Page 107 of There Are No Words

Allegra tossed her head back, and she shattered completely, crying and crying and crying, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably as the doctor did her thing.

“You did so good,” I told her, bringing her hand to my mouth and kissing her fingers.

“Can I see her?” she asked, looking at the nurse. Then she turned to me and said, “I know I wanted her out sooner, but I’m glad I didn’t go into labor before now because then she would have been a premie.”

I didn’t get to respond, though, because just then the nurse walked over with our baby girl, wrapped in pink, all cleaned up.

She was beautiful. And she was ours.

Perhaps I was biased, but I thought we’d made the most beautiful baby.

I wouldn’t be forgetting this moment anytime soon—Allegra holding our baby girl in her arms, me looking on at the two most important people in my life. My girls.

This was it. I didn’t think life could get much better.

* * *

Allegra

Quinn peered over Jack’s shoulder as he held my daughter in his arms, his face lighting up as he brushed his thumb over her face. “I’m an uncle,” Jack said, staring at Brady, who was on the other side of the bed, his hand on my shoulder. “It’s a good thing you had a baby with Allegra. She got all her looks.”

I bit my lip and looked at Brady. Jack was a good man, but he was wrong about one thing. Brady was beautiful—inside and out.

He brushed my hair back as he’d been doing, and I yawned. I’d been trying to resist how tired I was, but it was getting harder. Only, I really wanted to enjoy every minute of this. I’d been waiting for what felt like forever (okay, since I’d found out I was pregnant) for this moment, for everyone to get a chance to meet our baby and hold her in their arms. I licked my lips, trying to muster up whatever strength I had left to sit up more when I saw my family peek their heads in.

“Come in,” I urged, and Quinn stepped back so my sisters could get close to Jack and the newest addition to the family.

Bianca held her hands out and shook her fingers. “May I?” she asked Jack, who gently passed her over to Bianca. My sister’s eyes practically lit up. “Aw,” she cooed, grabbing one of her fingers. “Aren’t you just adorable?” Her eyes filled with tears, and Knox came up behind her, wrapping his arm around her. “Isn’t she precious?” she asked him.

Knox smiled. “She is. You know, I’m ready whenever you are.”

Bianca gasped before sniffling. “Knox,” she said, slightly nudging him with her elbow.

Knox shrugged. “I’m serious, sweetness.”

It looked like that was a conversation they would be having soon, and I wondered what Bianca would say, but for now I didn’t care. I could only look around the room and smile, feeling eternally grateful for all the people who were here to surround us with love and support. I couldn’t imagine my life without them. My sisters and I had come a long way.

Perla was snuggled into Frankie, his arm draped over her.

Maria was standing beside Dom, who was holding Isabella close to him, a hand on her back.

Even Jade looked on and smiled, her arms crossed over her chest, her dress having long been shed in favor of jeans and a sweatshirt.

And Dad. . . Dad was standing at the foot of my bed, his gaze locked on me, joy in his eyes. I knew the feeling well, and I also knew it couldn’t be confused with anything else. Finally, Dad cleared his throat as Bianca stepped over to hand his newest granddaughter over to him.

“Do you have a name for her?” Dad asked, fixing the blanket around her head.

Brady bent down and kissed the top of my head. “Do you want to tell them?”

I looked down at our hands, our fingers intertwined, making it difficult to see where he started and I began. This was the way I always wanted it to be with this man. I didn’t want us to ever be apart. I wanted us to be together forever.

Who knew that I really could have it all if I just let myself?

Brady had given me the most beautiful thing in the world—my daughter. But he’d also given me this overwhelming feeling. A feeling of acceptance, of love, of belonging.

I belonged with him.

Wherever he was, I wanted to be.

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