Chapter 28
Sloane
The waiting room is quiet, muted voices drifting from behind closed doors, the soft hum of air conditioning filling the gaps between them.
The walls are pale blue with framed pictures of smiling babies and families.
In one corner, there’s a play area where a young boy toddles around, his mom nearby, watching him closely.
There are rows of chairs that are a little too firm to be comfortable. I sit in one of them, my hand resting unconsciously over my stomach. It’s still flat, unchanged, and yet everything is different.
Rook sits to my right, his knee angled slightly toward mine, his presence solid and steady like always.
Boone is on my left, one arm draped along the back of the chair behind me, not touching but close enough that I can feel the heat of him.
Cruz leans forward slightly, elbows on his knees, tapping his fingers together in a rhythm that tells me he’s more keyed up than he wants to admit.
None of us is talking much. Not because we don’t want to, but because there’s too much sitting just beneath the surface, excitement, nerves, hope.
“Ms. Mercer?”
I look up. A nurse in pale green scrubs stands in the doorway, clipboard in hand, offering a polite, practiced smile. “That’s me,” I say, pushing myself to my feet.
The guys stand with me automatically. The nurse’s smile flickers slightly as she takes in the four of us, but she recovers quickly. “Right this way.”
The exam room is cool, and the hum of the air conditioner is the only sound in the empty room. The nurse tells me to get up on the exam bed and that the doctor will be in soon, before leaving us.
The scent of disinfectant is stronger here, and as I sit on the edge of the exam bed, the paper sheet beneath me crinkles with every movement.
There are only two chairs on the other side of the doctor’s desk, presumably for the expected two parents, but the guys don’t sit in them at all.
Boone stands near the wall, arms folded loosely, his gaze fixed on me.
Cruz leans against the desk, glancing around like he’s taking everything in and filing it away.
Rook stays closest, one hand resting lightly on my lower back, his concern coming out as possessive and protective.
The door opens again, and the OBGYN steps in.
She’s in her late forties, maybe early fifties, with kind eyes and a no-nonsense posture that immediately puts me a little more at ease.
Her hair is pulled back neatly, and she carries herself like someone who has seen everything, and nothing surprises her anymore.
“Good morning,” she says warmly. “I’m Dr. Carter. You must be Ms. Mercer.”
“Sloane,” I reply.
She nods and glances briefly at the men, her eyebrows lifting just slightly, but she doesn’t comment. “Let’s take a look, shall we?”
The gel is cold. I inhale sharply as she presses the probe gently against my stomach, the screen flickering to life in front of us. For a moment, there’s nothing, just static shapes and shadows I can’t make sense of. But then, she stops moving, holding the probe still.
“There we are,” Dr. Carter says softly.
My breath catches as I see it, a tiny shape, small yet unmistakable, and a rapid, steady flicker.
“That’s the heartbeat,” she explains as the sound fills the room. Fluttering like a hummingbird, but strong, and very much alive.
I don’t realize I’ve reached for Rook’s hand until his fingers tighten around mine. Boone shifts closer. Cruz goes completely still.
“That’s—” I swallow, my voice catching slightly.
“That’s your baby,” Dr. Carter finishes gently. “Everything looks exactly as it should for an eight-week-old fetus.”
Relief floods through me so suddenly that it almost feels like weakness. “Thank you,” I whisper. Then my brain does the math. “Eight weeks?”
Dr. Carter nods. “Going by your hCG levels and the measurements, yes.”
I’m shocked, considering we only started trying for a baby a couple of weeks ago. I must have gotten pregnant while I was still on the pill.
She continues talking, explaining the measurements, timelines, what to expect, but I only catch pieces of it because I’m still staring at the screen, still listening to that heartbeat like it’s the only thing that matters. Right now, it is.
The moment shifts when she turns back to us, clipboard in hand. “So,” she says, glancing between us, “Which one of you is the father?” Her eyes land on Rook, the obvious choice since he’s closest.
The room goes still. The guys wait for my response. I know they’ll respect whatever I say. If I choose to play along with her assumption, Boone and Cruz won’t mind. I sit up slowly, wiping the gel from my skin, meeting her gaze. “All three of them,” I say calmly.
I won’t hide our relationship. I want all of them to be equally involved, if that means we need to go through several doctors to find the right one, so be it.
There’s a brief pause as the doctor processes the information. There doesn’t seem to be judgment in her eyes, but I feel the need to clarify, to make certain there’s no misunderstanding.
“We’re in a polyamorous relationship,” I add. “We’re raising the baby together.” I feel the men shift slightly behind me, not defensive or uncertain, just present and supportive. “And they’ll all be there during the birth,” I finish. For me, this is non-negotiable.
Dr. Carter’s expression smooths quickly, her professionalism settling back into place.
Before she can respond, Rook interjects. “Will that be a problem, doctor?” Rook’s voice is calm, even, but there’s an edge to it, a quiet challenge, the kind that says he’s prepared to push back if he needs to.
