Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“You’re doing great,” I said to Diesel what I probably should have said months earlier. He’d really been remarkable this entire time. Turned out that all my doubts and worries had been for nothing.
Huh. Clarity slammed into me with a force that made me need to steady myself with a hand on the footboard. I need to find Magnus.
“You wanna tell the name?” Diesel asked Maren before I could excuse myself from the room.
“Yeah,” Maren nodded as she dropped a kiss on the baby’s forehead. “Welcome to the family, Destiny Ericka.”
“You…” I wasn’t sure I’d ever gasped louder in my life. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Yeah, I do.” Maren gave me a long, searching look, years rushing between us, first meeting, adoption hearing, high school, graduation, her first day of college. “You’re my dad. And don’t cry.”
“I’m not,” I lied as tears streamed down my cheeks. “We need to tell the rest of the family.”
“They’re all behind you.” Maren laughed, pointing at the cracked door where four human heads and two canine ones all lurked. “Come on in, people. Come meet Destiny Ericka.”
Diesel transferred the baby back to Maren as everyone trooped in. I was far from the only one crying, but Wren looked most perplexed by their own tears.
“My eyes.” Wren waved a hand in front of their face. “I’m happy. Not sad. Why am I crying?”
“I’m crying too.” I gave them a swift hug before they pulled away. “Relief is a powerful thing.”
“I suppose.” Eyes wide, Wren continued to appear dazed as they approached the bundle in Maren’s arms. “Happy birthday, baby. Magnus and John made cupcakes. Rowan made a party.”
“Sit next to me,” Maren urged, waiting until Wren was perched stiffly next to her to place the bundle in Wren’s lap.
Wren inhaled sharply, gazing down at the baby. A little fist escaped the blankets. “You’re here. You’re really here.”
All our doubts. All our collective worries. And the baby was here. The clarity I’d had a few minutes earlier returned in full force as Magnus came up beside me. There was no one, absolutely no one, I’d rather have by my side.
“Hanging in there?” Magnus asked, his own eyes suspiciously shiny.
“Barely,” I admitted. With him, I could be honest in a way I couldn’t with anyone else on earth.
“Here.” Magnus pressed a mug into my hands. “Made you an Irish coffee. Might help?”
“Bless you.” I took a long, bracing sip.
“Later, we can have champagne,” Magnus teased in a low voice. “Celebrate you winning Grandparent of the Decade before we even get started on this gig.”
“Oh. The name thing. Sorr—”
“Don’t you dare apologize.” He lightly doffed my shoulder. “It’s the perfect name.”
What was truly perfect was this moment, all of us here sharing it, Magnus very much included. Life didn’t hand out perfection like this very often.
“Can we talk later?” I asked in an urgent whisper. “Just us.”
“Of course.” His eyes were soft and kind, and it took all kinds of restraint to not kiss him right then. The whole day had been a lesson, and I couldn’t wait to share it with the person who mattered most.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Magnus
I’d agreed to talk with Eric but later ended up being nightfall by the time all the excitement died down. As much as I’d wanted to take a snow day and a baby’s birthday vacation day, I’d needed to dart over to The Heist to meet a repair person for the deep freeze and to make sure the skeleton staff could handle whatever passed for a dinner rush as the area dug out after the snowstorm.
When I’d left, Marissa remained at the house, helping everyone get settled with the baby. John headed to a friend’s while Rowan dragged Wren shopping for yet more baby things. When I finally returned, Marissa’s SUV was gone, and the house was remarkably quiet. I crept into the dark kitchen, intending to collect my dogs and worry about talking to Eric later, but quiet humming drew me to the living room. Both dogs were flopped in front of the recliner where Eric sat with the teeniest of bundles in his arms.
“How’d you end up with the baby?” I whispered, not wanting to startle him or Destiny Ericka, who appeared to be dozing from what little I could see of her tiny face. She was swaddled in a yellow blanket, a little baby burrito.
“Luck.” He grinned up at me, the same dopey, tired smile we’d both had all day. “Well, that and Marissa ordered Maren to rest. But she refused to nap without knowing someone was holding the baby. I volunteered so Diesel could sleep too. They were up most of the night.”
“So were you,” I pointed out.
“Eh. I’m used to it.” He gazed down at the baby. “Besides, I’ve got to keep my Grandfather of the Year award nice and shiny. I promised to return Destiny the second she seems hungry, but we’re at over an hour now.”