CJ chuckled. ‘I love the way they all get involved.’
‘I can’t believe she’s two days old and you still haven’t even thought of a name.’
‘I want to find one that suits her. I liked Susan yesterday but…’ She trailed off and shook her head.
‘Has Ethan been in this morning?’
‘Not yet but we’re expecting him soon.’ The baby had finished feeding and CJ sat her up to burp her. ‘Aren’t we a beautiful girl. We’re expecting Ethan really soon. Yes, we are. Oh, you’re so precious.’ CJ kissed her daughter’s head, breathing in the scent and filing the memory away for later. Once the baby had released her wind, CJ re-wrapped the gorgeous girl in a blanket. ‘I like the name Joy. Are you a Joy?’ She smiled. ‘Yes. Yes you are a joy, an absolute joy.’
‘Joy?’ Ethan queried as he strode into the room. ‘Joy Nicholls. Has a ring to it. I gather you’ve given up Susan?’
‘Yes. I don’t think she looks like a Susan any more.’
‘What about… Elizabeth?’
CJ watched as he scooped the baby up into his arms as though it were the most natural thing in the world. He kissed her head and rubbed his cheek against her softness, breathing that gorgeous baby scent in the same way CJ had.
‘Elizabeth. Elizabeth Nicholls.’ She mulled it over. ‘I quite like it. Elizabeth. Does she look like an Elizabeth, Ethan?’
He studied the little girl who was going to sleep in his arms. ‘You know, I think she does. And also I like Lizzie, for when she’s cheeky and mischievous.’
‘Where did you get Elizabeth from?’ Donna asked.
‘It was my great-grandmother’s name,’ Ethan stated.
‘It’s very pretty.’
‘We need something that goes with Elizabeth,’ Ethan continued, rocking the baby gently from side to side. CJ liked watching him hold the baby, liked the way he looked with the little girl in his arms, liked the way he’d just loved her so unconditionally. She’d been worried that being at the birth, helping her, holding the baby—all of it would have brought back horrible memories for him but, in fact, it was the opposite. It was as though Elizabeth’s birth had helped him to heal. Still, CJ was cautious. There were still too many questions in the air surrounding Ethan, herself and the baby, but for now, naming the gorgeous girl was enough to deal with.
They all thought. ‘What about Janice?’ Donna asked.
CJ pondered, then shook her head.
‘What about Jean?’ Ethan suggested. ‘After you, Claudia-Jean. You could hyphenate her name, too.’
‘EJ and CJ? Well, the Jean part of my name was after my mother so that way Elizabeth would be named after both of us.’ She laughed.
‘And she deserves to carry the family name—your name,’ he continued. ‘You did an amazing job, bringing her into this world.’ He looked at the baby. ‘Elizabeth-Jean Nicholls.’
‘It’s pretty,’ Donna remarked. She looked from one to the other. ‘Decided?’
CJ smiled at Ethan. ‘Decided. Elizabeth-Jean she is.’
‘This calls for a celebration,’ Donna said, and headed off to tell the rest of the staff. After Donna had left the room, CJ peered at her daughter.
‘Is she asleep?’
‘Yes.’
‘Do you want to put her down?’
‘No.’ He smiled sheepishly and sat down on the bed next to CJ. ‘I like holding her.’
‘Me too. I was supposed to put her in her cot last night but I just didn’t want to let her go so I slept with her in my arms all night long. Snuggled together.’ Her smile was bright and she sighed with happiness.
‘So how are you feeling today?’
‘Better.’
Ethan angled Elizabeth up in his arms so they could both look at the baby’s sleeping face. ‘She’s beautiful, CJ. Simply beautiful.’
‘She is, isn’t she,’ CJ whispered rhetorically, brushing her finger lightly over Elizabeth’s cheek. ‘I can’t believe how perfectly I love her. I didn’t know she was missing from my life until she was here.’ She chuckled and looked at him. ‘I don’t know if that makes any sense at all.’
‘It does.’ He turned his head and returned her gaze. ‘Perfect sense.’ As they continued to look at each other, the atmosphere in the room intensified, the awareness between them growing with every passing second they spent together. Where prior to Elizabeth’s birth they’d been able to keep their distance, the experience they’d shared—the miracle of life—seemed to have made the bond even stronger. CJ’s lips parted and her breathing increased as she continued to gaze into Ethan’s eyes. He made her feel so wonderful, so cherished, so strong and she wanted desperately to kiss him, to show him how much she appreciated his care and support.