Chapter 27 #2
"Totally," I lied. In reality, I felt like I had no idea what I was doing, no matter how often I'd dreamed of one day being a parent. "It's a lot of responsibility, though." How was I going to handle two at once as a newbie dad?
"You'll be a wonderful dad," Tyrel said, making me wonder if I'd projected that last thought without meaning to.
"Do you really believe that?"
"Of course I do. Would I have picked you otherwise?"
"Oh, I don't know. Your interest seemed to come from a more sexual source back then."
He laughed. "I'll admit that I wanted you the day I met you in that café, but you've impressed me in other ways since."
"Have I?" I hadn't done much really. After all, I'd been confined to this bed for much too long.
"These kids haven't even been born yet and you've already fought for them. I couldn't have picked anyone better."
His words eased a bit of my worry. I hadn't seen it like that. "I'm glad to hear you don't regret your choice."
"No regrets."
"Not even the bonding?"
He snorted, not even deigning my silly question with a response.
Just as well, because that moment, the nurse came in. "Ready for your big day?" she asked with a wide smile.
I simply nodded. Tyrel was right. I'd gotten this far, I'd handle the rest of it, too.
The nurse took great care to talk to me to keep me distracted while she wheeled me into the operating theater, which I was grateful for. "Your partner will be with you again in a moment," she told me. "He just needs to change into sterile clothes."
I knew this of course. We'd gone over the procedure a hundred times, but I didn't mind that she was telling me again as she put an IV in my arm. Lucky for me, it went in easily.
"Are you looking forward to your babies?" she asked.
"I am."
She smiled at me and I looked at my belly.
Not long now.
I grinned.
By the time they set me up on the operating table that was all I was thinking about, which helped me blend out the doctors and what they were doing as I received my epidural. I wasn't scared of needles, but I didn't like being poked and prodded, so I grasped for something else to focus on.
"We're taking these babies only a little bit early," Dr. Meloy told me. "They should be fine but we'll check them before handing them to you. Please don't be concerned."
I nodded. Something stung me. Probably some anesthetic, but I didn't care because Tyrel entered the room, strode to my side as if he didn't care whether the doctors liked it or not, and grabbed my hand.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." I laid back.
The nurse put a drape up so I couldn't see my stomach, but I figured that was probably just as fine. I couldn't feel them working there now, and I didn't want to know too much about what they were doing.
Tyrel peeked, but didn't say anything. His face turned slightly pale, though. I squeezed his hand.
"You got the nursery all set up?" I asked.
"You know I took care of it."
"All in pink, right?" I teased.
He snorted. "They're dragons. Not unicorns."
"Unicorn babies might be cute, though."
"You picked the wrong shifter, then."
"Damn it. Wait, do unicorns exist?"
He shrugged. "I've only heard rumors, but then, I used to think fated mates were fairy tales, too."
"I guess you have a point."
Dr. Meloy spoke up. "You're going to feel a little pressure now."
"Okay." As soon as I'd said that, I felt like I was being punched in the gut, only without the pain. It was the oddest sensation. And then I heard the sweet sound of a baby crying. My baby.
Immediately, tears welled up in my eyes.
"We have a little boy," someone called out.
"Taryn," I whispered.
Tyrel squeezed my hand a little harder. I watched as someone lifted my first born to a small table to check on him.
Not a minute after, another cry rang through the room as my other baby loudly announced its arrival to the world.
"Another little boy," the nurse said.
"Oh dear, what are we going to call him?" Tyrel asked me with a grin on his face.
"I don't know." I laughed through the tears on my face. "But he sounds like a fighter." And I loved him—and his brother, more than anything. Suddenly I had more love in my heart than I thought was possible, and I found the sentiment echoed in Tyrel.
"You're a daddy," I whispered.
"You, too."
And then the nurse carried my sons to me. "Congratulations," she said as she put the babies into my arms where they rested side by side against my chest. My heart stopped for a moment looking at them and their tiny little hands.
"They're perfect," Tyrel said, voicing what I thought.
"Which one was first?" I asked.
The nurse pointed to the baby on my right side.
"Okay. That one's Taryn." He was a little bit bigger than his brother, and looking quite content now that he'd settled down.
"Would you like to hold him?" I asked Tyrel.
"Would you mind?"
I would. I never wanted to let go again, but I knew how silly that was. "I've carried these two for long enough. It's time for you to say hi to your son."
Carefully, Tyrel took the baby from me. "Hi, Taryn."
I regretted not having brought a camera with me. Seeing my dragon tenderly hold his son melted my heart. After a moment, I looked to the baby sleeping on my chest.
"Hey, you," I whispered.
"He doesn't look like an Alana," Tyrel said.
"No, I suppose not."
"Are you disappointed?"
I chuckled. "Nah. I'll have my girl next time."
Tyrel groaned. "You seriously want another after all this?"
I counted my son's perfect little fingers, thinking of all I'd had to endure to get here. "Worth it."
Tyrel laughed. "Let's just take care of the two we have first."
"Right."
"What was your father's name?"
"I'd rather not name him after my father."
"Any male relative with a name you like?"
I thought about it for a moment. "My grandfather was Eric."
"Works for me."
"It's not a very dragon-y name, though."
Tyrel put Taryn back into my arms and took his other son instead. "He's human, too, you know. He's both of us."
"Yeah… yeah, he is."
Tyrel held our little one up. "Welcome to the world, Eric."