24. Maddox
MADDOX
B y the time I’m rushed into the labor and delivery ward, I’ve been sanitized and thrown into scrubs. I tossed my phone at Rome and told him to handle the calls coming in from everyone and left him and Lucky somewhere between here and the front desk. Fuck if I know where.
I run down the hall to where Ajax is standing guard outside Lennon’s room and push through the door without waiting when I hear her scream. My heart stops when I finally see my wife.
Caitlin is on one side of her, and Callen on the other.
Lennon’s head is back against the bed, her hair pulled up. Her beautiful face is pale as tears streak down her face, while Kenzie’s hand is inside her body. “Almost there, Lennon.”
“I want Maddox,” she cries, and I fucking snap out of it, moving to her side.
“I’m right here, baby.” I press my lips against her forehead. “I’m here.”
She cries as Kenzie does whatever the hell she’s doing, and I want to fix it for her, but I can’t, and it kills me.
“You’re doing so well, Lennon. Just... one... more...” Kenzie blows out a breath, and I watch her look up quickly at the ceiling before smiling at Lennon. “We got him.” She looks exhausted but relieved. “He flipped.”
“What’s happening?” I ask Kenzie as Lennon lies against me, exhausted.
“Lennon’s water broke, and Caitlin and Callen rushed her here. The baby was occiput posterior?—”
“Language I understand, Kenz,” I interrupt dryly.
“OP is when the baby is facing forward. It’s not ideal for delivery, but we do it. However, Lennon’s pelvis is narrow, and she wants to avoid a c-section, so I attempted to move him. Luckily, he cooperated.” She looks from me to Lennon. “How are you feeling, Lennon?”
“Like I can’t do this,” my girl whispers, and my heart breaks.
Caitlin holds one of Lennon’s hands in both of hers. “Yes, you can. You’re a badass who stood up to her entire country for this baby. You can do this, and you’re going to look amazing while you do. Do you hear me?”
And I’m officially in my sister’s debt for the rest of my life because I don’t know whether I could have done what she just did. She drops her forehead to Lennon’s, and my girl closes her eyes and nods. “Okay.”
Callen claps my back. “That’s my cue to go. I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
“Thanks,” I mutter, so far out of my fucking depth, I don’t even know up from down as I take Lennon’s other hand.
“Okay, Lennon. Here comes a contraction. I want you to push.” Kenzie gets settled between Lennon’s bent knees, and I mirror the way Caitlin holds Lennon.
Lennon sits up, and Kenz looks at me. “Sit behind her, Maddox. Support her back. Give her your strength.”
That I can do.
I climb on the bed behind her and take her weight. “You’re doing so good, tesoro .”
She stiffens and screams as she pushes for what feels like long minutes before finally running out of steam and falling against me again. Caitlin gives her ice chips, and Lennon lies against me until the next contraction hits.
The cycle continues on and off until Kenzie tells us this is it. “Come on, Lennon, I need one more big push. He’s right there. You’ve got this.”
“No,” she cries. “I can’t.”
“You can, baby. You can do anything.” I kiss her head, so fucking proud of her. “Let’s meet our baby.”
Her shoulders stiffen as she sits forward, and I inch in behind her.
Cait grabs her hand. “You ready?”
“Noooo...” Lennon yells as she bares down and pushes with every last ounce of her soul.
“Keep pushing, Lennon,” Kenzie says. “One more... Harder,” she yells.
And my wife does what she’s told as she holds my hand so tightly, I’m surprised her fingers don’t break. Kinda surprised my fingers don’t break too.
“That’s it,” Kenzie tells her, and I look up and watch the mirror behind my friend just in time to see my son enter the world.
He’s small and red and perfect.
And he’s crying the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.
It’s strong and fast and loud.
Our baby.
“It’s a boy,” Kenzie announces, and I take what feels like my first breath since I walked in the room.
