Page 152 of Forever After All

Once they were through the doorway, Ridge took a deep breath.Here goes nothing.

Remi sat on the oversized couch, while Ben and Abby darted around the open living room.

“I found villagers,” Colt announced. He turned back to Cheyenne and held out baby LJ. “I’ve heard it takes a village. Hopefully, a ranch will work too.”

Cheyenne tentatively wrapped her arms around the baby, and Ridge noted the moment when she sucked in an extra inhale.

This wasn’t going to go well. He could feel it in his bones.

Hoping to pass some kind of calming to her, Ridge pressed a hand against Cheyenne’s back. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I think,” she whispered, never taking her eyes off the baby.

Then she looked up at him. The tears welled in her eyes, and her chin quivered.

Mayday. Mayday. Abandon ship.

Ridge looked up at Colt. “We’re gonna take this one for a walk.”

“Just bring him back within the hour,” Remi said, looking at her watch. “Well, within half an hour. How is it already feeding time? I just did that.”

Herding Cheyenne out the front door with a gentle push against her back, they made it onto the porch before the waterworks started.

Cheyenne hugged LJ to her chest and rocked back and forth. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I knew this would be hard.” Technically, it was hard for him too, but he couldn’t show it. Not in front of Cheyenne when she was already breaking down.

She wiped her eyes. “I’m happy for them. So happy. I just…”

Ridge wrapped his arms around her and the baby, rubbing circles over her back. “I know. It’s only been five months.”

He knew that wasn’t what she wanted to hear. Five months had felt like a lifetime when they were waiting for a baby. Impatiently waiting was different from casually waiting.

“You want me to pray?” he asked quietly.

Cheyenne nodded against his chest and sniffed.

“Lord, thank You for the new kids in our life. Thank You for standing beside us.” He took a second to swallow past the knot of sadness in his throat. “Help us to put our hope in You. Your timing is perfect, and we just don’t know what that looks like. If a family doesn’t come for us when we want it, help us to be strong and trust in You.”

Cheyenne nodded her head up and down, agreeing with the prayer that they’d both been through so many times.

“Cheyenne would make a great mom,” Ridge whispered. “You know that. Show us how to be grateful for what You’ve already given us. Amen.”

Cheyenne looked up at him, and a small smile lifted her cheeks. “Thanks for that reminder. I needed that.”

Ridge pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Anytime.”

She looked down at LJ, who was starting to squirm. “I think he’s ready for that meal Remi said was coming.”

Ridge jerked his head toward the door. “Let’s get him back to his folks.”

“Then I can hold the other one?” Cheyenne asked hopefully.

“If you want, I’m sure Jameson and Ava will let us all pass him around.”

Cheyenne stepped through the door first and wiped her face. “These babies are so loved.”

“Ours will be too.”

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