Dr. Carter doesn’t miss it, but she doesn’t cower or backtrack.
She handles him like a pro. “Not at all,” she says easily.
“More support usually means better outcomes.” She glances between them again, something almost amused flickering in her eyes as she smiles knowingly. “Takes a village, after all.”
The tension dissolves instantly. Cruz huffs a quiet laugh. Boone’s shoulders relax. Rook nods once, satisfied. I feel something in my chest ease that I didn’t realize was tight.
“She’ll do just fine,” Cruz murmurs under his breath.
I smile. Anyone who isn’t intimidated by Rook in prez mode can definitely handle this unusual birth. “Yeah, she will.”
***
The drive home feels different. I feel lighter, the world outside the window looks sharper somehow, sunlight catching on buildings, the distant noise of traffic blending into something almost rhythmic.
It feels strange to be driving in the truck, but the guys insisted.
I think the plans to teach me how to ride are going to be put on pause for a long while, not while I’m pregnant, that’s for sure.
I keep one hand on my stomach. “We’re really doing this,” I say quietly.
Rook glances at me in the rearview mirror from the driver’s seat. “We are.”
Cruz grins, twisting around in the passenger seat to look at me. “Best decision we’ve ever made.”
Boone doesn’t say anything; he just reaches over, his hand covering mine briefly.
I lean my head against his chest, listening to the beating of his steady heart.
We spend the rest of the drive home discussing how we’ll break the news to Jessy and whether or not she’ll take it well.
Cruz suggests bribery to soften the blow, and we pull over at the store to buy her some presents, dinosaur-related ones, and some of her favorite snacks.
When Cruz finds tiny leather jackets in the kids’ clothing section, he’s so excited that I agree.
He buys one for Jessy and a tiny newborn one.
“I’ll sew an Iron Vale patch on them both tonight,” he announces.
“You sew?” I ask, eyebrows shooting up.
“I am a man of many hidden talents,” he grins.
I shake my head, laughing. “Well, I can’t wait to discover them all.”
“That will take years, he’s always finding new hobbies,” Rook grunts.
“Good job we’ve got the rest of our lives ahead of us then,” I say with a smile.
***
Jessy is sprawled on the floor playing with her toys when we get back. She looks up the second we walk in, scrambling to her feet and running straight at me. “Mommy!”
I catch her easily, lifting her into my arms, breathing in the familiar scent of sunshine and crayons and something uniquely her. “Hey, you,” I say, pressing a kiss to her hair.
“You were gone forever,” she complains.
“It was, like, an hour,” Cruz says.
“That’s forever,” she insists, sticking out her tongue at him, and he does the same back before pulling a silly face to make her laugh.
Her eyes land on the bags of goodies in Boone’s arms, and she immediately lights up. “Are those for me?”
I’m just about able to get her to say thank you and goodbye to Beth for babysitting before she dives into the bag like it’s Christmas morning.
When the excitement of her new gifts has worn off a little, she finally remembers why we were gone.
She pulls back, studying my face. Smart beyond her years, she suddenly seems suspicious of the presents, recognizing them for what they are—bribes.
“Why were you at the doctor’s? Beth said you aren’t sick, but only sick people go to the doctors. Did she lie?”
“No, sweetie, Beth wouldn’t lie to you. She was telling the truth.
” I pick her up, pulling her into a hug, needing to feel her and reassure her that everything is okay.
I glance at the guys. They’re all watching, waiting.
“Mommy went to the doctor for some tests. We have some good news,” I say with a smile.
Her eyes narrow, she still can’t quite believe that the doctor’s isn’t a place that’s only for sick people. “What kind of news?”
I shift her slightly on my hip. “The kind where you’re going to be a big sister.”
She’s quiet for a second as she takes in the news. “What?” Her excitement explodes out of her. She nearly launches out of my arms, bouncing on her feet, eyes wide and shining. “Really? Really, really?! You’re not joking with me?”
“Really, really,” Boone confirms, smiling.
Jessy spins in a circle. “I’m going to have a baby!” she declares.
“We’re going to have a baby,” Cruz corrects.
“My baby,” she insists.
Rook huffs a quiet laugh. “We’ll share.”
She gasps suddenly. “I get to name it.”
The room goes still. “Oh no,” Cruz mutters. “That sounds dangerous.”
Boone’s mouth twitches. Rook raises an eyebrow. I laugh, shaking my head.
“It’s not!” Jessy protests. “I have great names.”
I grin. “We might need to workshop the names a little. Make sure we pick one that everyone likes.”
She narrows her eyes. “Fine. But I get to help.”
“You absolutely get to help,” I say.
That’s enough for her. She beams. “I’m going to be the best big sister ever.”
“You sure are, kiddo,” Boone tells her, hugging her tightly.
The men all share my pride in our amazing daughter, their relieved smiles that mirror mine painted on their faces.
Jessy isn’t confused or upset by the prospect of another child in the family; she doesn’t question any of it, simply accepting it.
It makes me feel like things are exactly how they’re supposed to be.