She turned to look at me. “Now don’t get me wrong, I do love sex. The best times of my life have been when a dick has been slipped inside my pink pocket. And let me tell you, I’ve had some pretty nice ones.”
My mouth dropped. “For fuck’s sake, Aunt Vi! The visual. I didn’t need that.”
She let out a roar of laughter.
“Why didn’t you ever adopt?” I asked, once she stopped laughing.
“I don’t know. I guess I got a bit lost in myself and didn’t really think about it. I’m so very proud of you. But I know the emotions you must be feeling.”
“It’s a little crazy. I mean, you go from thinking your life is going to go one way, to it not going that way, to oh, wait…it’s going that way after all! Just not the exact way you thought it would.”
She placed her hand over my leg and gave it a squeeze. “Do you love Jonathon?”
Drawing my head back, I pinched my brows together. “Of course! Why are you even asking me that?”
“Just double-checking. I figured you did with how you look at him all puppy dog eyes.”
“I do not look at him like that.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, okay, keep telling yourself that. Come on, stop hiding out. If you’re going to hide anywhere, hide where the damn booze is, for Pete’s sake.”
I watched my aunt head to the front door. Even though my life had been a rollercoaster of emotions, it hit me how blessed I truly was. No, I’d never be able to have my own biological child, and that would always make my heart ache, but I was surrounded by the most amazing family a woman could ask for. And I had a beautiful adopted baby coming as well as a man who loved me unconditionally and who had taught me how to love again.
Life was about to get good…no doubt about it.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Jonathon
“Jesus, dude, could you move any slower? My father moves faster than you,” Trevor shouted.
“Well, for fuck’s sake, I’m not driving the damn stack cruiser like Tripp, Mitchell, and Steed! Why are we doing this by hand?”
Wade laughed. “They’re breaking you in. Think of it as a welcome to the family.”
Removing my cowboy hat, I wiped the sweat off my forehead. “It’s sixty degrees out, and I’m fucking sweating my ass off! And what do you mean breaking me in? How long is the break-in process? You’ve been married to Amelia since last summer and it’s March!”
“Less talking, keep stacking, assholes,” Trevor said.
Wade laughed again. I had a feeling I was the one he was laughing at.
Another thirty minutes went by, and we had the ranch truck and trailer completely stacked with square bales of hay.
Leaning against the truck, I lifted a bottle of water to my lips and drank the whole thing.
“Thirsty, Turner?” Wade asked.
“I bet I lost ten pounds from sweating.”
Wade and Trevor chuckled as they drank. “Shit’s hard work, but every now and then a little bit of hard work is good for you.”
I stared at Trevor. “I work hard every day, asshole. Just because I’m not in a field doesn’t mean I don’t work my ass off.”
Trevor lifted his hands in defense. “I wasn’t saying you don’t. For the record, we’re bringing this hay to the barn in the south pasture, so we need to unload it, as well.”
I was pretty sure my jaw hit the ground.
“I hate you right now, Trevor.”
A honking horn made us look down the road at John’s truck, flying toward us.
“Man, does your dad always drive like a bat out of hell?”
Trevor put his cowboy hat back on and pushed off the truck. “No, he doesn’t. Something must be wrong.”
Wade was the next to push off the truck. “Shit, I hope the girls are all okay.”
I saw Waylynn sitting in the front seat of her daddy’s truck. The closer they got, the better I could see her…and the huge smile on her face.
“Dude, I think you’re fixin’ to be a father,” Trevor said, slapping my back. My heart felt like it dropped to the ground.
The truck came to a halt and Waylynn jumped out. “Jonathon! Why aren’t you answering my text messages?”
I pulled my phone out. I had twenty missed calls and five texts.
“Shit, it was on silent.”
“Liberty is having the baby! She called thirty minutes ago and said she was on the way to the hospital.”
“What?” I nearly shouted. “Holy shit!”
Waylynn ran over and jumped into my arms. “We’re having a baby!”
“Come on, kids, we need to get going. You want to be there when the big event happens.”
I turned to Trevor. “Bummer, I’m not gonna be able to help y’all unload all this hay now.”
Trevor gave me a shit-eating grin followed by the middle finger. “Just go and keep us up to date. I want to meet my new niece or nephew.”
I reached out and shook Trevor and Wade’s hands. “We’ll let y’all know.”
Wade pulled me in for a hug. “Good luck. I’m happy for y’all.”
The lump in my throat kept me from talking. I nodded before jumping into the backseat of John’s truck.
John swung back by the house and picked up Melanie, and we were on our way to San Antonio.
* * *
“Daddy, don’t get a ticket,” Waylynn said as she gripped my hand tighter.
“Baby, you’re gonna cut off the circulation in my hand,” I said.
She glanced down at our interlocked hands. “Oh. Sorry.”
The drive into San Antonio seemed to take forever.
“Will the lawyers be there?” Melanie asked.
“No, but I’ve texted Wanda and Mick. They’ve hired Liberty to work for them part-time and told her during the summers she can go full-time. She’s got a lot of academic scholarships, but with her parents cutting her off, she’ll still need to pay for some of school. My heart hurts for her, but the fact that Mick and Wanda are helping her just shows you the amazing couple they are.”
