Etti

After three exhausting hours of the most grueling pain Etti ever experienced, she had her perfect baby girl in her arms. As she stared into Izzi’s steel grey eyes, Etti knew she would go through labor every single day if it meant she could finally hold her daughter.

Etti’s wasn’t sure if it was from exhaustion or happiness, but her whole body shivered while she cradled Izzi to her chest. Grey helped Etti support her, but she knew she didn’t need the help. She’d go to hell and back for this child. It was love at first sight and she knew she’d never let anything bring her daughter harm.

“She’s so beautiful,” Etti mused gazing at Izzi’s warm pink skin.

“She’s perfect, just like her mama,” Grey mused. He looked every bit as smitten as Etti was.

“She has your eyes,” Etti murmured, watching Izzi open and close her sleepy grey eyes.

“And your hair,” Grey added, running a finger over Izzi’s dark, peach fuzz.

Izzi’s hair was as soft as corn silk and Etti couldn’t stop nuzzling it. And she smelled like heaven. Did all babies smell this good? Why had no one bottled this scent? It was pure, sweet, joy. Maybe only Etti could love the scent of her child because she was her own creation—flesh and bone and love, shaped whole. It was like magic.

Grey slid into Etti’s large hospital bed and snuggled both of his girls to his side. Etti sighed blissfully, knowing in that one perfect moment, all was right in her world.

Wes

Cali had ordered Wes to give Etti and Grey a few hours to themselves to enjoy life as a little happy bubble of three. But after an hour he couldn’t contain himself. He didn’t care how many times Cali assured him that Etti was perfectly fine, he needed to see his best friend for himself.

He busted into the room with Cali hot on his heels. “Wes!” she scolded trying to pull him back.

But it was too late, Wes was already in the room. His eyes immediately went to Etti. She was resting soundly in her bed, with Grey standing by her side. Etti smiled at Wes and held up a finger to her lips, nodding to the tiny bundle in her arms.

Wes grinned and moved quietly across the room, eager to hug his best friend and meet her little girl. When he reached Etti’s side he planted a kiss on her forehead. “You okay?” he asked, looking her over like he expected her to be missing a limb or something.

“More than okay,” she murmured gazing at the baby in her arms.

Wes stared at the tiny pink face peeking out from the swaddling and his heart clenched in his chest. He’d never seen something so small or perfect. She looked like a sleeping angel.

“Do you want to hold her?” Etti asked.

Wes blinked up at his best friend in disbelief. “Can I?”

Etti nodded, still smiling proudly. “Just sit down first.”

Wes obliged and Grey came to Etti’s other side, placing his daughter gently in Wes’s arms. Wes nodded at Grey, the lump in his throat growing by the second. It was an extremely kind and trusting gesture for Grey to allow Wes to share in this moment. Their relationship had a rocky start, but when Grey placed his sleeping child into Wes’s arms, a feeling of mutual understanding and peace passed between them.

“Wes, I’d like you to meet Izzi Ellis West,” Etti said proudly.

Wes’s eyes flashed from the baby in his arms to Etti. “Ellis?” He whispered his own middle name in wonder.

“If it’s okay,” Etti replied. “I’d like Izzi to share her middle name with you?”

Tears pricked the corner of Wes’s dark, almond-shaped eyes. He was pretty sure his heart was about to burst out of his chest with pride. “It’s more than okay,” he managed to choke out.

Cali placed her hand on Wes’s shoulder and bent to look closer at the tiny miracle he held. “She’s so precious.”

“We’re glad you think so,” Grey said. “Because we have something important to ask you both.”

Wes and Cali turned their attention to Etti and Grey. Etti spoke first. “You both know that we have a difficult path ahead of us and there is real danger for us, so we don’t ask this question lightly. But if you’re willing to accept, Grey and I couldn’t ask for two better people to be our daughter’s godparents.”

Wes was stunned. He already felt an overwhelming love for the little angel in his arms and now he was being honored with the role of her godfather? He looked firmly at Grey and then to Etti. “I’d be honored.”

“Me too,” Cali squealed. She leaned over Wes, kissing her index finger, then placing it softly on Izzi’s forehead. “You are so loved, sweetheart. So loved.”