Reckless

Anna and I both decided that we'd call our parents in the morning. They'd already missed the birth, so what was a few more hours of ignorance? And besides, Anna didn't want to think about what she was going to do yet, and our parents would want an answer. Anna just wanted peace and quiet with her new baby girl.



I read my book in the corner of the room while Anna slept and Griffin held Gibson. He stared down at her like he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He couldn't stop smiling either. I'd never seen Griffin so completely happy. Every once and a while, Gibson would do something cute and Griffin would giggle. I'd never heard him laugh like that. It was adorable, and my book-reading quickly faded into Griffin-watching.



Adjusting her cap, Griffin stroked her thin, fine hair. Smiling, he looked up at me. "I think she's going to be blond, like me." He looked down at her again, adoration on his face. "I hope she has Anna's eyes, though." They were a dark blue-gray now, but the nurse had told us that most babies were born with eyes that color. They settled into the color they were going to have for life within the first year. I'd found that really interesting, but I was a little surprised that Griffin had retained that bit of information.



It was late when Kellan showed up with Evan and Matt, just on the verge of it being too late for them to visit at all. But I'd been coming back from the vending machine in the waiting room, and I'd watched Kellan smile his way through the nurse's station. Of course they'd let him visit. He probably could have gotten them to find him a cot and give him a sponge bath.



All of the boys were dressed differently than I'd last seen them. Kellan had gone on stage in a plain, short-sleeved red shirt, but his shirt under his leather jacket was now white. It made me smile that they'd freshened up for this.



Intent on finding Anna, Kellan didn't see me as he walked away with the boys. Suppressing a giggle, I strode up behind him and pinched his backside. He jumped about a foot in the air and spun around. "Hey, stranger, come here often?" I asked.



Kellan relaxed when he realized it was just me attacking him. "Not if I can help it," he answered.



Even though he'd received directions, I pointed out Anna's room. "She's in there."



I bit my lip in excitement as the boys hurried to see the newest member of their family. I'd texted them after Gibson was born, to let them know Anna and the baby were okay, but we'd all decided to not tell them the sex. Anna wanted it to be a surprise.



Matt beat everyone through the door to get a glimpse of his newest relative. Evan was a step behind him. Kellan and I trailed in last. Anna was awake now, but still resting in bed. Griffin was still holding his daughter, angling her up so Matt could see her. "She's totally got my nose, right?"



Matt was in complete shock. "You had a girl?" He looked between Anna and Griffin. "Congratulations, she's beautiful."



Griffin beamed like he'd done all the work, when really he'd had the briefest part in Gibson's creation. "Thanks."



Anna smiled at the pride on Griffin's face, then pointed to the sink along the far wall. "Wash up and you can hold her."



Watching these normally jovial and carefree rock stars juggling the tiny person between them like she was made of nuclear material made me laugh. When Gibson finally made her way to Kellan, he wiped his palms on his jeans. "I'm so nervous right now," he whispered to me. "What if I drop her?"



I rubbed his shoulder as I whispered back, "Don't worry, you're good with women."



Kellan rolled his eyes at me and gingerly took Gibson from Evan's hands. The grin that came over him as he looked down on her made my eyes mist over. Kellan holding a child . . . I'd thought he looked completely natural on stage, but that was nothing compared to this. Kellan had so much love to give; it was written all over his face.



Turning to me, he murmured, "She smells good. Why does she smell so good?" Since I often wondered why he smelled so good, I could only shrug.



He lightly swayed with her as he made silly faces, trying to get her to smile. I wiped a tear off of my cheek as I watched him. When he leaned down to rub his nose against hers, and she tried to suck on it, I had to look away before I started sobbing. I could almost feel the I-want-a-child hormones kicking in. But first things first-I had a wedding to get through next month.



My eyes found my sister's. She had tears in her own eyes as she watched her child being loved on. She pointed at Kellan and mouthed, "He needs a baby." Then she pointed at me and gestured with her hands over her much smaller stomach. I shook my head at her and reiterated my earlier thought-First things first.



