I’m still dressed in a full suit. I bend to meet her lips. The kiss is soft and lingering. The disgruntled cry from her chest causes us both to smile and me to pull away.

“Hey there, little man, I’m glad you’re finally here.”

I carefully cradle him in my arms, marveling at how tiny he is and how much fuller my heart feels already.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Parenting, Round Two

Hanna

LESS THAN TWENTY-four hours after his birth, we take Jacob Storm Masterson home.

So much for nixing the weird names. But it seemed fitting that our son be named after the fact he came into this world in the middle of a snowstorm. In Seattle.

We decide that it makes the most sense for me to continue living at Jake’s. He doesn’t want to miss out on any part of being a parent and neither do I. Apart from the first few weeks with Ryan, I never had the chance to breastfeed, and this time I want to do it all if I can.

Co-parenting is a completely different experience. And Jake is a fully immersed dad. While we have the nursery set up, I move the bassinet into the bedroom so JJ can be close for the first little while. I’ve offered to sleep in the spare room, so Jake can get a solid night’s rest, but he wants me next to him at night. And I want to be there.

I’m currently sitting on the couch, burping JJ post-feeding. He lets out a belch, and at the same time, another, less delicate sound comes out the back end. Jake, who’s busy searching for lost socks under the lounger, turns my way, one eyebrow arched.

“Sounds like someone needs a diaper change.”

“And possibly a bath.” I move the breastfeeding pillow aside and pull myself up off the couch.

“I can help,” Jake offers.

“I’ve got it. Carry on with the sock finding mission.” On the upside, all of Jake’s socks are black, grey, or striped, so if one happens to go missing, it’s not a big deal.

“The socks can wait. I’d like to help.” Jake slips around me, kissing me on the cheek as he rushes down the hall to the nursery.

By the time I get there, he has the wipes out.

“I haven’t changed a diaper yet. And it’s been a while, so I figure it’s time to get my hands dirty.” He wiggles his fingers and his eyebrows at the same time.

I gently set JJ onto the changing table and Jake starts unfastening his onesie. I step back and let him have at it, pulling out the zinc cream and a facecloth.

Jake makes a face as he gently pulls JJ’s legs free of the footed onesie. “Looks like we’ve got an explosion.”

“The kind that requires a bath or thorough wipe down?” I ask.

“Nah, no bath required, just sprang a leak on the right side.” He removes the onesie completely and sets it aside. Then he takes JJ’s tiny feet between the fingers of his right hand and holds out his left, palm up. “Wipe, please.”

I grin and tug one free from the dispenser. It has a warmer and everything. Jake cleans up the leak on the outside of the diaper before he carefully peels the adhesive back on the diaper, cooing and talking to JJ the entire time.

“Look at you, you little stinker, making a big old mess right out of the gate. Is this a sign of things to come?”

“I’m going to wet a couple of washcloths.” If it’s leaking out the side of the diaper, it could be a pretty substantial mess.

“Sure thing.” Jake’s attention is focused on JJ.

I drag my fingers along his broad back, disappearing into the bathroom. I turn on the hot water and wait until it’s warm before I wet and wring out three washcloths and return to the bedroom. Jake’s tongue peeks out as he wipes JJ’s tiny bum and his backside, almost all the way to his shoulder blades. “Wow, buddy, that’s some serious reach.”

The diaper is rolled up and set to the side. My heart swells and other parts of my body start to tingle as I watch Jake being a dad.

I’m still sporting a tender vag since JJ was over nine pounds and I have stitches below the waist that are healing, so those tingles aren’t something I can do anything with. Jake’s gentleness is something I’ve experienced regularly, ever since I told him I was pregnant, but seeing him with our son, taking care of him…it makes me emotional. And it’s impossible not to fall in love with both of them more and more every day. Knowing how hard it was for him with Queenie, and how much I missed out on with Ryan, makes us both appreciate JJ and each other that much more.

He lowers JJ’s bum to the change pad and tosses yet another wipe onto the small mountain that’s amassed along with the dirty diaper. JJ kicks his feet jerkily and makes a squawking sound.

“We gotta clean up the jewels now, buddy.”

I cross the room, intending to hand him a washcloth to help with that and to cover JJ’s business since he’s doing a lot of flailing, but I don’t make it in time.

Just as Jake turns back to JJ, he pees. And it gets Jake in the forearm. “Ah, shit!” Jake is quick, covering JJ’s little firehose with the wipe he’s holding, but it’s too late.

I chuckle. “I guess both of you need a bath now, huh?”

JJ shrieks, likely not happy that he’s wet.

“I can’t believe that happened.”

“Always point the firehose down, and always keep it covered when you can’t.” I wink and nudge Jake out of the way. “Why don’t you get the bath set up and I’ll finish here?”

Jake pulls his shirt over his head and wipes his forearm down. “I feel like a rookie all over again.”

I settle a hand on his warm, bare chest. “It’s been a while. And last time you weren’t contending with firehoses, so it’s okay to make rookie mistakes.”

He motions to the crotch of his grey sweats. “Yeah, but I have a firehose. I know what happens when they’re all loose and free.”

I bite my lip. “You’ll have plenty of opportunities to teach JJ all about firehose etiquette when he has a better command of his body.”

Jake’s eyes light up. “Oh, hell yeah! I can’t wait to show him how to play sink the Cheerios.” He takes one of JJ’s big toes between his thumb and finger. “I have so many things I’m going to teach you.”

“Please don’t let one of those things be how to write his name in the snow with pee.”

“I feel like there’s a story to that.”

“There is. And it involved Gerald.” I roll my eyes and push him toward the bathroom. “Go run a bath.”

He does as requested and disappears into the bathroom to run the hot water.

“You have the best daddy in the world, JJ.” I finish cleaning him up and wrap him in a light blanket, thinking about how lucky I am and how sometimes life tosses us a curveball that ends up bringing a miracle along with it.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Forever Unfolding

Hanna

JAKE PROVES TO be not only a dedicated father, but also a true partner. Even though he gets up every day and goes to work, he also helps manage middle of the night diaper changes.

The first two weeks are a blur of feeding, changing diapers, and napping. I’d forgotten about the honeymoon phase. At first, JJ sleeps, like . . . well, a baby. A very happy, very content baby. I settle into a new groove. I can’t believe I’ve lucked out and managed to have another easy baby, exactly like Ryan was.