Chapter 49
forty-nine
GREER
“We’re home!” Nathalie called through the front entryway of the house.
Greer was about ready to burst with excitement. The weight of the bucket car seat in her arm was exactly what it should be, and she couldn’t be happier to be the one walking into the house carrying it. They’d discussed it to death, but ultimately, Nathalie had been the one to make the decision.
There was a clamor of movement in the house as everyone rushed toward the living room to meet them. They hadn’t told the kids yet, afraid that the NICU release day wouldn’t actually happen. Nathalie walked carefully, still sore from the C-section, but she held her head high as she slid onto the couch and relaxed.
“She’s here!” Lachlan clapped her hands together as the twins toddled over, excited and ready to see something they had never seen before.
Greer set the bucket car seat onto the coffee table and let the kids all peer in at her that way. It had been so hard keeping the kids from seeing her outside of pictures and videos on her phone for the three weeks that she’d been in the NICU, but it had been worth it.
“That’s your sister,” Nathalie said to them, smiling over the car seat to Greer. “Dawn.”
Greer’s heart thudded hard. They’d been doing that more and more often lately, referring to all of the kids as siblings instead of simply as friends or cousins. But now Alaric was no longer the one without a sibling, and Greer could see how proud he was of that.
Alaric slid his finger underneath Dawn’s little grasped fist and let her hold onto him. He grinned at her broadly. Shepherd was the first one to lose interest, which wasn’t surprising. Ivy picked him up, popped him onto her hip, and leaned over the car seat. Everyone wanted to see Dawn. But Greer couldn’t take her eyes off of Nathalie.
The last three weeks had been intense, and the next few weeks weren’t going to be any better. Dawn still had the oxygen cannula pressed into her nose, and she had a slew of appointments set up. Greer had taken a crash course from the nurses on what to do alongside Nathalie, and they’d almost considered not allowing Dawn to come home that day, but had finally released her.
“She’s so tiny!” Leon said, leaning in even closer and mimicking Alaric’s move and holding onto her hand.
“Well, she was born six weeks early, so yeah, she should be tiny.” Greer touched Leon’s back lightly to show him that he was all right to touch. She didn’t want any of the kids to be afraid of being around her.
Nathalie blew out a breath as Lachlan moved to sit next to her, setting a hand on her knee. “You did a good job keeping her in there as long as you did.”
Nathalie hummed her agreement. “Still wish it could have been longer.”
“Well, stress will do that.” Lachlan flicked her gaze from Nathalie to Greer and Ivy. “That’s what you get for trying to take on the whole world all at once.”
“Hey, we won the lawsuit against Penny. Don’t complain too much.” Nathalie closed her eyes and settled back.
Greer’s mind was already spinning with ways that she could get Nathalie even more settled so she wouldn’t have to stand back up. The emergency C-section had taken its toll on her as well, not to mention trying to be at the hospital as often as possible.
“But, no more babies for me,” Nathalie murmured. “I’m done with that.”
“Doesn’t mean we won’t have any more in the family,” Ivy chimed in, but she was looking directly at Greer. “If you wanted to have one or two or more of your own.”
“If I?” Greer squeaked and then gaped. “I think we have enough chaos for right now, don’t you?”
Ivy laughed and so did Lachlan. “We’re never without a little bit of chaos.”
Ivy wasn’t wrong there, but Greer didn’t necessarily feel like she needed to add to that chaos, and definitely not right now. One premature baby at a time, please. Greer started to pull at the straps on the car seat and slide Dawn from it. The twins were completely enraptured with her.
Moving to sit in the chair, Greer cradled Dawn in the nook of her arm, shifting the oxygen with her. That was going to be quite an adjustment for her to make, but just like everything else so far, it’d be worth it in the end.
Ivy put Shepherd down, and he started to play with Davina and Halle. She came over and sat on the arm of the chair, leaning over Greer and the baby, a sappy look on her face. Greer loved seeing them like this, so happy and settled. She slid her finger over Dawn’s cheek, eyeing the way she moved a little in her sleep.
“There’s nothing better than a newborn smell,” Ivy whispered, running her fingers through Greer’s hair and against the back of her neck.
Greer smiled. “Having her home, I think, is much better.”
“Well, yes that.” Ivy kissed the top of Greer’s head. “Having everyone here is, really.”
“Yup.” Greer wasn’t going to argue with her on that one. They had everything they needed and wanted, right here.