Ember
I watch as my dad talks Lily through bringing my siblings into this world, Oriana arrives with the bag Lily had prepared for the babies and I start setting everything up on the side next to the changing table, yes there are custom-made swaddle blankets that would make the average human cry at the cost but Primark vest and baby grows in true Lily style, Alma sets a baby bath on the counter the other side of the changing table with warm water in and lays a towel over the table
“One more push, Lily.” I turn and watch as Lily reaches down with her free hand and strokes the head of the new life she’s bringing into the world, my eyes filling with unshed tears, then she screams and squeezes Dads hand, too busy watching them I don’t see Xander guiding the baby out and putting the clamp on the cord but I do see Oriana guide Lilys hand to cut the cord, just as a little scream burst through the room,
“Wow, guys, my little brother has a set of lungs.” I chuckle as Alma carries him over to be washed off, then places him on the table so I can dry him. I wrap him in a clean towel and take him over to Lily, placing him against her chest,
“Here we go, Dad, meet baby Luka, don’t drop him, we don’t need another Brayden, even if he only has one wolf” Dad is crying, but he chuckles.
“I heard that,” is yelled through the door and I mouth ‘Whoops?’ which has us all chuckling.
I swipe Luka back up and head over to get him dressed as Lily starts to yell again, Luka starts to fuss as his sister's cry pierces the room.
I pass Luka to Dad as Alma washes baby number two, then I dry her off, wrap her in a blanket and take her over to Lily.
“It's okay, Luka, Nikita is coming,” I whisper. I step back and take a photo of the four of them. While Lily feeds Luka, I quickly get Nikita dressed. She’s a Hybrid, both wolf and succubae, and strong on both sides.
Then I hand her over to Dad before stepping into the hall, my brothers and Uncles are all sitting on the floor staring at the door, and Grumps has dragged a chair over to join them.
“At 1430 and 1438 on the nineteenth of September, Luka Nathaniel and Nikita Bunica came screaming into our lives, and all four are doing well.” I open the photo and turn it so they can see, then, at their demands, I send it to the family chat, which is just us, Dad and Lily. Grumps pulls me into his arms,
“This is the welcome you and Brayden should have had” Thankfully, Xander steps out, which halts the emotions warring in all of us,
“Both babies are feeding, and all is well.” He kisses the crown of my head before heading off. There is a tenseness to him, so I ask one of my guys to check on him.
“I’m going for a shower, then some food,” I say, my nerves are raw after Grump's words, yes, we should have had this welcome, but I can’t think that way. As then would Ren have killed his father? Would he still have ended up here? Too much is linked to how we came into this world.
After we have eaten, Brayden and I carry some food for Lily and Dad and of course have some cuddles, which are cut way too short when Dec and Bas turn up, then again Dec doesn’t even get sat down before Grumps stomps in demanding his great-grandbabies, after a few photos I usher the grown-ups out, getting tantrums from Dec and Bas when they try to curl up on the couches.
I fall asleep to Kodi peppering kisses on my tummy, humming a lullaby.