Epilogue
One year ago today, I became a father.
It’s still strange to think about: me, a father.
The broke omega who used to pour coffee for minimum wage, who lived in a twelve-by-twelve room and counted every penny, who was so certain he’d never have a family of his own.
Now I’m standing in a penthouse decorated with blue balloons and streamers, watching my son smash his fists into a cake shaped like a teddy bear while a room full of people cheers him on.
Christian has frosting in his hair and on his nose. He’s laughing that belly laugh that makes everyone around him smile, completely delighted by the chaos he’s creating.
He gets that from me, I think. The chaos part, at least.
“He’s going to need a bath after this,” Erik says, appearing at my elbow with a plate of cake. “Possibly two.”
“Three, minimum.” I lean into him automatically, and his free arm wraps around my waist.
Erik laughs—that real, warm laugh I didn’t even know he was capable of when we first met.
A year of fatherhood has changed him in ways I’m still discovering.
He’s softer now. Quicker to smile, slower to anger.
He leaves work early to make bath time. He knows all the words to Christian’s favorite lullaby.
He’s nothing like the cold, controlling alpha I expected to marry. He’s nothing like what I feared.
Mrs Kay wipes my son’s face and he grins up at her.
“It’s good to see you, honey,” Mrs Kay tells me as she straightens, her eyes dropping meaningfully to my midsection. “Though I notice you’re not having any champagne.”
I glance at Erik. He glances at me. We haven’t announced it yet—wanted to wait until after Christian’s party, make sure the day stayed focused on him—but Mrs Kay has always been too perceptive for her own good.
“We’re, um.” I rest my hand on the slight curve of my stomach, still small enough to hide under a loose shirt. “Expecting again. Found out about six weeks ago.”
Mrs Kay’s face lights up. “Oh, sweetheart. Congratulations!”
“Shh, we haven’t told everyone yet—”
But it’s too late. Ellie’s head has snapped up from across the room, her eyes zeroing in on my hand placement.
“Nolan West,” she says, abandoning her conversation with Anna mid-sentence and crossing to us in three strides. “Are you pregnant again?”
So much for waiting.
“Maybe?”
“Oh my god.” She throws her arms around me, careful of my stomach despite her excitement. “Oh my god, Christian’s going to be a big brother! When are you due? Do you know the sex yet?”
“August and no, it’s far too early!” I hug her back, overwhelmed by her enthusiasm. “You’re not upset we waited to tell you?”
“I’m upset I didn’t figure it out sooner. You’ve been weird about sushi for weeks.” She pulls back, grinning. “Does this mean I get to officiate another vow renewal?”
“We’ve already had two weddings.”
“So? You can never have too many vow renewals. Erik, back me up.”
Erik holds up his hands. “I’m staying out of this one,” he says but then he grins and kisses me. “But I would marry you again every day for the rest of our lives if that’s what you wanted.”
The party continues around us, shifting seamlessly to accommodate the new news.
Christian shrieks with delight as Erik lifts him out of his high chair, cake and all. Our son immediately smears frosting across Erik’s pristine white shirt, and Erik just laughs.
“This is dry clean only,” he tells Christian solemnly. “You understand that, right?”
Christian responds by trying to shove more cake into Erik’s mouth.
“That’s my boy,” I say.
Later, after the guests have gone and Christian has been bathed and put to bed, Erik and I stand at the nursery door watching him sleep. The mobile turns slowly above his crib casting gentle shadows across the walls.
“One year,” Erik says quietly. “It doesn’t feel real.”
“I know what you mean.” I lean against the doorframe, one hand resting on my stomach. “Sometimes I wake up and forget for a second. Then I hear him on the monitor and it all comes rushing back.”
“Any regrets?”
I look at him. He asks this sometimes—not often, but occasionally, usually in quiet moments like this. I think part of him still can’t believe I chose to stay after everything.
“Not one,” I say. “You?”
“Only that I wasted so much time being wrong.” He pulls me close, careful of the bump that’s barely there yet.
“We have years ahead. Decades.” I kiss his jaw, the corner of his mouth. “We have Christian. We have this new little one. We have—”
“Everything,” he finishes. “We have everything.”
We weren’t supposed to work but here we are anyway. Married. In love. Parents, with another on the way.
Sometimes the best things come from the worst beginnings.
“Come to bed,” Erik murmurs against my hair. “You need rest.”
“In a minute.” I want to hold onto this moment a little longer but then Christian stirs in his crib, makes a small sound, and settles back into sleep, so I let Erik lead me down the hall to our bedroom, his hand warm in mine.
This is my life now. This is my family.
This is everything.
The End