26. Bea
Iswear, I thought waddling during pregnancy was a joke until it happened to me. My entire body felt bloated, and my stomach was bigger than ever.
There were only a few more days until little miss was going to join the world, and everything was just about ready.
Phoenix had helped the guys paint the nursery. I couldn’t stand the smell of the paint, so I didn’t argue when they shooed me away.
The outcome was incredible. They’d gone for a pretty purple-and-gold theme. I didn’t think that it would look good together until I saw a display at the store and fell in love with it.
The only thing we hadn’t quite decided on was a name. We’d all thrown our own suggestions out. Right now, Sage, Ember, and Scarlett were at the top of our list.
Corvin reasoned that we’d realize which one was right the moment we met our sweet girl. For now, she was just our little bean.
Apollo walked down the stairs to grab another armful of baby things. We had our baby shower.
Of course, more people came out than I anticipated once word got around, and we were overloaded with just about anything a baby could need.
“I ordered some lunch. It should be here in a second. Just prop those feet up and yell out when they knock.”
“I’m not incapable of walking,” I said, rolling my eyes. He just chuckled and grabbed a basket full of freshly washed baby clothes and headed back up the stairs.
It felt so strange not to be in the thick of things and helping, but if I was on my feet for too long they’d start to swell, and I ran out of breath a lot faster than before. It felt like the baby had pushed her way up against my lungs.
My hands drifted to my belly right as she started to move. It was always fascinating to watch the ripple of movement across my skin.
I don’t know how long I rubbed my hands over it, feeling her push back and watching her wiggle.
The doorbell rang, effectively ending the moment.
“Food’s here,” I yelled as I got up and waddled my way to the door.
I opened it up, expecting to find a delivery driver, but instead it was my sister staring back at me.
Nausea rose up, and I was no longer hungry.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded, my voice hard and cold.
She winced, but didn’t back away. Her eyes widened as her gaze drifted down to my belly.
“You’re pregnant,” she said.
“Yes,” I confirmed without giving her anything more. “Again, what are you doing here?”
Tears welled up in her eyes, tears that I didn’t buy for a fucking second. Those tears were always her tactic for softening whoever she was manipulating. Unfortunately for her, I was well-versed in my sister’s tactics.
“I just wanted to check in.”
Phoenix’s laughter drifted down from upstairs, quickly followed by a thunder of footsteps.
“We need to go back to the farmers market,” she was saying, her hands moving wildly as she spoke. “They had these adorable handmade baby toys. I think we should definitely get her some new things. I’ve even been saving up my babysitting money so I can buy her some things just from me.”
“She’s lucky to have you as a big sister,” Apollo said proudly.
I registered everything they were saying, but my eyes never left my sister’s face. I watched shock and pain ghost across her face.
“Mom?” Phoenix’s voice was full of shock and horror. She backed away, pressing herself against Corvin’s chest. HIs hand went protectively to her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Dee made an offended noise but we all ignored it. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see my girl,” Dee tried, but Phoenix shook her head, refusing to listen.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she bit out, voice shaking and angry tears welling in her pretty, brown eyes.
“You don’t have to,” I promised, still not looking away from Dee.
“I’m happy here. I have people that care about me,” Phoenix continued, starting to fight back.
“I see that,” Dee said, her own tears falling now. Her gaze shifted to me. “If she’s happy here, I won’t try to take her away.”
“At this point, she’s my kid,” I said, not letting it go. “I would fight you every step of the way if you tried to take her.”
Dee looked taken aback. I felt like it was a testament to how much she didn’t care about Phoenix’s feelings, or mine.
The fact she was shocked we’d want her daughter around was disgusting. It felt like she was admitting she never did by being that shocked.
“I think I’d like to stick around, though,” Dee said, turning back to Phoenix. “Maybe I can rent a place in Willow Lake. I’d like to get to know my daughter again, and maybe get to know my sister and her pack.”
