Page 158 of Gracefully Yours

“How are you feeling, darling?” I kissed her belly, and then stood up, offering her my hand. Charlotte took it, clutching on tight as a contraction hit her.

Her knuckles were practically white as she held onto me, but I rubbed her back through it.

“Ready?”

“Uh-huh.”

I pulled her into my arms, kissing her forehead. “Let’s go have a baby, hm?”

Her face lit up, even as I tugged a puffball beanie over her head. “Yeah. I love you.” Charlotte kissed my lips gently as I cupped her belly,

“I love you too.”

* * *

Twelve hours later,after a long night of tears and a hand I wasn’t sure would ever fully have blood flow to it again, Abigail Hope Bradford was finally here.

Charlotte was sleeping peacefully in bed, a welcome retrieve after the night she’d had.

“Hi, little dancer,” I murmured, running my finger over our newborn daughter’s cheek. I couldn’t believe how small she was. How much I’d loved her from the first moment they had placed her in my arms. Sitting in the recliner next to Charlotte’s hospital bed, I’d been rocking her for the last thirty minutes. “I can’t wait to watch you grow up, huh? Your mom and I already love you so much, you know that? Our sweet little girl.”

Charlotte yawned, looking over at me, still rocking Abigail. “Mmm.”

“You’re awake.”

She blinked, sleepily. “Yeah. How’s our girl?”

“Perfect.” I couldn’t believe we’d made her.

Charlotte reached out her arms, and I got up, placing our baby into her arms, and then I slid in next to her on the bed.

“Hi.” I leaned over, kissing her cheek.

“Hi.”

“How are you feeling?”

She snuggled against my shoulder sleepily, her hair tickling my neck. “Good.”

“Our friends came by to say hi.”

“They did?”

“Of course they did. They’ve been asking for updates every hour since we got to the hospital. Everyone’s been blowing up the group chat.”

Charlotte sighed happily. “We got pretty lucky with them, didn’t we?”

“Yeah.” I looked between her and our daughter. “But I think I got the luckiest.”

“Go get our family, Daniel.”

* * *

“I want one,”Noelle whispered to Matthew, holding baby Abbi in her arms. She was so peaceful, sleeping happily as our friends passed her around. Charlotte had fed her one more time before everyone had come by to see Charlotte and the baby.

“We’ve been married for two months, sunshine,” Matthew muttered back to his wife.

“So?” She raised an eyebrow. He just dipped his head with a smile, kissing her temple. “That’s what I thought.” She beamed. I knew Matthew loved her just as much as I loved my wife, and so I didn’t think it would be long before they had some happy news to share.

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