Matt was taking about a hundred pictures on his phone. I already had about a bazillion on mine, but I pulled it out again to get some of Gibson and Kellan. Grinning ear to ear, Matt looked over at Griffin. "I'm gonna send some of these to Mom and Dad. You call your parents yet?"



Griffin nodded. "Yeah, they want us to fly her out to L.A. as soon as the tour's over." Griffin and Matt were both originally from Los Angeles and still had family in the area, on the other side of town from where the record label's house was. They'd both visited their parents while we'd been staying down there, but had mainly stayed at the label's place. Griffin had told me once that it was, "Hella nicer than my parents' spread."



Wondering what they were going to do in the meantime, I thought about broaching the subject with my sister. Matt beat me to it, though. Face serious, he told Griffin, "The tour is moving on tonight. What are the two of you going to do?"



Griffin looked over at Anna, his face torn. "We have to be on the bus when it leaves. I have to go with them."



Anna nodded as she swallowed. "I know."



Looking over at Kellan, I told Anna, "I'll stay here with you, Anna." When Kellan swung his eyes my way, I looked over at my sister. "I'm sure you'll be discharged tomorrow if everything looks good. Then I'll take you home . . . to Mom and Dad. You can stay there and rest up until the wedding."



Anna looked forlorn as she contemplated staying with our parents for the next month. What else could she do, though? If she flew back to Seattle, she'd have to fly twice with an infant during the busiest travel season of the year. That sounded really silly to me. Best to just plop her down in Ohio now. And besides, having Mom around to help would be good for Anna . . . even if she did drive her crazy.



Anna bowed her head, not thrilled about it, but clearly accepting her fate. Griffin, however, wasn't accepting it at all. "No, I don't think so." Walking over to Kellan, he gently removed his daughter from his arms; Kellan seemed reluctant to let her go.



Anna snapped her head up; hope was in her eyes that maybe a better option was available to her. Crossing my arms over my chest, I wondered what option Griffin might come up with. As everyone turned their eyes to him, he locked gazes with my sister. "I don't want you to go. I want you to stay on the bus with me." Griffin turned to stare me down. "After they let her go, you bring her to me." By the heat in his expression, it was clear he wasn't asking.



I couldn't help my startled expression. "You want a newborn on a tour bus with you?"



Griffin shrugged and looked around the room. "Sure. Why not?"



Anna seemed conflicted. Her maternal instincts had kicked in, and they were fighting with her natural, carefree spirit. "I don't know, Griff. It seems unsanitary."



Griffin snorted. "I'm probably the dirtiest thing on the bus, and you sleep with me every night."



I tried not to laugh at that. And failed miserably. Kellan elbowed me as he shook his head in amusement. Anna still seemed uncertain. She looked from Gibson to me. "What do you think, Kiera?" Her eyes were wide, fearful. Now that Gibson was a tangible object, Anna was terrified of doing something wrong. She was desperately afraid of making a bad choice.



I could feel Griffin boring holes into me, and I could see the hope on my sister's face, but if I was going to honestly answer her question, I needed to put the two of them aside and think about Gibson. What would be best for her? If she were mine, what would I do? I really didn't know much about babies, but I knew a lot about the people on our bus. Aside from my parents, who both had jobs that they couldn't just abandon to help my sister, there was no one better on earth to help raise this baby than the D-Bags.



Turning to my sister, I told her, "I think in most cases, having a baby on a bus, living the life we live, is absolutely insane." Anna frowned, and Griffin started to protest. I held up my hand to stop him. "But in this particular case, I think it works." I focused on Anna. "Your baby was never going to have a typical childhood, and I can't think of anywhere else that she could possibly be loved more than that bus."



As Anna's face broke into a tearful smile, I added, "Besides, didn't the nurse say they mainly sleep, eat, and poop for the first few months anyway?"



