Time passed at the speed of light. Later, he’d find out it had been fast. Twenty-five minutes from the time he laid Sarah down on the bed. But in the moment, it just felt like controlled chaos to him—Sarah’s contractions coming closer and closer together, sweat dampening her hair, then the medical staff telling her to push, push!
And then, while his heart was pounding like that of a racehorse, his only focus Sarah’s exhausted face, a lusty cry broke the air.
“I want to see,” Sarah sobbed. “Please let me see.”
“Here you go.” The nurse to whom Abe had spoken placed their strong, healthy baby boy on Sarah’s chest. “We’ll have to take him for tests, see if he needs a little extra help, but his lungs definitely seem fine.”
Smiling, sobbing, Sarah kissed their baby’s head as Abe dared put a gentle hand on that tiny body. “He’s so small,” he whispered, shaken to the core.
She sniffled. “Only compared to you.” Light filled her eyes. “He’s all right, Abe. Our baby’s all right.”
THEODORE “THEO” GREGORY BELLAMY WAS very much all right. Healthy and strong and, right now, sleeping in his daddy’s arms.
“I have a kid,” Abe said, not for the first time.
David touched a finger to the tiny hand fisted against Abe’s T-shirt. “You have a kid. Shit.”
“Don’t swear.” Sarah scowled from the hospital bed where she sat dressed in the pj’s Lola had bought for her on the way to the hospital.
Abe’s mom was on her way from Chicago, so excited to meet her grandson that she was a bubble of pure joy.
“Right, sorry.” David held out his arms. “Can I hold the little guy?”
Abe put their son in David’s careful hands.
“Look at that face,” Fox murmured, peering over David’s shoulder. “You two made a mini Abra.”
Punching the lead singer lightly on the arm, Abe couldn’t stop smiling. “Did you see his hands? He’s going to play the keys, I can tell.”
“I dunno,” said a new voice. “I think those are a guitarist’s fingers.”
Walking in, Noah drew Abe into a back-slapping hug while Kit went over to join Thea, Sarah, Molly, and Lola. “Congratulations, man.”
“Sarah did all the work,” Abe said, sending her a smile that was probably a little goofy.
Her responding smile was exactly as goofy and it melted his heart. He went over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, dropped a kiss on her hair. “A wedding and a baby in less than two weeks. I think we should slow down now.”
Sarah laughed softly and held out her arms for Theo. “Look at him. Pure sweetness.”
“Yeah. I already love being a dad.”
THREE WEEKS LATER, DRESSED ONLY IN WHITE boxer briefs, Abe walked back and forth on the gritty stone paving beside the pool, Flossie pacing beside him and the night air balmy and quiet apart from the screaming and furious tiny person cradled against his bare shoulder.
They’d moved into his larger place post-birth because it had better security and a lot more private space where the media couldn’t pry—but Sarah had brought her place with her in all the décor. Including endless bookshelves in the music room, which had been transformed into their family room.
Abe loved it.
The day before, he’d mounted a sweet photo of Aaron beside his favorite picture of Tessie, and they’d all smiled at seeing those two beloved faces on the wall while Theo slept in his mother’s arms.
Right then, however, sleep was the last thing on Theo’s mind.
Abe stroked Theo’s little body, the fabric of their baby’s blue one-piece soft under his hand. “Come on, kid,” Abe said without halting his rocking, patting walk. “You’re well fed, warm, and dry.” He patted Theo’s diaper butt, a butt he’d personally cleaned up and reclad after waking to the baby’s first cry. “Why don’t you let your parents and your grandma catch some shut-eye?”
Theo just wailed louder.
“Good lungs is an understatement,” Abe said, continuing to walk, Flossie loyally following his lead. “Lead-singer material right there.”
He turned to kiss an angrily scrunched-up face, his hand careful to support Theo’s head. “It’s fine. I don’t need sleep.” Love, huge and endless, filled his heart. “All those nights of partying are finally coming in handy.” Blinking gritty eyes as his son cried even louder, he kept walking.
It took thirty minutes for Theo to wear himself out and finally fall asleep.
Yawning, Abe carried him upstairs and would’ve gone into the nursery except a sleepy Sarah whispered his name. She’d risen up on her arm, her hair a gorgeous tumble around her shoulders. “How long was he awake?” She rubbed her face.