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Olive should have known that their baby would be abnormal. It was her and Adam’s child, after all. But did their little one really have to throw every shred of logic out the window? All of the parenting books she had consumed had one strong message in common: your baby was going to cry at night.
You, as a parent, were not going to sleep.
That’s it. That was the message.
She had heard countless horror stories from other parents about sleep deprivation and the way their children were incapable of hitting snooze. Olive had mentally prepped for it, even welcomed it. Amongst the horror stories were also the silver-lined tales; moments alone with your newborn in the hushed hours in the dark. She had looked forward to the bonding experience. But their sweet, innocent little girl didn’t seem to get the message.
Nope.
She loved sleep. Little Evie Carlsen was more than happy to get a solid eight hours of shut-eye per night. Olive was the one left panicking that she wasn’t okay, convinced that the baby monitor was broken and their child needed them. Worse, fears that Evie wasn’t breathing at all. It was irrational, but logic didn’t override the terror.
Which was why she found herself padding toward the nursery to double-check Evie was safe and sound. She didn’t need to; she knew that. Adam’s side of the bed was empty, which meant he was likely with her. She knew he wasn’t at work, having made it clear that while he loved science, his family was his priority. He loved being home with Olive and now Evie. If Olive closed her eyes, she could still remember his reaction at their gender reveal.
“Are you okay?”
“Mhmm.”
It was a lie. His shoulders were tense, jaw clenched. Olive knew he meant it; he would be happy with a boy or a girl, so long as they were healthy, but that didn’t mean he didn’t secretly want one more than the other. He had let it slip more than once how fun he thought it would be to be a girl dad. It was a stretch, given his family’s long lineage of boys, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t hope.
“No. I’m not. I don’t know why I’m so nervous.”
That was a lie, too. Adam was terrified that if they had a son, he would be a miniature version of Adam and be unhappy forever because: “There’s only one of you, Olive. He would be lost at sea forever, the way I would have been if you didn’t fall into my orbit.” It was oddly romantic.
Now, they were surrounded by their closest friends. Holden and Malcolm didn’t need a reason to throw a party, but having one made it all the better. Jack, Elsie, Anh, Jeremy, Dora, George, and the rest of the Boston crew flew in for the surprise.
“Are we ready?” George called. She was standing at a table, with the rest of the group huddled around her. In true fashion, they were relying on science. She swirled around the test tubes, going slowly and dragging out the suspense. There were very few things George loved more than torturing Adam and Jack. “Olive and Adam’s baby is on the left. Jack and Elsie’s is on the right.”
“This is awful,” Malcolm groaned. “C’mon. I want to know who I’m supposed to spoil.”
Holden was peeking at the table through slotted fingers. Anh looked like she was about to body slam George to the ground if she didn’t move faster. Jack looked just as anxious as Adam, but Olive and Elsie were glowing.
“Three…two…one!” George poured the test tubes into separate beakers, swirling the liquid around until they both turned a vivid pink. The group whooped and cheered. Elsie screamed, and Jack let out a relieved sigh, but it was nothing compared to the shock on Adam’s face. His eyes filled with liquid.
Her husband, the perfect girl dad.
As she suspected, he was sitting in the nursery, bare-chested, holding Evie. It was a sight Olive had seen dozens of times now, but one she would never tire of. Adam loved holding Evie, claiming their nighttime rituals had become a highlight of his life. She looked so small on his torso and in his hands. He had taken such good care of Olive throughout her pregnancy, never leaving her side or complaining about her wild cravings at odd hours. He did everything he could to make her calm and comfortable when her water broke and throughout labor. She couldn’t have imagined going through any of it without him.
“We need to stop meeting like this.”
Olive bent, kissing Evie’s head before doing the same to Adam’s lips, lingering as she did.
“You should sleep. You’re up every night,” she frowned.
“You gave birth,” he countered. “And so are you. Don’t think I miss the way you lie awake, worrying.”
“She doesn’t cry,” Olive frowned, not for the first time.
“Not all babies cry at night, Sweetheart. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong.”
“I know. It’s just not what I had mentally prepped for,” she sighed. “I keep waiting for the shoe to drop. Did you cry at night?”
“I have no idea. I doubt my parents would know, either. But look at how happy she is.”
She was. Evie had an almost smile, similar to her father’s, her head resting on Adam’s chest as ten little pink fingers tried to wrap around his arm. Olive wondered what color her hair would be when she was grown. It didn’t matter; Evie was already perfect, and so were her tiny dimples.
“She’s so small,” Olive whispered, lying on Adam’s side. They were quiet then, staring at Evie sleep peacefully. She was so loved by them and all their friends. Everyone had been incredibly supportive and excited. George, Dora, Jack, and Elsie flew out as soon as they could, wanting to help and meet their new niece. She had enough presents and books to last a lifetime, but it thrilled Olive to know Evie had a support system beyond her parents.
Holden and Malcolm were staples at the Carlsen household, seeing as they were neighbors. Adam and Olive loved them endlessly and immediately removed the fence separating their yards. Malcolm and Olive were secretly plotting, hoping their kids would become best friends with the siblings Malcolm and Holden adopted. They would finally be home in two months’ time.
“I still can’t believe this is my life most days,” Adam said, his voice low. So low, Olive almost missed it. “I feel like I don’t tell you how much I love you enough. And how grateful I am, Olive.”
