I blink, each movement of my eyelids feeling like it takes about an hour and a half to open, slowly getting adjusted to light again. It feels like days have passed, but I know that in fact, it’s only been a couple of hours.

When I thought earlier they’d given me the good shit, I must’ve been right. The anesthesia really did a number on me, giving me nonsensical dreams about swimming though ice cream, talking cars, and even a flash of Nic proposing. While wearing a dress. Wild, crazy stuff, for sure.

I blink, trying to get my eyes to focus on the room around me, my throat painful and my voice scratchy. “Nic?”

He comes into view beside me, smiling as his eyes look down at me warmly. “Right here, baby. How are you feeling? Need anything?”

“Water,” I whisper. “I could go for a wine too.”

He nods, grabbing a huge cup from the table and helping me catch the straw in my mouth for a small sip. “Take it easy,” he warns me. “Dr. Stevens said you could have water, but not too much right at first. And definitely no wine, you goof.”

I sigh, the room temperature water soothing the roughness in my throat. “Amelia? Is she okay?”

“She’s better than okay,” he says, his voice breaking before he clears his throat, still smiling widely. “She’s amazing, beautiful like her momma. So tiny I thought I’d break her, but I held her for a long time while you were resting. She’s doing fine. They said she won’t even have to stay. She’ll be ready to go home when you do in a couple of days.”

The knot around my heart unclenches as the news settles in. She’s okay. I did it. “Can I see her?”

Nic nods, hitting a button on the side of my bed. “Of course. You have to stay in here a little longer, but as soon as you get transferred to a room, she can stay with us.”

I smile, the tears of relief and happiness overtaking me and running down my face.

Nic leans over me, hugging my upper body awkwardly in the hospital bed. “Hey, nothing’s wrong, right? Your belly hurting? They said that would happen, but that the nerve block should still be in full effect for another couple of hours. I can get a nurse.”

I shake my head, reaching up to hug him back. “No, I’m just so . . . happy.”

I feel his cheek move against my hair, and I know he’s smiling. “I’m so happy too, Rose,” he whispers, and I can feel the warmth of tears on his cheeks too. “Thank you so much.”

I think I say something else, but I’m not sure because the next time I wake up, I’m in a different room. Looking around, I see Nic holding a little bundle as he sways back and forth, pointing out the window and whispering. “Those are birds. They fly around and live in trees. Oh, and they like to poop on cars, people too, if they get a chance. Trees are those big green blobs you probably can’t even see over there. But they’re fun to climb. Maybe we can plant one in the front yard for you.”

He keeps talking, and his soft chatter sharing the world outside with our daughter makes me smile. She’s a lucky girl, and so am I. “You know that babies are totally shortsighted for like, the first month or so, right?”

Nic glances back at me and smiles when he sees that I’m awake. “Never too early to start. Amelia, this is Mommy.”

He holds up our daughter, and I swallow. She’s so beautiful that I want to cry.

“Here you go. I’ve been telling her all about you. She’s excited to meet you.” He lays the bundle in my arms, and I get to see my daughter for the first time. It’s overwhelming how much I love this little baby, my heart literally walking around outside my body.

“Hi, Amelia, it’s Mommy. I love you so very much, baby, and I’m glad you’re out here to see this big world and all that it has to offer you. I can’t wait to show you all the awesome things you can do and be, experience the world through your eyes, and get to know you. I love you, my little Jelly Bean.”

I rub her cheek, pulling her hat off to see her full head of hair, dark like her daddy’s, but her skin seems fairer, like mine. With her little pursed red rosebud lips, it gives her a Snow White appearance, and I wonder if she’ll be at home in the forest with critter friends like her dad is.

Nic sits down on the bed beside me, careful not to jostle me since my belly is pretty sore. Jeez, I’m supposed to walk out of here in a few days? Someone must have helped themselves to my pain killers to come up with that crazy ass idea. “This is my favorite memory ever, right here, right now,” he says before he kisses my forehead, then Amelia’s. He leans back, looking at me while I mess with my gown. Amelia wants some milk and I want to see how it feels. “Do you remember right before you went under in the OR?”

I shake my head, everything a little fuzzy from the medications. “Everything is sort of mixed up, unless I really did take a swim in some butter pecan ice cream.”

“Butter pecan?” Nic asks, raising an eyebrow. “Nope, but I did ask you to marry me, to be my wife, and to make our little family a little more official.”

I smile, recognizing that the intensity of that moment had gotten to him, leading him to jump in deeper than intended. “You didn’t have to do that. I love you, Nic. And we are a family, no matter what. It was just the heat of the moment.”

He shakes his head, reaching over and stroking Amelia’s head before returning his attention to me. “I’ll admit, the moment did get to me. I didn’t plan to ask you like that, but I did plan to ask you. And I think you might have mumbled yes right as you went to sleep. You going back on that?”

He’s playful, light, but I see the seriousness in his eyes. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the most stunning ring I’ve ever seen, dropping to one knee beside the bed. “Oh, Nic.”

