Page 132 of Vegas Baby!

“Oh no, however shall I cope?”

“If you ever figure it out and get used to it, we’re obviously not doing our jobs correctly.”

“So I’m just supposed to live every single day filled to the brim with happiness?”

“Uh, obviously.” I squeezed her tightly and breathed deeply against her hair. “That’s how I’ve lived every day since getting you back, so it’s only fair you do the same.”

Our little family had been built brick by brick, everyone coming together from different directions and walks of life, but still finding one another despite the distance and struggles. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good…so fucking good. We all had learning and growing to do, myself more than most, but I was ready to put in the work.

Whatever curveballs life was going to throw us, we would get through it together.

“Isn’t it too early for tummy time?” Ava asked when she came across Lucy and me lying on the living room floor while Charlotte’s boys watched some show about a cartoon dog.

“The Internet said they can start it a couple days after birth,” I replied, booping Lucy’s nose when she turned to look at me. “Just for a few minutes at a time.”

“I already took photos for you,” said Charlotte. She was perched in one of the chairs with a cup of tea, keeping an eye on her boys. I thought it would be weird as hell having Andrew’s wife in our house, but I was glad we had given her a soft place to land. She kept a handle on her children, but the boys were pretty jazzed to have the pack around even if we spent most of our time focusing on Ava. Poor kids were probably starved for fatherly affection, and with Andrew being arrested, that wasn’t an issue that was going to be fixed anytime soon.

Ava sat on the couch near Charlotte, the sounds of the rest of the pack preparing breakfast for everyone audible from where I lay on the floor.

“Okay, little lady, I think we’ve worked out those muscles enough for now.” I sat up, scooping Lucy into my arms so I could kiss her plump cheeks. She was a pretty easy baby, which in all likelihood meant she was going to be an absolutely feral toddler. That was okay. Between the five of us, we’d be able to manage.

“Is she ready for a snack?” Ava asked.

“I think she’s still good for a bit. She can have hers as soon as you finish breakfast.”

The others carted food out to the living room since more than half of the household was already there and I let Lucy lie on her back beneath one of the arched baby toys with dangling bits for her to look at while I inhaled a frankly unhealthy amount of chocolate chip pancakes and bacon.

“Can I kiss the baby?” Ollie asked.

“After you wash the syrup off your face,” Ava replied.

He dashed off into the kitchen and Charlotte followed, helping him clean up. The boys were still asking questions about how long they were going to stay here, when they were going back home, and how they were going to see the baby when they did. We didn’t have a lot of answers to go around.

Charlotte didn’t want to move back to the luxury apartment she had shared with Andrew, but throughout most of their marriage he had systematically isolated her from her community and her parents had already passed away a few years ago. It was a shit situation that we were her best option for community. We assured her on the daily that she was welcome to stay as long as she needed, but those assurances only did so much.

Ollie pressed his lips to Lucy’s cheek and lay down on his stomach to watch her. “When does she start doing things?”

“You gotta give her time to work on those muscles,” I said with a smile. “She’ll get stronger every day now that she has room to move.”

Lucy fussed as Ava finished off her plate, and I lifted her back off the floor, the newborn scrunch melting my heart.

“You boys want to go swimming?” I asked, giving them the opportunity to vacate the space while Ava fed our daughter.

The boys were on their feet and racing to the guest room to change before I could blink.

“I’ll come out with you,” said Charlotte.

I didn’t mind watching the boys. It reminded me a lot of growing up, having that much energy around the house. I hoped in a few years’ time it would be Lucy and another little sibling running around.

Ava collected Lucy from me to feed her and I raced out after the boys as they flung themselves into the water. I hadn’t been a lifeguard since high school, but I could at least keep an eye on them.

“I’ll come out when she’s done,” said Ava. “I could use some sunlight.”

By the time she joined us, I was soaked from being splashed, but Ava snuggled right up against me anyway.

“There’s my girls.” I spun, keeping her dry from the next splash and she grinned up at me, a few droplets of water caught in her hair that glinted in the sun.

“How are youthisbeautiful?”

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