Thank you so much reading Angie and Wyatt’s book. These Hennington’s are something else. As a token of my appreciation for loving them as much as I do, here’s an exclusive bonus scene only available to my newsletter subscribers. Love, Corinne
BONUS SCENE
“You did great,” Wyatt says as he pushes my sweaty hair back. “You’re so beautiful and I love you so much.”
“I hate you and you’re never coming near my vagina again. Ever. Like, no visits to the promise land again for you.”
He laughs. “I give you three weeks before you’re jumpin’ my bones.”
After hours of not getting anywhere with labor, the doctor felt a C-section would be best. I was totally on board with it—Wyatt wasn’t.
The doctor explained that I wasn’t progressing well, and with my age and other high-risk factors, it was much better to err on the side of caution.
I could see the fear in his eyes about me being in the same hospital where we lost Faith. It was something we talked through and really had no choice but to be okay with it. I never had that feeling, though. There’s a sense of calm when I’m here, almost as if we’re being watched over.
Wyatt lived a completely different horror here, though.
Felicity Iris Hennington was born at 5lbs. 3oz. She’s strong and doing great. They took her down to the nursery to have all her vitals checked.
“There she is!” Mrs. Hennington—or Mama as I’m mandated to call her—enters. “Where’s my grandbaby?” she asks, looking around.
“She’s at the nursery. She’ll be back in a few.”
Her shoulders fall, but then she recovers. “I can’t wait to meet her. I’m goin’ to spoil that baby rotten. How is she? What does she look like?”
Zach and Trent enter behind her.
“She’s unbelievable, Mama,” Wyatt tells her as he beams with pride.
“I bet she is! I hope she looks like Angie because you were an ugly baby,” she pats the side of his face. “I love you and all, but seriously, you were that kid people looked at and tried to hide the horror in their face, but we saw.”
“Are we talking about Wyatt the monkey baby?” Zach asks.
I burst out laughing and instantly regret it. I push the pillow over my stomach and hold my breath.
“I’m sorry, honey,” Mrs. Hennington touches my arm. She turns to the oldest brother and points her finger at him. “You behave, your sister-in-law can’t laugh.”
After the stabbing pain has subsided enough, I notice my sister isn’t here. “Where’s Presley?” I ask. I figured we would’ve had to restrain her to keep her from being here.
“She’s in the gift shop,” Zach shakes his head. “Buying everything pink she can find.”
Trent raises his hands with a shrug, “I’m not sayin’ a word. Grace is helping her so Lord knows what they’ll come out with.” He makes his way to the side of the bed, kisses my cheek, and punches Wyatt’s arm. “Congratulations, I’m so happy for you both.”
“Thank you,” I take his hand. “Hopefully …”
“Ahh!” Presley squeals as she enters the room. “I’m finally an auntie! You look great, Ang. I didn’t look this good after the twins. Seriously, I think your brother was worried I’d be inhabited by some sort of monster. But you’re glowing and look fantastic.”
“Thanks!”
I feel anything but. I’m exhausted, in pain, and Lord only knows what my hair looks like. Regardless, it’s over, and now we have our precious baby girl. This family needs some joy right now. I wasn’t sure if this would ever happen, hell, it wasn’t really planned—again—but I’m so grateful.
Some things are just meant to be. Like Wyatt and I. We didn’t make things easy, but he’s the reason I’m in this moment.
“You really do, honey,” Grace agrees.
I look at the two of them and can’t believe what I see. Bags and bags of crap. There are stuffed animals, clothes, and some giant balloons tied to them. What the hell did they buy?
“Oh, this isn’t the half of it,” Grace tells me.
“What?”
She shrugs. “We love babies.”
These two need a chaperone to go shopping.
“Well?” Presley grins. “What’s her name?”
Wyatt walks over and kisses the top of my head. “Felicity Iris.” His voice is full of love.
“Felicity means blessed, which we definitely feel we are. I mean, I’m no spring chicken. And Iris means rainbow.”
It’s important for me to believe that somewhere over that rainbow is everyone we love. After all the storms and rain that fell, we found the light in it all. We wavered on the name for months. I wanted this baby not to represent any part of what we lost. Faith will always be a part of us, but I wanted Felicity to be her own person. Not come into this word with baggage. Then it became clear that we are blessed—all of us need her right now.
