Bennett (On the Line 2)

“It’s a very safe, routine procedure,” my mom said to both of us. “It’ll be okay.”

“I have to wait for them to come get me,” I said, the helplessness choking me. “I haven’t even pissed this whole time because she didn’t want me to leave her.”

Mom put her arm around my back. “Honey, listen to me. This will be over in a matter of minutes. It’s what’s safest for her and the baby. Trust that the doctor will take care of them, okay?”

I paced around the waiting room, unashamed when tears fell onto my cheeks. I’d never even considered that this would happen.

“Mr. Morse?” a nurse dressed in scrubs said.

I followed her to a prep room, where I had to scrub and put on a gown. When I got into the operating room, I went right to Charlotte and smoothed the sweaty hair back from her brow.

“I’m here, baby. It’s almost over. He’s almost here.”

She murmured something unintelligible. The doctor and nurses went to work, and I said a silent prayer for the two people I needed to be okay.

“Here he is,” the doctor said a minute later. She held up our slippery-looking, screaming boy, who had a head full of dark hair.

Charlotte smiled, tears silently streaming from her eyes. I tried to speak, but only a choked sob came out. They took him aside to clean him up.

“He’s beautiful, Char,” I said. “So perfect. You did amazing.”

“Let’s name him . . . Christopher,” she murmured softly.

“I was thinking Charlie,” I said. “After you.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Yeah. Charlie Holloway Morse.”

“Bennett.” She closed her eyes and smiled again. “I love you so much. And I love our Charlie.”

“So do I, babe.” I kissed her brow and looked past the sheet at the doctor. “Everything’s good?”

“Yes. I’m stitching her up. You’ll be able to hold your son in just a minute here.”

When they put him in my arms, I bent down and tilted my arms so Charlotte was face-to-face with him. She cooed and kissed him but was too weak to hold him just yet.

I rocked my bundled son and took him outside the operating room for a quick peek from my mom and Liam.

My mom cried, as expected. But what surprised me were the sniffles and tears from my tattooed, badass roommate.

“Man, he’s perfect,” Liam said, wiping his cheek. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks. We named him Charlie. Charlie Holloway Morse.”

Liam sighed and looked up at the ceiling, fresh tears pooling in his eyes. “That’s fucking awesome, brother.”

He hadn’t called me that in almost six months. Maybe Charlie was the one person who could bring us back together.

Charlotte

When I walked into the kitchen, Bennett was cooking eggs at the stove, wearing nothing but a pair of gray sweats and a sexy smile.

“Mornin’,” he said. “Made you some decaf.”

He poured me a mug of coffee and I took a sip. “I’m not even wishing for caffeine today because I just slept for three hours in a row.” I looked down at Charlie, who was nursing contentedly while cradled in my free arm.

“That’s like eight hours in non-newborn-parent time,” Bennett said.