CHAPTER 89: THE FIRST MOMENTS
They finally let us take Evelyn back to our private room after six hours of observation. Six hours of watching her breathe through monitors and wires, of nurses assuring us she was fine while my heart refused to believe it.
"Ready to hold her?" The NICU nurse, Patricia, smiled at William. "Dad's turn."
He'd been hovering since we got to the hospital but hadn't actually held her yet. Now he looked terrified.
"I don't know how." His voice came out rough. "What if I drop her?"
"You won't." I was already exhausted but seeing him scared made me smile. "She's tougher than she looks."
Patricia showed him how to support Evelyn's head, how to cradle her against his chest. The moment she settled in his arms, his whole face changed.
"Oh." It came out as barely a whisper. "She's so light."
"Five pounds three ounces." I reminded him. "That's actually good for premature."
But William wasn't listening. He was staring at Evelyn like she was the only thing that existed. She yawned, her tiny mouth opening wide, and he made a sound between a laugh and a sob.
"She yawned." He looked at me with wonder. "Did you see that?"
"I saw." My throat went tight watching him. "You're doing great."
"I'm terrified." He admitted, not looking away from Evelyn. "What if I mess this up? What if I'm like my father, cold and distant and—"
"Stop." I reached for his hand. "You're nothing like him."
"You don't know that."
"Yes I do." I squeezed his fingers. "Your father never looked at you the way you're looking at her right now. He never cried when you were born or stayed up all night just to watch you breathe. You're already a better father than he ever was."
William's eyes filled with tears. "I don't want her to be afraid of me."
"She won't be." Patricia spoke up from where she was checking my vitals. "Trust me, I've seen a lot of dads in this unit. The scared ones usually turn out to be the best."
"Really?"
"The ones who aren't scared are the ones you worry about." She winked. "You're going to do just fine Mr Dray."
Evelyn started fussing, tiny sounds that built into actual crying. William looked panicked.
"What do I do? Is she hurt? Should I—"
"She's hungry." I laughed despite being exhausted. "Give her here, I'll try feeding her."
The next twenty minutes were chaos. Evelyn latched on after some struggle, my body protested every movement, and William hovered like I might break.
"You can sit down." I told him. "We're not going anywhere."
"I know, I just—" He sat on the edge of the bed. "I can't believe she's real. That we made her."
"Biology is pretty amazing." I stroked Evelyn's soft hair while she ate. "Six months ago this was just an idea. Now she's here."
"Six months ago I was still pretending our marriage was just business." William touched Evelyn's tiny hand. "Seems like a lifetime ago."
"Feels like yesterday." I yawned. "God I'm tired."
"Sleep." He took Evelyn from me carefully. "I'll watch her."
"You need sleep too."
"I'll sleep when you wake up." His tone left no room for argument. "Kate, you just went through labor. Rest."
I wanted to protest but my body was already shutting down. Within minutes I was asleep, trusting William to keep our daughter safe.
---
I woke up to voices. Tina and Liam stood by the window talking in whispers while William sat in the chair beside my bed with Evelyn still in his arms.
"How long was I out?" I tried to sit up and everything hurt.
"Four hours." Tina rushed over. "Don't move too fast, you just had a baby."
"I'm aware." I grimaced. "Everything hurts."
"That's normal." She handed me water. "You were incredible Kate. I can't believe you did that."
"Didn't have much choice once she decided to come early." I looked at William. "Did you sleep?"
"No." He smiled down at Evelyn. "Too busy falling in love."
Liam snorted. "He's been like this for hours. Won't put her down, won't stop staring at her. It's actually kind of sweet."
"It's exhausting to watch." Tina teased. "But yeah, sweet."
"Want to hold her?" William asked them.
Tina practically ran over. She took Evelyn with practiced ease, making soft cooing sounds.
"Oh my God she's perfect." Tina's eyes filled with tears. "Kate, she looks just like you."
"You think so?" I couldn't see it yet. She just looked like a tiny red alien to me.
