Page 146 of Ruin The Friendship
He leaves the small bathroom, returning with my light pink floral robe, and helps me out of the hospital gown and into this one. It immediately helps me feel a little refreshed.
I wash my face, brush my teeth, and make my way back to bed. Fletcher trails behind me, a hand on my lower back the whole time. Once I’m back in bed, Baby Girl lets out a squawk, letting us know she’s no longer sleeping.
“I’ve got her.” Fletcher rushes to her side and lifts her into his arms. “I think I’m going to do some skin-to-skin.”
“Can I close my eyes for a bit while she’s comfortable?” I ask, my eyes already drooping.
“Yep, I’ll wake you if she gets hungry.”
Not nearly enough time passes before Fletcher wakes me, but I was able to sleep a little bit. He helps me get her in my arms, and she thankfully latches onto my breast fairly easily.
While she eats, I stare at my daughter. “Do you have any other ideas for a name?”
Fletcher shakes his head. “I was doing some searching, but nothing has clicked so far.”
When I think of the last nine months, a few people stand out the most. Obviously, Fletcher is the one who was there the most, but the second one is Dottie. Something rings in my chest. “What’s your mom’s full name?”
Fletcher quirks his eyebrow, and I can already see his eyes growing watery. “Dorothea.”
“Dorothea,” I whisper, running a finger over my baby’s soft cheek. “What do you think of that?”
The name feels more and more right with each passing moment.
I look at Fletcher. His lower lip trembles as tears fill his eyes.
“We could call her Thea,” I say, and it feels oh so right.
“I love it.” He wipes the tears under his eyes. “It’s perfect.”
“Hi, Thea,” I whisper to my beautiful daughter.
She doesn’t have any of Fletcher’s DNA or look like him, but she will always be a part of him and his family. Of mine.
“She’s absolutely perfect,”Dottie coos, rocking baby Thea in her arms. She and Ron just arrived about five minutes ago.
Dottie was more concerned about me at first, checking in and making sure I was okay before she even thought about holding my daughter. It’s those things that matter, because while she loves my daughter, she cares for me too.
“Want to know her name?” Fletcher asks, and my heart pounds.
“Absolutely,” Dottie replies, her eyes locked on our sweet girl.
“Her name is Dorothea,” I say.
Dottie looks up to me with so much emotion that I startshedding tears.
“We’ll call her Thea,” I say, “but I wanted her to have a strong, meaningful name. Afamilyname.”
“Sweetie, are you sure?” Dottie walks over to me, resting her hand on my shoulder.
“The only thing I’ve ever been surer of was keeping her, and letting myself fall in love with Fletcher, so yes. You’ve always been like a mother to me and have been there for me more than my own. I love you, and I want her to know what a strong, caring, and amazing person her namesake is.”
Dottie sobs as she holds Thea, and Ron wraps his arms around Dottie’s shoulders and kisses her cheek.
“Thank you,” he says, and I smile softly at both of them.
Now, the only thing left is to tell Fletcher her middle name. I decided not long after settling on her first name, but I’m waiting until we are alone again to tell him.
Dottie holds Thea for most of the time they’re here, and we make sure to take a lot of pictures of her with her new grandparents.
