Page 149 of Feels Like Home

“I love you, too,Andy.”

My eyes drift down to our baby girl, her dewy wrinkly skin, mess of dark hair, eyes unfocused as they gaze up at me. Her soft mewling sounds and jerky movements tugging at myheart.

“Do we have a name?” Lisaasks.

“Hazel Brielle Simpson,” Andy tells the nurse, not looking away from either me or our daughter, the palm of his hand covering the back of Hazel’shead.

We had discussed middle names, but Brielle wasn’t one of them. Andy chose both the first and middle name for our baby girl. Most women would be upset. Me? I’m ecstatic. I wouldn’t have picked a bettername.

“Beautiful name for a beautiful girl.” She smiles atus.

And before I know it, it’s the three of us. Andy has taken approximately twelve hundred pictures on his phone. Kissed both of us at least as many times, and we’ve both shed countlesstears.

“I’m going to get the kids, okay? Are you ready forthem?”

I nod my head, another wave of emotion hitting me, and he kisses me once more before walking out thedoor.

When he returns, the boys and Bri are followinghim.

Bri already has tears streaming down her face, and the boys’ eyes haven’t left their new littlesister.

“Oh, my gosh, she’s beautiful,” Bri says, rushing to myside.

“Kids, I’d like you to meet HazelBrielle.”

Bri gasps then hiccups through a cry, picking up her baby sister from where she was resting on my chest, cradling herclose.

“She’s… Mom…” Bri tries to speak but becomes too emotional, cuddling her baby sister close, kissing her cheeks, smelling her hair, tears streaming down hercheeks.

Reece and Aidan are standing near, leaning over to get a closerlook.

Aidan sniffles, and Bri leans her head against his. “She’s so tiny,” he muses, lifting the back of his finger to her cheek. “I can’t believe how…” He chokes on his words, causing Bri and me to both let out a sob. He turns to me, carefully leaning over and huggingme.

“Thank you. I didn’t know I wanted a sister sobad.”

I wrap my arms around him and kiss the top of his head. “I love you,kiddo.”

“Love you too,Mama.”

He and Reece both started calling me Mama shortly after we got married. It slipped out from Aidan first, his face flamed red, and tears immediately sprang to my eyes. I asked him why he was blushing, and he shyly asked if it was okay that they call me Mama. I told them they could call me whatever they were comfortable with, and I love that they chose the name Mama. It’s something unique for justme.

“Can I hold her?” Reeceasks.

“No,” Bri teases, making us both laugh as she cuddles Hazel closer before handing herover.

For the next thirty minutes, our new family of six coos and awws and gushes over the perfection that is Hazel before she begins getting fussy. The nurse interrupts, letting us know that we need to try to feed her, so Bri offers to take the boys forsupper.

“I don’t know if I can hold them back much longer, so as soon as you’re done with the first feed, are you open tovisitors?”

I don’t even have to ask who she’s trying to holdback.

Andy chuckles. “Yeah, you can send the nosey bunch in when she’s donehere.”

“Do you remember how to do this, Christine?” Lisaasks.

“I think so, but…” I position Hazel, and after a few failed attempts, she latches on. She sighs contently while Andy watches in admiration. Lisa leaves the room, letting us know that she’ll leave us alone and be back to check on ourprogress.

As soon as the door clicks shut, Andy lifts his eyes to me, a sparkle twinkling. “I know this is not the most appropriate time, but I don’t think I’ve ever been more turned on in my life. Seeing you with our daughter… holy shit, Christine. It does things for me. It’s going to be a really long six weeks, you knowthat?”

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