Page 131 of Finding Amanda

They were, even if logically—and grammatically—that didn’t make sense.

Mark crossed to the head of her bed and pressed his lips to her temple before bending to kiss his son’s cheek. “How are you, little man?”

His little face scrunched up as if he were considering his answer.

“That good, huh?” Mark turned to her. “How do you feel?”

“Good. Really good.” And tired, but she didn’t add that. She’d done nothing but lie around for months. No wonder she’d been so weak during labor.

None of that mattered now that her child was in her arms.

She reveled in his warmth and his sweet newborn smell . . . which was mixed with something slightly less enticing. “He wanted to nurse but had trouble latching on. He figured it out, gorged himself”—she grinned down at the infant—"and then slept.”

Mark’s brows lowered. “Did he cry? I didn’t hear. You should’ve woken me up.”

“It wasn’t like you could feed him.”

“True.” His lip quirked. “I could’ve changed him.”

“There’ll be plenty of time for that. In fact”—she handed him to his father—“I’ll let you do the honors.”

He did, using the foot of her bed so she could watch.

Ten little fingers. Ten little toes. His tender skin was still red less than twenty-four hours after his birth. He already had so many of Mark’s features.

He wrapped the baby back in the blanket and cradled him in his strong arms.

Though Amanda had prayed he would look like her husband, she’d prayed more that he’dbelike him. Strong and gentle. Solid and truthful. Wise and godly.

Godly. That was what she prayed for most. As she learned about the God who loved her, who forgave her, and who’d died for her, she realized how her husband was becoming more like Jesus all the time. Oh, he had a long way to go, just as she did, but they were both learning together. Growing together. Teaching the girls together.

And now they had a son together. Though she couldn’t know for sure, she guessed he’d been conceived on Halloween night. In adversity, no question about it. In the eye of a very dark storm.

But also . . . in God’s perfect timing.

Yes, things had been hard and bumpy and sometimes, downright terrifying. But even in the midst of all of that, God had protected a baby she hadn’t even known existed. He’d grown a new life inside her.

Newlives. Because Amanda was a new creation, too, thanks to God’s salvation. He’d found her in the trunk of a car.

Or, more accurately, she’d found God.

And then God had led Mark right to those scary woods.

She still marveled at the miracle of it all.

“Hey.” Mark perched beside her and brushed a tear from her cheek. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

He started to say something, but his phone dinged. He grabbed it from where he’d plugged it into the charger and read the screen—scowling.

“What is it?”

“The girls are begging to see you. They’re on their way.”

Amanda’s empty stomach churned. “Now?”

He was typing a text. Frowning.

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