The Resurrection of Wildflowers (Wildflower #2)(90)

Each one leading you a step closer to your destination, whatever that might be.

I thought our story was over when I left town seven years ago, but sometimes what you think is the end, is only the beginning.





EPILOGUE





SALEM





Thayer’s head presses against mine, tears coating his cheeks. Our baby isn’t even here yet and he’s already having trouble keeping it together.

“You can do it, Sunshine. You’re almost there. We’re going to meet our baby.”

I feel like I’ve waited forever to meet this little one and grow our family.

Seda’s going to be a big sister and Forrest is going to be a big brother again.

“One more big push, Salem,” my doctor coaches.

I squeeze Thayer’s hand, giving it my all. I’m so tired, but I just want to see my baby. To hold him or her and shower them in kisses.

And then, with a cry, our second baby comes into the world.

The doctor holds the baby up for Thayer to see—we told her ahead of time that we wanted him to tell me the gender.

Crying, he kisses me and murmurs, “We have another little girl.”

I cry with him as they lay her onto my chest. I count her tiny toes and fingers. There’s a light dusting of sandy brown hair on her head. Thayer’s hair color.

“Hi, little baby.” She curls her finger around mine. “I’m your mommy.”

Thayer kisses the top of my head, then hers, then back again. “My girls.” He places his hand on her back. “My little sun.” He touches her cheek. “Welcome to the world, Soleil.”

She cries out like she approves of the name. At least, I hope that’s what she’s saying.

“She’s perfect.” I hold her tight to my chest, not wanting to let go, but know they’ll soon take her from me to do their checks.

“So are you,” Thayer murmurs. “I have the three most perfect girls a man could ask for.”

“You’re definitely outnumbered now.”

“No such thing.” I know he means it too.

They take her from me then, getting her weight, height, and everything else they need.

Hours later, when things have calmed and Soleil has taken to breastfeeding, I finally get to watch Thayer have his moment with her. He sits in the chair, his shirt off, with her tiny little body resting in his arms against his chest for skin to skin. She looks so tiny in his arms, the little wrinkles in the back of her neck the cutest thing I’ve seen in a long time.

He starts to sing to her, and tears spring to my eyes.

“’You are my sunshine. My only sunshine.’”

We struggled to come up with a name for a long time, knowing we wanted to go with something that was special to us and could be gender neutral.

I don’t even know when or where we heard Soleil, but we knew instantly it was perfect, because when the sun doesn’t shine, we have our own little sun now.