Page 91 of Daring Destiny

“Bairre,” she whispers, barely audible. “Our little Bairre.”

The nurse places him gently on her chest. I stand there, staring down at them, completely undone. He’s so small, so fragile. I’m afraid to touch him. Afraid I’ll break this perfect, tiny person we made.

Astrid looks up at me, her eyes shining, and she says, “Brennan, meet your son.”

I reach down, my hand trembling as I brush his cheek with the back of my finger. His skin is so soft and he makes a tiny noise, almost a sigh. I lose it. Tears spill over, and I don’t care. I don’t care about anything except this moment, and them. My family.

“Heisperfect,” I choke out, and Astrid nods, tears streaming down her cheeks too. “I love you both so much.”

“I love you both so much too.” She leans up toward me and I kiss her, our lips meeting over the top of our baby son’s head.

We stay huddled together for what feels like forever, the three of us cocooned in a priceless moment. I hate to break the spell because I know I’ll carry this with me for the rest of my life. No matter what happens, no matter how chaotic things get, this is what matters.

They are my everything.

There’s a gentle knock on the door, and a nurse peeks her head in. “Your family’s going crazy out there. All of them. They’re anxious to meet him. Let’s get Mama and baby cleaned up and ready, if she’s up for it.”

I laugh, wiping my eyes. “Yeah, sounds like the McGloughlins.” I look back at Astrid, and she nods, tired but radiant.

“Let’s do it,” she says. “Let’s introduce him to his family.”

“Okay, Bairre.” I kiss the top of his tiny head. “You’ve got a lot of people waiting to meet you. And they’re going to love you as much as we do.”