Page 41 of All Your Dreams

“Probably nothing. I don’t speak fluent baby yet.”

“You sure she’s not going to break if I hold her?”

“No. She’s sturdier than she looks.”

Jax lets out a reluctant huff of laughter. “Okay. But if I drop her, I’m leaving the country and moving to Canada.”

“You won’t. Sit down before I hand her over.”

“I don’t know⁠—”

“Just sit down and shut the fuck up, J,” Eli says next to him, amused. “You’ll be okay, we promise.”

Jax, for once, does as instructed and takes a seat. I adjust Tilly in my arms, then pause. “You ready?”

“Not really.”

I hand her to him anyway. For a split second, Jax looks like he might panic and drop her. His arms are stiff and his shoulders tense, all while his hands hover awkwardly until I guide them into place. “Relax,” I murmur. “You’ve got her.”

My niece studies Jax’s face with intense concentration, then makes a soft, bubbling sound. His mouth falls open slightly. Eli and I exchange knowing looks.

“She’s so warm,” he comments, awe clear in his voice. Tilly lifts one hand and curls her fingers around the edge of Jax’s top. “Look, she’s holding my shirt. Take a photo so I can show Soph later.”

“Congratulations. You’ve been chosen to be the babysitter until her teen years,” Eli says with a low chuckle and snaps a photo.

Jax doesn’t respond. He’s too busy staring at Tilly. Watching my chosen brother, who used to avoid emotional vulnerability like a disease, holding my niece like she’s the most important thing in the universe is beyond special. It brings tears to my eyes knowing how huge the moment is.

Back in high school, Jax once punched a hole through a foster home bedroom door because another kid wouldn’t stop mocking me for crying after a nightmare and had me cornered. He acted like he did it because the guy was annoying, but later that night, he sat on the floor beside my bed and passed me one earbud while we listened to music until sunrise. That’s who Jax has always been. He has rough edges and a sharp mouth, but a loyal heart.

He was also the one who took the most beatings from our last foster dad, standing between him and me during arguments. I can’t even count the number of times Jax had a busted lip or black eye because he’d rather take the punishment himself than let the bastard touch me. Eli saved me differently. He’s the reason I learned what consistency looked like. Even now, he checks in when I go quiet for too long and makes sure I’m okay.

The three of us somehow found each other at the worst point in our lives and decided none of us were getting left behind again. There were nights we survived on instant noodles and vending machine snacks, making promises about the future. Jax swore he’d cover his entire body in tattoos and practiced on us. Thank fuck he covered those early designs later because it took him a while to learn how to tattoo. Eli said he’d become rich enough to never worry about bills again. Now he’s a billionaire and has helped both of us financially over the years. I always promised to be there for them, and I have at a moment’s notice many times.

As seconds tick by, Jax’s shoulders drop and loosen. He adjusts instinctively when she squirms, tucking her closer. “She’s special, huh,” he murmurs.

“Yeah. She is,” I say proudly.

I expected Jax to hand her back after a minute. Instead, he doesn’t move. “How long can I…?” he asks, not looking at me, keeping his focus on the little bundle in his arms.

“As long as you want.”

Tilly lets out another soft sound, her head leaning against his chest. “This is dangerous,” Jax mutters with a slow exhale. “Damn baby is making me reconsider my opinion on sperm pets.”

Eli grins at the silly term for children and says, “You could still undo your vasectomy.”

“Don’t even joke about that.” Jax shoots him a pointed look, then glances back down at Tilly. His voice is barely audible when he says, “She trusts me.”

Something tightens behind my ribs. “Yeah,” I say. “She recognizes her uncle J.”

“I like the sound of that,” Jax says.

We’ve been through enough foster homes and temporary situations to recognize the feeling of belonging. This right here is exactly that. We didn’t fit anywhere for a long time. I look at my chosen brothers now, at Eli unpacking cartons of food onto my coffee table like many times before and Jax holding Tilly with stunned tenderness written all over his usually stony face, and I know for certainty that I’m not alone in this.

“You’re stuck with her, you know,” I tell Jax lightly. “She’s going to grow up thinking you hung the moon.”

He huffs. “I absolutely did not sign up to be idolized.”

“Too late,” Eli mutters.