I also glanced at Phoenix, gauging how she felt about this. She looked at me, and I held out my hand. She moved quickly to my side, wrapping her fingers around mine for reassurance.
“If you stick around, I’d be willing to talk, but on my terms,” Phoenix said carefully. The if was loud and clear, proving that she didn’t have confidence that her mother would stay.
“Ugh,” I groaned as my stomach tightened, the muscles cramping fiercely. It was stronger than the Braxton Hicks that had hit on and off for a few days.
“Are you alright?” Corvin asked, moving closer. He had one hand on my belly and the other on my back, studying me.
“I’m fine. It’s probably just more of those Braxton Hicks,” I reassured him, even though I didn’t really think that.
I didn’t want my sister to be involved in that moment.
“This is why I kept you off your feet,” Apollo said, worry creeping into his tone.
“You guys seem to be good for her,” Dee said as she studied the interaction. I had a feeling she would never have a chance to find a pack like this, but I really did hope one day she would. Someone who would settle her, or at least meet her crazy.
“Fuck,” I cursed, another one hitting far too soon after the last.
Then another. My fingers were gripping Apollo’s biceps hard enough I might bruise him, bending over a little as my stomach muscles tightened.
Something warm gushed between my legs and down onto the floor.
“I think my water just broke,” I said, looking up at them with wide eyes.
“Phoenix, grab the hospital bag for me, it’s go time,” Ezra said, taking charge like he’d been waiting for this moment.
“Okay, Dad,” she gasped, rushing off. It came naturally, not just because she was trying to prove something to her mom.
He froze for a second before the most adorable smile lit up his face, and then he was off again.
I was quickly swept into the car, with Dee promising she wouldn’t be far behind us.
“We want you in our lives. We just care about Phoenix and what she wants, and deserves stability.” The warning in my voice was obvious. My sister nodded, her eyes full of tears.
“In case they take you straight back, just know I’ll be rooting for you. Holding them in your arms for the first time… it’s worth it. Just wait,” she promised, swiping away tears.
It felt like a goodbye.
I had a strong feeling that I wouldn’t see her again today. I’d been hurt too many times by her and I wasn’t willing to get my hopes up.
As usual, my sexy firefighters kept their heads about them. They ushered me and Phoenix into the SUV before we were off, heading to the hospital.
Before we even made it out of the driveway more contractions hit. They were consistent, only taking a small break before another round hit.
My stress levels were rising by the second, but I was so excited. I’d dreamed of this moment so many times.
We bypassed Willow Lake quickly, heading straight for the hospital. Thank God it was only a thirty-minute drive.
I prayed with everything in me that I’d make it there in time. There was no way I was going to have my baby on the side of the road if I could help it.
Traffic and the gods were on our side today. Corvin made it there in record time, Apollo and Ezra holding my hand in the backseat while Phoenix offered words of encouragement from the passenger seat.
Apollo called when we were a few minutes away, and the hospital staff was waiting out front when we pulled up.
A few nurses and my guys helped me out of the car, then I was whisked away. I worried about Phoenix being alone, but a car sped into the lot behind us and I couldn’t help but let out a relieved breath. I should’ve known my besties would never stay behind.
“We’ve got her,” they promised. “You go have that baby.”
My pack stuck by me every step of the way, knowing what I needed before I did. They even offered hands for me to squeeze through every single contraction.
I should have known that they’d be the best birthing partners. They never let me see how stressed they were and kept calm faces so I didn’t freak out.
Two agonizing hours of pushing later, and I finally heard my daughter’s first cries. She had a set of strong lungs on her, and when they wiped her off and put her in my arms, I fell in love.
She settled against me, her little body warm against mine.
This right here was exactly why I fought so hard, the reason I went to therapy and escaped the hold Cameron had over me.
“You did so good, siren. I’m so proud of you,” Corvin said as he kissed my forehead, brushing my sweaty hair out of my face.
“She’s perfect, too,” Apollo said, kissing me, then our daughter.
