“Do you want some coffee or tea?” he asked.

“Coffee would be great.”

“So what do you want to do today?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it. It’s Tuesday. Maybe I’ll go catch my afternoon classes. Get back into the swing of things.”

“All right. I have a class at one. It’ll be good to get things back on track. Are you feeling okay? Physically, I mean?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

The tense set of his shoulders relaxed. I loved him so much. I was sorry I’d caused him pain while we were both hurting and in shock.

“Peach, I think we should probably talk about it,” he said tentatively.

“No . . . Emmett. No. I’m not ready. Just let me get through the damn day,” I hissed.

He looked like I’d slapped him. I felt horrible the second the words left my mouth.

“You’re not the only one who suffered a loss, Sam. I know it was really early in your pregnancy, but it was my baby, too,” he yelled back.

I started to cry. Backing up against the wall behind me, I covered my face with my hands. I was being selfish. He needed to talk about it, but I just couldn’t. He ran over and pulled me into his arms.

“I’m sorry, Peach. I didn’t mean to yell.”

“I’m sorry, too. Can you just give me a little time before we talk about it?”

“Okay. I love you.”

“I love you, too. Never doubt that, Emmett, please. No matter what I’m am doing or how I am acting, please don’t ever doubt how much I love you.” I reached my head up and kissed his cheek.

Emmett helped me up off the floor and I took a shower. I let the hot water beat down on my back as if it were washing all the pain of the last few days away. I was glad it was Tuesday and not an English Lit day.

I showered, dressed, then grabbed my car keys, purse, and backpack and headed for the door.

“I’ll see you this afternoon,” I called out as I walked out.

The roads were pretty clear of traffic and I made it to campus in record time. As I walked to class, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was a text message from Emmett. I sighed, hesitant to open it. I didn’t want to start crying again. I swiped it open regardless.

E:

Hope your class goes well, I love you.

Me:

Thanks. Yours too. Love you.

He really was amazing. I was lucky to have him in my life. I knew I didn’t deserve him. I just hoped I could get back to normal, and stop causing him pain. I knew he needed to talk about the baby. I only wished I felt up to it.

I got to class and listened to the professor. I couldn’t focus and ended up doodling in my notebook. I had missed all of my other classes for the day. At least I made the effort to get back to normal. I rewarded myself with a latte from Starbucks.

As I walked up to the apartment door, I saw Emmett and Gage turn the corner.

“Hey, Peach.”

“Hi babe. How are my boys?”

“We’re good. Just finished up a walk.”

He smiled and held the door for me as I walked in. There was a beautiful, large floral arrangement sitting on the counter. I looked back at him as he shut the apartment door.

“Where did these come from?” I asked. “They’re beautiful,”

“I picked them up for you,” he said. “I thought you’d like them.”

“I love them. Thank you, Emmett.” I reached up and kissed him. “What sounds good for dinner, chicken cordon blue or a veggie stir fry?”

“Stir fry,” he said with a nod.

“Okay, I can start that right before we want to eat. It cooks quick.” I walked around and got us both a glass of sweet tea.

We stood there on opposite sides of the counter, looking at our glasses of tea then up at each other and back again. The silence was deafening—and awkward.

“Emmett, we can talk about it if you want to,” I said.

His eyes snapped up to mine. But he just looked at me. He smiled softly and cleared his throat.

“Well . . . I mean, only if you’re ready,” he said, and I nodded for him to continue. “Hell, Peach, I don’t even know what I want to say. I mean, I know we’re young and in college still, but . . .” He paused.

“But that was our baby, a product of our love,” I finished for him.

“A life our love created,” he added.

“I know,” I said, looking down at my hands.

He walked around the counter, took me in his arms, and held me tightly to his chest.

“I love you so much, Peach,” he whispered into my hair.

“I love you, too, Emmett.”

“Are you okay?”

“I will be. We will be. We can always remember it. I’m not sure if I wish we knew whether it was a boy or girl, or if I’m relieved that we don’t know. Part of me wants to know so we could name it, because I hate thinking of it as it. I want to remember, but not as an it, as a who,” I said.

“We could name it Dakota Bailey. Those are both names that could be used for a boy or a girl,” he said.

“I love it. It even feels right. Dakota Bailey Walker,” I said, looking at him with a small smile.

“Dakota Bailey Walker,” he repeated.

I reached up and kissed him deeply. I poured all of my emotion into that kiss so he could feel even a fraction of the depth of my love for him. He was an amazing man, and I planned on making him know just how much he meant to me and how wonderful he was. We had a name. It helped start the healing process. Remembering Dakota started to be a healthy thing for us.

“Emmett, I don’t want to tell anyone else about this.”

He looked down at me and grimaced.

“What? Who did you tell?”

“I told John. When I went to the dog park with Gage. I’m sorry, Peach, I just needed to talk to someone and . . .” He paused.

“I wasn’t talking,” I admitted.

“Yeah. Basically.” He looked down at his hands. “But John won’t say anything to anyone. Not even the girls, or Riley and Quinn. I know he won’t say a word.”

“I know. I trust John completely. He’s a vault. It’s okay, babe.”

A few months later, we were planning a party at Riley’s. It felt weird not to say Riley and Quinn’s since they’d been there together for so long. But eventually, all things change, and Quinn and Tamron had moved into their rental house together.

Sam was excited, as always, to see the girls and had made them both door wreathes for the holidays. She was one of the most creative people I knew. She made one for us, too. I have to admit, it was cool, and I was excited to spend the holiday season with her.

I heard the lock turn at the front door and knew she was home from class. It was officially winter break, and not soon enough. We’d both crammed for exams, and our brains needed some down time. When she walked through the door, all I wanted to do was get lost in her.

“Hey, babe.” She set her bag and purse down and dropped her keys and phone on the table by the door. “How was your day?”

I smiled at her. “It was good, Peach. How about you? Class good?”

“Eh, it was okay. Aiden is at least talking to me again.”

“That’s good. You guys get coffee?”

“No. But it’s a step in the right direction, so I’m happy,” she said.

“You know you really gotta cut the guy a little slack. I know, first hand, just how easy it is to fall in love with you.”

She blushed ten shades of red, and I probably had that smirk on my face she loves so much.

“Emmett, don’t say things like that. You act like I’m an angel or something. I’m more like the harbinger of mischance.”

I walked over and wrapped my arms around her. She melted into me. I tilted her head up and kissed her passionately as I ran my fingers through her hair and backed her up against the kitchen wall.