Page 145 of Nanny for the SEALs

“You’re looking at the umbilical cord,” the doctor said while making a little snip. “But you are correct. It’s a boy.”

He—itwasa he!—screamed as his lungs breathed air for the first time. His eyes were squinted shut and he was covered in goop, but he was the most beautiful little bundle I had ever seen in my life.

The doctor placed the baby on my bare chest. Bare skin contact was very important, a fact which I had learned in the thousand and one pregnancy books I read over the last month. As soon as he touched my body, the baby immediately ceased his crying.

“Oh my God…” I said.

It was a difficult sensation to explain to someone who hadn’t gone through it. I had never loved something so much in my life. It was like having an adorable new puppy resting on my chest, except the puppy had come frominsideof me.

Oh, I know how to describe it: like a sixth sense. Now I had sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell,andunconditional love for this baby. It was a special feeling, one that changed the way my brain worked in that moment. I could see why women went through all the horrors of pregnancy and childbirth to get here.

Hey, look at that. My hormones were kicking in and making me forget about all the bad parts.

I fell asleep with the baby on my chest. Some time later, in a different room, I woke up and the men got to hold him. Rogan kissed the baby on the head and inhaled his scent. Asher couldn’t stop smiling.

When Brady had held him, I reached for the baby. “Nuh uh. I’m never letting go of this little guy,” he told me. “Go make another one.”

I smiled and let him hold the baby a little longer.

“Micah and Dustin will be happy to have another brother,” Rogan said.

Asher nodded. “Cora said she was hoping for a little sister, but I think she’s going to love taking care of a little brother.”

Things were a blur. I ate some food, then slept. The nurses woke me up and told me it was time to nurse the baby, so I did that. The baby took my nipple easily, and wasn’t fussy.

Maurice and Jason visited the next day. “What are you two doing here!” I exclaimed when I saw them walk into the room.

“Our flight to Honolulu doesn’t leave until this afternoon,” Maurice said. “Heather, honey! You’re glowing!”

“You told me that yesterday, at the wedding, when I was a walking beach ball,” I replied.

“Yes, but today I actually mean it!” He gave me a hug. “Where’s my nephew? I demand to hold him first. Jason, you can wait outside.”

“One day married, and I’m already playing second fiddle,” Jason said with a grin.

Maurice kissed him on the cheek. “You know who you married. Rogan. Baby. Now.”

Rogan handed over the little bundle of person. He was wrapped in a blue blanket, and was sleeping gently. Maurice watched him for a few moments, then looked around the room.

“He has Asher’s cheeks,” he noted, “Brady’s curly black hair, and Rogan’s dark eyes.”

“Sweetie?” Jason put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m not a geneticist, but I don’t think that’s how it works.”

“I’m saying it’s sweet that we can’t tellwhothe father is,” Maurice replied. “It could be anyone.”

“Or a fourth man I never told you about,” I chimed in.

All three of my men swung their gazes toward me in alarm.

“She’s cracking jokes already?” Maurice asked. “The childbirth must have been easy.”

“It wasnot,” I replied. “Sorry for missing the end of your wedding.”

“You’d better be. I intended to toss the bouquetdirectlyat you, but didn’t get a chance. Some little girl I don’t even know caught it instead. Ugh. If you’re under sixteen, you shouldn’t be allowed to catch the bouquet.”

I smiled as Maurice bounced the baby in his arms. I was glad there was no obvious father yet. I wanted all of them to love him equally. Not that they played favorites with their own children, but you know what I mean.

“Knock knock!” said Mr. Howard in the doorway. He had a plush teddy bear in his hand. “There’s my favorite student.”

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