“What a wonderful thing for them to do. How sweet,” my mother said glancing back at Waylynn.
“Yeah, once we told them her story and how her parents had stopped talking to her, they took her under their wing. She’s able to work from her dorm, so it’s perfect for her.”
John turned into the hospital, and my heart rate must have spiked tenfold. “I’ll drop y’all off and park. Just let me know where you’ll be.”
Waylynn jumped out of the truck before John came to a stop.
“Goodness, that girl never could wait for a vehicle to stop before she jumped out in excitement.”
We power-walked to the information desk and a sweet, older woman greeted us with a friendly hello.
“Hello, there! You look like you’re on a mission.”
“Labor and delivery, please,” Waylynn said with the twinge of excitement in her voice.
She pointed to our right and said, “Take the elevators to the fourth floor and check in. They’ll be able to direct you from there.”
“Thank you!” Waylynn said as she took off.
“I’ll text John. That is, if I can text and jog!” Melanie said as we both tried to keep up with Waylynn.
Stepping onto the elevator, I tried to take a few deep breaths.
“Are you nervous?” Waylynn asked.
“Hell yes, I’m nervous. Aren’t you?”
She giggled. “I am, but I think I’m more excited.”
The elevator doors opened onto the fourth floor, and I took Waylynn’s hand in mine. Then we just stood there. Melanie pushed us from behind, forcing us to get off the elevator.
The young lady at the desk giggled as we stumbled out.
Melanie walked up to her. “Hello, these are the scared-to-death, future parents of Liberty Wilson’s baby.”
The girl’s eyes lit up. “Oh! Liberty told me the baby’s adoptive parents were on their way. I’ll let the nurse know she can bring t
hem back to the room.”
“Room?” Waylynn and I both said at once.
“Yes. For the delivery.”
“Yes, of course,” Melanie said as she took Waylynn’s hand, as well as mine. When she squeezed the shit out of it, I snapped out of my daze.
“Ouch! Momma, what in the hell?” Waylynn whispered as the girl walked toward the nurses’ station.
“You two need to snap out of it. Liberty wants you in the room when the baby is born. That’s an honor.”
I stumbled a few steps. “What?”
“Ohmygawd! Do you think so?” Waylynn asked as she jumped up and down.
“Settle down, Waylynn Parker. You’re not five. And, yes, that is my best guess.”
The next thing I knew we were walking into Liberty’s room. We already knew from the tour we did last week that this was a one-and-done room: labor, delivery and recovery. Waylynn had also hired a doula to be Liberty’s birthing companion after she saw Liberty looking at the information.
The moment she saw Waylynn, Liberty started crying. Waylynn rushed to Liberty side and took her hand.
“I…I was worried you wouldn’t make it!” Liberty said as she cried.
“Oh my sweet girl, it’s okay! We’re here.”
I walked to the other side and looked at everything hooked up to Liberty.
“It monitors my contractions…which are getting pretty intense.”
“Have you taken anything for the pain?” I asked.
“I wanted to wait for you to see if it was okay.”
Waylynn and I looked at each other in horror.
“Liberty! This is your delivery. You do what you need to do to make it as easy as you can.”
Relief washed over her face. “Okay, ’cause I could really use an epidural.”
The nurse chuckled. “I’ll let the doctor know you’re asking for one.”
“Do you need anything?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, thank you. Wanda and Mick left to go get lunch. I’m so blessed to have them in my life.”
“They are pretty amazing,” I added.
After a few minutes, the doctor we’d met last week walked into the room.
“Wonderful! Everyone’s here. Let’s take a look and see how you’re progressing, and if we can call the anesthesiologist for that epidural.”
“Should I step outside?” I asked.
The doctor glanced to Liberty. “Only if Liberty wants you to. You can’t see anything if you stand where you are.
“It’s totally fine,” she said.
After examining Liberty, the doctor stood. “You’re about six centimeters dilated so I see no need to hold off on getting you that epidural.”
Both Liberty and Waylynn sighed. Once the epidural took affect, Liberty dozed.
“How long until she is ready to push?” I asked Waylynn.
“I talked to Paxton about it. She said with Gage she was stuck at five centimeters for a few hours with no forward progress, but once things got moving, they got moving fast.”
I swallowed hard. My nerves were on edge. If that had been Waylynn lying there, I’d have gone out of my mind with worry. “I’m glad she is resting. Maybe we should head down and grab a bite to eat while she’s sleeping.”
Waylynn agreed. After meeting up with her parents and Wanda and Mick in the waiting room, we headed down to the cafeteria. We grabbed some sandwiches and coffee, then headed back to the waiting room. The nurse walked up with a huge smile on her face.
“We’re ready to push.”
Waylynn jumped up. “What? Already?”
She motioned for us to follow her back to Liberty’s room. Waylynn spun around and looked at her parents. “This is it. Oh my God! Can you call everyone?”
Melanie stood. “Of course, darling. Now, go! Give Liberty a kiss for me.”
I took Waylynn’s hand, and we walked quickly back to Liberty’s delivery room.
