A little early Valentine's gift!

Daphne Jaymes Claybourne was born on a warm early October afternoon. The weather had turned from hot to a typically pleasant Tennessee fall in the days leading up to her birth. As long and hard as giving birth to Maddie was, Daphne was quick and easy. We had originally thought we'd have enough time to drop Maddie off at Tandy's on the way to the hospital, but, not surprisingly, Miss Daphne did not want to wait that long. So Tandy met us as we drove up to the hospital and took a disappointed Maddie off to the waiting room, while Deacon got me checked in and we immediately headed for delivery.

Also not surprisingly, she came a week early, like she was dying to get out and see what trouble she could get into. I teased Deacon that it was because of the lusty lovemaking of the night before. Maybe it was because I knew we'd have to wait for six weeks after the baby came to have sex again, but I couldn't get enough that night. The intensity had been over the top and, I think, surprised both of us. Deacon had looked horrified when I said that and kept apologizing, until I told him it was just her time to be born. But he still seemed extra concerned that it meant something would go wrong and I don't think he relaxed until Dr. Norris pronounced her perfect.

As dark as Maddie was, Daphne was fair and light, with little tufts of red gold hair. And I would have sworn that, instead of screaming her displeasure with the lights and the voices, she squealed with delight. Deacon had the biggest smile on his face as he held our daughter, after she'd been all cleaned up and we were in my room. I remembered how afraid he'd been to hold Maddie at first and now he seemed so comfortable. I was so happy he was here for this.

He brought her over and gently placed her in my arms, then slid onto the bed to lay next to us. I turned to look at him and he leaned down and kissed me. "We did good, Ray," he said softly.

Tears sprang up in my eyes and I smiled up at him. "Yeah, we did."

"She looks just like you." He reached out and ran his fingers over her hair. "She has her mama's red hair. She's gonna be a terror." He smiled.

I touched his face. "We already knew that. She was always dancing or turning cartwheels or something. I think she's not going to give us a minute's peace."

Deacon looked at me, a serious look on his face. He cupped my cheek and stroked it with his thumb. "You know, I didn't know I wanted all this until I had it. I didn't have this growing up and I didn't know this was what family was all about. But you and Maddie, and now Daphne, that's what makes it all good." He took a deep breath and worked his lip. "This just feels exactly right."

I smiled up at him. "Yeah, it does. This is the way it's supposed to be." I tilted my face up to his and he rewarded me with a kiss filled with promise and love. When I'd had a minute to catch my breath, I smiled again. "You'd better go get Maddie and Aunt Tandy. I'm sure they're on the edge of their seats waiting to see Princess Daphne."

Deacon laughed and then hopped off the bed, leaning down to kiss Daphne on the top of her head and then me again. Then he ran out of the room and down the hall. I smiled to myself and then looked down at my new baby, so pretty and sweet. She already looked like she had a smile on her face and her tiny eyes crinkled just a little, like her daddy's. I leaned down and kissed her forehead. I could not imagine being happier.

Deacon came back with Maddie and Tandy. Maddie came running over to the bed, with Tandy trailing behind her, lifting her up and letting her sit next to me. Deacon stood against the wall, watching us with a smile on his face.

Maddie snuggled close to me, then reached over and very gently patted Daphne's head. Daphne made a little noise and Maddie giggled. "Mama, she likes me," she said with a smile.

I smiled back at her. "Of course she does. You're her big sister. She loves you."

"Can I hold her?" She reached out her little hands towards Daphne and made grasping motions.

I shook my head. "Not yet. When we get home, we'll let you hold her." I could see Deacon looking a little dismayed and I mouthed "it's okay."

Maddie's face fell. "Okay," she said sadly. "But when will my baby be home?"

"Tomorrow," I told her.

"Okay." Maddie reached out and ran her hand oh so gently over Daphne's arm, again and again.

Tandy was standing next to us, leaning on the bed rail. She smiled down at me. "Oh, Rayna, she looks like us," she said. "With her red hair."

I grinned. "I know. I hope she keeps it."

"She's just gorgeous." She glanced over at Deacon. "Y'all do make beautiful babies." She leaned down and hugged me, then reached for one of Daphne's hands. Daphne made her little noise again and I could have sworn she was smiling.

Maddie looked up at Tandy, a huge smile on her face. "She likes you, Aunt Tandy!" she cried.

Tandy smiled at Maddie. "Yay!" Then she walked over towards Deacon. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as she reached in to hug him, then whisper in his ear. Deacon listened, then smiled at her and said something to her. I was curious about that. Tandy had very gradually warmed up to Deacon, but I always felt like she held back on giving her full support.

