Page 75 of Daddy's Ring
"You want me to take her upstairs? Put her in the crib so you can finish closing up?"
"I..." The offer lodges in my throat. Having him here, in the apartment, feels too intimate. Too much like before. "I can manage."
"I know you can." Patient. Gentle. "But you don't have to."
And that's always been the problem, hasn't it? He makes it so easy to let him help. To let him take care of things. To lean into his strength instead of forcing myself to handle everything alone.
"Okay." The word comes out small. "You can take her up."
20
DECLAN
Ifollow Zola up the narrow stairs to the apartment above the bookstore, Maeve's weight solid and reassuring against my chest. The space hasn't changed much—still cluttered with books and baby supplies, still smelling like vanilla and coffee with that underlying scent of old paper. Still utterlyher.
Zola moves through the kitchen on autopilot, checking the fridge like she's looking for something that isn't there. Her shoulders are tense, movements jerky with exhaustion.
"When's the last time you had a proper meal?" I settle into the armchair by the window, the one with the best light. Maeve's completely dead weight now, mouth slightly open, one hand still fisted in my shirt.
"I told you, Naomi brought?—"
"A few bites doesn't count." I pull out my phone with my free hand, already opening the delivery app. "What do you want? Thai? That place on South Street you used to love?"
She turns, leaning against the counter. "You don't have to?—"
"I know I don't have to." I'm scrolling through the menu now, remembering exactly what she used to order. "But I'm going toanyway. So you can either tell me what you want or I'll order what I remember and hope your tastes haven't changed."
Something flickers across her face. "They haven't."
"Good." I add pad thai, spring rolls, mango sticky rice to the cart. "Go shower. Change into something comfortable. By the time you're done, food will be here and Maeve will be fed."
"Declan—"
"Please." I look up, meet her eyes. "Let me do this. You're exhausted and I'm here and it's just dinner."
She opens her mouth like she wants to argue, then closes it. Nods once, sharp and quick, before disappearing into the bathroom.
The water starts running and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. She let me stay. Didn't kick me out, didn't tell me to leave once Maeve was asleep. It's not much but it'ssomething.
Maeve shifts against my chest, makes a small sound of protest at the movement. I adjust my hold, start that gentle rocking that always settles her.
"Shh, babygirl. I've got you." The words come out soft, instinctive. "You're alright. Just sleep."
She quiets immediately, burrowing deeper into my shoulder. Her trust is absolute—she knows I'll keep her safe, keep her comfortable, not let anything hurt her. The weight of that responsibility should terrify me but it doesn't. It feels right in a way nothing has in eight years.
The delivery app confirms the order—thirty minutes. Plenty of time to get Maeve fed and settled before Zola finishes her shower.
I shift carefully, reaching for the diaper bag on the side table. Her nighttime bottle is already prepped—Zola's nothing if not efficient—and I warm it quickly in the bottle warmer while Maeve dozes against my shoulder.
When it's ready, I settle back into the chair and angle her in my arms. She wakes slightly when the nipple touches her lips, those huge brown eyes blinking up at me in sleepy confusion.
"It's me, sweetheart. You're okay." I brush my thumb over her cheek, let her focus. "Just dinner time."
Recognition sparks and she latches on immediately, drinking with the single-minded determination of an exhausted baby who hasn't been eating properly all week. Her little hand comes up to grip my finger, holding on like I might disappear.
"I'm not going anywhere." The words come out rough, more promise than statement. "Not again. I know I scared you, being gone like that. But I'm here now and I'm not leaving."
She keeps drinking, eyes starting to drift closed again. The apartment is quiet except for the sound of the shower and her soft suckling. Peaceful in a way that makes my chest ache.
