Page 46 of Roping Reba

I ran a trembling finger over her soft cheek, overwhelmed by love. “Hi, baby girl,” I murmured. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

Johnny leaned in, his voice thick with emotion. “We love you so much.”

“Call Athena, I want Jax to be here,” I said through tears of happiness as he just nodded and reached for his phone.

Ivy worked quickly with me to handle the afterbirth, wrap up our daughter and get me presentable so that by the time Jax ran home the entire way from the big house we were ready for him. Iheard him before I saw him as he was yelling through the entire house singing the happy birthday song.

When he got to our bedroom door, he stopped dead in his tracks. “She’s here,” he whispered.

I nodded and Johnny got up off the bed to go to him. I watched as he knelt down in front of our son, “Are you ready to meet her?”

Jax nodded and took Johnny’s hand. Never in my life had I seen my boy be cautious but in that moment he was taking everything in. Johnny lifted him onto our bed next to me and he leaned over carefully.

“Hello, Caroline, I’m your big brother. It’s nice to meet you.”

I looked up at Johnny, my heart swelling as our daughter’s cries quieted between us. In that moment, nothing else mattered. We were a family, right where we were meant to be. It may have taken us longer than some to realize how badly we needed each other but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The End

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