She took a deep breath.
Let it out.
Scott was at work.
Beau was also at work.
In the last month of her pregnancy, she’d had no choice but to stay at home. She tended to the garden, cleaned, cooked, researched, and prepared the nursery for their little girl.
“You need to call my husbands,” she said to the nurse. There hadn’t been any time. Between the pain and the fear, she knew this time it was real.
The baby was coming. After all this time, she’d finally get to see her little girl.
She curled over as another wave rushed over and she cried. “Get them. Scott James and Beau Caine. They need to be here right now!” There was no way she was going to give birth without them here. They had done this to her.
She collapsed back to the bed. The closer together the pain came meant she was getting even more closer to the actual birth. She was going to be giving birth so soon. She wasn’t ready.
Nope.
It couldn’t happen.
Not today.
Nope.
Not without her men.
“We need you to stay calm, relax, and take deep breaths.”
“Did you call them?” she asked the nurse, not interested in following instructions.
“We did. They’re on their way.”
“Good, because this baby isn’t coming out of me until they’re here.”
“Sweetheart, you’re going to have to give birth.”
She shook her head. “Nope. I don’t have to do anything. I am the mother. I will not push.” She wasn’t about to tell the woman that she already had this incredible urge to push. Like an extremely painful urge. She wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. She really wanted to push.
She didn’t push. No, she held herself together.
Her hands clenched and then, against all the odds, she had no choice. She started to push.
“Here we go, guys,” the doctor said, coming into the room. “You’re doing really well, Connie. Come on, honey, you’ve got this.”
“Not without Scott and Beau.”
“They’re going to be here. They will,” the doctor said. “But for now, I need you to push.”
Just as she was about to push, Scott and Beau burst into the room. A couple of the nurses tried to make them leave, but they came forward, holding her.
She didn’t need to push at that moment. Relief filled her as she held on to both of her men. They’d arrived.
“We’re here, sweetheart,” Scott said.
“The longest fucking car ride, believe me,” Beau said, kissing her head.
A few of the nurses in the room looked shocked, but she was ready now to play her part, to push, and to finally see her baby.
With Scott holding one hand, Beau the other, she prepared to push, doing as the doctor ordered.
The pain was intense. It hurt more than anything ever had.
On the final push, she heard the cry though. The most precious and beautiful sound in the world.
“Our little girl is here, sweetheart,” Scott said.
The doctor came toward them, carrying the little bundle.
Sitting up, Connie didn’t care about the pain. Not as her baby girl was placed in her arms and she stared into the most beautiful blue eyes. Her little girl looked at her, and she just felt this overwhelming need to love and protect her.
During her entire pregnancy, she’d been worried she wouldn’t love her daughter or bond with her. She’d read in rare cases it didn’t happen and she really didn’t want to believe it.
Staring at her girl, she knew she would do whatever she had to love, to protect her from the world.
“Hello, Ava,” she said. “You scared me.”
“And me,” Scott said. “You’re a couple of days early.”
“I couldn’t wait to meet you.”
“These are both of your dads.” Being married to two men, Connie had gotten used to the odd looks, and now she no longer cared. The options were to ignore people and keep the men she loved, or agree with the assholes and never know what true love felt like. It was time for her to stop worrying what others thought and only focus on her love.
“You did it,” Beau said.
He glided a finger across Ava’s cheek. Scott stroked her head, ever so lightly.
“She’s smaller than I imagined,” Scott said.
Connie laughed. “That’s because I was the size of a tank.” She had gotten to the stage where she could no longer see her feet. “Look what we made.”
“Perfect.”
“So perfect. I love her so much and I just want to care for her. Show her that she’s loved no matter what.” She pressed her face against her girl and closed her eyes. At the same time, Scott and Beau held her.
They were together, united as one, exactly how they were supposed to be. When Scott and Beau had first told her that they wanted her, she couldn’t imagine what that actually meant for her future. But like always, her men had surprised her. Marriage was a dream come true in more ways than she could have imagined. Her life perfect and whole.