Sweet Hope

Unable to speak, I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her head, then, nervously leaned down and kissed my daughter on her cheek. As I pulled away, she squirmed in Ally’s arms, and opened her eyes to stare straight up at me… her dark brown eyes meeting mine… and floored me where I stood.

Gasping, I stared down at her and a sudden fear rippled through me. Was I fucking worthy of being her papa? Did I deserve something this good to happen to me?

“She’ll adore you, Axe,” Ally assured me, catching my eye, immediately stopping the crippling thoughts slamming into my mind. “She’ll adore you as much as I do.”

Swallowing back the lump in my throat, I made myself relax and sat down on the bed. I wrapped my arms around my two reasons for living.

“Ti amo, carina. Sempre,” I said brokenly and turned Ally’s head for a kiss.

“I love you too, querido,” she whispered back and ran her finger down our sleeping daughter's red face.

“She needs a name,” Ally said softly, but I kept quiet. There was only one name I wanted to call her. A tribute, an honor I wanted my daughter to own.

We sat there for an hour before Ally squeezed my hand. “You’d better go and tell everyone the good news, my mama and daddy will be climbing the walls.”

Smirking at the thought of Ally’s Spanish mother wreaking havoc on the ward, demanding to be let in here ran through my mind.

“Okay, baby,” I said, and kissing my wife and daughter one last time, I walked out of the room and into the wait area, where all our family was gathered.

As I opened the door, Ally’s mama was on her feet in seconds and rushed my way. “Axel,” she said in relief, her strong Spanish accent as thick as ever, “How are my girls?” Her pretty face was just an older version of Ally’s. I could see the worried apprehension in her brown eyes.

Unable to keep from smiling, I replied, “They’re perfect… fucking perfect.”

Mama Alita broke down into tears and she wrapped her arms around my neck. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, laughing at her relieved response. Alita and Gabe had become my parents. They’d never judged me, just accepted me as the man Ally loved and welcomed me as their son. They were as perfect as in-laws as their daughter was the perfect wife… and they adored Austin and Levi too.

“She’s waiting for you,” I said. In a heartbeat, Alita was off down the hallway, practically running into the delivery room. I could hear her happy shriek all the way from in here.

Gabe, Ally’s papa approached me and shook my hand. “Congratulations, son. Welcome to the daddy of a daughter club.” He laughed like it was an inside joke. Pulling me to his chest, he patted me on the back and whispered, “Good luck.”

As he left, two little people suddenly ran under my legs and I reached down to pick them both up. “Zio Axe!” Dante called, his chubby cheeks red and his green eyes huge.

“Hey buddy,” I said and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He giggled, but just as he did, Taylor hit at my face wanting attention too. “Me too, Uncy Axe. Me want kiss too!”

Laughing, I pressed a kiss to her cheek and she pushed on Dante’s arm making him scowl.

“Okay, okay, missy, enough,” Molly said sternly and lifted her daughter from my arms, but not before pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Congrats, sweetie. I can’t wait to meet her.”

Lexi moved forward next and took her son from my arms who was still glaring at Taylor. Lexi shook her head at her son and beamed up a smile at me. Leaning down I kissed her on her cheek. “I’m so happy for you, Axe,” she said.

Rome came over next and put out his hand, “Congrats, Axe,” he said and squeezed my hand. “Make sure you look after them both, yeah?”

I nodded my head and he moved away. I would never be fully okay with that guy, and him me, but at least we’d moved past the wanting to kill each other stage and we could at least be in the same room… even get on, in some circumstances.

My eyes searched out Levi and Austin. As one, they barreled over and both wrapped their arms around my neck. Laughing, I held them tightly too.

“Auguri, fratello!” they each said and moved back with happy proud smiles. I saw Levi’s girlfriend Elsie over his shoulder. She got up and wrapped her arms around my waist. “Happy for you, Axe,” she said and I laughed at the blonde’s cute face.

“Thanks, Elsie.”

“So?” I asked, “Who wants to meet my daughter?”

All my friends and family headed for the delivery room, Dante and Taylor once again finding their way into my arms.