26. Chapter 26
Tears trail down my cheeks as I stare at the two most beautiful girls in the world.
Savannah was a total badass as she pushed for two hours until Lennon finally made her appearance.
There’s no greater feeling than hearing the first cries of a newborn baby.
The relief. The joy. It’s breathtaking. Earth-shattering.
I want to remember this moment for the rest of my life. Her ten tiny toes and ten tiny fingers. The way her little hands ball into fists. Everything about her is perfect.
It turns out, the contractions Savannah didn’t tell me she was having last night were actual contractions and not the Braxton Hicks she suspected.
I lean down and press another kiss to Savannah’s sweaty forehead as I wipe away a few dark strands that have stuck to her face. Even with her eyes rimmed with exhaustion and body completely spent from pushing our girl into the world, Savannah is still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
“I’m so damn proud of you.”
She smiles at me. “You probably shouldn’t cuss in front of your daughter.”
My eyes widen, and she chuckles. I press a gentle kiss on Lennon’s hat-covered head. “Hear that, Lennon? Your mom thinks she’s funny.”
I sit in a chair next to the bed as Savannah and I stare at our baby.
Our baby.
Our daughter.
It still feels surreal that she’s mine too.
That Savannah is trusting me to be the father figure in her daughter’s life.
Savannah never had a father role—her own left before she was born—and it’s such an honor to be chosen to love them both.
I promise myself I’ll be the best dad I can be.
I’ll protect them, love them, and make sure they never have to live with the fear of abandonment.
No matter how hard life gets, no matter the circumstances, I’m never letting them go.
They’re mine now.
And that’s a treasure I’ll cherish till my last breath.
I thought I knew what happiness was. It used to be running onto a football field and playing the game I loved. Spending time with my teammates who became brothers as we laughed, joked, and never took life too seriously.
But nothing touches this.
Lennon presses her tiny body against Sav’s bare chest, and I watch her expression shift as she tries to figure out this new world. I can’t blame her; it’s full of chaos. Her nose scrunches and her lips purse almost as if she’s tasted something sour before she lets out a soft cry.
“Aw,” I coo. “Her little face looks like she sucked on a lemon.”
Savannah stops her hand from where she was gently patting Lennon’s back to look down at her. Sav’s head whips in my direction, eyes widening in concern. “Oh my gosh, you’re right. Do you think it’s because of all the lemon I ate?”
I huff a laugh as I brush my thumb across her soft cheek. “Maybe. She’s my little lemon, and you’re my peach. My beautiful, sweet and sour citrus girls.”
Sav shakes her head. “I love that. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Sitting back in my chair, I watch Savannah hold Lennon, her tiny fist moving against Sav.
The nurses dimmed the lights to create a calming environment for the hour or so of kangaroo care between Sav and Lennon.
It’s time for them to spend chest to chest, bonding in ways I’m too wrapped up watching to fully grasp.
The only sound in the room is Lennon’s soft coos.
It feels like time has paused, and it’s just the three of us in our own bubble.
“Do you want to hold her?” Sav asks.
I nod, trying to play it cool, but my heart damn near pounds out of my chest. Moving back by the bed, I start to reach for Lennon.
“Wait,” Sav says, and I freeze. “You should take your shirt off. You need to bond with her, too.”
“Peach, if you wanted to see me without a shirt, all you have to do is ask.”
She rolls her eyes and chuckles as I take off my shirt.
Sav shifts as I reach forward, and she gently passes Lennon into my arms. I hold my breath as she settles against me.
Time freezes. Within seconds of her being in my arms, I’m completely done for.
Tears spring to my eyes as I look down and admire everything about her.
Lennon’s whole body is barely longer than my forearm. She lets out a soft sigh, one of those newborn noises that makes my chest tighten in a way I didn’t know it could.
“Hi, my little Lemon,” I whisper, voice cracking on the last word. “You don’t know it yet, but you’ve got the best mom in the world. And I promise to always protect you, sweet girl.”
I glance at the woman who’s given me the gift of being a father and smile at her closed eyes. She’s exhausted and completely spent. I gently rock Lennon as she flutters her eyes, ready to join her mom in dreamland.
My mind drifts back to the game when I was on the sidelines.
Coach Martinez’s voice filters through the headset as we gather along the sidelines, ten minutes before kickoff. I’m busy scrolling through the iPad and finalizing the last-minute details.
