Hope Collins-James was born on a Sunday morning.

The moment she came into this world, the sun was rising outside, shining so brightly, it covered the whole room with radiant beams of yellow streaks. It looked like the room had been painted to fit the occasion.

As the nurse placed Hope on Skylar's chest, she started sobbing. This tiny human being was a perfect combination of her and Ryder!

She was so cute with her dark hair, almost in a hairstyle, like someone had combed it already. Skylar touched it gently, it was so soft and brittle, it was kind of angelic like.

"She has your nose" Skylar said, looking at Ryder.

He nodded. She did.

Having a baby with the person you love, really means creating a tiny replicant of the two of you. Baby Hope had features easily traced back to either one of them.

Mindblowing.

At the same time she was her own person. Looking at her sweet little face as she squinted her eyes shut, and made her mouth pout at the same time, she looked like neither one of them.

After a few minutes, the nurse took Hope. Ryder was watching, as they weighed and meassured her. She looked so tiny.

After what seemed like an eternity, they were transferred to the recovery room. There was a cot for Ryder and a bassinet for baby Hope. Of course Skylar wanted them to be in the room with her, she wanted both of them to be as close to her as possible.

As they cuddled up in the bed, all three of them, it felt too good to be true. Skylar's body had no visible reaction to the pregnancy. Her vitals were fine and even now after the delivery, she was in mint condition. They monitored her closely and she felt perfectly fit.

She was watching Ryder and Hope, they were both sleeping. They looked so cute together. The nurse stressed the fact that close contact right from the start was vital, but they didn't need to be told, it was natural to both of them, wanting to keep her close at all times. Skylar smelled her fine hair, it tickled her nostrils and she felt like sneezing, but she held it back, afraid to wake them. The smell was soothing to her, she could smell Hope's hair all day long!

She prayed she would always remember that smell...

She fell alseep but woke up as she heard her father's soft voice close to her ear. He rarely whispered, he was just naturally loud, but apparently baby Hope brought out the best in him.

"Pumpkin...it's me" she looked at him, he was all teary eyed, for once. It occurred to her - she had never seen him cry?

"She's beautiful...she looks just like you, when you were a baby" he stated and gently touched her cheek.

"She does?" Skylar sat up slowly.

"She sure does...you were such a beautiful baby, you had a full head of hair too. You took after your mother in that departement" he continued humorously, referring to his own lack of hair. Dave had been bald for decades now.

She smiled lightly.

"I see the new daddy is K.O" he laughed with restraint.

Skylar nodded.

"How are you feeling sweetheart? Are you okay?" He sounded concerned, but he was masking it somewhat by giving her his infamous poker face.

"I'm surprisingly well daddy...I feel better than I have in years. I hardly feel any diffrent. No change what so ever, it's really weird..." she really did wonder, could it be this easy?

"That's awesome though. I have to admit I was a little worried when you guys decided to go through with this, but seeing that sweet baby in your arms, I truly get it. What ever you need, I'm going to be there for you, okay?" He said, drying his eyes with the palm of his hand. It made her smile.

She loved her dad. Regardless of the past they shared, she loved him. People make mistakes, but good people rectify them. He had done that...he managed to change, and she believed in him, she believed in the man he had become. Her dad had become this honest; humorous; laidback guy. Before he wasn't trustworthy, too serious and high strung!

The journey they had made took them to a good place.

She feared it was going to be different for Ryder. Mending his relationship with his mother was nearly impossible? She felt the same about her own mother, some things are just impossible to forgive.

It all depends on who you are as a person, right? That's what she figured. Being compatible, sharing the same beliefs, seeing eye to eye or agreeing on disagreeing?

If you can't find some sort of common ground, you are bound to clash.

Ryder woke up, he slowly opened his eyes, realizing they were no longer alone.

"Congratulations grandpa" he said, smiling at Dave.

"I've got to hand it to you...she's perfect" Dave said, sitting down on the chair next to Skylar's bed.

"I heard you guys are moving in with Charlie's parents?" Dave said, nodding at his own question.

"They have been so generous, it is the perfect solution for us...I am so happy, when Ryder told me about Lily's offer a couple of weeks ago, I was just over the moon!" She smiled at baby Hope, who was still sound asleep.

"I hope I get to hold her before I go" Dave said, sighing.

"There'll be unlimited opportunities to do that, don't worry daddy" Skylar said, his apparent impatience seemed sweet to her.

"When will you be leaving this place?" Dave asked them, genuinely wondering. Expecting Skylar's health to be the deciding denominator.

"In a week or so...that's just a ballpark estimate so far" Skylar said, the prospect of leaving the hospital was exciting, yet scary at the same time.

But she had hope it would all work out. Living in a real home with Hope was just a fairy tale come true, right?

She smiled under her breath. They were still doing the bucket list, apparently? But it seemed like they skipped a couple of points...or maybe not.

Tecnically speaking having Hope could be considered meeting someone famous and having an adventure, all wrapped into one bundle of baby, right?

She hoped so.

Did that mean they finished the bucket list?

For some reason that scared her.