Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 560

There they were, a bunch of grown men, staying up from the wee hours of the morning, keeping watch over Elijah until the crack of dawn. And throughout it all, Elijah didn’t utter a single word.

Little Elijah slept soundly, snoring away, but at some point, his diaper shifted, leaving poor Keaton, who was keeping vigil by his crib, with quite the surprise on his face.

Then there was the day Elijah took his first steps. To Tarquin, that moment was more exhilarating than striking gold in a high-stakes lottery!

He smothered Elijah’s cheeks with kisses, lifted him into the air, and raced across the lawn, proudly proclaiming, “My boy’s the best! Top of the world!”

Keaton couldn’t help but tease him, “You’d think nobody’s kid had ever learned to walk before.”

“Heh,” Tarquin chuckled at the memory, a laugh breaking through his lips.

But in the next second, tears welled up in his eyes.

He glanced again towards the emergency room, his breath catching in his throat.

Every little moment of Elijah’s life flashed through his mind like scenes from a movie.

From a tiny baby no longer than his arm to a little boy now standing at four feet three, they’d shared more than five years of memories.

When Elijah was happy, Tarquin was right there, sharing in his joy, often even more overjoyed than Elijah himself.

When Elijah felt sad, the weight of his sorrow was even heavier on Tarquin’s shoulders.

On the countless nights Elijah stayed awake, missing his mother, Tarquin would hide in the shadows, silently keeping him company.

This kind of love for Elijah, it was something perhaps only another parent could truly understand.

He loved Elijah more than words could express.

The mere thought of losing Elijah was unbearable. He imagined he’d go mad, lash out at the world, and then... what? There was nothing beyond that abyss.

As his cigarette burned down to the filter, Tarquin lit another, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

Fear gripped his heart. Today, he was truly afraid.

At the first light of dawn, the doors to the emergency room finally swung open.

Elysia stepped out.

The tension that had kept her composed snapped, and she needed his support to keep from collapsing.

This was her son, her flesh and blood she had just begun to properly love and care for, and she had almost lost him.

The terror was overwhelming.

When Allegra told her Elijah was gone, she thought her heart would stop from fear.

“I...I thought I was going to lose Elijah, I was terrified... you know? I was absolutely terrified…”

Cradled in Tarquin’s arms, she sobbed uncontrollably.

Tarquin held her tightly, his voice deep and hoarse, “I know!”

At that moment, no one could understand each other’s feelings better than they could.

They were like comrades who had survived a battle together, seeking solace and warmth in each other’s embrace after escaping the clutches of death.