“Is he okay?” Lennon asks through uncontrollable tears. She turns to me when no one answers her. “Maddox...”
“He’s beautiful,” I whisper, holding her and in absolute fucking awe of this woman.
Kenzie holds him up, and a nurse offers me scissors. “Do you want to cut the cord, Dad?”
“No. I’ll leave that to the experts,” I murmur, a little overwhelmed as I slide out from behind Lennon and help her lie back.
I push her damp hair away from her beautiful face, and she grabs my arm while I rest my lips against her forehead. “Love you, Maddox,” she whispers.
“Love you, principessa .”
Caitlin backs away as the nurse places the baby on Lennon’s chest.
“Hello, my little prince...” she murmurs, and I wipe a tear from my own eye.
* * *
T hey called the next hour the golden hour.
We’re left in the room.
Just the three of us.
My entire heart in one bed.
Our little man latched on like a little champ. Apparently, while thirty-six weeks is early, it’s not always too early. His lungs are good, and his color is good. His sugar is fine, and his APGAR scores were great. He’s an overachiever. Not sure where he gets that from.
I lie in bed with Lennon in my arms and our baby on her chest, scared to blink.
Scared if I close my eyes for even a second, this will all be a dream, and I won’t have everything I’ve ever wanted.
“We need to pick a name,” Lennon says softly as she runs her finger over his tiny nose. “He doesn’t look like a Luke.”
“He doesn’t,” I agree. “How about Brock?”
She shakes her head no.
“Come on, Brock Beneventi is a good name.” I run my fingers over her hair. “It’s strong.”
“What about Brennan?” She kisses his head. “Brennan Beneventi sounds like a strong name.”
“Brennan Beneventi... I like it. What about a middle name?” I ask her quietly as she yawns.
“I think it should be Samuel. Like you and your dad.”
Well, damn.
There goes another tear.
“Brennan Samuel Beneventi,” she tests it and smiles. “I like it.”
“Me too, tesoro . Me too.”
* * *
I ’m fairly sure if my family were any other family, they wouldn’t be allowed in the hospital after visiting hours, but our last name holds a level of clout and control few people argue with. So even though it’s after eleven at night, once my parents and brothers have left, Callen and Caitlin are still allowed back in.
Lennon is asleep in the bed while Brennan lies in my arms, staring up at me, when my sister falls in love. Her eyes sparkle as she melts into a pile of goo, just looking at him. “Can I hold him?”
I carefully transfer him to her arms and listen to her have an entire whispered conversation, making him so many promises, I can’t help but smile. I turn to Callen and wrap an arm around him in a tight embrace. “Thank you for everything, brother. For tonight. For everything... I know I’ve said it before, but I’m sorry for the hell I put you through last year. I get it now. I didn’t then.”
“Yeah... it’s one of those things you can’t understand until you find the woman who turns your world upside down,” he offers as he watches his wife with my baby. “She changes everything.”
I nod, silently agreeing. “Definitely brings you to your knees.”
“Speaking of which...” Callen smiles, and Caitlin rolls her eyes. “While you’re in a forgiving mood, I think it’s a good time to tell you your wife and mine forced me to help your wife get her dress on tonight. I did it with my eyes closed, I swear.”
“One eye was sort of open,” Caitlin adds nonchalantly, and I stare at them, confused.
“It was more closed than open,” Lennon whispers from the bed, and we all turn around. “And seriously, Kenzie had her entire hand in my vagina with a mirror behind her while Callen and Caitlin held my hands. He’s probably seen things that are going to give him nightmares. Get over it, Madman.”
“What?” Caitlin laughs so loudly, she startles Brennan.
“Hey now.” I move to Lennon’s side. “You don’t call me Madman.”
“If you can call me princess, I can call you Madman.” She keeps her eyes closed and the blanket pulled up, like the exhaustion is still there, but she’s fighting it.
