Chapter Thirty-Eight Vivian
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: VIVIAN
T he moment I went into labor I quickly realized how your best-laid plans went right out the window. Although the pregnancy books had told me every labor was different, it didn’t quite hit me until all the signs I’d prepared for happened out of sync. Not to mention the fact that one of the baby’s fathers was thousands of miles away.
After my water broke, we called my doctor’s office. I was then informed that even though my contractions weren’t far enough apart to negate it, I still should head on to the hospital.
That was four hours ago.
Since then, I’d been admitted, taken to a room, and dilated to three. Considering how my contractions had been ratcheting up, I was hanging on by a thread to reach four, so I could get my epidural.
Bennett and Grayson stood on each side of the bed. “What time does Theo’s plane get in?”
“Three,” Grayson replied.
As another pain gripped me, I huffed out a breath. “What if he doesn’t make it?”
“Think positive. First labor can last for hours and hours, even days,” Bennett replied.
Considering the pain I was in, I moaned, “Oh God, not days.”
Bennett smiled. “You wouldn’t be in the hospital if it was going to be days.”
Closing my eyes, I said a silent prayer that Theo wouldn’t miss the baby’s birth. Even if he didn’t end up being the biological father, I didn’t want him to miss such a momentous event. He was already going to miss so much of the baby’s life being away in Charleston.
When the door opened, a dark-haired nurse with wire-rimmed glasses stepped inside. “Hey there. I’m Wendy. And I’ll be helping deliver your baby.”
She glanced between Bennett and Grayson. “Looks like you have an amazing support system with you.”
As another pain gripped me, I gritted out, “We’re a polyamorous couple who is missing our third, and we don’t know who the biological father is.”
“Jesus, Viv,” Grayson murmured.
Wendy laughed. “Well, then, how exciting for you guys.”
As the pain subsided, I exhaled a breath of relief. “Thanks for not being judgmental.”
“No problem.” She came up to the bed and ripped the sheet back. “I’m just going to check how far dilated you are.”
“Please say it’s a four so I can get some drugs.”
Wendy righted herself with a smile. “You’re in luck. You’re at five.”
“Bring on the epidural!” I cried.
Things moved pretty fast after my epidural. Grayson and Bennett were truly amazing in their support. They fed me ice chips, massaged my legs and feet, and found me funny videos to watch to pass the time.
The minute Theo disembarked the plane, he FaceTimed us. “What’s happening?” he demanded.
I could tell he was running because he sounded out of breath and from the blur of shops and people behind him. “I’m not yet ten centimeters, so it’s not time to push.”
“Good. Hold off as long as you can.”
With a laugh, I replied, “I love you, but not enough to keep this baby in until you get here.”
He grinned. “I know. I just thought I’d try.”
“Just get here safely, okay?”
Bennett dipped into Theo’s line of sight. “Don’t drive like you usually do when you’re stressed.”
Theo rolled his eyes. “You’re worse than Vivian giving me shit about the way I drive.”
“I’m serious, T. We want you here in one piece for the baby and us.”
Theo’s expression softened. “Okay, okay, I’ll be safe.”
“Good. We’ll keep you posted,” Bennett replied.
In an uncharacteristic move for Theo, he blew us a kiss. “Caught it!” Grayson teased over Bennett’s shoulder.
“Ass,” Theo joked.
After he hung up, Wendy appeared again. “Vagina check time?” Grayson asked with a grin.
She laughed. “You’re a mess, aren’t you?”
Bennett snorted. “You have no idea.”
When Wendy pulled back the sheet, she let out a squeak. “Oh my, your baby has crowned.”
“But I was just at seven,” I protested. Since Theo still had to drive forty-five minutes to get here, I couldn’t start pushing now.
“It can move fast,” Wendy replied. She motioned to the guys. “Take a peek at all that dark hair.”
My breath hitched. “How dark?”
“Almost black.”
At my gasp, Grayson and Bennett exchanged a look. There was only one of my three potential daddies that had black hair. The one that was currently missing.
“Then that means he’s Theo’s,” Grayson said.
I waited for the disappointment to flash on their faces. But it didn’t. Instead, they grinned. “He’s going to fucking lose hisshit when he finds out,” Bennett remarked.
“I bet you $20 he passes out,” Grayson said.
Shaking his head, Bennett said, “I bet you $20 that he cries.”
“I’ll take that bet, bro.”
Although I shouldn’t have, I couldn’t resist asking, “You two aren’t disappointed?”
“Absolutely not,” Bennett replied as Grayson said, “Maybe a little.”
