Page 112 of Agony of Our Regret

“Your enthusiasm better not fade out once the novelty wears off,” Wes warned. “You all better be doing more than your fair share.” His eyes darted to me. “Or I expect a call.”

I laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m not above telling on them.”

“Good.” He turned back to his wife, soaking in their granddaughter.

Jolene, Chris, Robert, and Michael let themselves in, and immediately the volume in the room doubled. Like Sky, they were often the life of the party, and our little angel didn’t even stir.

“It’s good she can sleep through noise,” Jolene commented. “With the five of you around, she’ll never know peace.”

Sky laughed. “Yeah, she’s been great so far with noise and being moved around. We were worried every time we took her from the bassinet or swing, but she doesn’t mind.”

“She loves her sleep just like her momma,” Noah snickered.

Laura and Al, Vince’s parents, arrived last, and my heart nearly exploded at the warm exchange. Therapy had done a lot to mend their relationship, and I was glad to have peace between all the grandparents and my men.

Once most of them had a chance to at least gaze at Charlie, I got their attention. “I want to thank all of you for everything you did to make this house ready for us. I don’t know everything that went into making it happen, but I know it couldn’t have been done without you guys. I'm so incredibly grateful.” I wiped my eyes. “Stupid hormones,” I laughed and everyone joined. “It’s so beautiful, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank you enough.”

“We were glad to help.” Al grinned, which surprised me. I should have expected him and Laura to have joined in, but I didn’t.

“Thank you.” I looked forward to building a relationship with him.

“We were nervous about picking out so much, but the guys assured us you’d be happy as long as it was all put together.” Renae gestured to the living room.

The entire house was tastefully decorated in a minimalist style that matched my own. White, black, and tan furniture and fixtures with touches of brass in the kitchen.

“I truly love it.”

Tessa and Renae came toward me as the rest of the adults drifted into their own conversations. “If you ever have questions about anything, let us know,” Renae assured me.

“And nothing in here is custom or one of a kind,” Tessa explained. “We wanted everything to be functional and practical. Raising a family around expensive or sentimental items isn’t realistic. So, if something breaks or gets damaged, no big deal.”

That was a relief. Knowing their taste, I was worried if something got scratched or needed to be replaced, so I appreciated their forethought. “That was a good call.” I smiled at the guys. “I’m not as concerned about whether things are baby-proof, but boy-proof.”

Tessa laughed, and Renae shook her head with a knowing smile. “I’m finally able to put out the nice stuff since Luca moved out. I thought the toddler phase was bad, but the teen years were far more destructive.”

“Which is why I confined them to the theater room or Gavin’s room.”

I widened my eyes. “And you’re leaving me alone with all of them?”

They laughed.

“I think they listen better to you.” Mandy appeared at my side.

“I hope so.”

Another knock sounded on the door, and I glanced around. “Who are we missing?”

The grandparents left all the siblings at home since it was winter and they were in school, which was germ-central. Once Charlie was older, she could meet her aunts and uncles.

“Where’s my girl?”

I froze, then slowly turned as tears ran down my cheeks.

“Dad?”

I ran over, crashing into him and letting him catch me in his arms.

“Oh, sweetie.” He kissed the top of my head. “I’ve missed you so much.”

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