Page 88 of Raising Love
I was finishing up when Leo stepped into the bathroom. Levi was cradled effortlessly in his arms, drinking his bottle contentedly.
“I’m heading downstairs to put something together to eat,” he said casually.
I turned to face him, smiling at the sight. “You want me to take the baby?”
“Nah,” he replied, shaking his head. “You finish up here.”
He leaned in for a kiss, and I met him halfway, our lips lingering for a moment before he pulled back, smiling softly.
“Leo.”
“Hmm?” he asked, turning back to look at me.
There he stood—big, confident, and undeniably handsome—holding Levi like it was the most natural thing in the world. The sight made my heart ache in the best way.
“I love you too,” I said, my voice quiet but sure.
A smile spread across his face, wide and genuine. He nodded, his eyes warm as they met mine. “I know.”
I laughed, shaking my head at his confidence.
“Come down when you’re done,” he said, turning to leave. “Take your time.”
As he walked out of the bathroom, I stood there, the smile on my face refusing to fade.
This alternate universe, this unexpected life? It was everything I never knew I wanted. And I had no intention of leaving it behind.
epilogue
6 MONTHS LATER...
LEO
I stood over a mountain of green peppers, sorting through each one in search of the perfect ones for my mother’s stew recipe. Ivy and I had decided to make it together, a recipe she’d been wanting to try ever since my mom walked her through it on FaceTime.
I was at the Greene Gardens Market, the only market in the village. It was my third visit here. My first time was when my agent, Simeon, asked me to check on the display of apples from his parents’ farm, which supplied produce to the market. My second visit was less about errands and more about desperation when Levi spiked a high fever, and his doctor suggested cooling gel pads to help bring his temperature down. Those pads worked wonders, even if they didn’t ease his frustration one bit.
That night had been one of the hardest for Ivy and me since moving in together.
Levi’s cries echoed through the house, pulling me from a deep sleep. He’d been fussy and feverish all day, likely due to teething, according to his doctor. Ivy and I had been working in shifts, taking turns rocking him back to sleep. It was her turn now.
Since the night we made love in her room, I’d started sleeping in Ivy’s bed. At first, it was just practical—the master bedroom had the attached en suite and was closer to Levi’s nursery. But over time, it became impossible to sleep anywhere else when I knew the woman I loved was just down the hall. Ivy liked to joke that I only went back to my own room to “play with Legos,” and she wasn’t entirely wrong.
Levi’s cries softened as Ivy reached his room, but the whining didn’t stop completely. I was exhausted, having returned home late after a game the night prior. But the sound of Ivy’s soft humming through the baby monitor tugged at me.
I pulled myself out of bed and headed to the nursery because that’s what good boyfriends and godfathers do.
When I entered, Ivy was sitting in the rocker, holding Levi against her chest and pressing a teething ring to his gums. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion, and her head dropped back slightly between her shoulders as she bounced him gently.
I approached, placing a hand against Levi’s forehead. Warm, but not as bad as earlier.
Yawning, I grabbed the infant pain medicine off the dresser, measured out the dosage, and brought it to her. She stood from her seat on the rocker to meet me by the dresser.
“Angle his head a little,” I said, my voice rough with sleep.
She adjusted Levi, letting me carefully pour the medicine into his mouth. He swallowed it down without a fight.
Ivy yawned as she patted Levi’s back, her head falling forward against me. I wrapped my arms around both of them, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
