Page 38 of Faith Notes
And I can still hear that broken fear lingering there beneath his bravery.
Grabbing his hand, I hold it in mine, reassuring him that I’m here.
Then my eyes drop to the baby in his arms.
After I woke up, my hospital room became a frenzy of doctors and nurses flooding in. There was no time to meet him before, but now there’s silence—blissful silence.
“Do you want to hold him?” Grayson asks.
My eyes flick to his, and I nod–just once.
Grayson stands, switching our baby around until he’s snuggled in my arms, and my eyes trace over the most beautiful face I’ve ever seen. He has his daddy’s dark hair and my buttonnose. His lips are a soft pink, and there is a dimple on one cheek. He’s the perfect mixture of both of us.
“Hi, baby boy. I’m your mommy.”
Chapter 16
Grayson
2 Weeks Postpartum
“Hi, Nate. It’s been a while.”
I’m kneeling in front of Nate’s grave, a bouquet of flowers in my hand. It’s been a month since I’ve been out here, and guilt eats at my stomach over that.
This man was my best friend, and he’s part of the reason I’m married to the love of my life with a sweet baby boy that we get to call our own.
“Life has been a little wild,” I say, placing my hand on top of his headstone.
The wind blows against my face, and I like to imagine that’s his way of telling me he gets it.
“That girl of ours—she’s strong. You would be proud of her. I’m proud of her,” I say, my lips tugging up into a smile.
“Are you talking about me?” Georgia asks, walking up the path behind me, pushing a stroller.
Shoving off the ground, I stand to meet her and walk over to place a kiss on her lips. “Always, Peach. I’m always talking about you. You’re my favorite topic, after all.”
She lightly smacks her hand against my chest, and I grin down at her. “You’re a flirt.”
I wink at her, but I don’t deny it. Then I walk to the front of the stroller, lifting out our newborn baby and rocking him in my arms.
“Hi, baby boy. Your mommy and I want you to meet someone.”
Georgia’s hand wraps around my bicep, holding on to me as we walk back over to Nate’s grave.
With my whole life standing beside me and snuggled in my arms, I introduce our baby to the man Georgia and I love.
“Nate, meet our boy—Nathaniel Montgomery Lewis. He’s pretty special.”
Georgia squeezes my arms, and when I look over at her, she’s looking at Nate’s grave and wearing a smile that makes her radiant.
She bends down, tracing her fingers across his name, and her whisper carries on the wind. “We miss you, Nate, but we’ll remember you through him.”
______________________
Our families are waiting for us at the end of the path.
They wanted to come with us, but Georgia and I knew this was something we needed to do on our own.