Griffin nodded his thanks to me, then seemed to realize he'd placed quite a burden on the rest of his band. "You guys . . . cool with that?"



Kellan wrapped his arms around my waist as he kissed my neck. "I think it sounds great."



Evan nodded in agreement; nothing much fazed him. Matt smirked. "Loud crying coming from your room at all hours of the day and night"-he twisted to look at Evan and Kellan-"I think we're already used to that."



After light laughter went around the room, Kellan frowned and looked over at Matt. "We'll have to have a talk with Holeshot."



Matt nodded. "Deacon is pretty easygoing. I'm sure he'll be fine with it."



Twisting my head, I told Kellan, "They can always hop on Sienna's bus. Didn't she say she was tired of riding alone?"



Kellan let out a laugh that startled Gibson. "That is an excellent idea."



Griffin glared over at him. "Dude, keep it down. You freaked out my daughter."



Kellan grinned at his bassist. "Sorry." Then he made a whipping noise like Griffin frequently made. I had to bury my head in Kellan's shirt so I didn't laugh too loud and get yelled at by the overprotective new father.



Kellan and the boys left a little while later. The show was over, and the process of tearing it down and moving on was probably already underway. I waited in the hallway with Evan, Matt, and Kellan while Griffin said goodbye to his family. Kellan was hugging me while we waited. "I'm going to miss you," he said.



Resting my chin on my chest, I peered up at him. "I'm going to miss you too, but you're only going to East Rutherford. That's not far."



"Feels far." He smiled at me, then looked over to Anna's door. "Do you think Griffin will be a good father?"



Smiling, I looked over to the closed door as well. He'd been in there saying goodbye to his wife and child for over fifteen minutes. "Yeah, surprisingly, I think he'll be great." I was still shocked by that fact.



Kellan turned back to me. "Do you think I would be a good father . . . one day?"



Tightening my arms around his neck, I eagerly nodded. "I know you will be." Kellan smiled at the subtle promise of our future in my words. Kids wasn't a matter of if for us, just when.



When Griffin finally emerged from Anna's room, he was subtly swiping his eyes dry. I gawked at the raw emotion on his face. I'd never seen him look so distraught. He frowned as he glared at all of us. "What?" Then he moodily walked down the hall, away from the two people who had just become his entire world.



Matt and Evan hurried after him, Evan tossing an arm over his shoulders while Matt playfully punched him in the arm. Kellan watched them leave then sighed; his smile was a sad one as he gazed at me. "Guess I'm off to work. I'll see you soon." His brow bunched in concern as he twisted me to face him. "Please be careful."



Leaning up, I placed a tender kiss upon his lips. "I'm always careful. I love you."



"I love you too."



As he walked away from me, I tried to not think about how much I was going to miss him while we were apart. Watching the way his clothes molded around his body helped with that. He turned at the door and gave me a small wave before exiting. I noticed a young nurse nearby sigh as she blatantly stared at him. Laughing a little, I waved back. When he disappeared, I exhaled just as forlornly as the nurse had.



Twenty minutes after he left me, my phone rang. I hurried to answer it. "Miss me already, Kellan?"



"Of course." His happy tone fell as he added, "Hey, I just wanted to warn you, there was a group of fans forming outside of the hospital as we were leaving."



I immediately stood and looked out of the window. Anna's room overlooked a courtyard in the center of the hospital, though, and not the front doors. "Kell-Sex fans? Here?" I asked. "How did they . . . ?" My voice trailed off as I remembered stupidly announcing to a room full of fans that I was heading to a hospital. The more ambitious ones must have followed me in hopes to see Kellan there . . . or possibly to confront me . . . I wasn't sure.



Kellan sighed. "Yeah, I think so. We left out of the ER doors, so they didn't see me. They may think I'm still in there . . . with you. I've already called the hospital to give them a head's up, so I don't think you'll be bothered on the inside. But just be careful when you do leave, please? I still haven't had a chance to explain that photo."



