I stare down at the tiny baby, with his tuft of black hair, and more tears run down my cheeks. He’s perfect. He’s absolutely perfect.
“I want him,” I whisper, looking up at Jack. “But mostly, I want you. I love you, too, Jack.”
“Oh,” Jaylah croaks out. “I’m going to lose it. Give me my new grandbaby, and hug my boy.”
She takes the tiny baby from my arms, and I step forward, wrapping my arms around Jack.
Jack.
The man who didn’t give up on me when everyone else did.
Jack.
The man who believed in me even when I didn’t.
Jack.
The man who stood by my side and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Jack.
My own personal hero.
“I love you,” I whisper, nuzzling into him.
“I love you, too.”
I step back, looking up into his eyes. “This isn’t going to be easy. It’s a baby. We haven’t even had a chance to date...I mean-”
“Hush,” Jack says, pressing a finger to my lips. “We might not have been together long, but you’re my person, Baylee. I know it as surely as I breathe. Sure, I didn’t want kids so soon, but I believe that baby is here for a reason, as are you. I’m going to throw caution into the wind, and say fuck it, because I’ve never met anyone I need in my life as much as I need you.”
I hiccup and another tear rolls down my cheek.
“And besides,” he grins, kissing my nose. “I think after what you’ve been through, poop, diapers, bottles, and lack of sleep should be a walk in the park. Don’t you think?”
I laugh softly, and cup his face. “I don’t know who gave you to me, Jack, but I’ll be grateful for the rest of my life.”
“Okay, enough of that soppy stuff, give me that baby and let’s give him a name!” Molly cries, stepping forward and taking the baby from Jaylah.
“A name,” I say, looking back to Jack. “Any ideas?”
He smiles. “Yeah. I have one. I think we should call him Raymond. Ray, for short.”
My heart swells.
“I think I just fell a little more in love with you.”
He kisses me, long and slow. “You couldn’t love me anymore than I love you, right now.”
He’d be wrong.
I can definitely love him more.
Because he’s that one Diesel told me about.
The one who would come in and change the world.
So, yes, he’d be wrong.
Nobody could love anything harder than I love Jack.
Nobody.
And that’s just the way I like it.
THE END