He felt his heart beating, the rhythm of it steady and strong as he held her in his arms. He could feel her pulse as well, a steady match to his own and all of what they had just done came to him again, a sweeping reinforcement of how right they felt together.
"I am ready for this. Hell, I've been waiting for this, it seems my entire life. I never wanted to do this with anyone else, Hannah. I've..I've never even thought to try."
His voice was calm, confirming and confident in his every words. He let a hand stroke her skin, amazed again at how she felt next to him, naked and warm, and he paused as he heard her last words, pausing that her having Olivia might be a deterrent.
"Your daughter is a part of you, a huge part. I relish all of you Hannah, including her. It is who you are. I wouldn't presume to expect anything else from you, of you. I mean, I wouldn't ever wish you didn't have her! She's an amazing little girl, and a piece of your past. If things were different," he said, pausing and swallowing, "You might not be here with me right now."