With a scowl, Bennett said, “Seriously, Gray?”
Grayson gave us a sheepish grin. “Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.”
I laughed. “It’s okay. I want you to be honest.”
Nodding, Grayson replied, “But besides feeling that, I know that I’m still going to be his father.”
“Exactly.”
“Oh wait a minute,” Wendy said from between my legs.
“Wait, what?” I demanded.
She grinned. “That’s very dark auburn hair, not black hair.”
“He’s a ginger?” Grayson asked.
I gasped. “Don’t call him that.”
He winked at me. “Okay, Mama Ginger.”
With a playful smack to his arm, I replied, “Watch it.”
To get off the ginger subject, Grayson said, “So, I guess we’re back to square one on not knowing the father.”
“The biological father,” Bennett corrected.
He snapped his fingers. “Exactly.”
“Well, once he gets here, you just need to swab his cheek, and within two to fourteen days, you’ll know who the daddy is,” Wendy said.
I didn’t tell her we were well-versed on the postnatal paternity tests. “That’s good to know,” I diplomatically replied.
“All right then. Now it’s time to get pushing. I’m sure these fine gentlemen will grab a leg each to help you get into position. I can get you started and then the doctor will be in.”
Once again, I hoped Theo would make it.
An hour of pushing later and my stubborn son thankfully hadn’t made his appearance. When Theo swept through the door, I wept out of both gratitude and exhaustion.
“Hey now, don’t cry. I’m here now,” he said as he kissed me.
“I’m so glad. And I’m so fucking tired.”
He appeared stricken by my declaration. “What can I do?”
“Grab some forceps and pull our stubborn son out?” I suggested.
Shaking his head, Theo replied, “Forceps are risky both for you and the baby.”
“I was only joking.”
He winced. “Sorry. I’m way too laser-focused at the moment for jokes.”
I laughed. “I can see that.”
Bennett jerked his chin at Theo. “Here you can take my place for a bit.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” As they traded off, the two exchanged a kiss.
“Thanks for taking care of our girl,” Theo said to him.
“It was my honor.”
Grayson cleared his throat. “Um, hello, I helped too.”
Theo grinned. “And thanks to you, too.”
Once Theo was in place, Dr. Metcalf instructed me to resume pushing, which I reluctantly did. Something changed with my next push. Somehow, it felt like he was moving faster and farther.
“Okay, mama, looks like your baby was waiting on one of his daddies because he’s almost here,” Dr. Metcalf said.
“Really?” I panted.
“Yep. One more big push, and he’ll be here.”
Gritting my teeth, I pressed down and pushed with everything I had in me. Just when I thought I would pass out, the most beautiful cry in the world echoed around me.
“And he’s here!”
Through the tears blurring my vision, I stared at my son. My heart shuddered to a stop and then restarted. Although he was bloody and red-faced from wailing his lungs out, he was the most beautiful thing I’d ever laid eyes on. At that moment, whatever love I thought I had for him while he was in my belly was magnified by a thousand.
When he was placed on my chest, tears began streaming down my cheeks. My hands came up to cradle him against me. “Oh, my beautiful boy,” I crooned.
After kissing the top of his head, I stroked his cheek. “Shh, Mommy’s here,” I said. The combination of my voice and being close to my heartbeat helped to calm him.
When I looked up, the guys were staring down at me with so much love reflected in their eyes that it caused my chest to clench with emotion.
“Isn’t he beautiful?” I asked.
“Fucking amazing,” Grayson said.
“Just like his mom,” Bennett said with a smile.
Theo shook his head. “He’s more than I could’ve ever imagined or hoped for.”
I smiled at them through my tears. “You’re the luckiest boy in the world to have not one, but three dads to love you.”
He peered up at me like he knew just what I was saying and that he was pretty stoked to have won the dad lottery.
As the nurse took him over to be weighed and cleaned, the guys followed her. I had to laugh at how protective they already were. At his wail from getting his hair washed, the guys all tensed.
Just as Dr. Metcalf finished getting me stitched up, Wendy returned with my son and my three loves. “What’s his name?” she asked as she handed him back to me.
“The jury is still out on that one,” I teasingly replied.
Although we’d known the gender for months, we still weren’t set on a name. We’d been through all the online sites and tried out a few like Owen, Oliver, and Roland, which happened to be popular Tudor names.
But nothing seemed to fit.
“My vote is still with Oliver and call him Ollie,” Theo said.
Grayson scrunched up his nose. “Ollie sounds like a kid who gets beat up on the playground.”
