Page 12 of Peer & Coco

"He walked." His eyes widened. "He walked across the damn floor."

Her spine relaxed, and she hung her head in relief. She hadn't had time to tell him that Tyr walked on his own today.

"He's walking." Peer's gaze intensified with a slow blink. "You've got to see him. He didn't even wobble."

She nodded, opening her mouth to tell him Tyr had taken his first steps while with her today but the wonderous sense of pride filling Peer stopped her. He deserved to believe he witnessed his son's first steps.

He scooped up his son and pressed his forehead against Tyr's forehead. "I'm going to get you a dirt bike."

She laughed, amused. "I think it'll be a few more years until he's big enough to ride."

"One of those battery-powered rides, then." Peer straightened and flashed her a grin before sobering. "We'll need to move. He needs more room to run around. A place with a big backyard."

"Whoa, slow down, Pappa." She squeezed his hard forearm, wondering if he included her in the "we" part or just him and Tyr. "Take a big breath. He's got plenty of time to work on his skill before he needs to spread his wings."

"Let's see if he'll do it again." Peer walked a few feet away and set Tyr on his feet.

They'd spent many hours together, trying to get Tyr to walk, she knew what to do. She sat on the floor, spread her legs, and held out her arms.

Peer's large hands steadied Tyr from behind. "Go see, Coco, son."

"Come here." She leaned over, making her hands only a foot away from Tyr. "You can do it."

Tyr lunged, caught his balance, and took three steps. Coco scooted back, making him take another step.

And, another.

And, another.

Caught in the excitement, she stopped moving and caught him. His little arms wrapped around her neck. She hugged him, swaying side to side, and looked up at Peer.

Her stomach fluttered. His smile, clear up to his dark blue eyes, pierced her. Sharing the moment with him was worth keeping it a secret that Tyr had already walked for her.

In that instant, she knew exactly what she wanted.

She wanted a baby.

Her maternal clock was ticking. She wanted someone to share the happy moments and smile over all the little achievements. She wanted a family.

Tyr was Peer's son, not hers. She inhaled deeply and set Tyr down on the floor. Her emotions were all over the place, and she blamed it on spending the day with Lizzy and Hanne, holding an infant, and taking care of Tyr while Peer was on a ride.

Her ovaries were getting hit from every angle, except in the direction that mattered.