Page 59 of Make Your Save

ROWAN

Ireposition Lucy in my arms as I look through the sea of people funneling down into the baggage claim area, my eyes searching for one person in particular. It’s only been three days since I last saw Hadley, but I swear, it feels like years have passed.

“She should be coming any minute now, Luce.”

Hadley texted me twenty minutes ago to let me know that she had landed safely. She told me where she was supposed to pick up her bag, but she didn’t know I already knew. I got to the airport almost an hour ago now and I’ve been waiting at baggage claim ever since.

Lucy makes a cooing sound, her body shifting in my arms as she reaches her little hands down to play with my fingers. A string of drool hangs from her bottom lip, landing directly on my thumb as she attempts to fold in half to put the digit in her mouth.

She’ll be four months old next week and it blows my mind how much growth she has made in such a short amount of time. As someone who never thought Iwould ever have kids, this entire experience has opened my eyes to so many things and so many possibilities.

Seeing the world through the eyes of a new father has been incredible and wild.

Moving Lucy back into a more stable position, I hold one arm across her chest, keeping her back against the front of my body as my other arm supports her bottom and under her knees. She’s a little discontent, which isn’t a new thing the past few days. It appears that I don’t have the same touch that Hadley has.

“I think I might see her,” I murmur to Lucy, craning my neck as I thought I saw the top of her head. I shuffle a few steps to the side, my eyes finding the same auburn-colored hair that’s pulled up in a bun. “That looks like her hair.”

Lucy makes another cooing sound and I start to move up and down, bopping her along as I watch Hadley step around the couple in front of her. She looks flustered, her legs moving quickly as she does a little skip-like step to get ahead of them.

Her face is flushed, her eyes bright, as she looks past another crowd of people, her gaze finding me through the moving bodies.

“There she is, Luce.” I let out a breath of relief, kissing the top of Lucy’s head. “Fuck, I missed her.” Lucy makes a sound and I wince. “I mean, minus the F-word.”

Thankfully, she doesn’t understand much yet, but I know I’m going to have to watch what I say in front of her. It won’t be long before she starts repeating the same words and I’ve seen how much fun Lincoln andNova have had with Posey repeating the wrong things in public.

Hadley adjusts the strap of her backpack on her shoulder as she walks up to us. She’s a little breathless, her eyes shimmering pools of gold and brown and green as she stops in front of me. “Hi.”

I stare at her for a beat, my lips crinkling as I feel contentment washing over me. “Hi.”

My eyes are transfixed on her as she leans forward slightly, dropping her bag onto the ground as she peers at Lucy. “Well, hello there, sweet girl.”

Lucy stares at her for a second before she does a full-body wiggle in my arms with a string of happy coos escaping her. She lifts her hands, not quite reaching for Hadley, but the motion shows exactly what she wants.

She wants Hadley.

Get in line, Luce.

Without any hesitation, I move Lucy away from my body, holding her out to Hadley, and Hadley meets me without any delay. She slides her hands along Lucy’s rib cage, just below her armpits, and pulls her close to her chest. I watch in wonderment as she buries her face in the crook of Lucy’s neck and Lucy attempts to hold on to her.

They don’t share a single strand of DNA. There’s no biological attachment between the two of them, yet their connection is so much deeper than that.

Leaning down, I grab her backpack, lifting it over my shoulder before I walk over to retrieve her checked bag. As I turn back around, I find them waiting for me. Hadley holds my baby girl in her arms, her eyesmeeting mine as she lifts her face away from her neck. There’s nothing but pure joy and adoration written across her features.

Pushing her suitcase, I pause when I reach her. Her eyes rest on me.

“Are you ready to go?”

A smile drifts across my lips. “Let’s go home.”

After we get home, Hadley doesn’t protest when I insist on making dinner for her. She ended up showering afterward, to wash off her day of traveling, and returned downstairs in a pair of silk pajamas. She asked to do Lucy’s night routine and I didn’t once think to object.

Even though I wanted to do it with them, something inside me told me to let her have that moment. It won’t be long before she won’t be around for bedtimes with Lucy. I want her to have as much time with her as she wants.

I’m lounging on the couch when she comes back into the living room, thirty minutes after she disappeared upstairs. Hadley walks into the room, making her way over to where I am. I’m on my back, my hands tucked behind my head, and I watch her, my neck turning to look at her as she settles onto the cushion beside my head.

“Did she give you trouble?” I ask, tilting my head to look at her. “That took you longer than I thought it would.”

She shakes her head, her expression unreadable. “She fell asleep while I was rocking her, but I wasn’t ready to put her down yet.” She pauses, her throat bobbing as she swallows. “I know I have obligations I have to fulfill, but it makes me sad to think about not being here and seeing her.”

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