Chapter : 916

Judy’s POV

“He has your nose,” I said, leaning into Gavin as I stared down at our baby boy, sleeping soundly in his bassinet.

Gavin wrapped his arms around me and pressed his lips to my temple; I felt his smile and the tension in his body ease. We just spent our first night back in our home at the villa after spending the last couple of days at Eliza’s clinic.

Even though I had woken up without any lingering issues and both Ryder and I were healthy, Eliza still wanted to keep us both there for observation and for extra healing. Gavin didn’t argue with her, and I was honestly too tired to put up a fight, which only proved her to be right. Plus, it was nice just lying in bed with my baby boy for these last couple of days. Coming home and having to sleep separately was a difficult transition, but thankfully, we kept the bassinet close to the bed, and Gavin has helped ease some of that post-partum tension.

“And he has your everything else,” Gavin said, his lips still pressing against my temple. “I’m so happy to have my family all under one roof again.”

I turned in his arms so I could look up at him.

“I’m sorry I worried you,” I told him, not for the first time. I couldn’t get the look he gave me out of my head from when I first woke up in Eliza’s clinic. He had dark circles beneath his eyes, and he looked so worried… it was a look I never wanted to see again.

My chest ached at the memory.

He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine, and I melted into the kiss, allowing his lips to move across mine expertly as they had done so many times in the past. His tongue slid across my bottom lip, and I felt warmth spreading throughout my entire body as I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer to him.

I was fully healed and wanted to be even closer to him, but he was being good and allowing my body more time to recover, despite my needy protests last night.

“Mmm, Judy,” he warned between kisses. “This is becoming way more than either of us bargained for right now. You still need time to recover. You just had a baby.”

“I’m a fast healer,” I whispered. “I’ve missed you.”

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you,” he said in return, his lips finding mine once more before he reluctantly pulled back. “But I need to know for certain that you are 100 percent back on your feet.”

I pouted up at him.

“I am,” I assured him. “Trust me.”

“I do…” he retorted, pressing his lips to my forehead, and I knew at that moment it was a battle I was about to lose.

Before I could say anything, there was a knock on the door. I let out a breath as Gavin pulled away and went towards the bedroom door. When he pulled it open, I saw Adam standing on the other side.

He looked between the two of us awkwardly and cleared his throat.

“Miss Rugby is here,” he announced.

I took a deep breath before my attention turned to Gavin.

“I have to go,” I tell him.

He nodded.

“I know,” he said, holding out his arms for me to step into them. I really didn’t want to leave my new baby boy, but I knew I needed to doi this if wanted things to be semmi normal around here. The wait was finally coming to an end.

He kissed me tenderly before pulling back.

“Call if you need anything. And don’t stay alone with him… listen to Taylor.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Stop parenting me,” I murmured. “I’m not a child.”

A small smile ghosted his lips.

“I know you’re not,” he told me, kissing me one last time. “Now go.”

I nodded and without another word, I followed Adam out of the room and down the stairs, Nan was waiting for me downstairs, alongside Irene, who looked confused and annoyed.

“I don’t understand where we are going,” she said, looking between the two of us.

“I’m not really in the mood to go anywhere.”

“I know, but this is important,” I told her. “Just trust us, okay?”

She sighed and then nodded.

With that, we went outside and towards the waiting car. Erik was seated in the driver’s seat, and he looked more than nervous. I couldn’t blame him.

“Is Taylor meeting us there?” Nan asked her in a low tone so Irene couldn’t hear.

I nodded, forcing a pleasant smile to mask my jumbled nerves.

We all sat in the backseat as Erik started the engine; he remained quiet for the duration of the drive, and Irene kept her eyes fixed on her hands as she nervously played with her fingers. I reached over and touched her hand, drawing her attention to me.

“Are you okay?” I asked her.