Epilogue
Forrest
“Daddy’s coming,” I called to our little bundle who couldn’t even begin to hear me. It was one of the things I tended to forget about the baby monitor until I caught myself talking to the little box on our dresser.
“I can get her. She’s probably hungry,” River mumbled still half asleep.
“Or I can get Autumn, change her diaper, and give her one of the bottles you pumped, and you can sleep.” I leaned over, kissing him on his forehead.
Poor Autumn had just started sleeping through the night when her teeth decided to make an appearance. I think River and I had two solid weeks of sleep before that ended. Not that I regretted even a second of it.
Nothing in the world could’ve prepared me for the love that filled me the first time I heard our daughter, and, somehow, it miraculously grew each and every day. Getting up to care for her wasn't a burden, it was a privilege, one I treasured. I also treasured the times I was able to feed her, thanks to River selflessly pumping for me, which I knew he wasn’t a fan of. Although, from the way he cooed as I walked out the door and let him continue to sleep, I think he was starting to like it more and more.
By the time I made it into the nursery of the home we bought in town shortly after her birth, Autumn had already stopped crying and was doing her new favorite thing: rolling back and forth across the crib. Maria swore it was evidence that she was going to be an early crawler and walker. I kind of hoped not. I didn’t want to rush a second of her babyhood. I already felt like I’d missed so much not being their while she grew inside my omega.
Snowflake paused in the doorway; our cat had become the protector of the baby, supervising all aspects of her care.
“There you are, beautiful. Having fun?” Her head turned in my direction, and she smiled as I reached down and picked her up. “You know your papa needs his sleep, so it’s just you and me. What do you think? A change and a nosh and then some tummy time?”
Technically, I doubted she still needed tummy time since she could roll like nobody’s business, but we had fun, so I went with it.
I had her diapered, changed, and snuggling in my arms as I warmed up the bottle River had left for me in the fridge. Sometimes, she was just too stinking cute for words, and this was one of those times. Who was I kidding? Pretty much all times were, but this was one of those quiet times where I could just stare and absorb it all.
The timer I’d set binged, and I tested the bottle on the inside of my wrist before we found a cozy seat to hunker down in to feed her.
It was just over a year since I made the impromptu reservations to stay in Mapleville and finish the book I’d barely finished. For some reason, love was on my brain, and one romance became three.
I’d have never guessed all those months ago that I’d be one day rocking my sweet baby girl in a home we purchased for our family, ready to propose to my one true love.
“What has you looking so happy?” River’s voice cut through my trip down memory lane.
“I was just thinking about how much my life has changed over the past year.”
“For the better?” He sat on the couch next to us.
“For all the betters. I love you.” I was a sappy fool, but a happy sappy fool, so it worked for me.
“And I love you. So, I guess that means we should get married or something.” He held out a small box. Darn omega beat me to the punch.
“Can you do me a favor first? I quirked my eyebrows so he wouldn’t immediately think I was giving him a rejection. As if that could ever be a thing. I loved him with all that I was. He wasn’t getting rid of me that easily. Or at all.
“Before marrying you?” He pulled his bottom lip in with his top teeth, and I wanted to nibble it, too, the only thing stopping me our hungry daughter eating away in my arms. She came first. Nippling would need to wait.
“No, love, before I answer you.” I playfully kicked the side of his foot with mine.
“Did she poop?” One time. One time I asked him to change a poopy diaper, and only because I had stubbed my toe and was more ready to cuss than change a diaper. Not that he’d ever let me live that down.
“No,” I scoffed. “Not that kind of favor. Go into my top desk drawer and get the thing.”
The thing was the engagement band I’d purchased for him. It was one of those new silicone ones and, while not my favorite style, would suit him well as he got back into skiing. He’d already been working on his own, but, in two weeks, he was going to try his first competition since he hurt his foot. It was a low-key one, and he was going to own the slopes. I was so proud of him.
“The thing?” He got up and wandered over just as Autumn finished her bottle.
“You’ll see.” I singsonged as I put the bottle down and brought her up to my chest to burp her.
“Really?” He was practically bouncing, and I knew instantly he’d already found what I’d hidden there.
“Yes, really.”
Autumn decided to grace us with a burp that rivaled anything out of a frat movie. “I was saving it for when you went to your first competition post-delivery. But you decided to be all perfect instead.” I was being sassy, and he stuck his tongue out at me in jest.
“I’ve been told that’s a trait of mine,” he sassed right back. “So, is that a yes?” He plopped down beside me, each of his hands sporting a ring box.
“That is all the yeses,” I confirmed as he snuggled into me, putting his ring on his hand and mine on mine as our daughter began to play grab all the hair.
Not a bad start to the day. Not. At. All.