Page 91 of The Golden Hour

“So you’re saying it only gets worse from here?” Honey jokes.

“I’m saying there are new adventures coming down the line,” he says. “So enjoy this adventure, and soak it all in.”

Mason resists the urge to throw his hands up in defeat. There’s got to be something wrong with him. No one is this perfect. And he’s a fucking children’s doctor, practically in line for sainthood.

He hates him.

“Call if anything feels off,” Dr. Adonis says firmly. “You don’t have to decide whether something is serious before asking for help. That’s what I’m here for.”

“Thank you so much,” Honey smiles.

“Yeah,” Mason mutters, gently taking Daisy from Honey’s arms to place her in the carseat. “Thanks, Dr. Adonis.”

“You’re welcome,” Dr. Adonis says, and when he glances at Mason, there’s a twinkle of amusement in his eyes that makes Mason grit his teeth.

When they get out to the car, Mason places Daisy’s carseat in the holder and takes the diaper bag from Honey to put in the trunk. He then helps Honey ease into the backseat to sit next to Daisy, trying to not feel like a fourteen year old again when just holding his wife’s hand for a brief moment made him giddy.

They’re halfway home when Honey speaks up.

“I really like him,” Honey chirps with a smile.

“Hm…” Mason grunts.

“You hate him.” she says, with more than a little humor in her voice.

“Hm…” Mason grunts again, but can see Honey’s beautiful lips are curved into a small grin in the rearview mirror.

And that little sight makes his heart flutter, and warmth spreads through his body. He still doesn’t like Dr. Adonis, but he just made Honey smile again.

A win is a win.

Two nights later, he’s stepping back out of Honey’s room, feeling bone tired. He practically plops down in his spot right outside Honey’s door, back against the wall, head reclined to the side, and feels himself start to fall into that surface level slumber he was getting used to. It allowed him to hear Daisy’s cries easily.

Then he hears footsteps and snaps his eyes open to see Melissa in her pajamas and robe, standing over him.

“There is a perfectly good bedroom that way,” she snorts.

Mason shakes his head and closes his eyes. “Too far,” he mumbles.

Melissa is quiet at that and walks down the hallway toward hers and Phil’s bedroom, the door clicking shut.

It doesn’t take long for Mason to fall back asleep, and when he wakes up again to Daisy’s cries, there’s a pillow next to him and a blanket covering his body.

He glances toward his in-laws’ door, knowing who did it.

And he feels a small smile curve at his lips.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

HONEY

Twelve days home, and Honey is finally starting to feel human again.

“One-eighteen over seventy-six. This is really great, Honey.”

Mason slides the blood pressure cuff off Honey’s arm. The small smile on his lips shows how pleased he is that her blood pressure is back down to normal, which she attributes to the combination of low stress, proper medication, and lots and lots of baby cuddles.

Daisy feels like an extension of herself, and Honey falls deeper in love with her daughter every second that goes by.