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me, and the last thing she wants is to raise another child alone. I was just some fling, and I get that. She doesn’t want me; she doesn’t want the baby. But I do. It’s my son or daughter that we’re talking about. Mine . It’s not even up for discussion, Julie. I’m doing this.”
    I let another slow breath pass through my lips. Derek had been keeping it together pretty well over the last few weeks, but it was honestly the first time in nine months that I’d seen him so adamant, so composed, so… heroic.
    But it just seemed odd to me. If Rebecca hadn’t planned to keep her child, what was with that speech that she gave Lonnie and Grace a few months ago about family and sticking together? Why did she even bother to tell them the truth if she wasn’t going to play an active role in her child’s life? Had she just used her pregnancy as a selfish attempt to break the ice with her father, knowing that she wasn’t even going to be there when the baby actually needed family? Would Rebecca do something that shallow? I just… I didn’t know. Even after all the time I’d known her, I didn’t know Luke’s sister well enough to guess one way or the other.
    “Derek, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know,” I reached forward to take his hand. “I had no idea you felt so strongly.”
    “Well, I do. It’s not that complicated, Julie,” he shrugged a shoulder. “I’m going to be a dad. What’s there to question?”
    “Rebecca’s not going to be involved at all?” I asked just to make sure I’d heard him correctly. He nodded slowly. “Has she told anyone? Does Luke know? Lonnie or Grace? Has she said anything to any of them?”
    “I don’t know,” he said. “I can’t imagine so. Someone would’ve said something by now, right?”
    Yeah. I figured that much was true. Luke was going to be heartbroken when he learned that his sister was giving up a child, even if she was only giving it up to someone he’d still see nearly every day.
    “You’re not going to go through this alone, you know that right?” I asked, and without any indication from each other, we both started walking toward the coffee shop again. “Lonnie and Grace will be there for you. Luke and I… you’ll probably be sick of us by the time the kid’s one. You’ll never shake us—”
    “I don’t doubt that; I can barely shake you now.”
    “ Hey ,” I said, matching his smile. His arm landed across my shoulders and he pulled me closer to his side.
    “God, I love you,” he pressed a kiss to my temple.
    “I love you most.”
    And together we walked through the doors of the hospital’s tiny café.

Chapter Five
    Saturday, October 25 | 3:00 a.m.
    “I’m going to take Molly home,” Luke whispered close to my ear as he cradled his niece to his chest. “The nurse said it could be hours at this rate, and she needs to get a good night’s sleep in her own bed.”
    “Yeah,” I rubbed my eyes and nodded.
    We’d been at the hospital for five hours. Grace and Lonnie had left hours ago, and I could see the restlessness getting to Luke, as well. He used Molly as an excuse, but it wasn’t hard to see that he needed some rest of his own.
    “Do you want me to come?”
    “No,” he looked across the room at one very wide-eyed Milton, “you might want to stay and keep him company.”
    “I’m fine, guys,” Derek tapped his hands on his legs, “just go. I’ll call if there’s any news.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Yeah,” he stood to give me a hug, “get some rest. We’ll talk soon.”
    I led the way back to the car as Luke carried Molly. He secured her in the backseat and wiped her hair from her eyes. She didn’t stir once during the transition.
    He pulled up to the house five minutes later.
    The Halloween bash had died off hours ago, and all that was left of the party was a small waft of smoke emanating from the logs out back.
    Luke leaned over and pressed a kiss to my cheek.
    “Get some sleep,” he said. “I’ll see you in the