Fragile Hearts (Poplar Falls #4) - Amber Kelly Page 0,8
tightly.
“Even if that were true, we have to support her and try our best to get along with him,” I tell them.
“I’ll be nice when he’s around. I’m just not ever going to be great friends with him,” Walker says.
Sonia returns, looking dejected. “He’s so tired from working. He’s going to chill, and he said he’ll come with me to meet the baby next weekend or something. But he told me to give everyone his regards and congratulations,” she says, her voice dripping with disappointment.
“That’s perfect,” I tell her as I pat the chair beside me. “This part is just a whole bunch of boring waiting anyway.”
“You’re right,” she agrees.
We all sit there, gabbing and watching television. We get no news for the next three excruciating hours.
Beau wakes up from the nap he took on his Pop-Pop’s chest and asks if the baby came.
“Not yet, little man. Hopefully, it won’t be much longer,” his grandfather, Marvin, informs him.
He sighs heavily.
“It’s going to be a girl for sure,” Beau mutters.
“Why do you think that?” Payne asks.
“Because it’s taking so long. Girls take a long time to get ready to come out,” he says like it makes perfect sense.
“He’s right,” Walker agrees. “It has to be a girl.”
A little over an hour later, Myer emerges.
“It’s a girl,” he confirms as we all get to our feet.
Congratulations ring out from everyone.
“Come on, little man. Let’s go meet your baby sister,” Myer says as he opens his arms.
Beau flies to him, and he scoops him up off the floor. Then, he looks over to me.
“You and Payne, Marvin and Pop, too, sis. Everyone else can come in a couple of minutes,” he says to me.
I rise from the chair, move to my big brother, and wrap him in my arms.
Payne, Dallas’s daddy, and Pop join us, and the six of us head to the room to meet our newest family member.
When we enter, Dallas is on the bed, holding the tiny bundle in her arms. A content look on her face.
Myer sets Beau down beside them, and he crawls up to look at the baby snuggled up on his momma’s chest.
“She’s little,” Beau says as he gets his first glimpse of his new sister.
“She sure is,” Dallas agrees.
Beau takes his hand and touches the tiny smattering of hair on her head.
“She’s soft,” he whispers.
“She is, and that’s why we have to be very gentle with her,” Dallas says.
“Can I hold her?” he asks.
“Scoot up here, against the pillows, and I’ll put her in your lap.”
Myer protectively proceeds to the side of the bed as Dallas moves to lay the baby across Beau’s lap. She keeps her hand under the baby’s neck, and Myer squats down to a knee and moves in close on the other side.
Beau looks down at the squirming baby, mesmerized by her. “I’m gonna be the bestest big brother there ever was. I’ll share all my toys, and I’ll teach you how to ride my bicycle, and I’ll save my saddle for you for when you get big like me. I won’t let anybody be mean to you either,” he tells her.
She coos up at him and opens her eyes for a moment.
Beau’s face brightens.
“She heard me,” he says.
“I’m sure she did, buddy,” Myer responds.
Dallas sniffles and wipes at her eyes.
“She likes me, Mommy,” he tells Dallas as he looks up at her.
“I can see that,” Dallas replies.
“What’s her name?” he asks.
Dallas smiles at Myer.
“I think we decided on Dorothy Faith after my momma, but we’re going to call her Faith,” she tells us.
“Faith,” Beau repeats reverently.
He kisses the top of her head.
“You three, stay right there,” I say as I take my phone from my purse.
I start snapping a million pictures of the new family.
Then, Dallas takes the wiggly baby from her brother’s arms and Beau hops down, so the rest of us can get our turns, holding little Faith.
“Really, Payne?” Dallas says as she reads his shirt.
He just grins at her, and she shakes her head. Then, he leans down and kisses her forehead.
“You did good, sis. She’s beautiful.”
Then, he extends his hand to Myer. “How’s your hand, man? You okay to shake?” he asks.
“Yeah. Why?” Myer asks as he takes his brother-in-law’s offered hand.
“Because I played coach last go-around, and she almost crushed mine to dust.”
“That’s because I wasn’t able to get the epidural last time, and you were getting on my last nerve,” Dallas snaps.
I take the baby and walk over to the window that overlooks a