She's a cutie. Are you sure she's Chris's?” Lance teased as he held the newborn who was sound asleep, swaddled up like a burrito. “She has your ears and nose, Kirkpatrick.” He smiled at his friend who was watching him carefully. He looked at the baby again and smiled, remembering when Olivia was born. As proud as he was of Liam, a little girl was something else entirely. “You're in so much trouble, man.”
“You got two more minutes before I'm taking my baby back,” Chris told Lance, looking over his shoulder at his daughter. “She is kinda cute though, huh? I tried to tell Mel not to drink the funny koolaid. See where we ended up...” he smiled at his wife who was talking with Addy.
Melissa looked over at Chris and raised an eyebrow. “I hardly think it was all my fault,” she told him, laying back on the hospital pillows. “You seem to think you carried a baby for almost nine months and then had a c-section after hours of labor. All you did was make the koolaid.”
“I'm not sure I need to hear this conversation,” Addy said with a chuckle. “Chris, I'm amazed you didn't pass out. Lance and I had a bet going...and well..I lost.” She smiled at him and got up and went over to Lance and looked at him. “Give me that baby,” she said. “You and Chris have hogged her since we came in.”
Lance shrugged a little. “You lost but how bad is it? You have to take my car to get it detailed. That's so hard.”
“Your car is disgusting. And Liam and Olivia don't even ride in your car so it can't be them.” Adeline carefully took the baby from her husband. “Oh Hads..you poor thing,” she cooed, holding her close, enjoying the feel of a newborn. “Between your Daddy and uncles, I'm afraid for you.”
Chris rolled his eyes as he went over to his wife's bed and sat down next to her, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “You did great, Weston. I know I told you that already,” he said softly, smiling at her. “You look exhausted, baby.” He wound his fingers through hers as she leaned on him and nodded.
“The medication is kicking in again. I could sleep for a few hours,” Melissa admitted to him, sighing. “And my name's not Weston, Kirkpatrick.” She loved it when he teased her like that. “We made a beautiful baby, Christopher Alan.”
“We did. Our little Hadley Nicole,” he said, pulling his wife's hand up to kiss her knuckles, watching her doze off after thanking Lance and Addy for coming to see them.
Lance caught the moment and smiled as he looked at the baby in Addy's arms. “We won't get any work out of Chris now,” he commented as his wife handed the newborn off to Chris who had taken the seat Lance had vacated. “Congratulations again. Let us know when you're home so we can bring some meals over or give you a chance to get a shower or a nap.”
Chris chuckled and shook his head a little. “You were right you know,” he told Lance, rocking Hadley gently back and forth. “I needed to get me one of these.” He told his friends goodbye, enjoying the quiet moment. His family and Melissa's were either down in the cafeteria or at the hotel next to the hospital getting some sleep. It had been a very long night and was now well into the next day since he'd called them to say that they were going to the hospital. Chris wasn't sure himself how he was still going.
A small yawn made him smile. Hadley had a head full of blonde hair and tiny fingers with tinier little fingernails. It was safe to say that he was in love. He'd loved feeling their daughter kick when Melissa was pregnant, singing or talking to her stomach. Now he was holding her close, watching her sleep. “I'm in so much trouble, Hads. You look so much like your Momma...” he kissed her softly, knowing life would never be the same again.
Story Notes:
This is the story after The Safest Place. If you haven't read that story, I suggest you do. I am separating it from the series.
Story Tags: chris
