"We both go in." I take his hand. "Nothing's changed with how we care for her."
"Right. Yeah."
We get Harper settled together—a new diaper, a quick bottle, and back to sleep within twenty minutes. And when we're standing in the hallway after, Tyler pulls me close.
"This is going to be hard," he says. "Keeping this quiet. Pretending we're not together when we're around other people."
"I know."
"But it's worth it.You'reworth it."
"So are you." I stand on my toes and kiss him softly. "We can do this. For Harper."
"For Harper," he agrees. "And for us."
We separate at our bedroom doors, and it feels wrong somehow, going to sleep alone after everything that just happened. But we both know it's the right thing to do. Harper could wake up and need one of us, so maintaining some normalcy is important.
"Goodnight, Red," Tyler says from his doorway.
"Goodnight, Ty."
I close my door and lean against it, touching my lips where hejust kissed me, my body still humming from what we did in the laundry room.
We're together.
We're in love.
And for now, that has to be enough.
Even though every part of me wants to march across the hall and climb into his bed, fall asleep in his arms, and wake up next to him.
Eventually. Eventually, we'll have that.
We have to be patient.
We have to put Harper first.
And we just have to trust that what we have is strong enough to survive the waiting.
My phone buzzes.
Tyler: Missing you already.
Me: You saw me thirty seconds ago.
Tyler: Still missing you. Wish you were in my bed.
Me: Soon. When this is all over.
Tyler: Counting the days, Red. Already counting the days.
I set my phone down and climb into bed, but sleep doesn't come easily. I'm too wired, too full of love and fear and hope all tangled together.
But lying here in the dark, knowing Tyler's across the hall, feeling the same way—that we're in this together now—I let myself believe it.
That we're going to make it.
That this love is worth the wait.