Emery is going through a rough patch coming to terms with Aly's death. He had to hold his dead fiancée open while I cut his son out of her. The least I can do is help by looking after the baby boy while he recovers.
My mom helps, because she's frankly scared to leave him with me.
But, to her amazement, I'm loving, careful and gentle with baby Adonis.
Emery took leave from work to look after the little boy. He's moved the baby, now cleared by the hospital, in to my place.
After work, I walk in on him lying in bed, cradling the boy to his chest and looking exhausted.
"Want to hold him?" Emery croaks.
I accept the proffered baby gently, and lay his cheek on mine.
The tiny creature stares up at me and babbles in wonder. "Careful with your stubble; his skin is very sensitive..."
Adonis starts sucking on my nose, which I take to mean he's hungry.
"I never thanked you for saving him," Emery rasps weakly when I'm bottle-feeding him. "You're a hero."
I don't have the words with which to respond to that. Emery always thought more highly of me than he should. But when he looks at me like this - the same way he's always looked at me, since the day we met in the dirt - I want to be a better man.