"Maddie, are you ready to go home with Aunt Tandy?" Deacon asked.

Maddie frowned. "No. I wanna stay here."

"You can't stay, baby," I said soothingly. "We'll see you tomorrow, though."

She pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "No. I wanna stay with Daphne."

Tandy walked over. "Come on, Maddie, I've got hot chocolate and marshmallows. And movies!" She reached for Maddie.

Maddie turned her body away and got closer to me. "No!" she said firmly.

I leaned down to her. "Maddie, you can't stay here. It's a hospital and little girls can't stay here. You can go with Aunt Tandy and then we'll see you tomorrow." I hoped she didn't throw a tantrum.

"We'll have fun, Maddie," Tandy said.

"No!" Maddie said again, shaking her head. "Daddy will take me."

I looked up at Deacon. He raised his eyebrows and shoved his hands in his pockets. I was looking forward to him staying overnight. Even though all we could do was cuddle, I wanted to fall asleep in his arms. I looked back down at my daughter. "Maddie, I think Aunt Tandy was looking forward to hot chocolate with you," I said encouragingly.

Big tears started to roll down her cheeks. "Daddy will take me," she said softly, her voice quivering. I knew she was tired. It had been a long day, for all of us.

Deacon walked over then and picked her up. She curled into his shoulder, covering her face. "I'll take her home," he said. He looked at Tandy. "I'm sorry."

Tandy shook her head. "Don't worry. It's okay. I think she just needs her daddy tonight. I'll see y'all tomorrow." She leaned down and kissed me, then leaned over me to kiss Daphne. "Let me know if you need anything," she said to me. "I love you, babe." She put her hand on Maddie's back. "I'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart."

Maddie's little muffled voice said, "Bye."

Tandy patted Deacon on the shoulder and left. Deacon looked at me, his eyes sad, and said, "I'll take Maddie home. We'll be back tomorrow." He leaned down and kissed me.

I put my hand on the back of his neck and took his bottom lip gently in my teeth. He opened his mouth and covered mine, kissing me fully and completely. Then he cupped my cheek with his free hand and rubbed his thumb over it. He worked his lip a bit, then said, "I love you, Ray."

"I love you too, babe," I said softly.

He reached down and rubbed Daphne's cheek with his thumb, then took in a deep breath. "We'll be back in the morning," he said.

I smiled, trying not to cry. Which was silly. It was just one night. One night after spending every single night of the last four plus years in his arms. And clearly Maddie needed him. But I missed him already. "We'll be ready," I said.

Deacon looked down at Maddie. She looked exhausted. "Bye, Mama," she said. "Bye, Daphne."

"Bye, sweet girl," I said.

And then Deacon turned and walked out of the room.

Late that night, I was alone in my hospital room with Daphne sleeping in the little crib by the bed. I was trying hard not to get emotional about Deacon not being there. I knew Maddie needed him, but it had been a very long time since I'd had to sleep alone. I would miss having his arms around me. But I was actually glad to have a little time to my own thoughts. As I had learned after having Maddie, having a new baby was a lot of work and it would be a while before I had some me time again. So it was good to have this small window of time to think.

It was all so different this time. When Maddie was born, I'd been such a mess. My emotions had been in an uproar. I had been so happy to see my beautiful baby girl, but my heart had been so broken thinking about Deacon and all that he was missing. The reality that I had agreed to lie to the world and say that Maddie was Teddy's daughter had weighed on me almost from the moment she was born. I should have been happy during that time, but I was miserable.

I still appreciated the sacrifice Teddy was willing to make back then, although it was truly a deal with the devil. As the days wore on, the heaviness of the lie had dragged me down. It was hard to really enjoy my new baby when I was so overwhelmed with hurt and pain for what I was doing to Deacon, without him even knowing it. When I had finally come to the only conclusion I could and told Deacon the truth, what happened next was so predictable. It was only after time had gone by that I realized just how strong Deacon had been in the face of all of it. Instead of going back to his old habits, he'd stood firm in standing strong with me. He had fought Teddy for Maddie, even though it turned out to be a fight more easily won than it might have been. And he had really never blamed me for all that led up to that, although he had every right to.

Teddy had tried his best to be as obnoxious as possible during the divorce and the fight over Maddie. I was grateful that I didn't have to include him in Maddie's life, once the paternity results were made public. It had caused me some pain, but that was long gone. Daddy had never forgiven me although he had not completely turned his back on his granddaughter. Although I didn't feel a strong need to repair a relationship that had already been difficult even before Maddie, I did want him to know his granddaughters. Tandy had been pissed at me for a while, but that sisterly bond had eventually gotten her over it. She might never be Deacon's strongest supporter, but she was slowly accepting the fact that he was the love of my life. And Deacon did his best to show her how much he'd changed. They were both making an effort.