"Yeah, thank you." Great. Was I really going to have to deal with a bunch of rabid fans who probably hated me while trying to get my newborn niece back to her rock star daddy? And just when I thought my life couldn't get anymore surreal.



I woke up the next morning with a knot in my back, not feeling rested at all. Someone had come in every few hours to run tests on the baby, and I'd woken up every single time. When I fully came to life, Gibson was gone. Guess I'd finally slipped into a deep sleep early this morning, if she'd been removed without me knowing. While I was pretty sure Gibson couldn't be taken out of the hospital without someone noticing-much like expensive merchandise, the babies all had bracelets around their ankles that sounded an alarm if they passed through the front doors-a slice of fear shot up my spine anyway.



Anna was gone too, so I figured she was with her daughter. Slipping on my shoes, I debated scouring the hospital room by room to find my niece. That was panic talking, though. The more rational part of me knew I could simply ask a nurse where she was. When I stepped into the hallway, I saw that it was completely unnecessary. Anna was walking toward me, dressed in a hospital gown, cooing to Gibson as she cradled her in her arms. Relief instantly replaced my fears. Then amusement swept over me. A male nurse was walking a few paces behind Anna, and he had his arms weighed down with a car seat, flowers, and two bulging duffel bags. Even hours past delivering a baby, my sister could still get men to do anything she wanted.



Smiling as she walked past me, Anna chirped, "Gibson just had her hearing tested. She's perfect, of course." Giggling at her daughter, Anna instructed the nurse to put the things on her bed. He looked quite happy to do so, and even asked Anna if she needed anything else. She shook her head, her eyes never leaving Gibson.



After the nurse reluctantly left, I twisted to Anna and pointed at her supplies. "You, uh, go shopping this morning?" We'd left for the hospital with only the clothes on our backs.



Anna kissed Gibson's cheek. "No, Sienna sent it by. She knew I ran out of there and probably didn't have anything . . . and figured none of the boys would think of those kinds of details." Anna laughed; her face was completely worry free.



I blinked as I examined Sienna's gifts. That really was very thoughtful of her. I hoped there were toiletries in the bag; I would do just about anything for a toothbrush. "That was nice of her," I said.



Anna nuzzled her face against Gibson, then set her in her clear plastic bassinet. "Yeah, she even had a car and driver stay behind, so they can take us back to the tour when Gibson and I are cleared to leave." Walking over to the bags, she started removing clothes for her, clothes for the baby, and surprisingly, an outfit for me.



Disbelief washed over my curiosity. "You know, when she's not trying to manipulate the public into believing that she has a steamy, album-selling relationship with my husband, she's actually pretty considerate."



Anna paused in her clothes sorting. "You still think she's after Kellan?"



I frowned. "I don't think she's actively pursuing him, but I don't think she'd turn him away either."



Not worried, Anna sat on the bed and resumed emptying the bag; she cringed a bit when she sat down, and I figured she was still sore. "Would anyone turn him away, Kiera?"



Grabbing the smallest pink and white onesie I'd ever seen, I told her, "Well, I hope you would."



Anna snorted as she rubbed a soft pink blanket against her cheek. "That's a given . . . same goes for you too, you know." She raised an eyebrow, her expression completely serious.



I choked on my own saliva and started coughing. "Griffin? You're worried about me and Griffin?"



Anna started laughing so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes. "No, not at all. I just wanted to see that look on your face." Sighing, she shook her head in amusement. "That was priceless."



A pediatrician from the hospital came in after lunch to give Gibson a thorough physical examination. Slinging his stethoscope around his neck when he was finished, he told Anna, "Your daughter looks perfect, and every test has come back within normal ranges. She seems well-fed, but are you having any problems with breastfeeding?"



My mind replayed earlier this morning, when Anna had sworn like a sailor while trying to get Gibson to latch on. Apparently, it's not as seamless a process as you would think. But Anna had successfully attached her daughter . . . eventually. Anna didn't mention any of that though. She also didn't mention that she'd be raising the baby on a tour bus filled with rock stars. The doctors would probably put her up on the pysch ward if they found out about that little detail. "Nope, we got it."



