41. Allie
ALLIE
Archer is still bare chested, rocking in the chair beside my bed, our daughter nuzzled against him.
She’s only just stopped crying, but he continues to coo, brush her forehead, stare at her with wonder-struck eyes—like if he takes them away from her face for one single second, he’ll miss something essential.
“We can try nursing now if you’d like,” Claire says when she returns to the room.
After both baby girl and I got cleaned up, the three of us spent a while in bed together, skin-to-skin, Archer and I blissed out on baby love.
I’m now resting while Archer sits across from me, rocking her. It’s surreal to watch. The way his entire identity has transformed right before my eyes.
My love for her grew slowly over the months I carried her, and I’ve felt like a mom for a long while now.
Seeing her face for the first time was an unbelievable experience all on its own, but watching him hold her was something indescribable.
In a split second, one single look at her, the features of his own that she now claims—he changed, and it was palpable.
She came into the world screaming, and only the sound of her dad’s voice seemed to soothe her, as if all those months of him speaking and reading and fawning at my belly had created a familiarity innate to her. She knew she was safe with him—just as I’ve always known.
I’ve spent my entire life missing Archer Ramos, lost in between longing and love, and in that moment it was as if two planets collided, creating something new. Something entirely us.
The bond we’d always yearned for, and could never quite grasp, was finally reached.
We’d only been waiting for her to arrive.
My sense of time is completely discombobulated, and I’m raked with exhaustion, but somehow entirely present.
Because this is something essential, and I want to savor every moment of this bliss.
“Okay,” Archer whispers, standing from the chair as I unbutton the top of the nursing gown I changed into.
He gently places her in my arms as Claire helps me get her latched. It takes a few tries, but eventually, we figure it out, and I connect with my daughter in an entirely new way.
“There you go, baby girl,” Archer whispers, brushing the top of her head as her eyes flutter closed.
She has a perfect nose and full, round lips that are exactly her dad’s.
“Have you chosen a name yet?” Nurse Kelly asks.
My gaze drifts to Archer, and he pins me with sharp, raw blue eyes—bursting with pure love.
“Have we?” I whisper.
An awestruck smile spreads over his lips. “I think we have?”
I nod, smiling as I turn to Nurse Kelly. “Aurora.” Dragging my gaze back to Archer, I add “Ramos.”
Tears line his eyes, jaw trembling as he bends over me, pressing his lips to my temple. “Thank you.” He kisses me again. “Thank you.”
Kelly begins writing her name on a dry-erase board beside my bed where her measurements are already listed, pausing to ask, “Middle name?”
Archer clears his throat. “Evan. Her middle name is Evan.”
I’m the one gazing up at him in awe now. He cups my face, light bursting in his eyes.
Aurora makes a gurgling sound, breaking our moment, and as both of our heads snap down to her, we find wide-open eyes peering up at us—like she already knows exactly who we are to her.
A fierce awareness settles over me as Archer’s cheek lands against my head and he nuzzles me against him, while my daughter feeds from my body, and we hold her together.
This moment is effervescent.
A still picture set in time, one waiting for us to catch up to it.
Destiny itself.
“When she’s finished feeding, we can bring your family in if you’d like?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “Let's do it.”
I’m exhausted, but I want to share the earliest moments of her life with the people I love most. The people I know will continue to be by our side through every milestone that comes next.
I want to soak in every last second we’ll all have together before Archer and I have to uproot ourselves and start over somewhere new.
The next twenty-four hours pass in a haze of warmth, love, and chaos.
Our family fawns over Aurora, before everyone tapers off back to their personal lives, and only our parents remain with us in the birthing suite. Willow will remain with her parents over the weekend to be nearby and help us settle in before she has to return to Irvine for classes.
Archer and I experience every new moment with our daughter together.
He feeds me while I feed her. Changes her diapers, then changes mine too. He helps me shower, helps me dress, soothes me when my emotions overwhelm me and my body aches. When our parents care for Aurora, he cuddles up beside me in bed. Brushes my hair, kisses my face, rubs my neck and shoulders.
Right now, as my mom rocks our baby in the chair across the room, and my dad dozes off on the sofa beside her, Archer sits back against the bed as I lie between his legs, and he brushes a comb through my curls.
“You know, we haven’t talked about it yet.”
“I know.” I huff a laugh. “I feel bad. You just became a goddamn professional football player and it’s only the second most important thing to happen this week.”
“Don’t feel bad, Amor,” he whispers against my neck. “We should’ve known she’d storm into the world like a whirlwind. I’d expect nothing less from my daughter. Already just like her mom.” His lips land on my nape, murmuring into my skin, “Wouldn’t take you any other way.”
I sigh contently, leaning into his touch. In moments like this, while he’s always the love of my life, he feels most like my best friend. The same boy who kept me steady in my heedlessness, the calm to my wild. He’s the earth that keeps me grounded, the atmosphere that keeps me breathing.
“How does it feel?”
I feel his smile against my cheek. “Incredible, but nothing at all in comparison to this.”
I tilt my face, peeking back at him over my shoulder, our lips aligning. “You got the best of both.”
“I did,” he whispers, kissing me hard.
“When do we move?” I ask, mouth still against his.
Archer exhales, falling back against the pillows.
I lean back too, resting my head on his shoulder.
“I was supposed to head to orientation right after the draft, but the team said, considering the circumstances, I could just arrive for training camp a couple of days early and do it then. Though, you’ll never guess who is out in Tampa right now, house hunting for us both. ”
“Who?”
He smiles to himself. “Colton fucking Hudson.”
“No way?” I shuffle, turning to face him. “Colton was drafted to Tampa too?”