I gingerly got out of bed and stood next to the crib, watching Daphne sleep. She looked like a little angel and I smiled to myself wondering if she really would be. When she was inside me, she had never stopped moving, and I suspected she'd be a little whirlwind of a girl. I reached down and softly touched her little cheek. Just then my cell phone rang. I lunged for it in hopes that it wouldn't wake Daphne, but she just took a deep breath and settled back down.

"Hello?" I whispered.

"Hey, baby." I smiled at Deacon's voice. "You ok?"

"Yeah," I said. "I was just watching Daphne sleep."

"Oh, no, I didn't wake her up calling you, did I?"

I shook my head, even though he couldn't see me. "No, she's still sleeping."

"I hated leaving you. You looked so sad. I wanted to stay."

"I know. I wanted you to stay too, but I think, as excited as Maddie's been about the new baby, she's going to need a little extra love right now. Especially daddy love."

"Well, she couldn't stop talking about Daphne and what she was going to do with her when she got her home, right up to the point that she conked out in the back seat." He laughed softly. "She's still dead to the world."

I laughed softly. "I hope she stays this excited." I took a breath. "So what did Tandy say to you?"

"Um, she just thanked me for standing by you and for being a good dad." He was silent for a second. "She said she'd probably misjudged me and that she wanted me to know she fully supported me. And us."

I felt tears spring up and my heart was full with love for my sister. "Oh, babe, I'm so glad. I knew she'd come around."

"Yeah." He paused. "I'll be there in the morning to pick you up."

"We can't wait to be home." I was silent for a moment. "Thank you, babe."

"For what?"

"For everything. For loving me, for loving Maddie, for being strong for us. For giving us Daphne."

Deacon's voice sounded emotional when he finally responded. "I didn't do anything special. I'm just glad we worked it out. I can't imagine being with anyone but you, Ray."

"Me too."

"Two thousand fourteen."

Tears spilled down my cheeks. "I'm so proud of you, Deacon. And I love you so much."

"I love you too, Ray."

After we hung up, I looked down at Daphne and thought about the words of the song that Deacon had written for me all those years ago, before we really even knew each other. Two arms around me, heaven to ground me / And a family that always calls me home / Four wheels to get there, enough love to share / And a sweet, sweet, sweet song / At the end of the day, Lord I pray / I have a life that's good.

I smiled to myself. We really did have a life that was good.

The next morning I got dressed. I went over to the crib and was surprised to see that Daphne was awake. I picked her up and then went and sat in the chair by the window. "Hey, baby girl," I said to her, as she made little noises. "I'm so glad you're finally here. Your daddy and your big sister will be here soon and we can all go home." Suddenly I felt emotional. "You know, this is a big day for your daddy," I said, feeling my breath hitch with my tears. "He wasn't there when your sister was born, so this is very special for him. I hope that you'll always think he's the most special man in your life, because he loves you so much. He's gone through a lot to be here, most of which you'll never know. You'll just know how much he loves you and how wonderful he thinks you are and how he wants you to have the best life."

Just then I heard steps coming down the hall, one set that was clearly trying to hurry. When Deacon and Maddie burst into the room, I smiled happily at them. Maddie pulled her hand free from Deacon's and threw herself at me. "Mama, let's go!" she squealed. Then she reached out to pat Daphne on the head.

Deacon leaned down to kiss me and then brushed the tears on my cheeks away with his thumb. He frowned. "Is everything ok?" he asked.

I nodded. "I'm just happy. Post-baby hormones." Just then the nurse arrived with the wheelchair and we all left the room and headed for home.

I was so glad that we had decided to push back actually moving into the new house until after Daphne was born. It was a special feeling to bring her home to our little bungalow in East Nashville, where I had first brought Maddie to Deacon and where we had worked hard to create the life that we now had. It was right for her to spend the first few weeks of her life in this cozy home. I felt tears pricking my eyes as we walked up the steps together. I was still sad to be leaving this place, with all its memories, but I was also excited about the new house and moving on to our next chapter there.

We had been at the new house the day before Daphne was born, so that Maddie could see what we'd done with her room and with the nursery. Daphne's room was all in pink and white, with a princess mural where the crib would be. Maddie had gasped, then turned to us and smiled. "It's so pretty," she cried.

"Do you think Daphne will like it?" I asked.

"Oh, yes," she said, her voice soft and dreamy.

