Chapter 5
FIVE
ivy
I stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, staring out at the vast land in front of me.
My eyes scanned the expansive backyard, where the growing landscape of Greene Gardens offered a faded green backdrop.
We were days away from the start of winter, and the temperature mirrored that—likely contributing to the muted green color spread out before me.
I imagined it would look much better when spring rolled around.
At the moment, it looked a bit dull, but I could see its potential.
“That was the last box,” Leo said behind me, pulling my attention away from the window.
I nodded in acknowledgment, turning to face him, my arms still tightly folded across my chest.
Leo entered the house without needing to duck his head. He and Tyrell were close to the same height, so I was sure the high ceilings and tall doorjambs were built with intention, keeping Tyrell and his friends in mind.
Leo and I were really doing it. We’d done it. Signed the guardianship papers Mr. Grant had forwarded to the courts, signed the new deed on Kendra and Tyrell’s property in Greene Gardens, and uprooted our lives to move out to the middle of nowhere.
A sharp cry echoed from upstairs. Leo and I both turned toward the sound before refocusing on each other.
“I got him,” Marta, the baby nurse, said, taking quick steps from the back of the house toward the stairs. “This is very good. Very, very good,” she added. “He got up the same time yesterday.”
I turned to Leo. “He got up the same time yesterday… whatever that means.”
He scoffed a laugh, turning away to press his hands to the top of his head.
So much had happened since we agreed to take on the responsibility of being guardians to Kendra and Tyrell’s son.
The very next day, I was on the internet, trying to find all I could about taking care of babies—writing down a list of books I decided I would listen to in audio instead of read to save time.
There were so many, though. Too many to choose from.
By the time I got to the fifth recommendation, I felt like I was having a panic attack.
Thankfully, I had the sense to call Kendra’s mother and ask her what she recommended I read. She chuckled at the thought, telling me she needed the laugh.
“Ivy, baby, there isn’t a book in the world that’s going to prepare you for this.”
It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, and it didn’t help my anxiety one bit.
She must’ve sensed that because she told me if I ran into any trouble, she and her husband, Kendra’s father Walt, would be there to guide Leo and me.
She also suggested hiring a baby nurse, explaining that a coworker had done that for her second child to get some relief at night.
My next few phone calls were to agencies, searching for a qualified baby nurse. I found one who met the standards I’d set—with Leo’s fairly limited but fair input.
Marta Ramirez was the first person to stay in Kendra and Tyrell’s house. She accompanied us to the hospital to pick up the baby and bring him to the Greene Gardens property.
The first time I laid eyes on him, I couldn’t stop staring.
He looked so much like Kendra—his eyes, his lips.
I wasn’t even sure Tyrell had been in the room the night he was made.
I was also too scared to touch him. He was so tiny and fragile-looking.
Since we brought him home two days ago, I hadn’t touched him once—just watched him as he slept.
Leo sighed, turning to face me again. “How long is Marta staying with us again?”
“One month,” I answered. “She said starting tomorrow, we’ll have sessions with her to learn the basics—like how to pick him up, hold him, and soothe him when he’s upset.”
Leo inhaled deeply, letting it out through pursed lips. “I got a game in like three days,” he revealed. “An away game, so…”
I nodded. “I remember.”
Leo gestured at me. “How about you? When are you heading back to work?”
“In two weeks,” I said, pointing toward the stairs. “Around the time Marta says we’ll be able to handle at least the daily responsibilities while she takes care of nights until her month with us is up. Then we’ll need to hire a nanny… but.” I held up a hand. “One step at a time, right?”
Leo bobbed his head up and down. “Yeah.”
My eyes drifted from Leo to scan the surrounding space.
Kendra and Tyrell’s home, which was now Leo’s and mine, was stunning.
It was clear they’d intended for it to be their forever family home.
The ground floor boasted a large living room that flowed into a dining area and a state-of-the-art kitchen, equipped with everything you could imagine.
There was also an office and floor-to-ceiling windows that opened to the biggest backyard I’d ever seen in New York State.
Our bedrooms were upstairs. Leo had insisted I take the master bedroom with the en suite, and I’d accepted quickly before he could change his mind. From the kitchen to the attic, the home had a sleek, contemporary design with an insanely spacious layout.
Kendra had invited me more times than I could count to check out their build in Greene Gardens, but I was stuck on staying in the city.
She kept raving about the land they'd bought through the village's custom home lot program, which lets buyers design their own places instead of buying one of those prefab models. Despite all her enthusiasm, I just wasn't buying into the idea of moving there. Everyone was talking about moving out of New York City, but I hadn’t wanted to hear it. I would’ve missed out if I’d never agreed to come here when she invited me.
Even still under construction, the village was beautiful, with clear potential.
“Okay,” Marta said as she descended the stairs. “He’s back asleep.”
“He sleeps a lot, huh?” Leo asked. “That’s great.”
Marta giggled. “They sleep a lot the first couple of weeks. They’re getting acclimated to being out of the womb.”
“So…” I turned to face her. “That’s not, like… a forever thing?”
Marta laughed, covering her mouth as she glanced toward the stairs. “No, mami. It is not forever.”
I looked to Leo.
