Epilogue
May awoke to the soft whispers of her wife.
She was leaning over the bassinet with her hand on Hadley’s little tummy.
After a grueling eight weeks of maternity leave, the little trio was returning to the real world.
Now that May had stepped down as Army Captain and was just a trainer for recruits, she felt the entire weight of that world off her shoulders.
All she was concerned with was Dove and their pup.
Every day May was lucky to have her two girls, but she believed herself worthy now.
Dove and May had had a multi-hour conversation over her insecurity a week after Hadley was born.
“Sorry to wake you. I just fed Hadley, and she looks milk drunk. I have kitchen duty for a few hours and then I’ll be back.” Dove words were soft when she leaned over to kiss May. Still half asleep, May barely processed the words.
Today was Dove’s first day back in the kitchen.
She had been out of commission for months and was dying to get back to it.
While she had been cooking occasionally for their evening meals, she claimed it wasn’t the same.
May had planned to get up and help Dove before her duties, but she must have slept in.
“You two girls just sleep.” Dove brushed her lips against May’s ear. “I love you.” May mumbled back before drifting back to sleep.
She woke later from the sun and Hadley’s upset cries. Her Alpha jumped into action when her pup started crying. Across the room was the wooden bassinet with the soft, clean fur she had gotten at the market as a present for Hadley.
When May approached, she saw her precious pup swaddled in soft pink.
May did not know she could love anyone as much as she loved Dove, and then Hadley came along.
She loved them both equally, but it was a different type of love she couldn’t describe.
It was in a sense that she had never felt as complete as she did when she looked at Dove holding Hadley.
Hadley’s cries stopped when her mother appeared over her.
It was apparent Hadley had started to recognize her parents, and it made May’s heart bloom.
What May loved most about her mornings with Hadley was picking her up.
The moment before she had her pup in her arms, Hadley’s little body scrunched up, as if she was curling into a ball.
She couldn’t believe one single night with Dove had created her little pup.
“Hello Hadley.” May reached one hand out to rub her pup’s belly, unaware of how much time had passed since Dove left.
The small pup still looked full. Her eyes were the same shade of green as May’s.
The small head of hair she had was a bit lighter than Dove’s own red hair.
She was the perfect combination of both of them.
“Are you ready to start the day?” Hadley’s tiny tongue popped out of her mouth.
May scooped her pup up with both hands to bring her into her body.
Warmth filled her. A warm fire at night, nuzzling Dove in bed, hugs from her parents.
Nothing compared to having her pup on her chest. Her scent filled her nose.
Dove, being the chef and baker, instantly realized how much Hadley smelled like rosemary after she was born.
It was faint because she was so tiny, but it was there.
May bounced around the room with Hadley in her arms. She fit comfortably swaddled up against May’s warm chest. The small human would never not astonish May. They had created her, and now she got to hold her every day.
The little Omega in her arms was the reason for May to be alive. It was what encouraged her to be her best self every day and the perfect wife to Dove. She leaned down to kiss Hadley’s head, breathing in her scent.
May’s official job as army recruiter and trainer led her to have more time with her family and less stress.
Her friendship with Taylor was also on the mend.
May still sat in on meetings, but she did not have to make the choices.
What was best was that the groups that went against the throne were officially disbanded, and Taylor had been working with each town’s representative to create change.
The day passed slowly but Dove eventually came back for lunch to feed Hadley, confessing to how much she missed her.
They had barely been apart since she was born.
May spent the rest of the day reviewing the new training strategy she came up with.
She and Hadley took a power nap, lying next to each other in bed, before Dove came home for the evening.
***
When Dove entered her living space, she almost cried with relief.
She hadn’t realized her first day back involved cooking meals for a hundred people, but Taylor apparently had a big council going on.
She ended up been so tired of being around food and was glad that Kelsee had prepared a meal for the new family.
She looked for her wife and pup but was unable to find them.
Concern filled her, but it was quickly shut down when she heard splashing coming from the washroom.
She pushed the door open gently to peek at May holding Hadley in the perfect position for a bath.
Her heart swelled with emotion. Hadley was still too little for a lot of things, but she was able to push herself up on tummy time.
She also loved the water. When she didn’t feel well, they would bathe together as a trio.
It was some of the most intimate moments of their lives. As a family.
As far as newborns went, Hadley slept through the night fairly well.
She slept closest to Dove’s side. Sometimes she would wake up to pee in the night and look over Hadley, who slept mostly wrapped up in her swaddle.
Taylor had custom ordered the softest cloth for a newborn pup, but it was too big for her because Hadley was very small.
She had been born just a few weeks early but was extremely healthy.
“What are my two girls up to?” Dove walked over to kiss May’s blonde curls and trail her finger on Hadley’s tummy.
She hadn’t gotten all of Dove’s freckles, but she had both of their fair skin.
Dove could see how much she looked like May, loving every second of it.
Her small nose resembled a tiny version of May’s, and the eyes held the same wonder and joy that May had every day.
“Hadley had a little accident, so we took a wash. I think she was getting hungry.” May bounced her above the water before blowing kisses on the pup’s tummy. Her little giggle filled the air. It was the sound of pure joy. Simple delight in a world where she knew little.
“Well, let’s get you both dried off and then we can have a nice evening on the balcony. It’s not too chilly out and the sun’s setting now.” She reached out to take her pup, not caring if she got the slightest bit of water on her. “Hi, my love.”
After they were dried, Dove took Hadley with her to the comfy balcony chair and started feeding her pup.
May cut up some of the food to plate it for them.
Eventually she found them on the balcony, helping Dove eat.
They made small talk about the day, until Hadley slept in Dove’s arms. She had been away longer from her pup than she ever had, spending every second craving this moment.
The sun had set, the lantern hanging behind them casting a nice glow along with the moon, while May rambled on about her new plan.
Dove would occasionally glance down at her sleeping pup, realizing her wish came true.
Here she sat under the stars with the love of her life, and her child.
She let out a small laugh, and May gave a soft head tilt before reaching her hand across the table.
“What?” Her side of the bond was as light as ever, and she knew why. When she saw May with Hadley, she was overcome with joy. Dove would never be able to describe the feeling, yet she craved it every day.
“I always knew one day you would have a pup, and I would hope to have my own, but I never knew that she would be ours and it has been better than I expected.” She gazed down at Hadley.
“I’m excited to spend the rest of my life with you.” May’s smile was pure as she spoke back.
“She may have been an accident, but she brought me everything I ever needed.” With that, May leaned over and kissed her before they looked at the stars, Hadley tucked into their sides.
THE END