Page 92 of Ho Ho Oh No

Being pregnant with her second baby at the time, Amber declined and offered to have someone from an adoption agency meet with the woman. In desperation, she asked Amber if she had anyone in her family who she’d trust to love the baby the way she would.

And now we’re here, pledging to honor her wish with all the love we have to give.

“It all happens for a reason,” I tell Archer, finally speaking out loud.

He leans his face over the console, offering me a kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” I breathe the words over his lips before closing the distance to join our mouths.

When I pull away, I tap his bearded cheek with one hand and look him straight in the eyes. With a tender voice, I give him the honest truth. “Babe, get a mint from my purse before your beer breath sabotages the adoption, thus ruining Christmas.”

Although he’s not trashed, he’s not entirely sober. However, I suspect getting the call telling us to rush to the hospital did a decent job of sobering him up.

Reminding me we have an audience, Emma gasps and whispers—probably to her brother. “Uh-oh. Daddy has beer breath.”

“And he’s gonna ruin Christmas,” Ethan squeals, substantially louder than his sister, which is par for the course.

Lily tuts her lips, shaking her head solemnly. “Think of the children, father.”

The three of them explode into riotous laughter. Not bothering to resist, I join in almost immediately. Ethan gives my seat a few more kicks as if adding his own brand of hilarious punctuation.

Archer scrunches up his face, trying to stifle his laughter. “I love how your filter still hasn’t repaired itself after three years of wedded bliss.”

“At least I’m consistent,” I chirp.

We exit, quickly gathering at the back of the SUV.Like they always do when we’re walking through a parking lot, the twins lock hands. Emma reaches for Daddy’s hand on one side, and Ethan grabs mine on the other. As we stroll toward the hospital, my heart soars like a dolphin cresting the waves in front of a ship’s bow.

I quirk my head and toss a wide grin at Lily when she comes up beside me. For once, her face isn’t buried in her phone. She’s fully present in the moment with us, eager to become a big sister again. Before we stop under the awning at the hospital’s entrance to wait for all the other Amos-holes to congregate, she takes my free hand. A tiny puff of air gets caught in my throat.

Lily is holding my hand.

Oh my heart.

She’s been warm to me since the beginning, and sure, we’re affectionate. Yet she hasn’t held my hand in public for a while. What sixteen-year-old would be caught dead doing that?

She’s doing it now, though.

My lungs fill with a big wave of oxygen as I beam back at her.Slowly, my eyes leave hers, and I look at Ethan and Emma before locking on Archer. His gaze sweeps down the line too.

All five of us are joined as one, ready to welcome number six.

Footsteps approach as our congregation grows, Amos-holes as far as the eye can see. Archer’s brother and Helen are here as well. His dad and Ms. Rhonda just parked.

We’re all here.

Perhaps the new baby isn’t just number six. More like twenty-six.

Chapter 24

Someone's had too much holiday cheer

LEO

Sue drops my hand when we enter the maternity ward’s family waiting room. Not so she can get away, but so she can get closer. She slinks flush against me, wraps both arms around my midsection, and angles herself slightly behind me so I can shield her from the massive wall of humanity.

It’s an Amos-hole invasion.

Kids, adults, babies, and even the gray-haired ones are here.

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