"Well, hello, Mary Francis," she crooned her child's name—Mary Francis, after Daniel's father, Franklin, the man who'd given them all a second chance.
She sank to the sofa, Austin and Trey crawling up beside her, Danny kneeling in front of her. His flight suit stretched across his broad, reliable shoulders, almost pulling out the wrinkles she never could seem to iron free. Not that she really wanted to dispense with those creases. Danny suited her just fine as he was, with his rumpled uniforms and knee-melting kisses.
The nurse backed toward the door. "I'll leave y'all alone to get acquainted. Just buzz me when you're ready for her to go back to the nursery."
Mary Elise wasn't sure that time would ever come.
Trey tickled Mary Francis under the chin. "You're named for my dad, Austin's and your daddy's dad, too."
Austin leaned over, closer. "Ooh-rah. Okay? Don't be listening to Trey when he tells ya somethin' else."
Laughter chimed, then faded, smiles remaining as they became acquainted with tiny Mary Francis—her round face with wide eyes, her sprigs of dark hair and the sweet smell of baby.
Daniel cupped the back of Mary Elise's neck, pulled her forward for a kiss, his forehead falling to rest on hers after. "Life is good."
"Yeah, Danny, it sure is." Love swelled, flowed in their old connection, but broader now, binding them in a circle through the family they'd built together.
Years ago, Mary Elise had dreamed of filling her arms with Danny Baker's children. But she never could have envisioned anything quite this perfect.