Page 57 of Someone to Watch Over Me

We were like bunnies in the weeks before Willow’s birth. Pregnancy made me super horny, and Adrian was more than happy to oblige. Normally, the sight of him in nothing but those briefs (or even better—nothing at all) would get my motor running. But nothing like that is happening any time soon as I contend with stitches and other horrors after giving birth.

Hemorrhoids, for one thing.

What a nightmare! But hey, childbirth is the most natural thing in the world. My ass, it is. I’ll never complain about anything having to do with Willow’s birth, though. It ended with a healthy baby and mother, which are all that matter after Adrian lost his wife, Sadie, immediately following the birth of their son, Xavier.

“You’re still up?” he whispers.

“Can’t drag myself away.”

“You’re supposed to sleep when she does.”

“I know, but I don’t want to miss anything.”

“Wynter, you have to get some sleep. Our little girl will need you to be well-rested. Let me put her in the bassinet.”

I don’t want to, but he’s far more experienced with newborns than I am, so I hand her over to him.

“Come to bed.”

“I’m coming.”

I follow him into our room and watch as he tucks our sleeping girl into the bassinet that he used after Xavier was born. It feels weird to leave her uncovered, but I remind myself that she’s wearing the equivalent of a blanket and will be fine. We were told to put nothing at all in the bassinet, to keep her safe while she’s sleeping. Jaden’s grandmother crocheted the most gorgeous blanket for her that I’m saving for when she gets a little older.

“Now, Mommy,” he whispers as he guides me to my side of our bed and tucks me in. “Can I get you anything?”

“Just your arms around me.”

“Coming right up.”

I bite back a laugh at the frisky way he says that.

He gets in on his side of the bed and comes right over to me. Knowing how sore I am, he’s careful when he puts an arm around me. “Is this okay?”

“Mmm, yes. Thank you for everything you’ve done to make this transition so easy for me.”

“Watching you in mommy mode has been among the most exciting things in my whole life. I never got that with Sadie and Xavier.”

“Is it making you sad all over again for what she missed?”

“I’ll always be sad about that, but the joy over our sweet girl—and the relief that it’s over and everyone is okay—outweighs the sadness.”

“You were a trouper, love. I’m so proud of the way you overcame your fears to be there for me.”

“I’m not sure I deserve that.”

“You absolutely do. You never left my side for more than a few minutes the whole time I was in labor, and you treated me like a queen when I was pregnant.”

He kisses my cheek. “Youaremy queen.”

“Love you so much.”

“Love you more.”

“Nope.”

“Yep.”

It’s still amazing sometimes to be in a bed with Adrian as his son and now my daughter are asleep under the same roof. I wonder where Jaden has gone, and I know Adrian still looks around, expecting to find Sadie. Life has marched forward since we lost our spouses almost two years ago, and now we have this whole new life together that’s made us both so happy, even as we continue to mourn the ones we loved and lost.

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