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I called Roni and let her know Kallie was in labor even though the two of them had recently split They’d done their best to make a real relationship work, but it turned out that while Roni wanted Kallie, she didn’t want everything that Kallie came with She wasn’t ready to be a mom, wasn’t ready to have not only Wheeler but me as well in her life She claimed it was all too complicated, too messy They stayed friends and Roni assured me she would stop by to see the baby when she had aand had reacted in a way that scared everyone She shut down, quit eating right, quit going to her birthing classes, and started skipping doctor’s appointments Wheeler tried to talk to her, tried to reason with her, but she was despondent She didn’t want to hear anything All she wanted to doin pain and feel sorry for herself She told Wheeler that she finally understood what it was like to have the love of your life sto the way her behavior was stressing Wheeler out, I finally decided to intervene Kallie wouldn’t listen to anyone that was close to her but I had a feeling she would listen to soet her act together Weand I told her what it was like to lose a child I told her how I felt like I had a hole in my heart that would never be filled, that every ti belly, jealousy ate at rieved every single day and that I still woke up in thefor that lost life I explained that it was a hurt that never healed, that eventually it just turned into an ache you learned to live with, and so in a restaurant, or when you went to a baby shower, the ache turned into a burn that felt like it would turn your heart to ash I softly ad Wheeler, and for putting her baby at risk I promised her that a heart that had been broken by a lover would heal with ti happened to your child was one you could never get back

My words must have sunk in because she snapped out of her stupor and found her footing We also went fro friends She didn’t haveup house with Church, she needed someone, and for whatever reason that person waswith I was the one she called with updates and questions I was the one she called when she butted heads with Wheeler over the name She wanted to hyphenate the last name so that it was Carmichael-Wheeler or Wheeler-Carmichael, Wheeler was ada to write that monster out for their entire school career and they should just use Wheeler It was an ongoing argument that I frequently heard both sides of, but I’d had to infor to side with Wheeler It was h she mattered to me and I cared about her opinion

It was a weird situation, one that had to look impossible and unbearable from the outside But to those of us on the inside … ere doing e could to make it all work and make it all as normal as possible It was our life, so all we could do was live the best we could It wasn’t anyone’s idea of a traditional family unit, but it was our faht for it and defend it

I also called nant self out of bed and come ith me since she instinctively kneould be difficult for me to sit and hile surrounded by so many reminders of what I had lost Of course, I told her to stay in bed, that I would be fine, but I wasn’t surprised when not twentybleary-eyed and rumpled Rowdy collapsed in a seat next to me, took my hand and squeezed it, then silently waited withcoh the doors reen paper gown the nursing staff had given hiular clothes As soon as Wheeler found his way over to my side, Rowdy lumbered to his booted feet, offered a handshake and a heartfelt congratulations, and proirlfriend and his warh mine and I could feel the tremor in them "I’m a dad" The words whispered out in awe

I kissed his teers flexed in mine and he pushed himself up in the chair so that he could turn and look at er and pushed so here"

My lips twitched "Anytirinned and those killer dimples did what they always did, ainst hope his little boy was going to be blessed with those twin dots of adorable All his kids needed to have the We’re all in" I returned his sive hi

We both turned to look at Kallie’sbehind us I liked the Car as they could be of the role I was going to play in their grandchild’s life They treated me with consideration and kindness once Wheeler explained everything that I had been through, and they did their best to include s that involved the baby, like Kallie’s baby shower

"Kallie asked us to send you back" Wheeler went to rise to his feet but Kallie’s dad, Russ, shook his head "No, she wants to see Poppy"

I blinked in surprise and looked questioningly at Wheeler He shrugged in confusion and helpedyour head in the roo because he kneas still hesitant to be around the baby, that it would hurt watching Kallie hold and cuddle that precious little life

It would hurt, but it would ultiure out a way to play through the pain I couldn’t avoid the things that wounded me, couldn’t lock myself away so they wouldn’t touch ht theave him a wobbly smile "I’ll be fine" I’ if I was okay when Kallie was the one that had just been cut open and sewn back together, but he was always taking care ofthat needed any explanation