Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
I pointed to the large pot in her hand. “Is that what I think it is?”
She smiled. “I made you meatballs and sauce. You can’t eat the disgusting hospital food.”
Alegra smirked. “You made who meatballs, Ma? I thought those were for Nat.”
Bella’s eyes narrowed at her daughter. “Stop being fresh.”
We all laughed. It had been a running family joke that Momma Bella had a secret crush on me. I didn’t know if it was true, but when she liked you, she cooked your favorites. So I might’ve played into it occasionally.
I took the pot out of my mother-in-law’s hands and leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for making these. Go on in. I’m just waiting for the nurse to get something for Nat.”
It couldn’t have taken more than five minutes for the nurse to come back with medicine for Nat. But when I walked into the room, I thought I was in the wrong one for a second.
“Did someone vomit pink in here?”
Everywhere I looked was washed in pastel pink. Pink balloons, pink flowers, even pink streamers were draped across the room. Just minutes ago, my daughter had been wearing a baby-blue onesie with matching baby-blue pants. Now she was clad head-to-toe in pink—pink headband, pink shirt, pink shoes, pink swaddling blanket. These nutjobs had even changed the tiny sheet in her bassinet to pink.
Nat’s sister Francesca jumped down from a chair after finishing tacking up the last of the pink streamers. She smacked her hands together. “The princess needed a few things.”
“Yeah, some sane relatives.”
It was a good thing we lucked out and Nat was the only person in this two-person room, because the Rossi ladies took it over during their visit. Bella whipped out plates and silverware and started to fix everyone heaping plates of food. Nicola played “Brilla Brilla La Stellina”—the Italian version of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”—from her phone while all five Rossi ladies sang along at the tops of their lungs. Apparently their grandmother had taught them all the nursery rhyme as soon as they were old enough to talk. Alegra even made herself comfortable on the empty hospital bed next to her sister. It was a little bit of insanity whenever they were all together, but a whole lot of love.
The Rossi ladies stayed for the better part of an hour, until the nurse came in and told them Nat needed her rest. She’d delivered our girl at two in the morning. It was hard to believe that was only sixteen hours ago. A few minutes after the room was emptied of everyone except Izzy, me, and the baby, Nat drifted off to sleep.
“I should go, too,” Izzy said. “I have an exam tomorrow afternoon.”
She leaned down to the bassinet and gently rubbed her nose with the baby’s. “Love you, pumpkin pie.”
“Thanks for staying all this time, Izzy.”
“Of course. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” She nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment before speaking again. “I’ve been thinking … You know how little kids sometimes get confused and call someone their uncle when it’s not really their uncle? Like if they’re hanging around other kids who call that person Uncle because the person is actually their uncle?”
I had no idea where she was going with this, yet I shrugged. “I guess.”
“Well, maybe it would be less confusing if I called you Dad, instead of Hunter.”
My jaw dropped open.
Izzy looked up and saw my face, then added, “You know, it would be easier for the baby and all.”
I’d miraculously made it through the last twenty-four hours without crying, but that did it. I broke. My eyes welled up, and I tasted salt in my throat.
“You wanna call me Dad?”
She nodded her head. “If that’s okay with you.”
I lost the fight to stop the waterworks. Fat tears streaked down my face. “It would make me the happiest guy in the world for you to call me Dad, Izzy.”
My amazing stepdaughter wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. I followed suit, holding her tight. Emotional moments with Izzy were rare and had to be held on to for as long as possible. When her grip loosened, I kissed the top of her head.
“I love you, kiddo.”
“I love you, too, Dad.”
She pulled back and scrunched up her nose. “You didn’t get snot in my hair, did you?”
I pretended to pull something from the top of her head. “Oh yeah, big green chunks.”
“You’re gross.”
I smiled from ear to ear. “But you love me anyway.”
She rolled her eyes but the grin never left her face. “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”
“Abso-freaking-lutely.” I pulled the phone out of my pocket and started to scroll. “I’m already ordering you an I’m with Dad T-shirt.”
“Great. I’ll exchange it for an I’m with Stupid one.”
I mussed her hair. “Be careful driving home.”