Theo shoved him playfully. “He does not.”
As I stared down at my son, I argued, “He doesn’t look like an Oliver or an Ollie.”
The guys peered at the baby. “Nah, he doesn’t,” Theo replied.
“What about something badass like Gunner or Gage?” Grayson suggested.
“Don’t cuss in front of him,” I chastised.
“Your name just happens to start with a G, huh?” Bennett mused.
At the mention of G, the perfect name hit me. “Griffin,” I murmured.
“What?” Theo asked.
I smiled up at them. “Griffin is dad’s first name. Even though he doesn’t go by it, we could still name him after my dad.”
“Griff Whitlock sounds pretty cool,” Theo said with a smile.
Bennett rubbed the baby’s cheek with his thumb. “He looks like a Griffin.”
With a grin, Grayson said, “Hey, it starts with a G, so it’s good for me.”
“You seriously didn’t just rhyme that,” Theo groaned.
“Is now when I mention that Griffin was also a popular Tudor name?” I teasingly said.
That statement brought a groan from all the guys. “Okay, I promise not to suggest a Tudor middle name.”
Theo winked at me. “Really? And I was about to suggest Henry.”
“Griffin Henry Whitlock does have a nice ring to it,” I replied with a grin.
“You want to give our son a middle name for a misogynistic tyrant?” Bennett challenged.
“You have a point.”
“Actually, my dad’s middle name is Henry,” Grayson spoke up.
“It is?” I questioned.
At his nod, I smiled. “I’d say your dad’s been amazingly supportive of the four of us, and I know he’s going to make a wonderful and loving grandfather..”
As Bennett nodded, Theo said, “I would be honored to have my son named for him.”
“Me too,” Bennett added.
Tears shimmered in Grayson’s eyes. “You guys are going to make his day, month, and year if you give him his middle name.”
As I stared down at my son, I said, “You’ve got two smart, strong, and kind namesakes to live up to, little man.”
“And three fathers who desperately want to hold him,” Bennett said with a smile.
“But who gets to hold him first?”
“I’d suggest a coin toss, but that doesn’t work for the three of us,” Theo suggested.
“Paper, rock, scissors?” Grayson offered with a grin.
“I think we should go in alphabetical order of our names,” Bennett said.
Theo rolled his eyes. “Of course you do.”
“It doesn’t have to be a competition of who is first,” I protested.
“Since when is everything not a competition with us?” Grayson chuckled.
“While I appreciate your enthusiasm, I can’t help but think you won’t be arguing about who gets the first dirty diaper change.”
“If I say I’ll do it, will you let me hold him first?” Bennett suggested.
“If that’s the case, I’ve got the first shitty diaper,” Grayson offered.
I huffed out a frustrated breath. “You guys are impossible.”
After overhearing our conversation, Wendy laughed. “I think I can help pick the winner.”
“Have at it,” I said.
Tilting her head, Wendy asked, “Whoever answers this question correctly, gets first dibs on holding the baby.” After the guys nodded in agreement, Wendy asked, “When can you resume sexual activity after birth?”
“A month?” Grayson replied.
“Six weeks,” Theo said matter-of-factly.
Bennett smiled. “Although she might be cleared by the doctor at six weeks, it will only be when Vivian feels ready.”
Wendy grinned. “Ding, ding. I think we have a winner.”
“Considering most medical books say six weeks, that’s bullshit,” Theo grunted as I handed Griffin to Bennett.
“First thing you need to learn about your Daddy T is he’s a sore loser,” Bennett said in a sing-song voice.
“And your Daddy B is a pain in the ass,” Theo chimed back.
“Watch your language,” I chided.
After passing Griffin into Bennett’s arms, I eased back into the bed and watched Bennett transform into a father. Something about holding him changed everything. Tears shimmered in his eyes. “I can’t believe he’s here.”
“And he’s ours,” Theo replied, as he rubbed a tuft of auburn hair on Griffin’s head.
Grayson swiped his eyes before reaching out for one of Griffin’s hands. “Looks like he has guitar-playing fingers, B,” he remarked with a smile.
Theo rolled his eyes. “Those are fingers made for gripping a hockey stick.”
I groaned. “Let me guess. You three are going to have him on the ice the moment he can walk.”
“Hell yeah,” Grayson replied to which Theo nodded.
With a wink, Bennett said, “These two hockey freaks can have him on the ice while I’ll be teaching him how to play the guitar.”
In the end, I knew there wouldn’t be a moment that Griffin wouldn’t be without one or all of his fathers’ attention. And that was a true blessing.