurse sighs. “Just try and keep it quiet, okay? There are tired new moms and sleeping babies up here.”
As the nurse turns to leave, Cooper turns his head and winks at me, blue eyes switching from sparkle to smolder in a single beat.
“Jesus Christ,” I mumble. “If I could feel my vagina, I’m pretty sure I would have had a tiny orgasm just now.”
Hannah snorts out a laugh. “Not the greatest advertisement for childbirth.”
I shake my head. “I won’t sugarcoat it. It was the worst. Every damn minute of it.
I’ll be shocked if I can ever have an orgasm again.
I have an ice pack shoved into giant mesh underwear, a nurse handed me a squeeze bottle for some unknown reason I think has to do with going to the bathroom which, gross, and I think I’m broken forever. ”
“You’re not,” Pam says, patting my leg. “I promise. It just feels that way.”
“What feels what way?” Cooper asks, sitting back down next to me.
“Nothing, baby.” Pam says, running a hand over Cooper’s hair and bending to kiss his head, pride and love flashing in her eyes. “Girl talk. So, are you planning on telling us what my granddaughter’s name is?” she asks. “The granddaughter I haven’t gotten to hold yet?”
She narrows her eyes at Cece, who smiles serenely. “Be patient, Pammy. I could die tomorrow and then you’d be sorry you didn’t let me hold my first great-grandchild for as long as I wanted today.”
Pam rolls her eyes. “You’ll never die. And if you do, you’ll just come back and haunt us, so it won’t be like you’re actually dead at all.”
“Isn’t it kind of dark to talk about death around a newborn?” Noah muses.
“Nah,” Cece says. “This baby girl’s aura is all yellow. She’s smart and strong and powerful and already knows her own mind. There’s not a shred of darkness in her.”
“No fucking way,” I marvel without realizing I’m speaking as Cece’s words echo in my head.
Cece’s gaze swings to me. “What is it, honey?” she asks, the tone of her voice telling me she already knows exactly what’s going through my brain.
“Her name,” I say, my eyes glued to Cece and the baby in her arms. “It’s Emerson.”
I feel Cooper’s arm tighten around me as I say our daughter’s name out loud for the first time, but I’m watching as Cece takes in the word, a slow smile spreading across her face. “Well, well, well, looks like I’m not the only witchy woman in this family after all.”
“Uh, what is happening right now?” Elliot asks.
I turn to him and laugh, a little incredulous. “The baby’s name is Emerson. It means strength and power. Independence and intellect.”
Cooper lets out a low whistle and grins, moving his arm from my back and tossing it around my shoulders.
“Well, what do you know, Rhodes. Maybe you’re a little psychic too.
” He looks at the baby in Cece’s arms and turns to the rest of his family, my brother, and Rio.
“Meet our Emmy girl.” His voice breaks a little on the last word, and I look at him just in time to see a tear sliding down his cheek even as a grin splits his face.
He's still dressed in his work clothes from earlier, his hair disheveled from our very long day. His arm is tight around me, pulling me into his warm, solid body as happiness radiates from him and hits me right in the chest. My own eyes tear up as I soak him in, my love for him so huge it would be terrifying if it didn’t feel so exactly right.
“I think they need to know her middle name too,” I say, leaning into him and smiling.
“You don’t want to tell them?” he asks.
“Well, someone better fucking tell us,” Noah says, leaning forward, eyes wide like a kid waiting to hear the world’s greatest secret.
I laugh, kissing Cooper on the cheek. “Nah, this one’s all you.”
Cooper clears his throat, taking in his family one at a time until his eyes land on Cece. “Cece,” he says quietly. “Her name is Emerson Cece.”
The room goes silent, Cece’s breath hitching as she stares at us for a second before turning back to the baby in her arms, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her head. “Welcome to chaos, Emmy girl,” she murmurs. “We are so happy to have you.”
“Jesus, Mom, do you think you’ll let someone else hold her at some point or nah?
” Pam’s voice cuts through the emotion hanging heavily in the room, and everyone laughs.
Cece finally hands Emmy to Pam, who, predictably, starts to cry instantly while all four of her sons tease her about it.
Pam hands her to Rob, and then slowly, Emmy makes the rounds, landing in eleven sets of open arms. Eleven people who kiss her and hold her close and shower her with more love in these few precious minutes than some people feel in a lifetime.
“What are you thinking, Rhodes?” Cooper asks quietly, as I watch Jo hold Emmy and Jordan hold them both.
Smiling, I lean back against him. “I’m thinking our daughter is lucky to have all these people who love her.” I tip my head back so I can look at him. “And so am I.”
Cooper flashes me that wide grin I love so much, bending down so our faces are inches apart. “We both are. But don’t forget I love you most.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Why does it always have to be a competition with you?”
Cooper barks out a laugh, leaning down so his lips hover over mine. “Pot, meet kettle. You are my favorite human on earth, Ev. I love you madly.”
Then, with a smile still on his face and our family gathered around us, Cooper kisses me with all the promise of this moment and every perfect moment still to come.