Barrie lay in the hospital bed, her newborn daughter snuggled in her arms. A girl. She was still in awe... She had a baby girl! Looking down into that tiny face, she felt herself grow. She was a mother, and her life would be devoted to this tiny person for the rest of her days. She could feel it.
Curtis bent down and kissed her forehead, and Barrie raised her gaze to meet his.
“You were amazing,” he murmured. “You’re like a Viking.”
She laughed softly. “I feel like I’ve been through a battle.”
Curtis reached down and ran a finger down their daughter’s cheek.
“Do you have a name picked out?” he asked.
“What about Gwyneth, after my mom?” she asked.
“It’s perfect.” Curtis was silent for a moment. “Can I hold her?”
Barrie shifted the baby into Curtis’s arms. He held her awkwardly at first, but the tension started to seep out of his arms as his dark gaze fixed on Gwyneth’s tiny, squished face. A smile tickled the corners of his lips, and then his chin trembled. Curtis swallowed hard. He was feeling it, too.
“Wow...” he whispered. “I’m a dad.”
“Are we going to be exciting enough for you?” Barrie asked softly. “The domestic life might get a little boring.”
“Nah.” Curtis touched the baby’s cheek with the back of one finger. “This isn’t boring... I had fifteen years to chase adventure, and this—” His voice caught. “Babe, this is everything.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, and Barrie slid a hand over his muscled forearm. She loved him so much, and she’d been afraid that he’d change his mind after his first proposal, but he hadn’t. He’d been by her side this whole time, completely in love with her. She hadn’t moved in to the ranch house with Betty yet. They were being old-fashioned, and enjoying their engagement a little bit. She’d move in after the wedding made it official. But Barrie had closed her veterinary practice for the short term. As soon as she could handle everything again, she’d reopen.
“So what do you say...” he said quietly. “You ready to set a date for the wedding?”
She nodded. “Yes. I think I am.”
Curtis shot her a grin and eased the baby back into her arms. He dipped his head down and caught her lips tenderly with his. The kiss was soft and lingering. When he pulled back, he tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear.
“Good,” he whispered. “‘Mrs. Porter’ always did suit you.”
She laughed softly. “Yeah...it did, didn’t it?”
Barrie looked back at tiny Gwyneth in her arms. She was so little, so perfect. Her eyes were shut, and her lips were pursed in her sleep... She was theirs. Curtis was right. This was absolutely everything.