“The first time I looked into your eyes was one of the most powerful moments of my life. I was in the delivery room, and you were less than a few minutes old when one of the nurses handed you to me. They say babies can’t really see, but I swear you could see me. You looked into my eyes and just stared up at me. You recognized me. You already knew I was your father. No one will ever replace you or take up a bigger part of my heart. You will always be my firstborn son. Do you understand me?”

Lina felt a lump forming in her throat as she went back downstairs, her thoughts instantly transported back in time.

“It’s a boy,” the doctor announced.

Lina closed her eyes, the words barely penetrating her consciousness after a grueling eighteen-hour labor. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Phil cradling their son in his arms, tears filling his eyes, and then he was beside her, leaning down and meeting her lips for a soft kiss.

“Thank you, baby,” he whispered before kissing her again. “He’s perfect. You’re perfect. Our family is perfect.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “You make me so happy.”

The following morning, she was nursing Logan when Phil arrived, two-year-old Katie clinging to his side, her little arms around his neck, while Megan walked beside them, holding her father’s hand. “There they are. I told you Mommy was okay,” he said to Katie before kissing the top of her head.

“I want to see him! I want to see him!” Megan said, jumping up and down.

“Okay, but no touching,” Phil said as he lifted her with his free arm and settled her against his hip. “Your hands aren’t clean.”

“Baby,” Katie said, pointing at Logan, her eyes wide.

“It’s Logan,” Megan said. “His name is Logan, Katie.”

“Baby,” Katie repeated.

“Logan,” Megan said. “Say ‘Logan,’ Katie.”

“Baby,” Katie said again.

“Katie—”

“It’s okay, Megan,” Lina said. “She can call him baby for a while.”

“But his name is Logan.”

Lina met Phil’s eyes and smiled up at him. As exhausted as she was, Phil’s obvious pleasure was contagious. He’d told her he didn’t care what the sex of the baby was, he just wanted it to be healthy, but as she watched the joy come to his eyes as they traveled to Logan, she knew it wasn’t true. Of course he would have loved the baby regardless of the sex, but he wanted a son, and she was happy she could give him one.

Lina was at the kitchen island sipping a glass of wine and absently stroking Knight’s head when Phil appeared from the front of the house a short time later. “How is he?” She came to her feet.

“He’s angry at me, but less so than before we talked.”