Epilogue
CLAY
Five Months Later…
Monroe’s hospital room had finally quieted down.
My fiancée was a fucking rockstar. How she managed to push for over an hour until all nine pounds, six point two ounces of baby boy came into the world screaming.
Our little boy slept peacefully in my arms, completely oblivious to the fact that he'd turned our entire world upside down only a few hours ago. While his Momma rested in the hospital bed right beside us.
I couldn't stop looking at him. Counting his fingers and toes.
He had dark hair, like Monroe who wasn’t actually a strawberry blonde and dyed her hair back to her natural color after…
I shook my head. Kael Mercer had no place in this room, or in our lives for that matter.
The door cracked open.
A familiar little voice whispered dramatically. "Daddy! Is he sleeping?"
Noah startled in my arms.
“Maybe try whispering, Kaleigh-girl.”
"I am whispering."
"No," I chuckled. "You think you're whispering."
Rafe peeked around the door with a grin. “Safe to come in?”
I nodded.
Monroe opened her eyes and patted the bed beside her. “There’s my girl.”
Kaleigh handed her the huge card she had in her hand. Bright crayons covered every inch of the front. Stick figures. A dog that looked suspiciously like a fluffy potato. And a baby with bright orange hair.
"I drawed us!" she announced proudly.
"I can see that." Monroe grinned as Kaleigh climbed carefully onto the bed before looking at the tiny bundle in my arms.
Her nose wrinkled. "He's...little."
I laughed. “You were this little once, too.”
"Can I hold him?"
I looked at Monroe. She smiled and gave me a small nod.
Together, we arranged pillows around her until she looked like she was sitting in a fluffy fortress. Then I gently settled the baby into her arms.
Kaleigh stared down at him with complete wonder. "Hi, baby."
His tiny fingers stretched before wrapping around one of hers.
She gasped. "He’s holding my finger, Mommy."
"I think he likes you," Monroe whispered through tears.
Her whole face lit up and I quickly snapped a picture on my phone.
"I knew he would." Kaleigh beamed. "Do you think he knows about dinosaurs?"
I chuckled. “I bet you could teach him.”
She nodded. "And how to swim."
“When he’s a little bigger,” Monroe said.
"And how to bake cookies."
"We’ll wait until he’s got teeth first.” Kaleigh had clearly been putting a lot of thought into all this big sister stuff.
She looked down at her baby brother again. "I'll protect him. Because I’m the big sister. I’ll protect him like Daddy and Mavy protects all of us."
My breath caught. Damnit. She was going to make me cry. Again.
Yes. I sobbed like a jackass when they placed Noah on Monroe’s chest.
"I know you will," Monroe said quietly, as she reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze.
Kaleigh thought about it for another moment before looking up at me. "Does he have a name yet?"
Monroe smiled up at me. "We were waiting for someone important to help us.”
Her eyes grew impossibly wide. "Me?"
I nodded. “Mommy and I were wondering how you felt about calling him Noah.”
She looked between us, then down at the baby looking up at her.
After what felt like forever, she whispered, "I think...he looks like a Noah."
Monroe swiped a tear from her cheek. “Noah it is. Noah Clayton Wilder, meet your big sister.”
“Kaleigh Monroe Wilder!” Kaleigh announced proudly.
We all laughed, even Rafe.
“What? He has Daddy’s name and I have Mommy’s.”
“That’s not exactly how it works, kiddo.”
Kaleigh looked up at me, but she did not seem convinced.
Rafe walked over and clapped me on the back. “You sure do have your hands full, Wilder.”
“You think?” I snorted.