Chapter 145

Nick stood just outside the NICU, staring through the glass. Luca was beside him, one hand lightly resting on his father’s back.

Sutton watched from inside the room, already scrubbed, her gown tied behind her back. She’d been sitting beside Miles for nearly an hour, skin to skin, his impossibly small head tucked beneath her chin, listening to the slow, steady rhythm of his breath. Her son. Her sweet miracle.

A nurse gave the signal and waved them in.

Luca pushed the door open, and Nick followed him in slowly, cautious courtesy in every footstep. His cane tapped lightly on the vinyl floor

The room was kept warm and dim for the babies. Monitors beeped softly, a mechanical heartbeat winding through wires and plastic tubing. Miles stirred gently in Sutton’s arms but didn’t wake.

Nick stopped a few feet away, clearly unsure of the space.

Sutton looked up and smiled. “He’s fragile,” she said quietly. “And he is small… But Luca will tell you he is a fighter.”

That made Nick smile faintly, eyes crinkling.

Luca crossed the room and gently helped him into a padded chair near Sutton’s. Not too close, but close enough.

For a moment, he just watched.

Miles’s face was still pink and a little wrinkled, like a face he hadn’t quite grown into. With his tiny fist resting against Sutton’s collarbone, he had the longest fingers. She adjusted the blanket around his back and murmured something to Miles. It was something she found she did a lot. Just talk to him. Her voice seemed to soothe him.

Then, she looked at Nick again.

“Want to say hello?”

Nick hesitated for a moment before he nodded.

Sutton adjusted Miles carefully and leaned toward him. Her arms moved gently until her hands brushed Nick’s, guiding them beneath the baby’s head, helping him cradle his grandson.

Nick’s eyes widened the second his hands accepted the bundle.

It wasn’t much. Miles barely weighed anything.

he had practice with babies… but she doubted he’d

said nothing. He just looked at the

fingers under Miles’s hat, her voice low. “This is

swallowed hard. “He’s

start. The doctors are not concerned about his ability to feed, and his lungs are still developing; that’s why he still has

Nick glanced at Sutton. “You named him

it felt right. To remind us this

again, his thumb brushing slowly over the edge of Miles’s

1/3

Chapter 145

maybe it’s a

Sutton blinked quickly.

Sutton guessed he was reacting

and said, “You two. When do you

question from someone who

brow. “I’m old, I can be as

her baby,

tilted his head. “Why

is still in the hospital. There’s time for a celebration when we’re all standing under the same roof, and I will not be

nodded once… seeing that she would

the curtain and leaned over to whisper. “We’ll need to return him to the

was tight. With a gentle hand, she slid her arms beneath Nick’s palms

heated nest and double–checked his tubing, Nick grunted softly as he stood to

the moment,” Luca said quietly, “but you’re

incubator before letting Luca guide him gently

see you later,

stroking her son’s back through the incubator’s porthole, watching him drift into sleep. She whispered something only he could hear, kissed her palm,

joined Luca outside. He had come back for

hallway in silence for a time,

forward to getting out

Luca as he made sure she had everything she needed

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