Page 120 of Forever Fallen

SOPHIE

Sophie closedher eyes to get some sleep after feeding little Ben, changing his diaper, and burping him. The infant fell asleep on the bottle and Ryan swung him gently in his arms, humming to him as he gazed at Ben with this infinitely tender smile plastered to his face.

There was an immeasurable bond between father and son – and she was witnessing it firsthand. She heard Ryan moving beside her, stirring, only to see him putting Ben back down in the bassinet.

“Get some sleep, Sunshine. I’m going to go update our friends and will be back shortly. Sleep while Ben is sleeping… okay?”

She felt him gently kiss her cheek before whispering ‘I love you’ and leaving the room.

A faint mewling cry woke her, and she tried to sit up, feeling extremely disoriented, only to see Ryan asleep in the chair beside her. His head was lolling back on the seat and his mouth was wide open in exhaustion.

“Poor thing…” she breathed, stunned, and realized he had to be more tired than she ever realized. He never did that.

“Ryan? Could you hand me Ben and another bottle? He’s hungry again.”

“Huh… oh! Yeah, I’m sorry, Soph…” Ryan muttered, rubbing his eyes, and getting up immediately. “I must have fallen asleep.”

He scooped up the baby that was getting a little more upset, that mewling cry turning into a shriek fast, and lay Ben down in her arms. Grabbing a bottle, he handed it to Sophie, before she immediately popped it into the infant’s open mouth.

“Can you help me scoot over? I don’t want to disturb him, but I need to move,” she asked.

“Sure. Which way?”

“Umm… to the left.”

“Mine or yours?” he smiled, looking tired.

“Mine…” she grinned.

Ryan put his hands underneath her arms and gently lifted, pulling her towards the side of the bed as she instructed. Once she got settled, she quickly burped Ben, changed his diaper, and tried to feed him again, only to see that her son was falling asleep again.

“I think he’s out…” she smiled. “Can you…”

“Here, I’ve got him,” Ryan said quickly, taking the baby and setting him down gently. “Perfect. Why don’t you close your eyes again?”

“And why don’t you come here?” Sophie countered, smiling.

She patted the bed next to her – and saw Ryan’s frown.

“That won’t be happening for at least six weeks and I will be in Afghanistan. I don’t think that…”

“Come hold me, you silly man, and get some sleep too,” she chuckled and saw his soft smile of appreciation.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. You are only here so long, we are both exhausted, and it’s going to be a tough night waking up every few hours for the next several weeks. Come lay down beside me.”

Ryan gingerly let down the arm of the bed after a few minutes of finagling it and carefully lay on his side beside her, leaving space between them.

“I don’t want to smush you.”

“You won’t, but can you put the bedrail back up, so you don’t fall out?”

“Sophie, are you sure about this?”

“I sleep better when you are beside me,” she countered. “And I’ve got nine months of loneliness to make up for…”

Ryan nodded, swallowing, and looked at her. Sophie gazed up at him, reaching up to touch his cheek and trace his lips, before leaning forward to kiss him tenderly. He drew in a ragged breath and pressed his forehead to hers, as if they could connect somehow.

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