Page 139 of A Lie so Dangerous and Fragile

I nodded and took a glance at the newest Sanchester.

His sweet cry echoed in the room as the doctor gave me the baby. I held his tiny body against my chest and kissed his head.

“Welcome, sweetie,” I whispered. I was starting to feel the sedative take effect. I tried to savor the moment as I held him close to me.

“Hey, buddy.” Tristan took him from me when my eyes began to flutter close.

“How are you feeling?” the doctor asked, flashing a penlight in my eyes and assessing me closely.

“Tired.” I sighed, staring at Tristan, who was handing the baby over to a nurse.

He was smiling so big and kept staring at the nurse till she was out of sight with the baby.

“You need to rest. We’ll take good care of your baby, and you can spend as much time as you want with him once you’re awake,” one of the nurses told me.

“I’ll be right here, waiting,” Tristan said, taking my hand.

I nodded with a weak smile and closed my eyes.

***

The voices around me woke me up. I blinked at the white ceiling before looking around me. I smiled when I found a shirtless Tristan on the couch in the room with our newborn, only in his diaper and sound asleep on Tristan’s bare chest. Tristan’s large palm engulfed his back, and he held him so cautiously. I wasn’t sure if he was breathing.

“Try to relax,” I said with a dry throat and laughed.

Tristan’s head whipped in my direction.

“I’m scared I might break something.” He laughed softly. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I was run over by a truck.”

“I can get the nurse if you—”

“No,” I cut in quickly. “I wanna hold him. I think he needs to feed too,” I said.

“Are you sure?”

“It’s not my first rodeo, Tristan,” I sighed. I raised the bed up to a sitting position, ignoring the pain shooting through my body.

He stood up slowly and walked toward me with steady steps. He placed our baby in my hands, and I smiled and stroked his smooth cheek. His tiny pink mouth opened, and his tongue licked around his lips. I was in love and filled with so much affection.

“Hey,” I whispered.

“He’s been sleeping since the nurse brought him in. Is he okay?”

“Yes, it’s normal.” I smiled.

He shook his head at me and grabbed his shirt.

I pulled down my gown at the right shoulder and placed the baby on my bare skin. There was a knock on the door after Tristan slipped on his shirt. The door opened, and Vina’s head peeked in, and her eyes grew wide.

“She’s awake!” Vina exclaimed at whoever was waiting outside.

“Chloe.” My mom walked in first, looking relieved. “Aww, look at him.” She stopped beside me.

We’d been working on our relationship since I’d accepted her back into my life.

Vina left the room and returned with the twins, her daughter, my dad, and Tristan’s mom. I smiled at them as they walked to the bed.

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