They bickered about their differing senses of urgency all the way to the elevator, where he punched the number for the neonatal intensive care unit. At the reception desk, she asked for directions to their room.

“They aren’t here anymore,” the nurse said. “They got moved to a regular room on the pediatrics floor an hour ago.”

“That’s great news,” Seamus said.

“Yes, it is,” the nurse agreed.

While Carolina knew it was great news, it was also another delay. Back in the elevator, she kept her arms folded tight across her chest as if that would contain the overwhelming anxiety that beat through her. Thankfully, Seamus seemed to get that touching her right then would not be in his best interests.

On the pediatrics ward, they were directed to a room at the far end of the hallway—naturally. Standing outside the door, she was suddenly frozen as weeks’ worth of anxiety rendered her limbs useless.

Seamus’s arm came around her shoulders. “It’s okay, love. Everything’s good. Let’s go see them.”

Apparently mute as well as frozen, Carolina nodded and let him lead her into the room. And there was her tall, handsome son, his beautiful wife and their newborn son. Caro nearly swooned from the relief she felt at finally laying eyes on the three of them. Joe and Janey looked exhausted and pale, but their smiles were radiant as they welcomed Carolina and Seamus.

Carolina hugged her son far longer than she had in years. “I’m so happy to see you.”

He clung to her the way he had as a little boy, and she loved it. “Same here, Mom.”

“You have no idea how happy I am that she’s finally getting to see you,” Seamus said drolly, making them laugh.

“Come hold your grandson, Carolina,” Janey said.

Caro wiped tears she hadn’t realized were there until they blinded her as she hugged her daughter-in-law around the baby. “Oh, can I? Are you sure it’s okay?”

“I’m positive. He’s been waiting to meet you. We’ve told him all about you.”

“Luckily, he won’t remember that it took his silly Grammy two weeks to get here after he was born.” Carolina sat in a rocking chair and accepted the swaddled bundle from Janey.

“Through no fault of yours,” Joe reminded her.

“I think she would’ve swum to the mainland through shark-infested waters today if that’s what it took,” Seamus said.

“You’re absolutely right, I would’ve,” Caro said, dazzled by the little face, the perfect lips, the tiny nose, the feathery eyebrows, the dusting of golden-blond hair. How could he be anything but blond with Joe and Janey as his parents? “Oh, he looks just like you did, Joseph!”

“Poor bugger,” Joe said. “I was so hoping he’d look like his gorgeous mother.”

“Oh hush,” Janey said. “He’ll be every bit as handsome as his daddy is.”