All of You

Her name was Louise Lacey Haner, and she was the most beautiful thing I’d seen in my life. She was so tiny and soft in my arms, slightly pink and wrinkled but perfect all the same. I wondered what colour eyes she would have when she opened them; whether they’d be like curls of chocolate like her father’s or a lucid blue like mine. I didn’t care. As long as she opened them and I saw them looking at me. As long as I got to watch them sparkle for the first time, and even got to watch them cry. As long as I got to watch the first line of mascara that she would place on her lashes and the first time she’d cry over heartbreak. As long as I got to watch it all.

I never thought I’d be given something so beautiful. I think Brian felt the same because he could hardly say a word, and when I glanced up at him there were tears in his eyes and his lips were curled ever so slightly into an adoring smile. We must have looked like the oddest couple; him with his tattoos and muscular arms and me with the frail build and blonde hair. We couldn’t have looked more different, but this thing laying in my arms… that was both of us. A little bit of his stubbornness and a little bit of my pride. And maybe if we were lucky, a dash of his talent too.

“I love you,” Brian said quietly. He was glancing up at me and that grin was back – that cheeky, curve of the lips that made me think of meeting him for the first time in that restaurant, when he’d swaggered in with the arrogant look on his face. And I swore I’d never like him, that I’d never fall for his charms and that I would hate everything that he was. It made me smile, thinking about it. Thinking about how he changed my mind and saved my life.

If I had the choice, I would do it all the same.

“Love you too,” I replied softly.

It was silent for a few seconds. “Think she does anything else?”

I laughed, glancing at my husband incredulously. “She’s not a football, Brian. We’ve got years to watch her do new things.”

He scowled slightly. “Not too much, of course.”

I grinned. “Have her first crush, go on her first date, have her first boyfriend…” I taunted.

He flexed his muscles, scowling darkly. “No one’s coming near her,” he said defiantly. “We’re going to lock her in her bedroom and never let her out.”

I fought back a smile. “Then who would love her?”

He paused before sending me a goofy grin. “Us. That’s more than enough love, don’t you think?”

I smiled and he leaned down to place a lingering kiss against my lips. I felt the tingles all the way down to my fingertips, just like they’d done the first time. “What if he’s a rockstar?” I started. He shook his head, smiling against my lips. “What if he’s an arrogant, conceited rockstar, who thinks he’s all that and that the girls all love him?” He started peppering kisses all around my lips, and I tried not to laugh. “What if he’s an arrogant, conceited, gorgeous, kind, loving rockstar who will change her life?”

He reached up to cup my cheeks with his hands, gazing into my eyes tenderly with a soft smile. “Well then… can’t deny her that, can we?” he whispered against my lips, before leaning up to kiss my nose with sparkling eyes.

I smiled. “Most definitely not,” I whispered.

It was silent for a few moments before he pulled his head backwards and smiled slightly cheekily, before leaning down and placing a heated kiss against my neck. “Brian,” I laughed, dodging his lips when he tried to do it again.

“We’re going to make more of those,” he promised playfully, caressing my neck with his nose before pressing a hard kiss behind my ear.

“Not right now, you dork,” I giggled. “You’re squishing Louise.”

He paused, pulling away and kneeling at my bedside. With eyes so tender that it broke my heart he reached out and brushed his fingers against her cheek; thumb ghosting across her lips. “Sorry, Lou Lou,” he said softly.

I glared. “You’re not calling her that,” I said roughly.

He glanced up at me, scowling playfully. “I’m a dad. I’m supposed to be fucking adorable.”

I bit back a smile, eyes twinkling. “You’re also not supposed to swear,” I warned.

He rolled his eyes and stood up, before leaning so close to my face that I could feel his warm breath brushing across my cheek. My throat tightened and my heart raced as he leaned forwards and ran his lips up my cheek, stopping when he was just against my ear. “Oh?” he breathed. My breath hitched and I froze, my eyelids fluttering slightly as I tried to look at him. He placed a kiss against my cheek, lingering slightly before pulling away. “But I’m an arrogant,” kiss, “conceited,” kiss, “gorgeous,” kiss “kind,” kiss, and then he lingered above my lips, eyeing me darkly, “sexy,” he continued, and I laughed, “rockstar.”

“That wasn’t one of them,” I smiled, and he chuckled and reached up to wipe his brow lazily across my brow.

“God, I love you so much,” he whispered, a tender smile on his lips. “I know it now more than ever.”

I smiled with tears in my eyes. “I love you,” I said. “Even though I swore I wouldn’t.”

He cupped my cheeks with his hands, smiling softly with shining eyes. “Think I got you now, huh?” he teased.

I pressed a lingering kiss against his lips. “Forever and ever.”