“You tell me multiple times every day.”
“It’s not enough.”
She loved sweet, sappy Adam as much as she loved ass Adam. The pregnancy changed them both, but particularly him. It was a stressful time, absolutely; Adam worried constantly about Olive’s well-being, the way he always did. It did, however, give Adam clarity about his childhood, making him realize there was nothing more he could have done as a child. He had become unabashedly protective of their daughter, even though she hadn’t been born yet. The day of their first ultrasound, Olive knew Adam would kill for their little one.
“I don’t think it was me,” he said one night, massaging her shoulders. “I don’t think I could have done more. I understand now, when my mom said her maternal instincts didn’t kick in. I think she meant it, but I don’t think it was me.”
It seemed to lift a great weight from him.
“On the contrary. You tell and show me all the time. I feel everything you do.”
Adam shook his head. To him, it would never be enough.
“I can’t believe we’re already so far into our leave,” he frowned, smoothing the hair on Evie’s head. “I never want to go back to work.”
“It’s flown by.”
“She’s going to have the best friends,” he said suddenly. “I’m sure she’ll make friends at school, but I’m glad she’ll have cousins.”
It was something they had both worried about: the fact that there was little to no biological family for Evie to grow up with. But in the end, it didn’t matter. Their chosen family was just as good as anything else.
“She will. You know she’ll get along with Malcolm and Holden’s kids, but I bet she’ll be besties with Jack and Elsie’s daughter.”
He nodded. “House on fire.”
Jack and Elise were two of their closest friends. Olive and Elsie spoke every day, texting each other constantly. They screamed when they found out Elsie was pregnant at the same time as Olive, and immediately started plotting. Jack had been as anxious as Adam during Elsie’s pregnancy, which was almost nice for them, to have someone to commiserate with. Jack and Elsie visited as soon as they could, setting up camp in Stanford so they had a viable reason to get away from their families during their respective leaves.
It was perfect.
“I love that she has your eyes. The prettiest, warmest shade of brown.”
“I never want her to grow up.”
“Wait until she brings someone home,” Olive taunted.
Adam closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “She’s not allowed,” he deadpanned. “Ever. No one will be good enough for her.”
“Do you want more than one?”
“Another baby?” His eyes softened as he looked at her. “You know how worried I was about you. You’re trying to kill me for a life insurance payout, aren’t you?”
Olive’s eyes watered at the thought of anything happening to Adam. She knew it was inevitable; no one could live forever, but the thought broke her heart. He kissed her tears away. Still, “Think of all the pumpkin spice lattes I could get.”
“Do you want another, one day?”
“I didn’t have siblings. I have no idea what it’d be like.”
“Nor I. But I love creating life with you.”
“Yes, you do seem very fond of that.” Olive bit the base of his neck playfully, kissing along the tendon.
“Fond of you,” he agreed. “You’re incredible, Olive.”
Adam wasn’t shy about expressing how much he loved Olive. She meant what he said earlier; he did it all the time. What she couldn’t pinpoint was why he seemed particularly sentimental tonight.
“What’s gotten into you tonight?”
He shook his head, seemingly choked up. He looked at Olive, then Evie, then the ceiling, closing his eyes. Adam pulled her tighter against him, his throat working. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse.
“I love you. That’s all.”
She knew it was more than that. Throughout their pregnancy, Adam would have bouts of emotion, losing that tight grip of control he always had for long, passing moments. He told Olive more than once that he never thought he’d be married, let alone have a family or the opportunity to hear the fluttering heartbeat of a baby he helped create. He was as wondrous at every passing ultrasound as he was at their first, always insisting on holding Olive for as much time as she’d allow when they got home.
It was usually hours, and she relished every second of it, because much like Olive, Adam didn’t understand how this was his life.
Adam kissed her then, long and slow, pouring all of the warmth and joy he possessed into it. Olive met him stroke for stroke, their kisses having become second nature to her now. She knew every inch of Adam, inside and out, in a way she never found words to describe. She had decided long ago that Adam Carlsen was her other, missing half.
He remained patient with Olive once they began dating for real, making it clear that he would wait until the end of the earth for Olive Smith. They grew together, having ups and downs as all couples do, but always resolving to work as a team against whatever was before them. It didn’t matter if it was six in the evening or two in the morning, like right now; Adam never left her side, and they refused to leave conversations unturned.
It hadn’t been long, but he was already proving to be the best father and partner, taking care of Olive and Evie before Olive even realized something needed to be taken care of. He forced her to rest when they returned home from the hospital, baby in hand, fussing over Olive as much as he fussed over Evie. Her heart swelled in her chest.
“I love you, too.”
“Go back to bed. I’ll be in soon.”
“You could come with me. The doctor cleared me ages ago, you know.”
“Don’t remind me,” he mumbled.
“I’m not fragile,” she reminded him, kissing her way down his chest. It had been months since they had been together properly. When she kissed him through the fabric of his boxer briefs, Adam hissed, pulling her to her feet. He placed Evie gingerly back in her bassinet before carrying Olive to their bedroom, kissing her as they went.
“Who knew staying up late could be so much fun?” She breathed, whipping her shirt off.
“This time again tomorrow?” She could feel his smirk on her stomach as he made his way down her body.
“2 AM,” Olive nodded, threading her fingers through his hair. “It’s a date.”