Corvin stepped back so Ezra could have his turn at my side, brushing a kiss over my temple before resting his cheek against mine. He ran gentle fingers down our daughter’s cheek. She was eating now, and they were right, she was absolutely perfect.
Once the doctor had finally left us alone, I asked them to bring Phoenix in.
“She’s here?” Phoenix asked as she burst in the door, Corvin walking slower behind her. Tears were already streaming down her face as she came to my side.
Even though I was still in a bit of pain, I scooted over, making room for her now that we were in the recovery room.
She crawled into the bed with me without hesitation, her head resting on my shoulder as we both stared at the little girl sleeping in my arms.
“What did you name her?” she finally asked after brushing her fingers over her hair, tracing her little nose, and holding her little hand. A small noise escaped her as our daughter gripped Phoenix’s finger.
“Scarlett.”
“You chose mine?” she asked in a hushed whisper before letting out a choked sob.
“Look at that face. How could we name her anything else?” Corvin asked. He pressed a kiss on her head, then our daughter’s, and then finally mine.
“My girls,” he said, his voice as choked up as ours.
After we’d been quiet for a few moments, Phoenix sat up, chewing on her bottom lip. A telltale sign she had something to say but was nervous.
“I think Mom left again. I watched her car head for the highway as we drove away. She texted you and said she was sorry.”
My eyes drifted closed for a second, chest aching sharply for Phoenix. Another departure without a goodbye. More promises broken.
“I’m sorry that she didn’t stay,” I said.
“My real family did. She was always too busy being in and out of my life that I’m no longer surprised,” Phoenix admitted. “I’m honestly kind of relieved that we won’t have to fight her, and I get to stay with you.”
“You’re ours forever,” I promised. “No matter what.”
She gave me a crooked smile before looking back at Scarlett.
“I’m going to teach her to be so strong and to love music as much as I do,” Phoenix said, swiftly changing the subject.
“Remember you said that when she’s crying all night,” I teased.
“That’s what noise canceling headphones are for,” she shot back, rolling her eyes.
All of us laughed, feeling lighter now that the stress of the moment was over.
A soft knock on the door had us turning our heads to take in Taryn and Dani peeking into the room.
“Is it okay if we say hi really quick and then leave you alone? I know you’ll want to hang out as a family,” Taryn asked.
“Of course,” I said, waving them over. They belonged here with us, at least for a moment.
My two best friends walked up, and I shifted my daughter so they could hold her.
“It’s time to meet your aunties,” I told Scarlett.
Of course, my besties were blubbering messes as they each talked to my daughter, holding her for a moment before passing her back to me.
“Phoenix, do you want to stay with us here, or do you want to go get some sleep at their house and come back in the morning?”
“Can I stay?” she asked. That nervousness was back, and I wished that I could erase it. Only time would show her that we would never leave her behind.
“Always,” I promised.
Her answering smile told me I made the right choice.
My friends said a quick goodbye, leaving a care package of snacks and drinks for us.
It was hard to let Scarlett go for long, but everyone took their turns holding her. The guys were naturals, and I swear my ovaries burst all over again just watching them with our girls.
Thankfully, these pack recovery suites were meant to accommodate bigger packs. We had plenty of room for Phoenix, and she was so good with her baby sister.
Even during the middle of the night she’d wake up with us. In fact, she was the only one able to get her to sleep at one point.
As my baby slept against my chest, Phoenix sleeping at my side and everybody else snoring away, I couldn’t help but appreciate the moment. My eyes roamed over our pack, taking in each face and fighting off happy tears.
“I’m so glad I met you that night,” Ezra’s voice rang out in the quiet. It was a husky whisper, and I met his gaze, a smile spreading across my face.
“For once, I didn’t mind the grannies meddling in my life,” I admitted. “You guys were so good to me. Even after I pushed you away, you were there waiting for me.”
“We would have waited forever for you, honeybee. You were always meant to be ours.”