“I’ll be happy to oblige ma’am.”

Aidan brought his lips to hers. Just as her warm mouth opened invitingly, a high pitched wail caused them to break apart. They watched as Jenny hustled a red-faced, crying Noah over to them.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” Emma asked.

“Muh! Muh!” he cried.

Emma shook her head and grinned as she took Noah from Jenny. “I can’t believe he can say dada all day, but I get called ‘muh’!”

Burying his face in Emma’s neck, Noah’s cries quieted as Emma hummed to him. Their food arrived then. “Wanna come to Daddy, Little Man, so Mama can eat?”

Noah tightened his arms around Emma’s neck at the insinuation. “Come on now. Mama needs to eat for your little brother or sister.”

When Aidan reached to take Noah, he screamed and clung to Emma. “Oh Jesus. He’s getting to be such a Mama’s Boy,” Aidan lamented.

“There’s nothing wrong with that. I seem to recall another Fitzgerald boy who was one, and he turned out all right,” Emma replied, while rubbing wide circles across Noah’s back and kissing the strands of his strawberry blonde hair.

Aidan nodded at her insinuation to him and his mother. She was right. He had been a Mama’s Boy and proud of it. “Well, that’s true, but did have some screw-ups until he found the love of another good woman,” Aidan replied.

“Then we’ll just have to hope and pray Noah finds the same one day.” Emma smiled at him over Noah’s head. “And until then, he can be my Mama’s Boy.”

Aidan grunted. “Come on, Little Man. You’re really a Daddy’s Boy, aren’t you?” he prompted. Peeking through Emma’s auburn hair, Noah grinned at Aidan. The small gesture caused Aidan’s chest to clench, and he fought to breathe.

“Are you okay?” Emma asked.

“I’m more than okay.” He leaned over to kiss Noah’s cheek before kissing her tenderly on the lips. “I’m f**king amazing.”