Her man was a father. Her Yankees-loving, bottle cap-giving life saver was a father. And she, a mother. In that moment, Emily cried for her own mother, realizing that every mistake she’d made with Emily, she made because she was human. Though Emily hadn’t laid eyes on him yet, she felt her love for Noah soak her soul, the same way she knew her mother’s love for her must’ve soaked hers.

Not knowing if he was allowed to but not giving a shit, Gavin yanked the surgical mask from his face. Between laughing and trying to catch his breath, Gavin spoke against Emily’s lips as he kissed her, his heart jumping in his throat. “You’re amazing. Thank you so much. Jesus Christ, he’s beautiful, Emily. He has a full head of brown hair like yours.” Gavin looked over the sheet hung in front of Emily, his smile wide. “Hey, Doogie Howser!” With a raised brow, the doctor glanced up. “Ten fingers? Ten toes? Healthy?” Gavin probed.

“Yes to all of the above. Congratulations to you both.” Smiling inquisitively, he tilted his head. “Though I must admit, I’m not sure who Doogie Howser is.”

Gavin chuckled. “Of course you don’t. You’re too young. Thank you for delivering my son. Now, can I hold him?”

Still appearing quite confused, the doctor nodded.

As one of the beaming nurses carried a tightly swaddled Noah over, a once unruffled Gavin suddenly felt nervous. He didn’t know where this was coming from, considering he’d held Teresa and Timothy when they were infants. He licked his dry lips and tried to compose himself as the woman placed Noah into his arms. As if that nervousness never existed, Gavin instantly calmed as Emily’s reflection stared back at him when he looked into the dark blue eyes of his son. In complete awe, Gavin’s eyes traced Noah’s face, his mind imprinting every second into his memory. Gavin swallowed and gently brought his fingers to Noah’s tiny button of a nose, chuckling when his son yawned.

“You think you’re tired, little guy?” Gavin asked, kissing his soft cheek. “Tell that to your mother. You made her turn a little psychotic there for a while. She scared me, and I’m a tough one to get going.”

Emily’s heart swelled at Gavin’s easiness and instant love. She wasn’t surprised though. Smiling, she watched Gavin proudly dote over their son. With Noah cradled tightly in his arms, Gavin brought him over to Emily. Leaning over her exhausted body, he held Noah to her lips, allowing her to inch up and kiss his forehead. His satiny skin felt like heaven. No longer drowning in a nightmare, he was a waking dream for Emily. She sighed as contentment bloomed wildly in her soul.

“He’s beautiful,” she whispered, tears creeping from her eyes. Aching to hold him, her fingertips tingled with the need to touch him. “My God. He’s so beautiful, Gavin.”

Gavin placed a soft, lingering kiss on her lips. “Just like his mother.” He stared into her watery eyes, his breath stolen by the pure happiness smoothing across her face. “Thank you. You’ve given me the greatest gift a woman can ever give a man. Ever. Nothing trumps it.” Gavin kissed her again, his voice a sweet caress. “I didn’t think it was possible, but I’m more in love with you now than before. You’ve rocked my entire world, Emily Cooper.”

With tears of happiness streaming down her face, Emily stared at the two men who’d stolen her breath, heart, and soul the second she laid eyes on them. Though good, bad, and ugly had plagued the path she and Gavin walked along the way, she’d never take any of it back because each step brought them closer to this beautiful moment. In those minutes, during the beautiful summer the year her life changed forever, the year her future began, Emily knew she was the one that’d been given the greatest gift ever.

Now… she could finally breathe.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The morning sunlight danced over Noah’s face as Emily stared into his sleepy eyes. After a feeding and a good hearty burping, he looked blissfully content. Lying on her side with him curled next to her in bed, Emily gently ran her fingertips across his cotton candy-soft hair. Giggling when he stirred lightly at her touch, warmth traveled up Emily’s spine and settled in her heart as she continued to visually inhale her precious angel.

Lowering her face to his plump cheek, Emily breathed him in, wanting to burn his glorious scent into her memory. He smelled sweet like flowers but carried something uniquely his own. Emily smiled against his skin, cradling him closer. She held her pinky against his tiny hand, her soul blooming with amazement as he wrapped his fingers around hers. The first few days home with him were simultaneously the most exhausting and beautiful of her life. Needless to say, she fell head over heels in love with Noah, and she also fell fast into the role of a mother easier than expected. Not only had she not dropped him, and was pretty confident she never would, she hadn’t encountered any problems with ointment control, either. As Emily watched her first blessing drift off into a peaceful sleep, her second blessing strolled into the bedroom, his smile as bright as ever.

“He’s out cold,” Gavin whispered. He slipped under the sheets with Noah and Emily, sandwiching their little man between them. Lifting a brow, Gavin’s smile widened. “He needs to get a job soon. I’m tired of his laziness.”

Emily beamed and traced gentle circles along Noah’s tiny bow of a mouth. “I know, right? I figured he’d have a good work ethic. But this? This is just ridiculous.”

Chuckling, Gavin brought his hand up to Emily’s cheek. “How are you feeling?”

Emily leaned into his palm, her body soaking in his warmth. “Amazing.” And she did. Though still sore from the staples lining her belly, she hadn’t felt this good physically or emotionally in what seemed like forever. “How do you feel?”

“Like a king,” Gavin whispered, cautiously leaning over Noah. He placed a soft kiss on Emily’s lips, his heart filled with joy beyond comprehension. “I’m in my castle with my queen and prince. I honestly have everything.” Gavin stared into her eyes, his breath hijacked as always. “Thank you.”

From something that’d started off so confusing, so tortuously wrong in countless ways, Emily couldn’t believe where she and Gavin were. Her stomach dipped, overflowing with love for the two men in her life. Her two saviors. “Thank you.” She kissed him again, drowning in the feel of the lips she’d forever love. “And thank you for breakfast. I’ll eventually master cooking something beyond burnt casseroles and frozen microwave dinners.”

A wiseass smirk appeared across Gavin’s face, and Emily prepared herself for the wiseass remark she knew she’d opened herself up to. “No need. We’ll do fine surviving on nothing but sodium and crisped up meatloaf.” Emily rolled her eyes, and Gavin chuckled. “And how can I forget your specialty boxed mac and cheese?”

“Watch, you’ll see,” she countered, playfully smacking his arm. “I’m going to take cooking lessons and knock your mother’s mediocre lasagna from your memory.”

Gavin lifted an incredulous brow, his smirk turning full-blown megawatt. “Mediocre? I’d love to see you try to beat it.”

Emily carefully slid from the bed. Hands on her hips, she tilted her head. “Is this a challenge, Blake?”

“The biggest of your life, sweets.” Gavin picked up a stirring Noah, positioning him against his chest. He looked down at his little bundle. “Your mother’s seriously lost it, kid. She thinks she’s going to learn how to feed you and me better than your grandmother can.”