“She’s your rainbow baby.” Presley grins.
Macie’s lips quiver as she steps forward. “It’s beautiful.” A tear falls down her face and Trent wraps his arm around his mother, pulling her to his chest.
“You know what’s not beautiful?” Wyatt clears his throat, breaking the sad moment. “Watching that doctor dig his arm all the way up inside of my wife. It was like freaking cool. I didn’t know skin stretched like that.”
“Wyatt!” I slap his chest.
“Ang.” His eyes pop open. “He was peeling it back like an orange—”
“Shut up! You’re so gross!” I yell. He’s such a guy. Here I am lying on the table, and he’s oohing and ahhing as he watches the doctor cut me open. “No one wants to hear that.”
“Speak for yourself. I do!” Zach walks forward.
“Right!” Trent agrees.
“Bro, I swear it was the craziest shit . . .” They walk off and keep slapping each other as he recalls it.
“I sometimes question if I had any hand in raisin’ them or if it was all Rhett,” Macie jokes. “I swear, they could not have come from me.”
“I blame his brothers,” I tilt my head toward the three of them.
“Trent was the bad influence over all of us,” Presley remarks.
Mama laughs and then sighs. “But who do you think taught him?”
Presley, Grace, and I smile and nod. “Rhett,” we say in unison.
I wince when I try to move too quickly.
Jesus Christ I’m sore as hell.
They left this crap out of the book of horrors from my first pregnancy. No one says that you’re still going to get all the joys of delivering naturally. Yeah, thanks for that stupid book. Here I was stupid enough to think I’d have the baby, and walk out like a champ. Instead, I got hacked open and I know my husband is going to torture me.
Just then the nurse wheels the basinet in, a smile plastered on her lips. “Hello. Someone would like to see her family.”
I carefully move so I can see her. Wyatt, who was in his conversation, stops and walks right toward her. “Hi, baby girl.” He leans down, scoops our daughter into his arms, and cradles her to his chest.
I’ve never been more in love with him than I am right now. Watching him hold our daughter in his arms like this is the most gorgeous thing in the world.
“Bring her here.” I extend my arms.
I don’t think I’ll ever tire of holding her. Even though she’s only been here a few hours, she’s the center of my world.
I manage to scoot over enough for Wyatt to get half his body on the bed with me.
“She’s so perfect.” I touch the side of her cheek.
“She’s like her mama.”
Wyatt places her in my arms, and I fight back the emotions that overwhelm me. I’m her mom. We conceived her with love. I carried her with courage and hope, and now we have her. “Hi, Felicity.” I touch her tiny lips and smile when she moves her head.
“She’s in a lot of trouble when she gets older.” Zach says as he moves around the side of me to get a look at her.
“Why?”
“She’s got an uncle who’s a sheriff. Her two older cousins are boys. Not to mention her daddy will not take kindly to any boys bein’ around her. But then her nana has an awful lot of land. Easy to hide a body.”
I giggle and rub my nose against her cheek, smelling that sweet newborn baby scent.
Macie walks up behind her middle son and places her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about that, my sweet Felicity. Nana knows how to control all of them. I think you’re goin’ to be just fine.”
Felicity is already so loved. You can see the adoration in everyone’s eyes. She has support and love that I could’ve never imagined. My mother has chosen to cut me off, which is fine. I called her and told her about being pregnant and married, and she, once again, told me I was a disappointment.
This time it didn’t affect me. I had Wyatt right next to me, holding me up and showing me she couldn’t be more wrong.
Wyatt leans down and presses his lips to mine. “I love you.”
“I love you.”
I wasn’t sure we’d ever have another baby. Honestly, I never even considered it. When we lost Faith, I thought that was my last chance to be a mom. I mourned that as much as I mourned losing her. Bearing in mind it wasn’t a dream of mine, I accepted that.
Now, I can’t imagine a greater joy in life.
It’s truly a wonder how the greatest heartache I experienced somehow led me to the greatest love I’ve ever known. I wonder if Wyatt and I hadn’t endured all the pain, if we’d revel in the joy like we do.
“Are you happy?” Wyatt asks.
I look down at Felicity and then back up to him and smile. “How could I not be? My husband is amazing. My daughter is perfect. And I’m home.
I have everything I ever wanted.