“Hey, little Campbell. You there?”
I press the side of my headset to talk back. “Yeah, I’m here.”
Hawke eyes me curiously, no doubt curious why the offensive coordinator wants to speak directly to me rather than to the head wide receiver coach.
“Looks like we won’t need you this game,” Martinez says. My stomach drops as I look around the sidelines, searching for my dad to clear things up. Our eyes meet from farther down the sidelines, but his brow is cocked with confusion.
Before I have a chance to ask what he means, Martinez speaks again. “You need to get to the hospital, Son. You’re going to be a dad today.”
I freeze, eyes wide and mouth parted as the air from my lungs whooshes out of me. Hawke claps me on the shoulder, along with another defensive coach, as he walks by. I think they both congratulated me, but I didn’t hear a thing. All I can hear is my pulse thumping in my ears.
Dad appears in front of me, and I didn’t even know he was moving toward me.
“Grant.” My head whips up. “Good luck, Son. I’m proud of you.”
A knot forms in my throat, my nose burning as emotions build. With a nod, I jog off the field. Dumping my headset in my office, I run out of the facility toward my truck.
Traffic was at a standstill, and the panic of missing her birth overwhelmed me. I can still feel the suffocating anxiety from trying to leave the stadium parking lot last night.
All that matters is that I made it. I might’ve sprinted through the hospital, but I was able to be there for Savannah and witness such a miraculous moment.
As I sit here holding this tiny baby, we might not share DNA, but there’s no denying the protectiveness I feel for her. She might not be mine biologically, but she’s mine in my heart. And that’s all that matters.
Two days later, we’re finally leaving the hospital.
It’s time to bring my girls home. But dear god, no one warns you about how terrifying it is to drive with such a tiny, precious gift in the backseat.
I’m pretty sure I drove ten below the speed limit the entire way, and may have flipped a few people off as they sped past. Savannah chuckled at my overprotectiveness while promising they wouldn’t break.
I don’t care what she says. They’re both fragile in my book.
I carry Lennon’s car seat in one hand as I help guide Savannah with the other.
“Grant, I’m fine.”
“You just pushed out a baby,” I argue.
“Two days ago. Besides, the doctor wouldn’t have sent me home if I weren’t okay.”
“They said to limit steps.”
“Yes, Sunshine.” She exaggerates her nickname for me. “But I have to get up to rest. I’ll be fine.”
At the top of the steps, I dig into my pocket for the keys. The lock clicks, and I push open the door, making room for Sav to walk inside first.
Three, two, one…
She gasps as she steps inside, and I smile, knowing what’s waiting for her.
The smell of a freshly cleaned apartment mixed with her signature peach scent welcomes us home.
But what stops her in her tracks is the banner hanging over the TV.
It’s white with pink letters that spell out, ‘Welcome, Baby Girl.’ Balloons float next to the sign, and a flower bouquet sits on the TV stand.
“Did you do all of this?” she whispers.
I shake my head. “Bret and my mom did. I only supplied the keys.”
Sav turns to me, eyes glassy and exhausted, but her smile… Damn. It’s the first thing I noticed about her. It’s infectious as it spreads across her face.
She leans up onto her toes and kisses me softly. We move farther into the space, and I place the car seat on the couch. Lennon stirs a little, scrunching her face in her signature look before settling.
“I know we can’t let Len sleep long in her car seat, but before we get her out and we settle on the couch…” I pause, scratching the back of my neck with nerves. “Can I show you something?”
“What’d you do?”
I huff a laugh. “Trust me?”
“Always.”
I reach for her hand and guide her around the sectional, leading her toward her closed bedroom. Before I can turn the handle, she gasps as her hand covers her mouth. I quickly turn, thinking she’s hurt.
“What? What is it?”
“Oh my god, I left a mess on our bathroom floor.”
“Don’t worry, baby. We cleaned it up.” Embarrassment heats her cheeks, but I lean down and kiss it away. “Don’t be embarrassed. It wasn’t a big deal.”
With that out of the way, I push open her door, and her mouth drops.
Crew and my dad helped, and we moved the old bed out of the room—it’s currently in pieces in my parents’ basement.
In the center of the room is an ivory rug with her crib on top, lined with lemon crib sheets.
Brynn found two lemon art pieces online and a yellow ‘L’ art print customized with ‘Lennon’ in a sage-colored script font. I hung them above the crib.
