Until Nico

I pull my arm free from the nurse and go to her.

“Hey, baby.” I bend down, breathing her in.

“You’re here,” she croaks out.

“Nowhere else I would want to be.”

“All right, Mr. and Mrs. Mayson. Are you guys ready to have some babies?”

“I’m almost there, baby.”

“Okay,” she says quietly, and I want to fucking scream because I can hear the fear in her voice. She’s been so good—no freak-outs, no worries. She’s settled in and started coming around…and now this.

“Talk to me, baby,” I say soothingly.

“About what?”

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“No, Sophie, I’m not going to stop. I need you with me, but in order for that to happen, I need you to want us as much as I do. I need you to stop letting your fears run you.”

“You are safe with me, Sophie.” His fingers run along my jaw. “We are going to explore this thing between us. We are going to take it as slowly as you need, but you are not going to push me away. It’s not going to work. You push me, and I will push back.”

His eyes meet mine, and he shakes his head. “I don’t know what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours, but know this—you run and I will find you.”

“Love you too, baby, but you need to get a handle on your daughters.” I feel her cheek move against my chest and know she’s smiling. “I’m serious,” I tell her.

“I know you are, honey.” She doesn’t say anything else, and I know I’m fucked and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.

“Me, Grandpa James, your daddy, or any of your uncles will give you whatever chocolate you want, angel.”

“How’s Grandpa’s angel?” my dad asks Nalia, who’s holding his face in her small little hands.

“So happy! I have a new boyfriend at school.” She laughs, smiling at her grandpa, who, up until that moment, was smiling at her.

“Yo! Hands off!” I stand and shout when another player picks up Willow and swings her around in a circle. His head turns my way, and his face pales when he sees me. “Yeah, you. Hands off,” I repeat. He drops Willow immediately, making her stumble and glare at him.

What I didn’t know was that, when my girls became teens, I would wish I had made them fearful of everyone, especially the male population.