“I told you I liked her,” Caitlin announces as she slides Brennan into Callen’s arms. “There. He can’t hit you if you’re holding the baby.”
“I wasn’t going to hit him,” I grumble, too happy and too tired to worry about it tonight.
“Fine. Then consider Brennan an insurance policy.” Cait moves to Lennon’s side.
Callen smiles a shit-eating grin. “You think Anastasia and Brennan are going to get into half the trouble we did?”
“I think it’s going to be his job to kick anyone’s ass who even thinks about getting her into some of the trouble we got into.”
“Yeah.” Brennan fusses, and Callen calms him down like a pro. “I like that.”
I look at my best friend holding my baby, and man, it’s such a humbling thing.
“I like that too.”
* * *
Lennon
I n the dark of the night, I finally feel my husband lie down next to me and gather me in his arms. “I thought I told you to go home and get some sleep,” I whisper as I curl into him, completely ignoring my own words.
“You did. I chose to not listen.” He pulls the blanket up, and I feel his body relax against mine. “Did you really think I’d leave you alone?”
“No.” I press a kiss to his chest. “I knew you wouldn’t. And I didn’t want you to, if we’re being honest. But there isn’t much you can do here in the meantime. I figured one of us should get some sleep. And somebody has to take care of Meatball.”
“Rome is taking Meatball for us. And I wasn’t going to get any sleep without you anyway. Besides, who’s going to get up and change Brennan and bring him to you when he wants to eat? Callen told me that’s my job for the foreseeable future. Change the baby and bring him to you, so you can nurse. I’m pretty sure I can handle that.” His voice is scratchy but somehow lighter than I’ve heard it in so long. “Sleep, Lennon. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
The conversation we had last spring flashes in my mind, and I suddenly realize how full circle we’ve come.
“Thank you for saving me, Maddox...” My voice shakes, betraying my emotions. “That night in the snow and every day since I showed up last summer and blew up your entire world.”
“Don’t you see it, principessa ? You are my world. Brennan was exactly what we needed to figure out a way to be together. And trust me when I say we were always supposed to be together.” He sinks further into the uncomfortable hospital bed and pulls me with him. “Thank you for giving me a chance to prove it to you.”
“I can’t wait to get home and start our life,” I admit hesitantly. “The three of us.”
I close my eyes, wishing my mom was here to see this and realize I have to call my brothers. Shoot. I can’t have them hear about this in the news. “Hey...” I wake a dozing Maddox. “Could you hand me one of our phones?”
“Umm-hmm...” He passes me my phone from the rolling hospital table, and I smile as he goes right back to sleep while I dial Rhys.
He picks up on the second ring, and I see his smiling face and him sitting at his desk. “Hey, big brother,” I whisper. “Guess what?”
“Hey, kid. Why are you whispering? And what time is it there?”
I pan the phone over to where Brennan is sleeping soundly in his little clear hospital basinet, wrapped in a blue-and-white blanket with a matching blue beanie on his small head. “Meet your nephew.”
“Lennon... Wow. Seriously?” He inhales. “He’s beautiful, just like his mother.”
“I wanted you and Atticus to hear it from me,” I yawn as my body fights to stay awake. “But I’m so tired. Could you tell Atticus? And let him know I’ll call in a few hours?”
“Wish I was there to meet him,” he says solemnly.
“I do too. Maybe you could come back over during Christmas.” I know it’s a long shot, but I don’t think I’m welcome at home, and I’d love for my brothers to meet Brennan.
“I’ll see what I can do. FaceTime me tomorrow when you and the baby are awake. I want to meet him.” I recognize the sadness in his eyes because it’s reflected in my own.
“I will. Love you, Rhys.”
“Love you too, little sister. Get some sleep.”
I disconnect the call and steal another peek at the perfection lying in the bassinet next to me, then snuggle back into Maddox’s arms. I close my eyes, knowing this is as close to perfect as a person ever gets to have in life, and I’m so lucky to be here.