Page 120 of Rebel Heart
“Do you have any ideas? We talked about so many names for both boys and girls, but I don’t feel like any of them stuck for you.”
They hadn’t.
Maybe part of the reason for that was that I needed to meet him. But now that I did, his name came to me.
“I’m thinking about Wilder.”
“Wilder?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I figure he might be like you. A little wild with a rebel heart. In fact, I was thinking his full name could be Wilder Westwood Easton.”
Something washed over Jules’ expression, and tears welled in her eyes. She looked down at our son and said it again. “Wilder.” Returning her attention to me, she whispered, “It’s perfect.”
I grinned at her. Then I kissed her and said, “I should tell the rest of the family.”
“Yeah. But just stay with us a few more minutes, because it’s never going to be like this again.”
A soft chuckle escaped. “I’ll do anything you want.”
“I love you, Beau.”
“I love you, too.”
And for the next few minutes, as my wife and I marveled at our precious son, I vowed to never make him feel like he wasn’t the most loved and wanted kid in the world. I’d had the opposite growing up. I’d never do that to him.
Until the day I died, my only goal would be lovingand protecting this little boy, his mom, and any more siblings we chose to give him.
EPILOGUE
BEAU - TWO WEEKS LATER
Not even thefreezing temperatures or the snow on the ground could diminish this feeling. The warmth that seemed to have taken up permanent residence inside my body over the last two weeks.
For months, I’d been feeling the change. It had been slow in the beginning, embarrassingly so. I occasionally thought back on that time, those first few weeks after I’d met Jules, and I was often left feeling overwhelmed with regret.
Because I could’ve missed this. My chest ached every time I considered that possibility. To think I’d been willing to forsake this beautiful life with the woman of my dreams because nobody had shown me what it was supposed to be like was devastating.
Standing in the doorway to the bedroom, arms crossed over my chest, all I felt was warmth. Happiness. Boundless love.
My wife.
My gorgeous wife was sitting in our bed with her gaze fixed upon our beautiful son as she nursed him.
No sight had ever left me feeling so content. So thankful.
Being completely consumed by Jules months ago, I never suspected it could get better. That the feelings I had for her could grow.
But I should’ve known better. It had taken a matter of weeks of knowing her for Jules to have me reconsidering my plan to never fall in love and settle down. That should have been all the proof I needed.
The way my chest felt like it had expanded since our son was born was slightly alarming. I hadn’t realized it was possible to feel like this, to feel like it was only them who mattered. Being able to love like this—to know I’d sooner cut off my own arm than to ever make Jules or Wilder feel like they were all that mattered to me—felt like I’d unlocked the world’s greatest superpower.
I used to think I was the happiest I could ever hope to be. And there was no question I enjoyed my life when it was all about skateboarding, being with my friends, and having no responsibilities.
But it didn’t come close. It didn’t compare.
Not to this. Not to the privilege I felt at being able to love her, to raise him.
“That’s a newone.”
