Two years later

The smell of something cooking in the oven accosts my nose the minute I walk inside the house. We’ve been in our new home for less than a month, and I swear Mel has used this kitchen more than she ever did the one at the apartment.

She says she likes to cook for me. And because she wants to learn as much as she can in the kitchen, I’ve become her guinea pig of sorts, over the last few weeks. A position I don’t mind playing considering, like most things, Mel is a natural in the kitchen.

“Melanie.” I holler out, peeking into the living room and then the den before heading up the staircase that leads to the second floor.

Mel wasn’t sure about having two stories at first but once she saw how nice the neighborhood was in addition to the house, I knew she was sold. Plus it’s only twenty minutes from the city which means a shorter commute to my work and her downtown studio.

When I reach the second floor landing, I head directly to the master, not surprised when I don’t find her inside. There’s one room in this house she likes spending time in more than any of the others. 

Smiling to myself, I slide out of my suit jacket and I lay it across the bed before heading down the hall to the nursery.

Sure enough, the moment I reach it I hear Melanie’s voice coming from inside.

Stepping into the open doorway, I cross my arms over my chest and watch my beautiful wife as she sways back and forth holding her very pregnant belly. This isn’t the first time I’ve walked in to find her talking to our unborn daughter. She says it strengthens the bond with the baby if we talk to her like she’s already here.

I have to admit, I’m just as guilty. Sometimes when Melanie is asleep, I have some father time with my little girl. That’s when she likes to kick a lot and sometimes it looks like she’s trying to claw her way out with the way Mel’s belly stretches and pushes as she moves.

I think Melanie’s just used to it at this  point because it rarely ever wakes her.

I open my mouth to let her know I’m here, not wanting to startle her, but she looks so damn beautiful I can’t stop myself from watching her just a few minutes longer.

“It won’t be long now baby girl.” She continues to talk softly as she sways. “I can’t wait to meet you, officially. And I know Daddy is so excited, too. He loves you so much already. We both do.” She hums for a moment and then continues.

“You’re going to be the luckiest little girl in the whole world- do you want to know why?” She pauses like somehow the baby is going to respond. “Because you’re going to have the best Daddy in the whole entire world. He’s going to always be there for you. He will protect you and love with you with everything he has because that’s just your daddy.” I can hear her voice break at the end and then she resumes humming, her voice filtering through the room.

“Hey.” I finally manage to speak, pulling her gaze to mine.

“Were you listening again?” She accuses the moment she sees me, giving me a knowing look.

“Hey, I yelled for you. Not my fault you didn’t hear me.” I tease, stepping up behind her to rest my hands on her expansive stomach. “How are my two number one girls doing tonight?”

“Better now that you’re here.” She snuggles against me, turning her face to kiss my jaw. “How was work?”

“Let’s just say I’m glad to be home.” I bury my face in the crook of her neck.

“Long day?” She asks.

“The longest.”

“You hungry?”

“Starving.”

“I made lasagna.” She turns, taking my hand as she leads me out of the nursery, Snowball fast on our heels. “I tried following your mom’s recipe but I make no promises.”

“I love my mom’s lasagna but I bet I’ll love yours more.” I quickly add, following her into the kitchen.

“You always say that.” She opens the oven, taking the lasagna out and setting it on top of the stove to cool.

“Because it’s always true.” I grin, slipping past her to shut the oven door. “Why don’t you go sit down and I’ll serve you tonight.”

“You don’t have to do that.” She argues.

She still has trouble letting me do things for her. It’s nice to see how some things never change.

“I know I don’t have to.” I remind her. “I want to.” I say, laying a chaste kiss to her mouth.

“How did I ever get so lucky?” She asks, allowing me to tuck her into my side.

“Because you decided to stalk the new neighbor boy like a little creeper.” I tease her.

“I did not stalk you!” She shoves at my side playfully.

“You did so.” I insist, my words riddled with laughter. “You rode your bike in front of my house in circles forever, trying to look into the windows. If that doesn’t say stalker, I don’t know what does.”

“I was waiting to see if you’d come out. That’s not stalking.” She wiggles out of my grip and turns on me, crossing her arms over her chest.

“If you say so.” I give her a disbelieving look that only eggs her on.

“You were just hoping I cared enough to stalk you.” She bites playfully. “I...” Her sentence gives way to a very serious look of panic that has my heart jumping out of my chest.

“Mel, are you okay? What is it?”

“Cole.” She lets out a slow breath and then meets my panicked gaze. “I think my water just broke.”

“She’s so beautiful.” Tears stream down Melanie’s face as she holds our daughter in her arms for the first time.

She was just born forty five minutes ago and already she’s proving to be just as stubborn as her mother.

Hadley Elizabeth Lincoln had to come into the world the way she wanted. And after fourteen hours of labor my baby girl was born via C-section just after eight o’clock this morning.

“She looks just like her mama,” I hover over my two girls, feeling like the luckiest bastard to ever live.

“Do you think so?” Melanie looks up at me with those incredible eyes of hers, the ones that always make my heart skip a beat.

Even after all this time her effect on me hasn’t waned. If anything, it’s only grown over the last couple of years. That’s what Melanie does. She makes me fall more and more in love with her every day.

Just when I think there’s no way I could love her any more than I already do, she does something and I fall all over again—deeper and deeper each time it happens.

“I don’t know.” She continues, looking back down at our daughter. “I think she kinda looks like you.” She slides her finger softly across Hadley’s cheek. “She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Her voice gives away, thick with emotion.

“I love you,” I say, tipping her face up to me. “I love you so much.” I lean down and kiss her lips gently.

“We did good,” she says, looking down at Hadley and then back up to me. “Did you ever think it would be possible? That we would actually end up together, get married and then create such a perfect little baby.”

“I knew it would happen,” I state matter of fact.

“You are my heart.” She beats me to the phrase I have been saying to her since I almost lost her nearly two and a half years ago.

“And I can’t live without my heart.” I finish, dropping my forehead to hers.