Lindsey fought with the car seat in the back, and she sat in the passenger seat patiently, trying not to snicker. Lily had finally been cleared to come home. Two full months in the hospital had been torture for her parents, but it had all been forgotten the minute they heard she was cleared for discharge. No more IVs and monitors and heart surgeons; at least not for a while. They were going to bring her home and spend their first night in the house together.
Lindsey finally got the seat secured in the back and Stevie did a quick check for baby supplies in the back seat. "Ready?"
"God yes, let's go," she said, fastening her seat belt. He smiled and started the car, backing out of the driveway quickly.
They arrived at the hospital and were greeted by a very awake baby girl. Stevie swore that Lily grinned when they walked through the door, and she immediately took her from the nurse while Lindsey dealt with the discharge papers. She held onto the baby tightly and grinned the whole way to the car. They strapped her into her seat and Stevie sat in back beside her while Lindsey navigated traffic back to the house. She couldn't stop touching her and talking to her. Lindsey looked at her in the rear view and felt himself choke up a little as he watched her with Lily. He'd waited 25 years to see her become a mom, and she was already a damn good one.
The rest of the day was spent on the couch with Lily. Stevie refused to put her down, and he couldn't say he blamed her. Phones went unanswered, and neither one of them cared. When it was finally time to settle Lily into her new room, they stood by the crib as she drifted off, neither one of them ready to take their eyes off of her. Stevie held onto Lindsey's waist as she watched Lily sleep, the smile still on her face.
"Let's go to bed."
"Lindsey, it's 8pm. I'm not tired yet."
"Neither am I," he said, pulling her against him for a kiss. She kissed him back, involuntarily responding to his hands on her body. He'd given her all the space she wanted, and it hit her that he'd barely touched her since before he was admitted to the hospital. She hadn't let him.
"Okay," she said, smiling at him between kisses.
"Yeah?" He looked at her, his eyes hopeful.
"She's home. I feel good. And I sort of miss you."
"Sort of?" he said, picking her up and biting at her neck playfully. She giggled as he carried her across the hall to their room, laying her on the bed. He pulled off his shirt and started to undress her, desperate to have all of her. She relaxed and let him touch her, suddenly ready to make up for lost time. "You're okay?"
"Lindsey, I need you." He descended on her and she couldn't believe she'd held out for this long. "I love you," she said as he collapsed beside her, his breathing still heavy.
He rolled onto his side and ran his fingers through her hair. "I love you, too."
"Good thing. I birthed your daughter. You're stuck with me now," she said, snuggling up to him.
"Saddled with a perfect daughter and a hot wife? I could think of much more painful fates." Her heart jumped a little when he said the word wife. They'd been so preoccupied that a wedding hadn't even seemed possible. Not that she hadn't thought about it.
"You want to marry me?"
"Of course I do. Hang on," he said, leaning over to pull a tiny box out of his nightstand. "Let's do this the right way." He slipped the ring onto her finger, ignoring the tears forming in her eyes. "Stevie, you are all I have ever wanted. I can't imagine life without you. Be my wife."
"It's about time," she said, throwing her arms around him and kissing him.
"So, yes?"
"Of course I'll marry you, you idiot."
He kissed her deeply and laughed. "I love you so much."
"Shut up. Make love to me."
As much as they needed sleep, they needed each other more. She clung to him until she drifted off, finally feeling like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