“Rose, you have given me everything I didn’t know I wanted . . . your heart, a daughter, a family. My home is wherever you are, whether that’s one place for the rest of our years or a million places. It’s you and Amelia. Us. Always. I love you. Will you marry me?”

The tears are gushing down my face as he speaks, and I nod wildly. “Yes, yes, I’ll marry you. I’d given up on the fairytale-happy ever after dream, but somehow, you gave it to me anyway. I love you so much.”

He stands, leaning over to lean his elbows on the bed, cradling me and Amelia carefully, kissing me fiercely and powerfully before sliding the ring onto my finger. “I love you.”

We spend the rest of the afternoon mostly talking about our plans, distracting me from the ache in my belly until, just as the sun touches the horizon, there’s a light knock on the door. Before we can call out, the door opens slowly and Brad and Trey stick their heads in.

“Hello, Mama Bitch. Or was it Bitch Mama? Are you taking visitors?” Brad asks, smiling. “We’d have come earlier, but Nic said you were too doped up for visitors.” He gives Nic an evil look, but there’s a hint of humor behind it.

I adjust a little, making sure I’m covered and trying to slick my mess of hair into something resembling anything other than a messy rat’s nest while chuckling. “Of course, come in, guys.”

They come in and beeline for the baby in Nic’s arms, making cooing noises. Nic looks over at me almost helplessly, making me laugh lightly. “I guess I can see the priority here.”

Brad’s eyes don’t leave Amelia, but Trey looks at me sheepishly. “How’re you doing, Rose?”

I smile through the pain as I adjust myself, using the motorized bed to sit up a little more. “I’m doing awesome. Look at that baby girl we made. She’s worth all the rest!”

Trey gives me a nod and comes over. “When you need it, I’ll get you feeling good at your own pace. Don’t worry, you’ll be looking great.”

Brad looks up at Trey, grinning. “Speaking of looking great, hang tight, gotta fix her up.” He reaches into the bag he’s carrying, pulling out a little pink hat along with what looks like a special hairbrush. He gently pulls the hospital-issued cap off and with feather-light touches, strokes Amelia’s hair into soft waves before putting the pink hat on. “I knew they’d have her in one of those blue- and pink-striped generic hats, so I brought one more befitting. And voila.”

He moves back, and I can see that the beanie is pale pink, but there’s a hot pink tiara printed on the front of it. “Of course. How would I ever doubt you’d be the first one to give the Princess her crown?”

He mock bows to Amelia, stepping back. “Your Highness, your world awaits.” Straightening back up, he claps excitedly, looking at Nic. “Now, gimme that baby.”

Nic hands Amelia to Brad, who turns to Trey, and I see the bond between them stronger than ever. Beyond all the differences in their styles, beyond their unique points of view, they really are adorable together and I’m happy they’ve found each other. Trey seems to balance out Brad’s melodramatic ways, and Brad adds a little bit of crazy to Trey’s rigidly structured life.

Mentally jumping around the thought of finding each other, I clear my throat pointedly. “Hey, Brad, did you see this?” I hold my hand out to him, flashing the ring his way. His jaw drops, delight obvious on his face as he passes Amelia to Trey, who takes her comfortably, looking like he could someday want one himself.

Brad rushes over to me, snatching my hand and oohing and ahhing as he tilts my hand this way and that to see the diamonds at every angle. Then he turns to Nic, grabbing him and planting kisses on each cheek. “Congrats, of course, but what the hell, man? We talked about this . . . picnic, sunflowers, down on one knee at sunset. She laid it all out there for you like a damn recipe.”

I’m totally confused, torn between trying to pay attention to Trey with Amelia, and Brad and Nic, who looks sheepish. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, I sort of had an idea of what I wanted to do,” Nic says, looking at me, “but I asked Brad because he’s your friend. And uh . . . well, I don’t know but I guess he hacked into your Pinterest boards so that I could do it the way you wanted. But I couldn’t wait after everything that happened.”

His words hit me and I realize that he’d been planning this well before Amelia was even born. I’d thought that his having a ring was a good sign that he hadn’t just proposed on the fly, but knowing that he’d been preparing, researching, and asking for help somehow makes it all the sweeter.

And to think I was worried he was feeling flighty when my contractions first started. “I wouldn’t change a thing about the way you proposed. It was perfect.”

Nic blushes, coming over and stroking my hair. “Are you sure? I mean, we can do a reset, then do the whole picnic thing if you want?”

I laugh lightly, my belly won’t let me do more, and kiss his knuckles. “No, I don’t need you to propose like that. It was just an idle fantasy, and the real thing turned out so much better.” I smile, thinking of new plans, plans that I never would have imagined earlier but now sound like the best thing in the world. “But we could go on the picnic with Amelia. I’m sure she’s dying to hear more of your nature lessons about birds and trees.”

He smiles, looking sheepish as he glances over at Amelia, who’s tugging on Trey’s finger. “You heard all that?”

“Every adorable word.”