Chapter Eighteen
Raven
T he waiting room buzzes with nervous energy. Even though we’ve been here for hours, the tension never dips below a steady hum. King’s wife, Maddy, is in labor, and every single person in this room is on edge.
“Does it really take this long to have a baby?” I ask, half-joking to distract myself from the knots in my stomach.
“Sometimes it takes much longer,” Ma says from beside me, her tone calm and knowing. “Do you want kids, Raven?”
I can feel the weight of Jaxon and Jasper’s attention settle on me at the question, but I don’t mind. I take a deep breath, considering my answer.
“I do,” I admit, letting the truth settle in the air. “But it scares me. I have this fear that one day, I’ll take them to the park and lose their faces. I wouldn’t be able to recognize them, and that thought... it’s sad and terrifying.”
“You’d adapt,” my mom says gently from her spot beside Ma. The two of them have become inseparable these past few weeks. “You always do, honey. You’ve faced so much already and handled it beautifully.”
“I know,” I say with a small smile. The knot in my chest loosens slightly as I hear King’s booming voice shout his joy. “And my baby would have two amazing dads who’d help me every step of the way.”
“Imagine her swollen with our child, brother,” Jaxon’s voice murmurs low enough that only Jasper and I can hear.
“What a sight that will be,” Jasper replies, his voice tinged with awe.
“Fuck,” Jasper groans quietly, and the heat in his tone causes a ripple of laughter to burst from those close enough to catch it.
“It’s a girl!” King shouts, racing into the room like a whirlwind of joy.
Even though I’ve only known him for a few weeks, I’ve never seen him act so wild. He’s a man usually defined by his quiet strength, but now he’s radiating happiness that’s impossible not to share. I join the others in hugging him, feeling the warmth of this makeshift family envelop me.
By the time I pull back, my stomach twists—not with nerves but with the familiar pang of my face blindness. Everyone’s features blur together in a way I’ll never get used to. But I know, somewhere in this wonderful group, my two men are here. Their presence is as steady as a heartbeat, even if I can’t see them clearly.
“Are we ever going to have a boy?” someone jokes, and the room bursts into laughter.
“Elijah’s our only boy, and he’s sixteen,” he continues. “Why do all my boys keep giving me granddaughters? Not that I’m complaining. I love them all. But do you know what comes with granddaughters, boys? Dating. Teenagers with no self-control.”
“And that’s why they’ll all have uncles,” someone else says, his tone laced with amusement. “And fathers. And grandfathers. Let’s see one of those little punks get past us.”
“Damn right,” another adds. “We’ll have shifts if we have to.”
The laughter rolls through the room, a balm to the tension that’s lingered for weeks.
I lean back in my seat, letting the sound of their voices wash over me. Somewhere deep down, I know that no matter what challenges lie ahead, no matter the fears, struggles, or uncertainties, this is where I belong. With them.
With all of them.
The joy, the love, the chaos…it’s perfect.
And as I watch King hold his newborn daughter for the first time, I can’t help but feel a quiet, powerful hope for everything that’s to come.
“Sweetheart,” the man in front of me says. Suddenly, everything that connects Jaxon to who he is comes into focus.
“Pet,” the man beside him says. Of course, all that connects to Jasper snaps into place as well.
“Lose our faces, sweetheart?” Jaxon asks.
“Yeah,” I admit. “But it’s okay. I knew you were here somewhere.”
Jaxon kneels in front of me, his green eyes soft with understanding as he cups my face. “You’ll never have to search for us, sweetheart. We’ll always make sure you find us.”
Jasper kneels beside his brother, his hand resting lightly on my knee, grounding me as always. “Even if you lose us for a moment, Pet, we’ll bring you back. Always.”
The warmth in their words fills the spaces inside me that I didn’t realize were still empty. I let out a soft laugh, the tension I’d been holding onto since we arrived finally melting away.
“You two really know how to ruin a perfectly good emotional moment,” I tease, though my voice betrays just how much their reassurance means to me.
“Ruin?” Jaxon arches a brow, feigning offense. “We just made it better, sweetheart. Admit it.”
“Fine,” I say with a grin, looking between them. “You win. As usual.”
“Damn right,” Jasper murmurs, leaning in to press a soft kiss to my temple.
Across the room, King cradles his tiny daughter, his face a mix of awe and pride. The sight makes my chest tighten in the best way, and I glance back at my two men.
“I do want kids,” I say quietly, almost surprising myself with the suddenness of the admission. “With you.”
Their expressions shift, softening into something I can only describe as reverence.
“Then we’ll have them, Pet,” Jasper says, his voice steady.
“Whenever you’re ready,” Jaxon adds, his fingers brushing over mine. “And until then, we’ll just practice.”
“Jaxon!” I laugh, swatting at him, but the warmth in his grin is infectious.
The chaos of the room hums around us, laughter, teasing, the occasional cry from the newest member of the family, but in this moment, all I feel is peace.
With them.
With all of them.
And as Jaxon and Jasper each take one of my hands, their touches grounding me like always, I know for certain that whatever comes next, I’m ready.
Because this..this is where I’m meant to be.
I lean back in my seat, letting the sound of their voices blend with the soft cries of King’s newborn daughter. The moment feels like a snapshot of everything I never knew I wanted. A chaotic, loud, imperfect family full of love and promise.
Jaxon squeezes my hand, pulling me from my thoughts. His green eyes hold mine, the warmth in his gaze a steady anchor. “You’re quiet, sweetheart. What’s on your mind?”
I glance between him and Jasper, the two men who’ve claimed my heart and refused to let go. “Just thinking,” I say softly.
Jasper tilts his head, studying me with that familiar intensity that always leaves me feeling seen. “About?”
“About how this,” I gesture around the room, “feels like home. Like it’s everything I’ve ever been searching for but didn’t know how to name.”
Jaxon’s lips curl into a slow smile, and Jasper leans closer, brushing a strand of hair from my face.
“This is home,” Jasper murmurs, his voice low and certain. “You’re ours, Pet. And we’re yours.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, overwhelmed by the truth of his words.
Across the room, King laughs as his daughter lets out a tiny wail, his joy spilling into the space like sunlight. Maddy reaches for her husband’s hand, her tired smile radiant as she watches him with their baby from the wheelchair she was pushed out in.
The echoes of their laughter and quiet coos fill the room, blending with the emotions swirling in my chest. It’s as if the world has stilled, leaving only this moment. A promise of the life we’re building together.
Jaxon leans closer, his voice a low rumble against my ear. “Echoes of desires, sweetheart. That’s what this is. Every want, every need, finally finding its place. And this? It’s just the beginning.”
My heart swells, a soft laugh escaping me as I look at them, these two men who have given me so much more than I ever dared to hope for. “Echoes of desires,” I repeat, the words tasting like a promise on my tongue.
Jasper grins, his hand squeezing mine gently. “And every echo leads back to us, Pet. Always.”
With them by my side and the love we’ve built wrapped around us, I know that no matter what lies ahead, we’ll face it together.
And that’s everything I’ll ever need.
The End