Sam holds my hand as pain streaks through my body. “This had better be the last one,” I gasp.
And suddenly, there’s a head.
Sam is the only visitor in the delivery room, and he looks down and his face goes ashen.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“That’s disgusting and beautiful all at the same time.” His eyes are shining with tears. “We have a son, Peck. A son!”
“Dad, do you want to cut the cord?” the doctor asks.
Sam takes the scissors and cuts the cord, and they get me all cleaned up while they check the baby over.
“He’s doing great,” a nurse tells me as she puts him in my arms.
Suddenly, the room floods with Reeds and Zeroes. There’s barely any air left for me to breathe, there are so many of them. But this is my life. It’s the life I chose, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Melio takes the baby and holds him. “I won’t know what to do with a boy,” he says. He wipes a tear from his eye.
“You’ll figure it out,” Marta says, patting him on the back. “We’re grandparents.” She lets out a shaky breath and comes to kiss my forehead. “I’m so proud,” she whispers.
Soon, the room clears out, after everyone has passed the baby around the room at least once. Only my sisters are left.
“Where are Star and Wren?” I ask Fin.
“Star is in the waiting room.”
“Why didn’t she come in?”
Fin avoids my eyes. “She’s waiting.”
“What’s wrong?”
She leans down and whispers in my ear. “Something happened with their brother, but they won’t tell us what.” She brushes my baby’s hair from his forehead. “This has got to be the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen,” she says.
“Is Josh still with Star?” I ask. And where the heck is Wren?
She nods. “But I think he’s staying under duress. No one else can do anything with Star.” She gives me a reassuring look and nods. “Don’t worry. They’re fine. You concentrate on this beautiful little thing.” She kisses Samuel Emilio on the head.
Sam scoots into the bed with me and puts his arm around me. “You’re not a Zero anymore,” he whispers. “You’re a Zero-plus-two.”
I kiss him, because emotion is clogging my throat so much that I can’t speak.
I like being a Zero, because as a Zero, I knew I would never be alone. But now I have more than I ever dreamed possible. I have Sam. I have it all.
Once everyone has gone home, the door opens and Star comes in. She doesn’t say a word. She just climbs into bed with me and I take her hand. She lies on one side and Sam is on the other with the baby in his arms. He doesn’t get up. He looks at me and arches a brow, asking if I want him to leave. I don’t. I never want him to leave.
Star lies there quietly, not saying a word, and I can feel the tension seeping out of her body. Finally, she goes to sleep, and I just lie there and hold her hand. I have no idea what happened today, but it had to be big.
The door opens and Wren’s colorful head pops into the room. “Am I too late?” she asks. Her eyes roam from Star to me and back. “I was out looking for her,” she says. “Glad I finally found her. Only Star would end up at the place where I should have been all along.” She snorts, but it’s a humorless sound.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Not really. But it will be.”
“It always is,” I remind her.
She wipes a thumb beneath her nose. “Why does it have to take so damn long to get there sometimes, though?” she asks.
I look into Sam’s blue eyes. “It’s worth all the trouble.”
He smiles at me and puts our baby into my arms.
Totally worth it.