When I opened the door, the doctor was examining her so I looked away and headed to the side of the bed.
“We are at ten centimeters, people, and this little one is ready to make an appearance.”
“She was feeling sick, so I let her smell some peppermint oil,” Darcy, the doula Waylynn had hired, said.
“Are you feeling better, sweetie?” Waylynn asked as she pushed Liberty’s hair away from her eyes.
She nodded. Darcy had been amazing during this whole process. Before we’d gotten there, she’d massaged Liberty through the contractions.
“This is it? Are y’all ready?” Liberty asked, her eyes filled with something I wasn’t sure how to read. My biggest fear was that she was going to back out and Waylynn’s heart would be broken all over again.
“The question is, are you ready?” Waylynn asked her as she took her hand.
Liberty’s gaze bounced back and forth between me and Waylynn. “I’m ready, and as much as I love the baby, I know I’m doing the right thing. I want y’all to be her parents. I know you can give her the life I’m not able to right now.”
Relief swept over me as Waylynn leaned forward and kissed Liberty on the forehead.
“Alright, let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”
After Darcy explained how to hold Liberty’s legs, the doctor went over what to expect. I would be cutting the umbilical cord. Liberty declined to hold the baby first, feeling it was important for Waylynn to be the first to hold the baby, skin to skin, so they had an immediate bond. I couldn’t imagine what that must have felt like for Liberty to do that. Waylynn started to argue, but Liberty insisted it be done that way, and Waylynn quickly backed down.
Then it happened. The baby’s head appeared, and I nearly broke down in tears. Waylynn coached Liberty through the pushes as the doctor and I stared at the little bit of dark hair that appeared.
“Oh. My. God,” I whispered. One of the nurses walked up to me.
“Mr. Turner, are you feeling okay?”
I pointed in the mirror. “That’s…that’s a head. That’s a head right there!”
She chuckled. “That’s your baby’s head, yes.”
There was something so magical about what was happening. This was a baby. A sweet, innocent child coming into this world, and I was going to be his or her father. Tears fell down my cheek as I held Liberty’s legs, and she let out a loud grunt when the doctor told her to push one more time.
The nurse told Waylynn to sit in the recliner. They took her shirt off and gave her a gown. My heart was beating so hard I was positive everyone in the room heard it. Waylynn’s tears nearly brought me to my knees.
The doctor’s voice pulled me out of my trance. “Come on, Liberty. Push down, sweetie, your baby is not pulling back in. You’ve got this. I only need one more.”
My gaze drifted to Liberty. She was so young and had such an amazing future, and she was giving us this gift. I would forever be grateful to this young woman, and she would remain a part of our family no matter how big or small she wanted that part to be.
“Here the baby comes!” The doctor announced. I looked back to Waylynn who was watching the baby being born in the mirror. Her hands covered her mouth as she cried.
I held my breath as I watched our child come blazing into this world.
“It’s a girl!” the doctor announced, causing both Liberty and Waylynn to cry harder.
“Okay, Mr. Turner, are you ready to cut the cord?”
Our baby’s cry filled the room, and it was the most amazing song I’d ever heard in my life.
Liberty didn’t take her eyes off of the baby while tears flowed. She smiled big and bright as the nurse made her way to Waylynn. I focused in on Waylynn and when they placed our child in her arms, everything in my world changed. Nothing else mattered but the two beautiful women I would forever be able to call mine.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Waylynn
I sat in the chair in awe as I watched Liberty do one last push. The baby came out and I covered my mouth to hide my sobbing.
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One quick glance at Jonathon and my heart nearly burst as he wiped his tears away. I loved this man, and I loved that he was on board with this crazy, beautiful idea.
“It’s a girl!” the doctor cried out. When I heard Liberty start to cry, I cried harder.
A girl.
A little girl to dress up with and have tea parties. A little girl to teach the perfect way to do an arabesque and how to ride a horse.
“Okay, Mr. Turner, are you ready to cut the cord?”
I watched Jonathon’s shaking hands cut the cord. I could see the love in his eyes, and it filled my heart with such joy. I thought I’d never be this happy again in my life. I was proven wrong when the nurse carried our daughter over to me.
“Are you ready to meet your little girl?” she whispered.
Nodding, I reached for her. The moment the nurse placed her in my arms and adjusted my gown so that I could place her on my chest, I knew I was right this time: this would always be the happiest moment of my life.
My chest was about to burst with love. My dream had finally come true and even though I hadn’t carried this beautiful baby for nine months or brought her into this world, I knew with all my heart she was mine. She was my child, and I would forever love her with every ounce of my being.
Jonathon made his way over to me, and we gazed down at our little girl.
“She’s beautiful,” he whispered as he wiped the tears from my face.
“Yes, she is. The most beautiful little girl in the world.”
My gaze lifted to see Liberty watching us. She wore a bright, beautiful yet teary smile and my heart felt both happiness and sadness. When she had said she wanted me to hold the baby first, I’d nearly broken down. This girl had no idea the gift she had given us, and I was hell bent on making sure she knew.
“Liberty…” I said with a sob.
She nodded and reached a hand for mine as she whispered, “She’s beautiful.”