Where You Least Expect It...

Chapter 5

She walked out of the birthing room with her baby cradled in her arms. She was eighteen inches long and weighed seven pounds exactly. Her lungs were great based on how loudly she was crying. There were ten finger and ten toes and the sweetest bellybutton. And as she stepped into the private room at the other end of the hall, Grace fell completely in love with her little angel.

Eyes only looking away from her baby long enough to find the door to the private waiting room, Grace let Thomas inside. She couldn't bring herself to look away, but she didn't think it mattered. He stepped up beside her and a jolt of happiness surged through her when he placed his hand on the baby's cap-covered head.

"Isn't she perfect?" she whispered.

"She's beautiful." It was the softest she had ever heard Thomas' voice. There was something so pure and reverent in it. "She's loud," he said, amusement clear in his tone. It was a quality she had missed. Rare even at the best of times, but recently... "Hello, Sweet Girl."

Finally tearing her gaze from the fussy darling in her arms, Grace turned to look at her husband. This was the moment that things between them should click back into place. This was what they had worked so hard for. Tears and shot and fights and million other painful memories from the first time the doctor said their might be a problem. But now they were here. They had a baby. Thomas had his eyes glued to the baby. A small, but real, smile rested on his lips as he looked at the little girl Grace held.

"What should we call her, Thomas? I keep looking at her and the only thing I can think of is Angel," she said biting back a laugh. They'd agreed that no matter how emotional they got or how precious their child looked- if it was a girl they would not name her Angel or Precious or anything or the sort. Grace's heart clenched tight when Thomas's smile ticked higher at the reminder.

He shook his head, moving to gently lift his daughter into his arms. She forgot sometimes that he was more used to babies than she was. He'd been nearly grown when Finn was born. And Ada's son was only two, so he'd had more recent practice. "No. Not Angel." She looked at this small child tucked securely in Thomas' arms. She'd stopped crying- only letting out unhappy whimpers now and then. A Daddy's Girl, then. "I've had Ruby bouncing around in my head for months."

It wasn't what Grace would have chosen. But the name was still lovely. And somehow it suited a child belonging to Thomas. "I was thinking of Isabelle. Such an elegant name. But Ruby... it's beautiful. And she is just as precious, isn't she?" Eyes meeting over the baby's head, Grace made a decision as she looked at Thomas. "I want you to pick. As long as she's ours and she's healthy... You name her."

He only hesitated for the smallest of moments. His eyes left hers and returned to the baby he held. Then, briefly, he looked towards the door. She convinced herself that he was just thinking. She told herself it had nothing to do with the woman she'd left on the other side of the maternity wing. "Evelyn. Ruby Evelyn Shelby." It was beautiful. Strong and refined and just gorgeous. Everything she hoped to raise this child would grow to be. With this man by her side for every moment.

She smiled, wide and free and absolutely full of a joy she thought she might never feel. "Ruby Evelyn Shelby. Perfect." She let her hand rest on Ruby's stomach. She took in the light in Thomas' eyes as he looked at his daughter. They widened in surprise before his smile grew even bigger. And Grace couldn't keep from looking to see what he was seeing- to look at their girl's beautiful face again.