The doctor smiled and nodded. "Then I see no problem with the two of you being discharged today."



Three hours later, after watching a very boring video about "Taking Care of Your Newborn," Anna and Gibson were officially released from the hospital. While I called Kellan to let him know we were about to head out, Anna finally called our parents. Dad didn't handle the news very well. Cringing, Anna held the phone about a foot from her ear. Every so often, she said things like, "Dad . . . but . . . I'm . . ." Dad never let her finish, so she stopped trying to explain herself. Rolling her eyes at me, she played with her daughter's fingers while she half-listened to Dad vent about her life choices.



Once Anna was done being chastised, she handed the phone over to me. As I was still talking to Kellan, I shook my head. I really didn't feel like getting an earful right now. Anna indicated that I should take it, and I sighed in Kellan's ear. "Hey, Dad wants to talk to me, so I have to go."



Kellan's laugh made me smile. I missed his chuckle. "Good luck. I'll see you soon."



"Yeah, bye." Hanging up with Kellan, I reluctantly took Anna's phone. Expecting the worst, I held it to my ear. "Hello?"



"Hi, dear." Surprise and relief washed through me. It was Mom, not Dad. There was a good chance that I wasn't going to get yelled at for being an accomplice to Anna's give-birth-on-the-road plan, then. "I was just wondering if I'd see you for Thanksgiving. I'd really love to see you, since we have so much to discuss before the wedding next month. And I'm dying to show you the dress I bought. It's absolutely stunning, Kiera. You're going to love it."



I glared at my sister, and she started laughing. Feeling bad for what I was about to say, I turned my back on my gleeful sister. "Actually, Mom, Kellan really wanted to see his dad for Thanksgiving, you know, since we'll be spending Christmas with you guys." In a quieter voice, I added, "I know we have a lot to talk about, but Kellan's never had a decent holiday with his family, and I really want to give him this. I'm sorry. Is that okay?"



Mom was silent for several seconds, then she sighed in defeat. "Yeah, okay. Of course, I understand. You're married . . . almost. I'll have to get used to sharing you." Her voice hitched, and I hoped she wasn't about to cry.



Putting on my perkiest voice, I told her, "I'm excited to see everything you've picked out. And I know it's going to be perfect. Thank you for taking care of everything for me, Mom. I feel bad that I couldn't help you with more of it."



"Well, I know you've had your hands full, sweetheart." I could hear the concern in her voice. She knew things were stressful right now. I was about to tell her for the millionth time that everything was fine, when her tone brightened. "I'm so excited to see you in your dress!"



We chatted some more, then I told her goodbye and handed the phone back to Anna. Her face was incredulous. "I can't believe you still haven't put a stop to the puffy sleeves, Kiera." She exaggerated bulk around her arms. "We're talking Elizabethan puffy. It's hazardous, really. You could accidentally turn around too fast and knock your husband out cold." She giggled. "Then I'd have to resuscitate him."



Smirking, I threw a plastic barf tray at her.



East Rutherford, New Jersey, was only a couple of hours away, so I knew catching up to the boys wouldn't be a problem. If we hurried, we'd probably make it in time for the meet-and-greet. Not that I planned on walking into a room full of fans and causing a stir again. No, thank you.



Anna called the driver that Sienna had left behind, so he could pick us up. When he arrived, he came up to the room to give us a hand with all of our stuff. Or Gibson's stuff, rather. It took us thirty minutes to secure Gibson in her car seat. Anna must have taken her out and readjusted her twenty times. She was nervous to put her in a car. My sister was a caring person, but she wasn't prone to worrying, so seeing her stressed was endearing. After the twenty-first adjustment, I grabbed Anna's hands when she moved to unbuckle another strap. "She's fine, Anna. It's perfect."



Anna frowned at me. "You sure? Are the straps tight enough? Too tight? What about that thing around her head? Is her neck secure?"



