Laughter burst from my chest, but I quickly swallowed it when our little Abby stirred. Her eyes slowly opened to reveal a deep blue that would likely become the same clear color as Naomi’s. Our middle child, Clara, had my eyes, but our eldest, Ben, also shared Naomi’s beautiful blue.
“Mommy!” Clara came running into the hospital room with Ben hot on her tail and Nixon not too far behind them. “Can I hold her, can I?”
Naomi chuckled and nodded. “Of course.”
Ben started to argue about being the oldest, but he buttoned it up when I shot him a warning glance. Naomi had her son and husband wrapped around her little finger, so when Ben realized he might upset her, he was more than happy to wait patiently for his turn.
After both kids had their time with Abby, I finally cuddled her in one arm while Naomi snuggled against my other side.
“Happiness like this never seemed real to me,” Naomi whispered. “I thought it was just something you read about in romance novels.”
I smirked, “Are you saying I’m your favorite book boyfriend, baby?”
“Better,” she sighed. “They can’t compare to my man.”
“Good answer,” I replied with a teasing smile. Sometimes, she would make sly comments about the heroes in her books, just to get me fired up so I would prove I was everything they were and more. It was a little game we played. One that I loved.
“It’s only the truth.”
I dipped my head and planted a sweet kiss on her lips. “Of course, it is. This is our happily ever after, baby.”