Caspian snorted. “That might be the baby’s first word living in this house.”
That only caused a fresh wave of tears.
“Okay, okay. No swear words,” Caspian assured me in a panic.
“Syn. Sweetheart. You can do this. You’ve taken care of us and changed our lives since the moment you stepped into it. You’ve already shown how much you love our gummy. And you’ll have us. Every step of the way. We won’t ever forget to feed our baby.”
“You promise?” I sobbed as another wave of pain crashed over me.
Caspian was grimacing when it ended as I’d been squeezing his hand hard enough to break it.
“We promise,” they all swore, almost in unison.
“Can we have our baby now?” asked Hendrix, looking a second away from dragging me out of the room and doing what he wanted anyway.
“Okay,” I squeaked.
The moment the word came out of my mouth, I was indeed in Hendrix’s arms and he was racing towards the birthing room we’d set up with all the latest equipment and technology. With their status, it wasn’t wise for us to go to a regular hospital where we could be caught unaware, so we’d basically made a hospital suite in our house.
The doctor was already waiting inside.
Caspian shrugged his shoulders sheepishly when I turned to him. “I may have texted her…”
I blew him a kiss and started to change into my hospital gown.
It was time.
* * *
River
James Khan, named in honor of Syn’s lost brother, was born screaming at 5:22 p.m., seven pounds, eight ounces, with black hair and brilliant green eyes that were just like his mother’s.
Alana Khan was born five minutes later…much to everyone’s shock. Five pounds, four ounces with blue eyes and a patch of fuzzy, dark red hair. Evidently, she’d been hiding behind James the whole pregnancy. And it made sense why she’d never been seen. She was quiet from the moment she arrived, just staring at the world around her. The calm and quiet to her brother’s chaos.
Hendrix almost passed out when the doctor announced there was another baby…but the second Syn delivered Alana, it was like the last missing puzzle of our little pack clicked into place.
I hadn’t imagined that I could be any more in love with Syn, but watching her push out our babies…my heart nearly exploded.
All those times I thought I’d never be happy. All those times I thought the world might be better off without me.
Holding my babies in my arms, it was like they’d never existed.
I’d never known life could be so sweet.
* * *
One month later…
Caspian
James had just thrown up on me for the thousandth time that day, and somehow I was still smiling. I laid him down and began whistling, something he loved.
I’d read the baby books that River and the doctor had recommended…but I still hadn’t been able to comprehend how much bodily fluids came with a baby. Drool, spit-up, pee…and fuck, don’t get me started on all the poop.
James had literally spit up into my mouth the other day. Don’t ask me how that happened, but it had. And I’d gagged and thrown up right afterwards.
Poor Syn had walked into the room to James and I both falling apart. Thank goodness she was already the best mom in the world and had quickly and efficiently figured it out.
All her fears had been unfounded; she’d taken to motherhood like she’d been born for it. There was a peace about her that had never been there before. Like she’d been waiting for something all her life and now it was here.
Right now she was swaying Alana back and forth in her rocking chair, softly humming a lullaby with a sweet smile on her face.
She must have felt my stare because her gorgeous green eyes lifted to mine.
“I love you,” I murmured to her, any other words lost in the all-consuming emotions blasting in my chest.
“I love you too,” she murmured…right as James took that moment to pee all over me.
* * *