Page 116 of Untethered Heart
Ruby waits patiently, a little unsteady on her tiny feet as she holds the oversized box of flowers that she can’t even see around. I’m still mastering the process of breakfast in bed for my wife. Most times, I have the hang of it. All three pregnancies have been riddled with morning sickness for Lex. I’ve become quite the expert at making her breakfast, then making her and Ruby’s breakfast, and now making her, Ruby, and Jasper’s breakfasts. There is no early rising for my wife when she’s pregnant.
But today is a special occasion. Today, my beautiful wife of four years turns twenty-nine. After we got engaged, we decided to take a leaf out of Claire and Lee’s book and had a small, intimate wedding. Actually, it was a surprise wedding in my grandparents’ backyard on Christmas Eve night, with the whole family gathered.
We managed to discreetly suggest a party, convincing Dylan to come up with Jed, and had Liv, Claire, and Lee’s family all in attendance so that everyone we wanted to be there could share in the night.
I honestly worried for a moment that my grandmother would pass out when I later announced in my toast that Lex was also pregnant.
All in all, it was a night so smothered in joy that I didn’t dare question for a moment what led me to it. I just held on tight with endless gratitude and thanked Dylan for walking into my brother’s bar when he did. It was that decision that had put Lex’s path in mine, two souls dancing in a straight line until they collided. Since that night, every move has tied my soul to hers, tighter and tighter until there was no hope of becoming untethered again.
“Stay there for a sec, Ruby.” I quickly run into my office and wheel my chair out to the kitchen. I take the box of flowers from my daughter’s arms and place it on the chair. “How about you push them in that instead?”
She looks up at me with a giddy little smile, making my heart beat in my stomach like it always does whenever I look at her. Her green eyes that match mine, and dark brown hair in a lopsided ponytail on top of her head. I don’t think I’ll ever master that skill, no matter how many times Gage tries to show me.
“Good thinking, Daddy.”
“Thank you, my angel. Now let’s go see Mummy.”
I pick up the breakfast tray, and we all move through the long stretch of the house until we get to the other side, where the master bedroom is. Lex is dozing softly, this last pregnancy really taking a toll on her energy levels. Three more months to go until we meet our son, but it’s every day that I continue to fall more in love with my wife.
Ruby and Jasper tiptoe up to the side of the bed. Marlin looks right at home where he’s stretched out along the end, his eyebrows moving as he senses the kids coming closer.
“Good morning, birthday girl,” I say gently, easing Lex out of sleep.
Her dopey head pops up and smiles once she takes us in. She rolls onto her back and eases herself up against the headboard.
“Good morning, my babies.”
She helps Jasper as he struggles to lift the gift bag over the side of the mattress, then goes to pick him up.
“Uh-uh,” I tut. “I’ll get him, you sit back.”
She rolls her eyes but smiles. She knows how much I like to take care of her, especially when she’s pregnant. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m worse when she’s carrying my babies. I place the breakfast tray over her lap and give her a kiss.
“Happy birthday, Siren.”
She hums contentedly. “Thank you, Honey.”
I lift Jasper onto the bed to crawl up beside Lex, followed by Ruby, and then we all sit under the blankets while Lex opens her presents and praises the kids over their handmade gifts as well as the more expensive ones they proudly claimed they helped me pick.
Once Lex started her breakfast, I went back out to the kitchen to get the other trays of food, so we could eat together in bed.
The rest of my family will be driving down this weekend for a birthday party. It’s not really a party, more spending quality time with the people we love most as our families continue to grow.
Three years ago, I offered Isabelle a partner role in Heart Assets so that I could step back a little more and invest my time in Trevally Falls with Legacy Malt, Lex, and our children. As the kids get older, we’ll probably shift our time back to the city, but while they’re young, we’re enjoying the slow, small-town life.
A few years ago, I couldn’t imagine slowing down. I figured it would come eventually, but I felt far too busy and important to consider it then.
Once I met Lex, it no longer became a consideration. It was a done deal.
I had no idea I was signing the deal of a lifetime.
But I am Caleb Heart.
The prince of Heart City.
I can have it all. And I do.
She’s looking right at me.
