EPILOGUE
The ride to the hospital was the most nerve-wrecking drive I’ve ever taken in my life.
Melody… I always knew she was a goddess, but she spent the whole fifteen minute drive breathing deeply, staying quiet and squeezing Markus' knee and my hand.
I hear Kai in the backseat calling the hospital and getting our private room ready.
We want as much privacy during this time as we can have—Melody and the baby deserve it.
We looked at each other over her head and a silent understanding was made. She can do whatever she needs to do to us to make it through this . Although, if she keeps squeezing me this hard, I might need to worry about bones breaking.
I guess I’m glad it’s my hand and not Markus'. I can still sing with a broken hand.
“Adam, when we pull in, jump out and grab a wheelchair.”
“Got it,” he nods from the front seat as the driver pulls into the maternity entrance of the hospital we picked. The car doesn’t even fully stop before Adam runs in and grabs a wheelchair, and out runs a nurse to help him.
I rip open the door just as Melody tightens her grip on my hand again and she whines loudly. I give the nurse all the information, my voice shaking clearly with anxiety, and she just nods knowingly. Right, Kai already told them .
“Let’s get you inside. Looks like we’re having a baby!
” The kind nurse takes charge, steering Melody inside the doors before looking back.
“The father can come as well,” she calls out because we’re all standing frozen with shocked, stunned, worried, excited storms of expression on our faces.
I know I’m so fucking excited to be a dad, but I’m also swimming with anxiety.
What if I do something wrong? What if I hurt him?
What if I’m not good at this? What if he ends up hating me?
“Get your asses in here, now !” Melody cries through her clenched teeth and we all kick into gear.
Adam rushes forward, taking her hand, as Markus holds her other hand.
Kai and I, we follow quickly, but I can tell he’s feeling the same worries; the same what-if questions racing through his head as I am.
His eyes are tight, worry and stress filling them.
It’s so funny to me that we’ve played our songs on stages across the world, been on live TV numerous times, and we’ve never been as panicked as we are right now.
Before I know what’s happening, we’re all up in a big room with people all working around us. A nurse helps get Melody in a bed and in one of those ugly hospital gowns and she’s red-faced as they pull in some other doctor with the biggest needle I’ve ever seen.
“What the hell is that?” I shout loudly, the need to protect her and my son is more overpowering than the stress that’s been dulling my senses.
“It’s for the epidural,” the nurse says with a soft smile. “Don’t worry. It won’t hurt.”
“Promise?” Melody asks softly and I can hear the thinly-veiled worry in her tone. It kicks me into gear because this is about her, not about me or my worries. I step in front of her, the others at my sides as we all give her reassurances as they do the epidural and get her laying on her back.
The moment the medicine starts to work, Melody sighs in relief.
“You’re already at seven centimeters, so it’s safe to say this little one is going to be here very soon,” the nurse announces as the doctor walks in.
“Seven?!” Melody cries out, her eyes widening in surprise.
“Definitely.”
“Guys,” she groans and we all surround her.
“You can do this, Reverb,” I whisper into the crown of her head.
Seven Hours Later…
Well, our little boy is now being stubborn, but he’s ready.
We had to have the ‘four fathers’ conversation with a few of the nurses because they kept making eyes at us and telling us that visiting hours were long over while trying to usher three of us—they just didn’t know exactly which three—out.
After Adam snapped at the fourth nurse that “This baby is all of ours and she’s our wife, so none of us are fucking leaving,” they got the picture and rolled in another few cots.
Melody’s been amazing, but even with the medicine, I can see how exhausted she is. She’s been laboring for hours and finally, finally , he’s on the way. Melody groans, her head falls back, and Kai wipes her forehead with the towel.
“You’ve got this, baby, he’s on his way.”
“They’ve been saying that for hours!” She groans again.
The doctor walks in fully ready and he sits down on the stool. “Are you ready, Melody? Daddies?”
Melody’s head rolls up off the bed and the doctor starts directing us.
“Melody, you’re not going to feel the pain, but you’re definitely going to feel pressure.
” The doctor looks at the monitor and my eyes follow like I’d be able to understand anything I see there.
“Your contractions are right on top of each other. When I tell you, I need you to push, okay? Only when I tell you. Will two of you go to either side of her head and help prop her up and then the other two can hold her legs. Are you ready to meet your son?”
My eyes widen and I take a deep breath. This is it.
I step up and hold one of her legs while Adam holds the other, Markus and Kai going to either side of her.
There’s so much going on in the room, going on in our life, but it all boils down to this moment.
Where all the pain, all the angst and suffering we went through is forgotten.
The future… The future is all that matters.
Our son, our future children, our love for each other… that’s all that matters.
My eyes find Melody’s and she looks so unbelievably tired, but there’s that steel-lined look in her eye telling me she’s going to give everything she has.
“You’ve got this, baby,” I praise softly, rubbing soothing circles on her knee. “We’re right here.”
Melody nods, a half-smile forming on her lips as the doctor starts telling her to push.
He’s… perfect.
Wrapped up tightly in a blanket as he nurses from Melody. All of us are just completely wrapped around his little finger.
Lennon Jackson Sullivan is born with fair blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, looking smushed and grumpy, but perfection in a baby form.
All of us cried, all of our hands shook as we passed him between us. When all the nurses left and Melody was able to rest, the guys and I stood there, shirtless and waiting for our next turn to hold Lennon.
“He’s… I didn’t know I could love something so much,” Adam muses softly, bringing Lennon up to his lips and kissing his soft head.
“I know,” Kai nods, speaking softer than I ever thought possible for him, taking the newborn and placing him on his bare chest. “I know we said we didn’t care about who the biological dad is, but it definitely seems like Lennon is looking awfully Kai-like.
” Kai smirks and the rest of us chuckle.
It’s true—since blonde-haired Adam is out because he got to marry Melody, it’s looking like Kai got her pregnant first.
“Yeah, well, it’s my turn next. Both to hold him and to get her pregnant. I’m going to have so much fun,” I say with a sultry smirk and make grabby hands for the baby.
“I just got him!” Kai complains, but hands him over.
“You’re going to have to learn how to share,” I tease with a laugh and hold the small bundle. “I love you so much, Lennon. I won’t let anything happen to you,” I whisper softly enough that only he can hear.
“Who said you’re next to get her pregnant?” Markus says with a scoff. “My turn next.” I know he’s speaking both for Lennon and for pregnancy number two, and I roll my eyes, reluctantly handing over my son to his other father.
“We’ll see.”
“You’re lucky I’m willing to get pregnant again. What happens if I was one and done? Lennon is pretty perfect.” Melody’s soft voice floats through the air and we all turn to face her quickly.
“Melody,” I say softly, lifting her hand and kissing her knuckles.
“Echo,” Adam breathes her name out while he bends over and kisses her forehead.
“You did so good, Sync,” Kai says with a proud smile and sets his hand on her leg.
“Thank you so much, Songbird. You gave us a family.” Markus looks down at the baby in his arms, kissing his forehead before passing our son to his mother.
She looks down at the little baby in her arms before looking back up at us with tears in her eyes.
“We’ve always been a family. Always been the perfect album as we went through different tones and melodies. But now? Now it’s the next album. The one with love and laughter in every song. And I can’t wait to hear it.”