"Definitely got your nose." Liam peered over Tina's shoulder. "And William's grumpy expression when she's sleeping."
"I don't have a grumpy expression." William protested.
"You absolutely do." I laughed. "But it's cute on both of you."
A knock at the door interrupted. Mr Howard walked in carrying a massive teddy bear that was definitely bigger than Evelyn.
"I know it's too soon for her to use this but—" He set it down and his voice cracked. "Your parents would have been so happy Kate."
"Mr Howard." I held out my hand and he came over, gripping it tight.
"She's beautiful. Just like you were." He wiped his eyes. "Your father used to say you'd do great things. I think he'd be proud of how right he was."
"Thanks." My throat closed up. "For everything. For helping us, for believing in me when no one else did."
"Always." He squeezed my hand then stepped back. "I won't stay long, you need rest. But I wanted to see the newest member of the Jones family."
"Dray family." William corrected gently. "Though she's got Jones blood for sure."
"The best of both." Mr Howard smiled. "Which means she's going to be unstoppable."
After everyone left and Evelyn was sleeping in her hospital bassinet, William climbed carefully into the bed beside me.
"This is against hospital rules." I whispered.
"Don't care." He wrapped his arm around me. "How are you feeling?"
"Sore. Exhausted. Happier than I've ever been." I rested my head on his shoulder. "We have a baby William."
"I know." He kissed the top of my head. "I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and this will all be a dream."
"If it is, don't wake me up yet."
We lay there watching Evelyn sleep, her tiny chest rising and falling steadily. Every few minutes one of us would check that she was still breathing.
"I got an email from the board today." William said quietly. "About the merger proposal we discussed last month."
I'd almost forgotten. Before going into labor, we'd been negotiating to merge Jones Corp with Dray Industries. Not a takeover, a real partnership that would benefit both companies.
"What did they say?"
"They approved it. Unanimously." He shifted to look at me. "If you still want to do this, we can move forward as soon as you're ready."
"Really?" I sat up despite the pain. "They agreed to all our terms? Equal board representation, maintaining both company names, the ethical oversight committee?"
"Every single term." He smiled. "Turns out burning down your building and nearly dying made them more receptive to your ideas."
"That's one way to negotiate." I laughed then winced. "Ow, don't make me laugh yet."
"Sorry." He kissed my forehead. "But Kate, this is huge. Our companies combined will be the largest ethical business conglomerate on the east coast. Your parents' legacy merged with mine, built on principles instead of profit margins."
"We're going to change everything." I looked at Evelyn sleeping peacefully. "Build something better for her."
"That's the plan." William's hand found mine. "Think you're ready to run an empire while raising a baby?"
"Absolutely not." I grinned. "But I'm going to do it anyway."
"That's my wife." He kissed me softly. "Impossible as ever."
A nurse came in to check on us, tsked at William being in my bed, but didn't actually make him leave.
"Visiting hours end in thirty minutes." She checked Evelyn's vitals. "But I suppose we can bend the rules for new parents."
After she left, I closed my eyes, William's warmth beside me, Evelyn's soft breathing filling the room.
"Hey William?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you." I squeezed his hand. "For all of this. For choosing me, for fighting beside me, for giving me this family."
"Kate." His voice was thick with emotion. "You gave me this family. Before you, I had money and power and nothing that actually mattered. Now I have everything."
"We have everything." I corrected.
"Yeah." He pulled me closer. "We really do."
Outside the hospital window, the city lights twinkled like promises. Somewhere out there was Jones Corp rebuilding from ashes. Dray Industries preparing for the merger. Jeremy and Emma probably closing up their café. Liam and Tina planning whatever their future held.
And here in this room was my whole world. My daughter, my husband, my family.
"I love you." I whispered to both of them.
William kissed my temple. Evelyn made a soft sound in her sleep.
And for the first time in my entire life, I wasn't waiting for the next disaster.
I was just happy.
Completely, impossibly, perfectly happy.