***COMPLETED *** Endlessly [A G-Eazy Story, Third Book to If I'm Lucky]

Chapter 23, Part 2: "Do you want to hold her, Gerald?"

*** Gerald's POV ***

After the nurses took Rosie's weight and length and got her all cleaned up, they put a little cap on her and swaddled her before giving her back to Rachel.

As we waited, I was holding Rachel as she cried, and I'll admit that I was crying, too.

"That's our beautiful baby over there," I cooed in her ear as I wiped her tears. "I'm so proud of you, Rach."

"She's perfect," Rachel said as I rocked her back and forth. "I didn't know I could love somebody so much until I met her..."

I rubbed her back as she sniffled while watching the nurses handle Rosie intently. Watching a real, living and breathing baby girl move around over there with the nurses made me regret every horrible thing I had said about Rosie when I first found out that Rachel was pregnant.

"Rach," I whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry for telling you to pick between me or Rosie. I know that was in the past, but I feel terrible about it. I'm really gonna be here for you and Rosie from now on-"

I was interrupted when she pressed a soft kiss to my lips which made me shut up.

"It's okay," she said with a soft smile as she looked at me with her tired eyes. "It's in the past now, and you have your chance to prove to me that you've changed."

I nodded and stood up excitedly when they brought Rosie over and set her in Rachel's arms.

"Congratulations," the nurse smiled. "She's a doll. We'll be back in a while so you can have some family time, then we'll help you learn to breastfeed and show you how to change her diaper."

Rachel nodded as she held Rosie, she couldn't take her eyes off of her, and I felt my eyes getting wet again.

"Hi, baby," Rachel cooed as she leaned down and kissed Rosie's small forehead. "I'm your mommy, and that's your daddy...we've been waiting so long to meet you," she said as she held her little fist in her hand. "Do you want to hold her, Gerald?"

"Uh," I said as I sat down in the chair next to Rachel's hospital bed. "I don't know... what if I drop her? What if she cries? She's so little, I don't want to hurt her or break her." 

Rachel laughed quietly as she looked down at Rosie who was wide awake and content in her arms.

"You're not going to hurt her," she reassured in a gentle voice. "You just have to hold her like this and hold her head."

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I held my arms out, and my heart rate picked up when Rachel placed Rosie in my arms.

"Hi, baby girl," I said nervously as I held her close to my chest, making extra sure to support her little head. "I'm your daddy. Your mommy is the love of my life, but I think you just took her place," I laughed, looking up at Rachel when she frowned. "I've dreamed about you for the last nine months..."

I slowly leaned back in the chair and moved to position Rosie on my chest as she started to fall asleep. I held one hand in the middle of her back and the other under her butt.

"When I first found out about you, I was angry," I said softly. "I was only thinking of myself and not your mommy. I didn't want to be tied down and give up my career, but as time went on, I got used to the idea of being a daddy. Your mommy and I made up, and I went to your doctor's appointments, went shopping for so many of your outfits," I laughed as I moved my hand up to wipe my eyes. "And I got excited about you. Then you came into the world today, and suddenly nothing else matters to me in the world as much as you and your mommy do."

I looked over at Rachel, who was taking pictures and tearing up as I talked to Rosie.

"I love you and Rosie," I said quietly as I looked down at her, smiling when I saw she was still sleeping. "I'm never going to leave you ever again. I want you to be my wife, Rachel. I don't want to raise her in separate households, and I don't want to be off and on anymore. You don't deserve that, and neither does she. I'll stay at your place for the first few weeks so we can adjust to life with her, and then we'll talk about getting our own."

"I love you," Rachel said as she started to cry. She wiped her nose on her hand after wiping her eyes. "All I ever wanted was to be a family with you and Rosie, and now we finally have it," she said as she watched me rock gently back and forth.

"I have everything I could ever want, and that's right here with the both of you," I whispered as I rubbed Rosie's back gently as I rocked. "I'm just sorry that it took me so long to see it."

Rachel stood up and slowly walked over to me, pressing a soft kiss to my lips before pulling away and leaning down to kiss Rosie's head.

"Whatever happened in the past with us doesn't matter anymore," she spoke quietly as she stroked her head softly. "What matters now is that we brought a life into this world, and we're going to do our best to raise it."

"Thank you for making me a daddy, Rachel," I said as she sat back down on the bed. "Thank you for helping me become a better man."