Tick. Tick. BOOM.

The way they locked eyes the minute they met and barely looked away until she was tucked into the backseat of the car. TICK.

The way I could see his heart breaking as she cried in her car seat on the way to the hotel. TICK.

The way he told her stories while he fed her a bottle and she smiled so wide the milk ran right out of her mouth. TICK.

The way he seemed to have a never ending supply of gifts for her, like a magician with a bottomless hat. Finger puppets, toys, a new alpaca sweater for every month of her infancy. The thought of him picking them out. TICK.

The way he never took his eyes off her as we walked with her in the carrier. How he put his arms around us to protect us from the world. TICK.

The way he took her from me when she fell asleep at dinner and how she relaxed against his body without protest. TICK.

The way they played in the hotel room for hours and she laughed and he laughed and I laughed. The way we finally got to laugh together. TICK.

The way she knew him, right away, and stared at him all night, enthralled by his face... his eyes... his voice. The way I know that feeling... how easy it is to love him. TICK.

The way they are the same. Their eyes... their noses... their toes. How they raise their eyebrows in matching expressions. The way he dances and she wiggles and the way they never stop moving. TICK.

The way they sat in the bathtub together and he pulled her through the water and washed the bubbles off her back. Our little naked baby against his chest. TICK.

The way he watched me put on her pyjamas. Goodnight feet... goodnight knees... goodnight belly... goodnight arms... goodnight Gaia. TICK.

The way he looked at us like we were his favourite people in the world as I bounced her to sleep. The way I know we are. TICK.

And then it happened. TICK. I’d felt it coming. TICK. Through family hugs and family kisses and family cuddles. TICK. Through silly songs and tickles and Gaia soaring through the air in his arms. TICK. Through dinner time and nap time and bath time and bed time. TICK. We watched her sleeping. TICK. Could not tear ourselves away, we watched her sleeping. TICK. He held me close. TICK. He whispered in my ear. TICK.

“Me and Chancho-Mono, we are so lucky to have you." He said. "This is the best day of my life.”

Tick. Tick. BOOM. My heart exploded. Just like that... BOOM... my heart exploded.

Later when he fell asleep and I was surrounded with the sounds of their matching sleepy breathing... their matching sleepy snores... the sound of the ocean from her Sleep Sheep... her favourite thing to fall asleep to... his favourite thing to fall asleep to... they slept and I snuck around the room collecting all the pieces.