Page 90 of Accidentally Falling
“I love you,” Jude says quietly, brushing my hair off my forehead.
“I love you back.”
“Get some sleep. I’ll wake you if I have to.”
“Promise?” I ask, even as I yawn and snuggle back against the hospital pillows.
“Promise.”
“You’re a good man, Country Rhodes.”
“Sweet dreams, Tennessee.”
Jude’s voice is the last thing I remember before falling asleep, only to be awakened by the sweetest little cry. My boobs already hurt from trying to get Salem to latch, but she’s getting the hang of it and I think I am too.
“I can’t believe you had your baby first,” Ellison grouses as she appears in my doorway.
“Oh my gosh, what are you doing here?” I ask, glancing at the clock and seeing it’s nearly midnight.
With the dopiest grin on his face, Montana pushes my sister’s wheelchair into the room, a little pink bundle in her arms.
“A girl?” I squeak, tears streaming down my face and emotion clogging my throat.
“Don’t do that,” Ellison hisses as Montana helps her out of the chair and into bed with me.
“You could have waited.”
“No, I couldn’t,” she says, leaning her head against mine. “I needed you and I needed
this.”
“I love you.” Clearing my throat and tilting my daughter toward Ellison, I add, “And this is Salem Harmony.”
“Hello, Miss Salem, this is Lyric Presley, your new best friend.”
“Can you believe we made it? Our daughters are here and they’re going to grow up together.”
“It’s the best thing in the world.” She says the words quietly, all of her usual bravado absent as she looks from the girls to me.
“It really is.”
“Eddie, I promised the nurse I’d have you right back,” Montana says gently as he looks at my sister.
She’s about to protest but I shake my head. “Go rest and I’ll see you in the morning.”
I can tell she wants to stay, but they need the time together and so do we. A lifetime of memories awaits—we just have to get out of here first. With one final round of goodbyes, I watch as Ellison, Montana, and Lyric make their way down the hall.
“Good thing the guest room is free now, isn’t it?”
“Why’s that?”
He nods toward the door. “Because I have a feeling they’ll be sleeping over. A lot.”
“You gonna be okay with that?”
“For you? Yeah, but on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