Anna's eyes were glossy as fear filled her. Grabbing her cheeks, I firmly told her, "She's fine, and everything is going to be okay. Have faith."



Anna took a deep breath, then nodded. "This pit of dread in my stomach sucks," she muttered.



I couldn't help but laugh at her. "Now you know how Mom and Dad must feel on a daily basis."



That made Anna pause in picking up Gibson's car seat. "Oh my God, you're right. I owe Mom and Dad the biggest apology ever. Fuck." I sympathetically patted her on the back.



The driver had long ago packed our bags in the car. He was dutifully waiting for us right in front of the main hospital entrance. I could see the sleek, black sedan as we walked through the hospital lobby. I could also see a swarm of ten to fifteen people that the driver was trying to keep away from the vehicle. Damn it. I'd forgotten all about the Kell-Sex fans that Kellan had warned me about. I was going to ask the driver to pick us up around the back, but it had slipped my mind. And honestly, I thought they would have left by now. I could tell by the pink cheeks and breathy exhales that it was frigid outside; it had to have been freezing last night. Did they come back this morning, or stay all night long? Either way, why would they do that? Surely they must realize that Kellan had another show and had long ago moved on from Philadelphia. Were they really here for me? Was I that interesting?



Luckily, the driver's imposing size helped keep the fans at bay, and there was a clear walkway to the car. Looking at the people outside, I suddenly felt like we were leaving a trial that had ended with an unpopular verdict, and we had to wade through the protesters to get away.



Anna noticed the crowd right as the first set of automatic doors opened. "What's with the groupies?" She twisted to me. "Are they here for you?"



"They're probably here for Kellan . . . I'm just a lucky happenstance."



Anna held the car seat a little tighter. "Maybe we should have the driver go around."



I was starting to think the same thing, but a couple of the girls saw us and alerted the rest. Every head swung in my direction. Every expression turned dour. It was quite clear that all of these diehards believed the gossip, and none of them were on Team Kiera. God, I hoped I wasn't about to get stoned.



"Too late now. We've been spotted." I met eyes with Anna. "We may as well get it over with."



Anna glanced at her daughter as she chewed on her lip. "Yeah, okay."



I waved at the driver, letting him know that we were coming and needed a quick getaway. The group hovering around the car started closing in on the door. I felt like we were in some old spaghetti Western as we stared each other down. Even though the girls were on the young side, if one of them had leaned over and spat out a wad of tobacco juice, I wouldn't have been surprised. Well, maybe a little surprised.



Seeing the tension brewing outside, a couple of burly guys from the hospital escorted us out the main doors. They politely asked the group to stop loitering, but they may as well have been speaking a foreign language. The crowd invasively pressed in around Anna and me once we were outside. The awkward sensation of having strangers in your personal space made me uneasy as I hurried forward. A couple of brave girls shoved me into my sister's side, but mainly the group was using their words to hurt me. And let me tell you, sometimes words cut as badly as knives.



"Leave Kellan and Sienna alone! They're meant to be together! You're nothing, a nobody! You're not even worthy of breathing their air, ugly bitch! You should have never been born! You should just do the world a favor and kill yourself!"



Anna's face turned bright red, but I squeezed her arm and helped her get into the car. I didn't need her fighting for me while holding her daughter. Since Gibson was going into the middle of the backseat, I had to walk around the car to get to my seat.



The driver and the hospital guys helped me clear a path, and I noticed something I hadn't before. A couple of photographers were in the crowd. They must have picked up on my location from the fans. The social media sites were probably buzzing with the news that I was here. While the photogs snapped every angle of my face that they could, the girls continued taking pot shots at me.



"You think you're hot shit? You think Kellan gives a rat's ass about you? He's in love with Sienna, bitch! You're just a worthless toy. Once he's done with you, he'll toss you aside with the rest of the trash. Disgusting little cunt!"