I scrunched up my shoulders and smiled at her, then turned to Deacon. He leaned in and kissed me, wrapping his arm around my back. I looked back at Maddie. "Well, sweet girl, let's go look at your room." She skipped over to me and took my hand. Deacon took my other hand and we walked together to the room that would be Maddie's. I couldn't wait for her to see it.

When we walked in, she gasped, then dropped my hand and walked in slowly. The room was a soft yellow, but what dazzled her were the murals. They were Deacon's idea and I thought they were perfect. Sheet music in soft pastel colors had been painted on the walls, with the words to "A Life That's Good" and "Back Home" included. Pink and blue guitars on stands were painted in the corners. It was the perfect room for a little girl that loved music.

"Do you like it, Maddie?" Deacon asked.

She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his legs, burying her face against his leg. "I love it!" she cried. He reached down and picked her up and she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. "I love it!"

He grinned at her, then looked at me. "It was all your mama's idea."

"I'm glad you like it, baby," I said to her, even though it had not been my idea at all. As I was standing there, I was conscious of my back aching. More and more over the last week, I'd complained that my back hurt. And I was having those pre-labor contractions that I remembered from before Maddie was born. I walked over to the window seat in Maddie's room and sat down, breathing in and out slowly and rubbing my back.

Deacon looked worried. "Are you ok?" he asked.

I shrugged. "My back hurts," I said. He put Maddie down and she ran over to run her fingers over the wall murals. He came and sat next to me. He put his hand on the small of my back and rubbed gently. I arched my back a little as he continued to rub and he took my hand in his other hand and squeezed it gently. "Thanks, babe, that feels better," I said. I closed my eyes and concentrated on his hand rubbing concentric circles over my back. The rhythm of his movements and the warmth of his hand on my back started little curls of desire running through me. I was suddenly aware that I was aroused. "Oh," I said, taking in a sharp breath, and opened my eyes.

Deacon frowned and stopped the rubbing. "Am I hurting you, baby?" he asked.

I looked at him with a smile. "Oh, no," I said. "That feels amazingly good."

He widened his eyes and raised his eyebrows. Then he gave me a small smile and leaned in to kiss me, running his tongue over my lips until I opened my mouth against his. The tingling feeling started moving through me and I moaned in the back of my throat. Then all of a sudden, I remembered where we were and that our daughter was in the room with us, and pulled back, breathing hard. I flicked my eyes over towards Maddie, who wasn't paying any attention to us, and Deacon let out a little chuckle, and we had promised each other with our eyes that we'd finish that later.

I brought myself back to the present, thinking again about the wonderful memories we'd had in this house and the ones we would create in the new one with our girls. Deacon opened the front door and I walked in. I took a deep breath and then held Daphne up so that she could see the house. "Welcome home, precious girl," I said to her.

Later that day, after we had gotten settled and Tandy and Daddy had been and gone, we finally let Maddie sit on the couch in between the two of us and Deacon gently placed Daphne in her lap. I had to laugh as Maddie sat with her arms crooked like a couple of hooks and her eyes wide with amazement as Daphne squirmed. She instinctively moved her hands to pull her in, but Deacon kept a hand under Daphne's head and laid the other on Maddie's shoulder, as though to offer some protection.

Maddie looked up at me and smiled. "I'm holding Daphne, Mama," she said happily.

"Yes, you are," I said. "You're being a good big sister."

She sighed. "I love her." And she leaned down and kissed Daphne's forehead. I looked at Deacon and we smiled at each other. This was the best day.

When I took Daphne back, Maddie curled up against me. Deacon got up and went to get his guitar. He came back and sat on the coffee table across from us. He started by just playing some random chords and then he launched into "A Life That's Good." He smiled at us as he sang. I felt the tears run down my cheeks. Maddie looked entranced. And Daphne slept peacefully. It was all just perfect.

That night, when the girls were in bed, and we were curled up together, I told Deacon how perfect that had been, how perfect it all was. How much I loved him and how much I hated having to wait six weeks to have sex again. He just pulled me closer and kissed me on the forehead. "Two thousand fifteen," he whispered.

"I'm proud of you, babe," I whispered back. "And I love you. So much."

THE END

Although this is the end of this story, it's definitely not the end to Deacon and Rayna's story. In my imagining, they went on with their AU life, loving each other, making music, and living passionately with their daughters Maddie and Daphne. In this life, there was no lie to overcome, no Stacey or Megan or Liam or Luke. There was no car crash and no fall off the wagon for Deacon. It truly was a life that was good. To all of you that loved this story and read it, reviewed it, followed it, and favorited it, thanks. I enjoyed writing it for you.