✓ [18+] A THOUSAND MILES FROM NOWHERE

XXXVIII. Welcoming Our Little Angel

Ever so gently he would touch her cheek with a warm smile and when he kissed her head softly, everyone in the room teared up with awe. When she started fussing, he gently cooed her, trying to calm her down.

One of the best moments when we got home, was when Mike got to hold his granddaughter for the first time. His eyes watered up and he started to sob. He thanked the both of us over and over again as he held her close to his chest as he swayed gently back and forth with her, quietly talking her ear off. I'd looked over to my wife who was watching him with a warm smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

When we finally decided on a name for our baby girl, we didn't tell anyone what the name was going to be. Both of our families were irritated with us with the secrecy.

One—we didn't know what we were having and two—we didn't want anyone getting attached to a name and it maybe be changed at the last minute.

Bex had let me be in charge of naming her since I didn't get to name JD, so she felt it was right for me to have the honor. She explained she'd get to name the next one.

When I finally thought of a name it only took me a few seconds to come up with it. I think I'd secretly been wanting to name my daughter this long before we got pregnant, well for as long as I've loved Bex and wanted to marry her and start a family.

Bex doesn't know this though.

She doesn't know that I had our whole future planned out for us, a future that I was stupid enough to throw away over a decade ago.

We are long past that now and I've finally learned to stop beating myself up for what happened. Bex has forgiven me and moved on, so should I. Everything happens for a reason and somewhere down the line, I'll eventually learn what that reason was for us.

As soon as I told Bex the name she immediately started to cry. She told me it was perfect and thanked me for picking that name. I explained to her there was no other name that would've fit our baby girl.

When we finally announced her to our family and Mike heard her name, he began to cry as he hugged us both with a sob. He immediately started calling her by it when he'd talk to her and told her she was the most beautiful baby he'd ever seen, just as much as her mama.

I glance at my sleeping wife and softly reach over and caress her peaceful face. She stirs in her sleep while edging closer to me—laying her head on my leg. I move my hand to her back and softly rub it while holding our baby in my other arm.

Both of my girls are peacefully sleeping on me and I couldn't be happier. I even have my son in here who's currently sleeping at the foot of the bed with his hand holding onto Bex's and his other arm draped over my legs.

My little family is all here, happy and healthy.

I look down at my sleeping daughter and lean down to kiss her head once more. She suckles in her sleep and my heart nearly burst from my chest.

"You're the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen. Thank you for picking your mommy and me. I promise I'm going to be the best daddy to you and you'll no doubt have me wrapped around your little finger. You already do. I love you baby girl," I smile down at my daughter and lean my head back against the headboard.

I suddenly get the urge to use the restroom and need to do a once over on the house one more time to make sure everything is locked up.

I gently get out of bed, not wanting to wake everyone else up, and lay our little one into her bassinet next to the bed. She doesn't wake and I'm thankful because I don't want Bex waking up. I throw a blanket over both Bex and JD and walk out of the bedroom.

After using the restroom and washing my hands for the tenth time since being home, I make my way down the hall.

I make sure everything's in order and even go downstairs to make sure everything is locked up. When I walk back upstairs and down the hall, I stop at the nursery, our baby girl's nursery.

I look into the room and slowly walk in.

We'd went with gender neutral colors of course. Not just because we didn't know the sex of the baby but because Bex said she didn't want it overwhelming just one color.

We went with a forest animal theme and there's little foxes, owls, deers and rabbits in pictures that are framed on the wall. Even her soft baby blanket that's draped over the crib and little stuffed animals that my sister went crazy with buying when she went into town go with the theme.

I look up at the name that's evenly placed above her crib.

I'd come home and hung these up when Bex was still in the hospital. I needed to take a quick shower and make sure everything was good to go before bringing her and our daughter home.

I smile as I look at the most perfect baby girl name in the world.

The name that I chose not just for my wife and father-in-law, but because I deeply admired and cared for the woman she was named after.

The woman that raised my wife and guided her to become the woman she is today. If not for that woman, I wouldn't have the love of my life in the next room over.

I did it because she also holds a special place in my heart and that is why I named her granddaughter after her.

My baby girl, little Sarah Leanna Daniels.