Tears were stinging my eyes, but I ignored their hatred and lifted my chin. They had no idea what they were talking about. They had no idea what the truth of the situation was. If nothing else, I could at least respect their devotion, although I would never condone verbally attacking a person with such malevolence.



I was shaking when I sat down in my seat. Some of the girls pounded on the glass while the cameramen captured it all. I discreetly locked my door. The driver said a few harsh words to the crowd and I turned my attention to Gibson. She was positioned backwards, and she was looking at me. She had the cutest, softest chubby cheeks. Ignoring the malicious girls outside, I placed my finger on Gibson's palm; she immediately closed her hand around it.



As the car pulled away, the fans smacking it a few final times, Anna murmured, "Jesus. Are you okay, Kiera?"



When I looked over at her, a tear fell down my cheek. I was still shaking from head to toe. Pushing away the confrontation, I nodded at Anna and looked back down at Gibson. "My niece is holding my hand. I'm perfect."



I felt Anna's finger drying my cheek. After a moment of silence, she said, "I love you."



I exhaled a long, low breath, and finally stopped shaking. "I love you too."



The drive took a lot longer than expected. We had to stop a couple of times for Gibson. Once she needed to be changed, once she needed to be fed. We also hit some heavy traffic along the way-some accident that narrowed the freeway down to one lane. As we passed by the wreckage, I noticed that Anna wouldn't look at it. Instead, she ceaselessly kissed her daughter's hand. I could only imagine that she was thanking fate that Gibson was safe beside her . . . and that she hadn't given her up.



By the time we got to the venue, the concert had already started. Anna and I were beat, so we didn't go into the arena. Once we got cleared from security, we immediately headed for the busses. I wanted sleep. Badly.



Since all of the guys were inside playing, no fans or photographers were outside to bother us as we emptied the car. A good thing, because I didn't think I could handle being yelled at again. It felt so good to be back on the bus, like we were coming home. All of the familiar sights and smells were there when we stepped through the doors-leftover beer bottles on the tables, crusty socks in the aisle way, Evan's giant D trophy hanging from a noose above a window, and a bowl of half-eaten . . . something . . . on the couch. It was the cluttered mess that I had grown to know and love.



Anna looked around with a scowl on her face. "These boys are pigs. They're going to have to clean up after themselves now that Gibson's on board." Her sudden concern over the cleanliness of our bus made me chuckle. Up until today, she'd contributed to the mess just as much as the guys had.



With Gibson still in her car seat, we made our way to the back bedroom. Like an overwhelmed cartoon character, my jaw dropped to my chest. The bedroom was . . . babified. There was a narrow, portable playpen crammed between the bed and the one-way window, and a mobile attached to the top had stuffed musical instruments hanging off of it. A couple of stuffed animals were on the makeshift crib, along with a pink blanket that looked plush enough for a princess.



On the other side of the bed was a slim dresser. The drawers would be impossible to open, but the top of it had a built-in tray that held a curved mattress with a belt, perfect for diaper changes. Attached to the ceiling above the table was a cute, fabric diaper holder, also decorated in musical instruments. As Anna giggled in delight, my eyes settled onto the bed. It was littered with shopping bags, and I saw nothing but pink spilling out of them.



Anna set the car seat down and rummaged through a bag. Squealing as she removed a soft pink, plush guitar, she said, "Don't I have the best husband ever?"



I was so shocked, I couldn't even respond.



I helped Anna put away the mountain of clothes that Griffin had picked up for his daughter. Since they'd already bought a bunch of stuff when they'd believed Gibson was a boy, there was nowhere near enough room for everything. We ended up cramming clothes and toys all over the bus. Every available cubby had something stuffed into it. We even stashed some burp rags in the pocket in the bus driver's door. Once Anna and Gibson were comfortable and crashed, I crawled into the cubby I shared with Kellan. It had never felt so wonderful. I sighed after I inhaled our blanket; it smelled like Kellan. As I drifted off to sleep, I wondered if I smelled like Kellan too.