Dr. Carter had warned us it could take a while for Paige to get pregnant. It happened almost immediately. I came home from work to find her sitting on the floor of our bathroom, a stick in her hand, her expression shocked.
I crouched beside her. “Sweet Pea? What is it?”
“I don’t know what fertilizer you use, Liam, but holy shit,” she whispered, showing me the two blue lines.
I was ecstatic. I scooped her into my arms, holding her tight. I felt the tension in her body, the worry already taking hold. I pressed a kiss to her head. “Together, baby. We’ll handle it together.”
Lucy had been excited when we told her she was going to have a sibling. Her eyes got big in her face, and she hugged Mr. Teddy close.
“Will the baby share my room?”
I lifted her to my knee. “Nope. That is yours. I am going to make the baby a room.”
“Can I play with her?”
“Well, we don’t know yet if it’s a her or a him, and they’ll be pretty small, but you can help Momma. And once the baby is bigger, I’m sure they’d love to play with you.”
She nodded, happy, hugging Mr. Teddy. “It’s a girl. I know it.”
And she was right.
The day Shannon was born was one of the most amazing days of my life. Seeing Paige give birth was awe-inspiring. I had always known how strong she was, but that day, she was incredible. I was nervous and anxious, fumbling in my attempts to be helpful. She was calm and settled, only breaking down when Shannon was born, healthy and strong, all limbs intact. Even though the ultrasounds had shown no problems, I knew she worried. I held her as she wept in my arms when we were alone, letting her cry out the last nine months of secret apprehension.
“Let it out, Sweet Pea. Then we can move forward with all the good things.” I tucked her closer. “I need you to show me how to be a good dad.”
“You already are a good dad.”
“I’ve never had a baby before. Lucy came toilet trained and walking. She could even feed herself.” I teased. “This little bundle seems a bit uncoordinated.”
That made her laugh, the humor breaking her tension. She wiped her face and sat up. “You’ll be amazing at being a new daddy.” She let out a stuttering breath. “And this time, I get to enjoy it more.”
That led to another round of sobs, which I understood. I knew how alone and scared she’d been when Lucy was born. The lack of sleep, trying to work and look after a newborn all on her own took a toll.
But this time, she had me. My family. I had finally convinced her to give up her job. She’d enjoyed the latter part of her pregnancy, no longer worrying about money or bills. She concentrated on the house, Lucy, and me. And, for the first time ever, herself.
When she discovered she was pregnant again, her fears were lower. The tests showed everything was good, and she let it go.
I now had three daughters. Lucy, Shannon, and Erin. I was surrounded by all things girl. I felt sometimes as if I lived in a perpetual state of glitter and pink. Yet, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Squeals of laughter brought me out of my musings, and I went to the window, grinning at the sight that met my eyes.
My girls were in the back, dogpiling on my dad, who was laughing as loudly as they were. I saw Mom sitting under the gazebo. I hurried and got washed and dressed to go and join them.
I walked through the house, the changes in the place reflected everywhere. Some subtle, others very obvious. When I’d drawn up the plans for the house originally, I’d had it built to be able to add a second story if needed. Once Paige was pregnant, I put that plan into action, adding the addition with three bedrooms and a large bath. Lucy’s room was now up there, and Shannon was across the hall from her. Erin was still too little for the stairs, but eventually, she would move upstairs as well. I still had my office I shared with Paige, and once Erin was settled upstairs, we would have a guest room again. The rest of the house looked much the same, except for Paige’s touches. She added a softer element to the rooms. Warmer colors on the walls, toss cushions, thick, warm rugs underfoot on the hardwood floor. Lots of family photos. There were also endless toys, hair ribbons, bows, and little shoes everywhere that I constantly picked up.
I headed outside, grinning as the girls spotted me and deserted my dad. I was crushed in a mass of arms, smiles, and curls as my girls greeted me as if they hadn’t seen me for weeks instead of yesterday at breakfast.