“And what was it like having your first baby?” Giovanni asked me.

I couldn’t fight the smile that lit up my face at the memory of having Jude. “It must be something about his sweet temperament because he was the easiest delivery of the three.”

“I think it has something to do with women being difficult,” Brayden countered.

“Ha, ha,” I replied.

“What do you remember exactly?” Giovanni questioned.

Easing back on the couch, I happy sigh escaped my lips. “I remember everything really. How I woke up that morning to find my water had broken.”

“I thought she had just peed the bed,” Brayden mused.

I smacked his arm. “Anyway, we bundled up and went to Northside Hospital, which coincidentally was the same hospital where Brayden was born. I don’t think we were there more than an hour when it was time to push.”

Brayden laughed. “Jude was ready to make his appearance that’s for sure. With the girls, I think we were there ten or twelve hours before they decided it was time to come out.”

“That’s true. The girls were a bit more finicky about being born.”

“Who all was in the delivery room with you?”

“My mom wanted to be there, so we let her stay in. She was good to stay in the back and let it be about me and Brayden.”

“There was probably more than one time that she had to hold my hand to keep me from freaking out,” Brayden admitted.

I laughed. “That’s true. I’ll never forget how pale he was.”

Brayden shuddered. “It was seriously scary that first time around. We were both just kids at twenty three. We didn’t have a clue really.”

“But we made it somehow,” I argued.

“Yeah, we did.” Brayden shook his head. “I’ll never forget how one moment it was just his little blond head there, and then the next he was out and wailing. Seeing him take his first breath, well seeing all my kids take their first breaths, is the most amazing thing to ever happen to me, besides marrying Lily.”

Overcome by his words, I couldn’t resist bringing my lips to his. Whenever I heard Brayden talk about his children, it made me love him all the more. When I pulled away, I smiled at him. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, babe.”

When we glanced over at Giovanni, he was smiling at us. “Quite a moment there, eh?”

Swiping the tears from my eyes, I replied, “Talking about our children always does that to me.”

“So what was it like when the guys met Jude?” Giovanni asked.

I laughed. “That is a very interesting story.”

LILY

THE PAST

After the multitude of mine and Brayden’s families left the room, I sighed and let my head fall back on the pillow. Exhaustion, like I had never known before in my life, took over my body. It felt like someone had stuck me with a needle and depleted all the energy I had. With a yawn, I glanced over at Brayden. I couldn’t help smiling at him as he stood stock-still, watching over a sleeping Jude. “I don’t think he’s going anywhere,” I said, my voice a little hoarse from my previous exertions.

Brayden’s hands gently gripped the bassinet. “I know. I just can’t stop looking at him.” He glanced up at me with tears shining in his eyes. “He’s the most perfect thing I’ve ever seen. To think that I had even a small part in creating him—” a sob choked off in his throat. He shook his head as he swiped the tears from his cheeks. “I’m such a pansy,” he muttered.

“No, you’re a proud father. And I don’t think I’ve ever loved you more than right at this moment—the one where you wept over your son.”

Leaving Jude’s side, Brayden came to me. He bent down and bestowed a chaste kiss on my lips. “Thank you for today.”

“I could say the same thing to you.”

Brayden glanced over his shoulder at Jude. “I was serious about wanting a houseful…or bus full.”

“I think it’s a good idea not to mention another baby to me right after delivering one.”

Brayden laughed. “You’re right.”

When a knock came at the door, I glanced warily over at Brayden. “Just rest, babe. I’ll tell whoever it is you’re too tired for visitors now.”

“But wouldn’t that be rude?”

He cocked his brows at me. “Do I look like I give a fuck about what other people think?”

I grinned at him. “No, you look like a man who just won the lottery.”

When Brayden opened the door, he didn’t get a chance to deliver his spiel and turn the well-wishers away. Instead, Jake, AJ, and Rhys blew past him, their arms laden down with flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals. Without even a hello, Jake demanded, “Well, where is he?”

“Sleeping, jackass,” Brayden replied.

“Then wake him up. His uncles are here to see him.”

I couldn’t help laughing at Jake. Of course, he would have no concept about babies or schedules. All he thought about was himself, so it made perfect sense that we should cater to him.

“You’re such a dumbass,” AJ replied, smacking Jake upside the head. He then came over to me. With a wink, he asked, “Hey hot mama, how ya feeling?”

As I pushed myself up in bed, I laughed. “Like I’ve been run over by an eighteen wheeler.”

“Aw, mi amor, you just popped out a kid. I wouldn’t expect any less than you feeling like absolute hell. You look a lot better than my sister after my nephew was born.” He leaned over and kissed my cheek tenderly.

“Thank you, AJ.”

With a wink, he replied, “Anytime.”

After Jake sat his balloons and flowers down on the counter, he rubbed his hands together. “Okay, as lead singer, I think it’s only fair that I get to hold him first.”

“That’s total BS,” AJ protested, edging in front of Jake.

“Wait your turn,” Jake replied.

Brayden glanced at me to survey whether I was onboard with passing our newborn son around. I smiled and nodded. He then went over to the bassinet and ever so gently picked up Jude. As he cradled his son to his chest, a look of pride overcame his face and melted my heart.

He then motioned to Jake. Closing the gap between them, Jake held out his eager arms. He then gazed down at Jude, the corners of his lips quirking up. “Well, he’s a handsome little fucker, isn’t he?”

I gasped in horror while Brayden only chuckled. I guess a part of me shouldn’t have expected anything different from Jake and his notoriously bad foul mouth. Before it hadn’t mattered as much, but now I had to resign myself to the fact that my son was going to be surrounded by foul mouthed rockers who weren’t always going to be a good influence on him. But at the same time, I knew that Jude was lucky to have the three men who were encircling him like adoptive fathers. They would always be there to love and protect him in their own fumbling ways.