He nods, grinning. “He wants to be neighbors.”
“Absolutely fucking not.” I shake my head. I love Colton, but he’s got no concept of personal space. “Still, I’m happy he’ll be there. I’m happy we’ll know someone.”
“Me too,” he says. “But he is apartment hunting as we speak. He’s looking for a building with top notch security, and said he wants to be around to make sure nobody from the press bothers you. So, maybe not neighbors, but…building mates?”
“Maybe…” I muse, but truthfully, I’m grateful.
Grateful not to be alone, to have an extra support system and protector nearby. I’m still a jumbled mess of nerves, and I don’t imagine that’ll be going anywhere any time soon, but my being settles at the knowledge that Colton will be with us.
“At least I get to keep my palm trees.”
“You get to keep your palm trees.” He kisses my shoulder. “He texted me earlier that he told some of the players at orientation that you’re a pole dance instructor, and now their wives and girlfriends all want to take classes from you when we move. Would you be interested?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “I just barely started teaching, but if I can find a good studio, yeah. I’d consider it.”
“Good,” he murmurs, nodding. “Good.”
“When is training camp?” I ask.
“The end of July. It’s two weeks, so I figure I’ll go then and get everything settled, then you two can follow me out after. My parents will be able to help too, of course.”
“That sounds good,” I say, smiling, though somewhat sad.
“We’ll be good,” he promises, kissing my cheek.
“We’ll be good,” I echo.
The door creaks open a moment later, Dahlia’s head peeking in before she and Everett enter on soft footsteps, careful not to wake the sleeping baby in my mom’s arms. “Hey,” she whispers. “Got sushi.”
“Fuck yeah.” I nearly moan.
Archer laughs quietly, moving out from behind me to get out of bed and plate my food. My mom transfers Aurora into Everett’s arms. He slowly paces the room, rocking her gently, gazing down at his granddaughter like she created the moon itself.
My dad stirs at the new commotion, lifting off the couch as my mom takes his spot while she eats. He steps up to the bed, kissing the top of my head. “How’re you feeling, my baby?”
“I’m good.” I smile at him. “Happy.”
He studies me, dark eyes glowing with adoration before he nods. “I’m so proud of you, Allie. You did so well.”
“Thanks, Dad.” I lean into him before Archer returns with my food, climbing onto the bed at the other side so he can hold the plate for me.
“Are you ready to go home?” he asks.
I sigh, nodding. “More than ready. I just want to settle in and get comfortable and get back to life.”
“Life will never look the same,” he muses, chuckling into my hair. “But you’ll discover a new normal that will be so much richer, more vibrant, than anything you could’ve imagined. You’ve made my life so bright.”
My eyes fill with tears. I blink them back, swallow it down. “Please don’t make me cry into my sushi.”
He laughs, kissing my head one more time. “I love you, Allie Bee.”
“I love you too.”
“We… Um…” Dahlia clears her throat, sitting at the end of the bed, glancing back at her husband before facing Archer and me again. “If you two would like, we’ve got more than enough space. You can stay with us before heading to Florida.”
“Oh.” I blink, gaze darting to Archer. “I—”
I don’t want to do that. I mean…I’d love the help, I’m sure.
In a week from now when I’m irritated and sleep-deprived and completely unsure of myself, I’d love to have Dahlia nearby.
But at the same time, in three months from now, I’ll be in Florida by myself, and I won’t be able to lean on anyone else.
I’ll have to know how to take care of her on my own.
I want Archer and me to learn together, to bring her home as a family of our own.
I want to be in the space that’s become my home the past few months.
My pink couch and my comfy bed and the shelves with all my favorite books.
The kitchen I love to bake in with the window over the sink that looks out at the ocean.
I love the guesthouse. I love Celestia Cove.
“Mama, I think we’re going to stay where we are.” He gently places my plate in my lap before lifting off the bed and wrapping his arms around his mom. “When she’s older, and we take her to Celestia Cove, I want her to know it was the first place she ever called home.”
“Okay,” she says, hugging him back. “Well, we’ll be just down the street if you need anything, at any time, and even if you don’t, we’ll be around as much as you’ll allow us.
” Her eyes drift to Everett, who still rocks Aurora, so fixated I’m not sure he’s even aware of the conversation happening.
Dahlia smiles, watching them. “You made the prettiest baby.”
“She’s all me,” I joke the same second Archer says, “It’s her mom.”
Everett’s eyes flick to us as his chest rumbles with a chuckle. “You two really are something else.”
Then, our baby wails.
“Dad, come on,” Archer groans. “Why’d you have to laugh?”
“Shit.” Everett starts to bounce her, cooing as he begs her to stop crying.
I give my food back to Archer. Holding out my arms and beckoning. “She’s probably hungry. Hand ‘er over.”
“Sorry,” he says as he places her in my arms.
I begin nursing while Archer pops sushi into my mouth. Everett takes a seat on the couch beside my mom. “When do you go back to work?” he asks.
“If someone told me to come into the office right now, I’d threaten to slit their throat. I have no plans to go back until they’re in Florida,” Mom says.
“Why don’t you two stay with us?” Everett offers. “So you don’t have to make the drive back and forth.”
“Oh, yeah.” Dahlia claps her hands together. “Like a grandma sleepover.”
My mom curls her lips, rearing back. “Don’t call me grandma.”
I blink up at Archer. “Can you call me MILF?”
His gaze darts to my dad, who’s standing in the kitchenette, and I’m sure I’d find a frown on his face if he were looking at me. I just can’t help myself.
Apparently, Archer can’t either, because he smirks. “Definitely, baby. Definitely a MILF.”