Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56238 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56238 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
I pull him into a tight hug. “Always, Justice. No matter what.”
He clings to me, and I feel Jo’s gaze on us. When I look up, she’s watching with tears in her eyes, love written all over her face. And I know, without a doubt, that bringing her and Journey home isn’t just a new chapter—it’s the best damn one yet.
The rest of the evening is a quiet chaos, filled with the small, beautiful moments that make up a family’s first night home with a newborn. Jo is exhausted but refuses to rest right away, instead taking her time settling Journey in the bassinet in our bedroom. I watch her, the way she gently strokes Journey’s tiny hands, whispering soft words only a mother can say. There’s something sacred in it, something that makes my chest feel too tight with emotion.
Justice sticks close to me, his little hand clutching mine every chance he gets. I can tell he’s nervous, not sure where he fits in this new dynamic, and it breaks my heart. So, after Jo finally lays down to get some much-needed rest, I take Justice outside to the porch, the cool night air wrapping around us.
We sit on the steps, and I drape an arm around his small shoulders. “You okay, buddy?”
He nods, but his brow is furrowed. “I like her. Journey. She’s really little.”
I smile. “Yeah, she is.”
He kicks at a loose pebble. “I just don’t want things to change too much.”
I squeeze his shoulder. “They will a little. But some things don’t change at all. Like how much I love you.”
He leans into me, and we sit like that for a while, just father and son, under the wide-open sky. I don’t rush him to talk, don’t push him to share more than he’s ready to. Eventually, he lets out a sigh and looks up at me. “Can I help with her? Like when she cries and stuff?”
I grin, ruffling his hair. “Of course. You’re her big brother. She’s gonna need you.”
His chest puffs up just a little, and I know in that moment he’s starting to accept this new chapter in our lives.
Inside, Jo is curled up in bed, Journey asleep in the bassinet beside her. I slip in quietly, pressing a kiss to Jo’s forehead. She stirs slightly, opening her eyes to look at me.
“She okay?” she murmurs.
“She’s perfect. Justice is, too.”
Jo smiles, reaching for my hand. “I love you, Dean.”
I squeeze her fingers gently. “I love you more, Jo.”
And as I stand there, looking at my sleeping daughter, my son, and the love of my life, I know there’s nothing in this world I’d trade for the life I have now. Because this—this is everything.