“Grant…” Her voice is low, and I can’t tell if she’s upset or surprised.
“If you hate it, we can change everything back.”
She steps farther into the room, taking in all the details. “When did you do all this?”
I rake a hand down my face. “After Lennon was born, and she made the sour lemon face, you had fallen asleep. I started scrolling the internet for something lemon baby related. I found a crib sheet, then sent it to Brynn for her opinion. And you know Brynn; she ran with the idea. Mom and Bret helped put it together, so it was a joint effort.”
She lets out a laugh that sounds like a relieved half-sob. “I can’t believe you did all this.”
I wink. “Only the best for my girls.”
She slowly steps closer, putting her arms around my neck and pressing a kiss to my lips. “And where will I sleep?”
“In my room, Mrs. Campbell.”
She shivers and, goddamn, I can’t wait until her six weeks pass to have her again.
“No more sleeping in this room because you’re afraid of waking me.”
“But what about when she cries in the night?”
“Baby…” I grip her cheeks in my hands, tipping her head to look at me.
“I know what I was signing up for when I married you. You and Lennon are a package deal, and with that comes late-night feedings, dirty diapers, and meltdowns of epic proportions. I’m here for it all.
Let me be your partner, your equal. You no longer have to do things on your own, Savannah. ”
I see the tears welling in her eyes as she nods. Leaning down, I press a gentle kiss to her forehead.
We move back into the living room and settle in slowly. I unclip Lennon from her car seat and lay her down on a blanket on the floor. I change her diaper while Sav watches. With a clean diaper, the three of us curl onto the couch together. Our little family.
By late afternoon, we’ve all spent time dozing on the couch as The Office played on repeat. Savannah and Lennon are tucked under a blanket, and I grab us some electrolyte water. Settling next to the girls, I unlock my phone.
“Want to do a group video chat now? The girls are dying to meet Lennon and check on you.”
“Yeah, let’s introduce the newest member of the crew.”
I tap the group chat with Quinton, Brynn, Cody, and Chloe. The screen lights with familiar faces, all of them loud and talking over each other as soon as they answer.
“Oh my gosh, where is she?”
“Congrats, G!”
“Hey, Mama!”
“Is it true you poop when you deliver?”
“Cody!” Brynn and Chloe shout, but it’s Chloe who smacks her boyfriend.
Sav giggles, and I turn the camera so they can see the sleeping bundle in her arms. Chaos erupts. It’s a cacophony of coos and awws.
“You guys! She’s beautiful,” Chloe says.
“You did great, Sav,” Brynn congratulates.
“Fatherhood looks good on you, Campbell,” Cody says.
I nod and look down at my girl. “Thanks, man. She makes it easy.”
“Q has a bye at the end of October; we were hoping to bring Cleo and come for a visit,” Brynn says, reaching down and picking up her daughter. “Cleo, meet your new bestie.”
Quinton and Brynn’s eight-month-old daughter stares at the screen and smiles.
“Hi, Cleo,” Sav coos as she adjusts Lennon. “Look, Len. This is Cleo. She’s your little bestie. Your only friend right now until Auntie Chlo and Uncle Cody add some chaos to the mix.”
Cody nearly chokes. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let’s slow down for a minute. Let me get a ring on her finger first.”
“Speaking of a ring… What the hell are you waiting for?” Brynn scolds.
“Relax, Wilder,” Q calms his wife.
The six of us catch up for a few more minutes.
Sav talks about the delivery, and Cody gags some more.
The conversation switches to football and mine and Q’s seasons.
We ask Cody and Chloe how they’re adjusting to Cleveland—they love it.
It feels like old times, and I’ve never been more grateful for technology.
When we hang up, the room settles into a soft hush again. Sav rests her head on my shoulder, and I wrap my arm around her, pulling her closer to my side.
“That was nice,” she murmurs.
“Yeah,” I say, kissing the top of her head. “But this part is better.”
She snorts, and Lennon makes a strange sound. “Sounds like someone dirtied her diaper.”
I slide my arm free and reach for my daughter. “I’ve got her.”
“Grant.” Savannah chuckles. “I’m going to have to change a diaper, eventually.”
“Eventually, but not right now. Rest, Peach. Let me take care of you while I’m home.”
She sighs. “This is a dream come true.”
And it is. This right here is better than my wildest dreams.