Breeding Justice

27. Epilogue Justice

Epilogue: Justice

I stood in the bathroom, sunlight streaming through the frosted glass, cutting bright lines across the tiles. I stared at the positive pregnancy test in my hand, my heart racing so fast I thought it might burst out of my chest.

The room felt too small, too close, for what I was trying to process.

I blinked, trying to absorb it—trying to accept that the little plus sign on the test wasn’t just a cruel trick. Another baby. After everything.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. My fingers trembled as I stared at that damn test. My thoughts were a mess, tangled in a knot of fear, joy, and disbelief. This wasn’t part of the plan. Hell, I wasn’t even sure what the plan was anymore. I’d thought survival was the endgame, but life had other ideas.

I placed a tentative hand over my belly. There was something terrifying and beautiful about this moment, about what it meant for the future. My mind wandered to SJ. He’ll have a sibling. The thought hit me harder than I expected, twisting my heart in a way that almost made me dizzy.

Maybe this time, things would be different. Better. We weren’t living in a war zone anymore—not constantly. The hope was fragile, but it was there, a tiny spark flickering beneath all the fear and uncertainty.

I stood in that quiet bathroom for a long time, unmoving. Letting the weight of possibility sink into my bones.

When I finally walked out into the living room, the scene was almost laughably normal. Skylar was sprawled on the couch, flipping through TV channels like he was allergic to focusing on anything for longer than two seconds. Zane sat nearby, reading the news on his tablet. Bash was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with his usual calm confidence, sipping coffee.

Hassan stood by the window, gazing out at the Miami skyline like he was contemplating something deep. And in the center of it all was SJ, chasing his remote-control car across the floor, giggling like the happiest kid in the world.

I paused in the doorway for a second, taking it all in. This was our life. Chaotic, messy, but real.

Skylar spotted me first, flashing that grin that always made me want to punch him and kiss him at the same time.

“Morning, Sleeping Beauty,” he teased. “Big night thinking about how amazing I am?”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ve got something better.”

That caught their attention. Bash raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to continue. Zane set his tablet down, his focus shifting entirely to me. Even Hassan turned from the window, his expression softening with quiet curiosity.

My heart pounded. For a moment, I debated saying something else, making a joke to deflect the enormity of the moment. But no. This was too big.

“I’m pregnant.”

The room went dead silent. SJ’s car hit the wall and spun in lazy circles, the only sound breaking through the stillness.

Bash blinked, the shock in his eyes giving way to understanding. "...Pregnant?" he echoed, like he needed to say it aloud to believe it.

“Well, shit,” Skylar said, breaking into a wide grin. “You work fast, huh?”

Zane chuckled, shaking his head. “Fast isn’t the word. Precise.”

Hassan took a step toward me, his concern palpable. “How are you feeling?” he asked gently.

“I’m okay,” I said, though my voice felt small. “Just… still processing.”

Skylar leaned back against the couch, stretching his arms out dramatically. “Okay, but the real question—whose kid is it?”

“Mine,” Bash said without hesitation, his voice completely deadpan.

Skylar snorted. “Yeah, right. You’ve got a one-track mind. Clearly, I’m the genetic superior here.”

Zane let out a soft laugh. “Let’s not make this a paternity contest. We all know the answer.”

I crossed my arms, arching an eyebrow. “Exactly. The baby’s mine.”

“Ouch,” Skylar muttered, clutching his chest in mock injury.

The tension shattered, laughter filling the space like sunlight. Bash moved toward me and pulled me into a gentle hug. His chin rested on my head, and for a moment, the rest of the world faded away.

“You’ll never be alone in this,” he murmured. “We’ve got you.”

I believed him. I had to.

Later, we moved out onto the balcony. The city stretched out beneath us, a maze of rooftops and winding streets, glittering in the sunlight. The ocean sparkled on the horizon, a promise of calm that I still didn’t quite trust.

SJ was kicking a soft soccer ball, shrieking with laughter as Skylar chased after him, pretending to be some kind of monster. The scene was almost surreal—so different from the life we’d known for so long.

I leaned against the railing, the breeze tousling my hair. Hassan and Zane stood beside me, both of them quiet, lost in their own thoughts.

“Feels good up here,” Hassan said, closing his eyes for a moment and breathing in the salt-tinged air.

“Yeah,” I murmured. “It’s peaceful. For once.”

We’d fought so damn hard for this peace, for this chance at something resembling normalcy. And now that it was here, I didn’t quite know what to do with it. My mind whispered that it wouldn’t last, that the shadows of our past were still out there, waiting to close in.

Bash came up behind me, slipping an arm around my waist. His presence was solid, grounding.

“This is the life we built,” he said quietly. “We earned this, J. Don’t forget that.”

“I won’t,” I promised, though a knot of fear still twisted in my chest. “But sometimes… I’m scared it’ll slip through our fingers.”

“It won’t,” Zane said with quiet certainty.

I looked around at them—my family, my loves. The men who had fought beside me and bled for me. Skylar’s laughter rang out as he scooped SJ up, spinning him around in dizzy circles. The little boy’s giggles were infectious, weaving into the fabric of the morning like a spell.

We’d made it through hell. And we’d keep making it through. Together.

I sat on the bench near the balcony door, SJ crawling into my lap with his tiny hands patting my belly. He babbled something incoherent, but I understood the sentiment. He knew.

Skylar plopped down beside me, tossing an arm over my shoulders. “He knows, you know,” he said with a grin. “Kids can sense this stuff. Bet he’s already thinking up baby names.”

I laughed, feeling lighter than I had in years. “As long as it’s not ‘Skylar Jr.’...”

The others groaned in mock horror.

“Excuse you,” Skylar said, pretending to be offended. “I’d make an excellent namesake. Skylar Jr. has a nice ring to it.”

“Hard veto,” Zane said, his voice dry but amused.

The banter continued, flowing like the steady rhythm of a heartbeat. I leaned into it, into the warmth and love that surrounded me. This was the life we’d fought for, the future we’d dared to believe in.

I placed a hand over my belly, tracing slow circles. The fear wasn’t gone, but it didn’t own me anymore. The city hummed below us, alive with possibilities.

This is life. And I’m not afraid anymore.