Daughter. I laughed. I never thought I would be a man with a kid, let alone two.
I scooped her soft tiny frame into my giant hands and held her against my bare chest.
“You can’t cry like that, sweet pea. You’re going to wake Mommy, and she was up all night with you.”
I tried to hush the fussy baby, pacing the room, and cradling her close. Julie had only started putting Frannie in the nursery the last few nights. I wanted our bedroom back. No offense to the new princess of the house, but there was something that seemed to zap the sexual energy right out of Julie when she rolled over and saw our daughter. The move was necessary.
But it meant a longer walk down the hall. And it meant Julie and Frannie were getting less sleep. I wanted to help where I could.
I made another circle around the room.
“Don’t you want to sleep? Maybe you want to go to practice with Daddy?” I teased.
“No way.”
I stopped on the fuzzy rug and looked up. Julie was in the doorway.
“How long have you been standing there?” I asked.
She smiled and walked toward us.
“Long enough to know I have the sweetest husband in the world.” She reached to take Frannie from me. “But this baby is not going to Sharks practice.”
I chuckled. “That was a joke, babe. A joke.”
Frannie’s eyes closed as soon as she felt the softness of Julie’s skin. It was like watching magic work. I never had that kind of touch with the baby, but I sure tried like hell.
“I know,” she whispered. She lowered Frannie into the crib. “I’m so tired. Maybe I should go to practice with you so I can get some sleep.”
“That could be arranged.”
I held her hand and pulled her into the hall, closing the door gently.
Her arms wrapped around my waist and I felt the silkiness of her cheek press into my chest.
“No one told me newborns were so exhausting. Everyone said she’d be beautiful and cute.”
“She is, babe. She’s perfect.” I tipped her chin toward me. I saw the fatigue in her sapphire eyes.
Julie sighed. “Perfectly exhausting.”
“Come on. I know what you need.” I lifted her into my arms.
“What are you doing?” she whispered sharply.
I crept passed Hunter’s room. The kid was sleeping longer and longer. The new baby was taking her toll on all of us. The door was closed. I hoped he got a few more hours this morning. I pushed the bedroom door open and lowered my wife to the sheets.
I walked around to the other side of the bed and unplugged the baby monitor.
“Wait. What are you doing, Hawk?”
“I’m taking care of the kids. I’ve got breakfast. I’ll get Hunter to school. I’ll take Frannie with us and then she’s going to your dad’s for a while so you can sleep.”
“No,” she whined. “I can do this.”
I kissed her slowly, pressing her back to the bed. “Babe, I know you can do it, but there’s something you’ve known about me since that first night we’ve met, that you just haven’t been able to accept.”
She pinched her pretty lips together. “And what is that?”