“You two settle in,” Marta said. “Rest up. Tomorrow, we’ll start the first session in the morning.”
She left the area, heading toward the ground-floor office we’d turned into her temporary bedroom.
Tyrell’s mother had said something similar—when she wasn’t bursting into tears staring at a picture of her grandson.
She’d taken the loss of her son very hard, understandably, but she was gracious enough to offer to watch the baby if Leo and I ever needed a break.
Kendra’s parents had offered as well, as had Leo’s mother and mine.
“Have you started unpacking?” I asked Leo.
“Nah, you?”
“Of course.” I nodded.
“Why am I not surprised?” He smirked.
“I mean, I still have some boxes of shoes and stuff, but yeah, most of my things are set. I don’t like to wait.”
“Hmph.”
I turned toward the stairs. “Come on, I can help you unpack.”
“Uh…” Leo caught me by the wrist.
I glanced down at his grip, then up at his eyes.
“That’s aight.” He forced a smile, releasing my wrist. “I’ll take care of it.”
I tilted my head to one side. “Leo, it’s no big deal. We’ll just handle the basics—”
“I said, I’m cool.”
I stared at him for a moment, and he stared back.
“You didn’t bring no drugs in here, right?”
His brows furrowed. “What?”
“Because I don’t want that here.” I folded my arms over my chest. “I’ve never been around babies, but I’m pretty sure drugs and babies don’t go.”
He kissed his teeth. “I didn’t bring drugs in here, Ivy. Come on, man.”
I held my stare for another beat before shaking my head and looking away.
“I just…” Leo started, running his hands down his face. “I want to take my time. I get it—we’re here now, cool. But I’m not like you.”
He exhaled and let his attention wander around the space. His eyes landed on the walls, where contemporary art pieces and photographs of landscapes already decorated the house.
“It takes a little time for me to get adjusted to shit,” he admitted. “I haven’t even put my loft up for sale yet. And now I’m living in a house out here in a village that’s still under construction. Life is coming at me too damn fast.”
“Tell me about it,” I mumbled. “We’ll be fine, though.”
His gaze shifted back to me.
“Everything is crazy, and we don’t quite know what to expect,” I said, lifting my shoulders in a shrug before letting them drop. “But… we’ll be fine.”
“Shit.” He released a nervous chuckle. “I sure hope so because when that baby cried just now, my heart jumped and hasn’t landed back in my chest yet.”
“Right?!” I giggled. “Like, I literally felt my heart hit the ceiling, and it’s still up there.”
We both laughed before taking deep breaths at the same time.
“We’re doing the right thing,” I said, meeting his eyes again. “Everything we’re doing… we’re making the right decision.”
He smirked. “I’m praying that’s true, Ivy League.”
I pointed at him, and he threw his hands up in surrender, laughing.
I sighed and let my eyes wander up the stairs that led to the bedrooms. A thought crossed my mind.
“He still doesn’t have a name,” I reminded, looking back at Leo.
“I know.”
After checking with both Kendra’s parents and Tyrell’s mother, we learned that Kendra and Tyrell hadn’t shared their potential baby names with them like we’d hoped.
So Leo and I were completely in the dark about where to start.
The hospital staff were understanding, though, offering to file the birth certificate with the placeholder name 'Baby Boy Love' until we decided on a permanent one.
I had no idea where to even start. Neither Kendra nor Tyrell’s parents knew what they’d planned to name their son. Hell, Kendra and Tyrell didn’t even know the baby’s gender—they’d kept telling Leo and me that we’d find out after the baby was born.
“I don’t want to just choose a name,” I said, shaking my head. “Names are important. They shape personalities.”
“We could name him after Tyrell,” Leo suggested with a shrug. “Like, Tyrell Love, Jr.”
“They didn’t want that. I at least know that much,” I said. “When I asked if they’d name the baby after Tyrell if it was a boy, Tyrell was quick to say no. He hated his name.”
Leo snorted. “He really did.”
That made me giggle too. I tucked my lips into my mouth, thinking. “We have to call him something.”
“Baby sounds good to me,” Leo said with a grin.
“Baby?”
He laughed. “Yeah. Simple. To the point, until we think of something else.”
I lifted my gaze to the ceiling, scanning it as if it had answers… and, in a way, it kind of did.
“How about Baby Love ?”
Leo arched a brow. “Baby Love?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “Baby, like you suggested, and Love for Kendra and Tyrell’s last name—which is his last name too. Baby Love.”
Leo’s eyes moved around the room before he nodded. “Aight, sure. Baby Love.”
I smiled. Something about agreeing on something together made me feel a little better about the situation. “Okay, cool. We’ll keep researching and trying out names in the meantime.”
“And in my meantime…” Leo stretched his arms high and yawned for effect. “I’m gonna get some sleep while I still can.”
“I’m gonna see what else I can set up down here,” I said, looking around the space.
“Marta said rest up, Ivy League.” He smirked. “I think you should take her advice.”
“Would you stop calling me that!”
He chuckled as he headed toward the stairs. “It’s gonna be really interesting living with you in this big-ass house, roomie.”
“Mm-hmm.” I shook my head while grinning. “Hopefully, I don’t kill you in the process.”