Ch.112

Ch.112
Ayanna Pov 

The drive home from the hospital was quiet, but the air buzzed with excitement. I sat in the backseat with our newborn daughter cradled in my arms, her tiny face relaxed in sleep. Travis drove with careful precision, glancing at us through the rearview mirror every few minutes, as though to reassure himself that we were both safe.

Allison, seated beside me, exhaled deeply, her exhaustion evident. Despite everything, there was a small, satisfied smile on her lips. She had given us the greatest gift of our lives, and no words would ever be enough to express our gratitude.

As we pulled into the driveway, Travis turned off the engine and faced us. " we are home"

I looked down at our baby, my heart swelling with love. "welcome home baby."

Travis got out first, opening my door before reaching for the baby carrier. He handled it with such gentleness, as if he were holding something impossibly fragile. Allison followed closely behind as we made our way inside.

The moment we stepped through the door, a small voice shrieked in excitement.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Irene came sprinting toward us, her little feet pounding against the hardwood floor. She stopped just inches away, her bright brown eyes widening as she caught sight of the baby in my arms.

Travis knelt in front of her, his voice gentle. "Remember what we talked about? Your baby sister is finally here."

Irene hesitated, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "That's her?" she whispered, her tone filled with awe.

I smiled warmly. "Yes, sweetheart. Come and say hello."

With cautious steps, Irene moved closer and peeked into the soft pink blanket. Her tiny fingers reached out, brushing against the baby's hand.

"She's so small," she murmured.

Travis chuckled. "You were this small once too."

Irene wrinkled her nose. "I don't believe that."

Allison let out a small laugh from beside me. "Oh, but you were! if not smaller, actually."

Irene turned to Allison, eyes full of curiosity. "Did you help bring her?"

Allison nodded. "Yes, I did. She grew inside my tummy until she was ready to meet you all."

Irene's brows knitted together. "Did it hurt?"

Allison gave a soft chuckle. "A little. But it was worth it."

Irene seemed to think about this for a long moment before looking back at the baby. Then, to my surprise, she stepped forward and wrapped her small arms around Allison's waist.

"Thank you for bringing my baby sister," she said sincerely.

Allison's eyes softened as she hugged Irene back. "You're very welcome, sweetheart."

Travis cleared his throat, his voice thick with emotion. "Actually, Allison, we wanted to ask you something."

She turned to him curiously.

"You've done so much for us already," I said, rocking Ava gently. "But we don't want you to just leave and disappear from her life. We'd love for you to stay with us for a while. At least until you feel ready to go back to your usual routine."

Travis nodded in agreement. "You're family now, Allison."

Irene perked up instantly. "Yes! Please stay, Aunt Allison!"

Allison's mouth opened slightly in surprise, as if she hadn't expected the offer. She glanced between all of us before letting out a small laugh. "Oh... I don't know. I didn't want to impose."

"You wouldn't be," I assured her quickly. "You've been through so much, and we want to make sure you're okay too."

She hesitated for a few seconds before sighing. "Alright. But only for a little while."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "That's all we ask."

Travis clapped his hands together. "Well, that calls for a celebration!"

Irene gasped excitedly. "Can we have cake?"

Travis grinned. "I think we can arrange that."

Within minutes, the house was filled with laughter and warmth. A small, impromptu celebration took place in the living room, with slices of cake and sparkling juice. Irene sat beside Allison, chatting animatedly about all the things she planned to teach Ava-how to walk, talk, and even how to like her favorite cartoon characters.

I watched them with a smile, my heart full. This was my family. This was my home.

Travis sat beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close. I leaned my head against his shoulder, feeling his warmth seep into me.

"This is everything I ever wanted," I murmured.

Travis pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. "Me too."

I lifted my head to meet his gaze, and for a long moment, we just looked at each other. There was no need for words-everything we felt was reflected in his eyes.

Then, with a smile, he leaned in and kissed me.

.I glanced at Travis, and he met my gaze. We had been through so much to get here. The pain, the doubt, the fear that I would never have another child-it all felt like a distant memory now.

For a long time, I believed it was impossible.

Surrogacy gave me a second chance. It wasn't the journey I had imagined, but in the end, it brought me here-to this moment, holding my daughter in my arms.

Maybe that was what life was about. Not everything would happen the way we planned, but that didn't mean it was the end. Sometimes, we just had to take a different path to get where we were meant to be.

"When life says no, find another way. The destination doesn't change-only the road does."

A woman once told me "When one door closes, don't stand there knocking-try another, or build your own."