Page 147 of In The Game

She gives me a soft smile and leans her head into mine. “I love you too.”

I keep my arm protectively wrapped over them as we snuggle the newest member of our family.

“Do you want to name her?”

Raleigh said she wanted to wait until we saw the baby to decide. “You want me to choose her name?”

“I chose Arthur’s, I think you should choose hers.”

I know exactly what I want to name her.

“Darby.”

“Darby?”

“You named Arthur because it meant Bear. Darby means deer park, pretty close to deer meadow. I want her named after you.”

She raises her eyebrows and pouts out her lip with a smile.

“Darby…I like it. How about Darby Sue? After your mom.”

I smile. Raleigh and my mother have a special relationship. She’s always wanted that maternal connection she never had. My mom has loved Raleigh since the day she met her and adores filling that void for her. I’m thankful my mom’s over-the-top affection has never scared her away, and if anything, I think it brought them closer together.

Raleigh’s mother will not be bothering us anytime soon after she was found to have stolen twenty-two other identities over the years. She used them to do everything from stealing social security checks to blackmail—similar to the way she came after Raleigh and me. She’s currently being held at a facility in Indiana. Raleigh has chosen to end all contact, and I support her decision wholeheartedly.

“Oh God, she’s gonna flip.”

Darby wraps her tiny fist around my finger, and I run my thumb over the soft dimpled knuckles on her tiny pudgy hand.

“It’s perfect,” Raleigh says. “Darby Sue Conway.”

* * *

Introducing Arthur to Darby was…interesting.

“Can she do any tricks?”

I laugh. “Do you count sleeping, crying, and pooping as tricks?”

Arthur follows me into the nursery while we wait for Raleigh to prepare a bottle. A small lamp illuminates the cream walls in a warm light, and Darby pecks at my shoulder as I bounce her in my arms.

“No. I can do all those things already.” He rolls his eyes. Six-year-olds have attitudes.

The recliner is my new favorite seat in the house. It sits under framed, matted illustrations of baby bears that Raleigh created. Now that she’s moved out of her admin role and is one of the creative leads at Method Marketing, she’s recently discovered her new talent for drawing and sketching. Next to her artwork is Arthur’s. His space penises have improved dramatically, thanks to her.

“Can you do them at the same time like she does?”

“I hope not!” Raleigh hollers from the other room.

I chuckle. I swear motherhood has made her hearing superhuman. “She might not be able to do much now, but that’s why your job as a big brother is so important. You’re going to have to help teach her all the cool things you know how to do.”

“Like blowing bubbles with my butt in the bathtub?” he whispers.

I snort. “No, she’s already got that one covered. Like crawling and walking and talking. Then later you can teach her more fun things like how to catch a ball, or ride on a scooter, or play hide and seek—playing hockey!”

He smiles at that. Last winter, I shoveled off a portion of the lake and flooded a small section for him to get some practice to see how he liked it. When I saw his face light up with excitement, I knew he had the same hockey bug I had when I was younger. My chest thumps thinking of all the playing we’ll do as he grows. Maybe Darby will be the same.

“We can all teach her hockey!” he exclaims.

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