Epilogue Two
Carlos
Two months later
“The baby is due soon?” Dimitri asked as we worked out at the training center. The off-season was coming to an end.
While I loved getting to spend all this time with my pack, I was also ready to get back on the ice.
“Yep. It shouldn’t be much longer now. Though she’s ready to evict the baby,” I replied.
“Glad it’s you, not me. What do I know about babies?” Anders grinned.
“You feed them, love them, and change them.” Dimitri gave him a look.
Dusty ran into the workout room. “It’s time, it’s really time. It’s not a false alarm this time. Apparently when her stomach was hurting this morning it was actually labor. She and Fiona are at the birthing center right now.”
“Oh shit. Now? Okay. Let’s go.” I stood. “Did you call Hale?”
“He’s in class. I texted him. I’m sure he’ll join us as soon as he gets it. Come on, come on, we need to go.” Dusty tugged on my hand.
“Yeah, absolutely.” I grabbed my stuff. “I’m going to go be a dad now. I’ll send squishy baby pictures to the group chat.”
“I think you should put the baby in a bread box like Bucket does,” Anders called.
That was a thought. We didn’t have a bread box. But we had that cart in the dining room…
Dusty had my hand and we were running down the hall.
“Slow down.” Constantine, our assistant general manager, stood there in a suit looking exasperated. “Dusty, how do you keep getting up here?”
“I told you, I have my ways,” Dusty replied.
“I really need to know. It’s a security risk.” His look grew concerned.
Dusty pulled a badge out from his pocket. “I’m doing music and choreography consulting work with the Maimers. They got me my badge already.”
“I see. Where are you running to?” Constantine asked.
“My wife's having her baby for real,” Dusty replied.
“Congratulations. Thanks for all that advice,” he added as Dusty and I were already off to get my stuff.
“Glad to be of help,” Dusty called.
“What advice did you give Constantine?” I asked. Constantine was a numbers man.
“Just some advice on building the Knights legacy,” he replied as I grabbed my stuff.
“Oh, that’s neat.” There had been a lot of trades, retirements, and things going on, though I hadn’t kept up on it. It wasn’t any of my friends. And, well, we’d been busy.
We went down to the garage. I’d been taking my car in case this happened.
Excitement shot through me. We were going to be dads.
It was a lot, especially since the season was starting.
I couldn’t exactly miss training camp because I was on paternity leave.
But training camp was only a few hours a day.
There were a few weeks until the season actually started.
My team would let me take a couple of games off and I had a few months to use them.
Saoirse had chosen a birthing center, not a hospital. It was in a fancy building that also held the luxury mom and baby spa she’d spend a week at after discharge to recuperate.
We walked in and the woman in scrubs looked up at us. “Are you here for someone in labor?”
“My mate, Saoirse Woodrow-O’Halloran,” Dusty said.
She checked our IDs and gave us wristbands. We were led to the birthing suite. There were two rooms–a living room and the actual birthing room. The door between them was closed.
Hale was rummaging through the mini fridge. “Thank goodness. I adore Saoirse, but I don’t want to see her pop out a baby in a bathtub.”
Somebody came out of the adjoining room. “Just in time. I think the baby is just about ready to meet you. Which one of you is Dusty? She’s asking for you.”
“That's me. Wait, the baby is ready to meet us? It’s happening so fast. I thought we’d have like hours and hours,” Dusty said, looking a little panicked.
Me too. Beatriz had been in labor for thirty hours with one of her kids.
“That baby is coming. Come on, Daddy.” She looked at us. “Any other daddies want to come in?”
“You go. Let us know when you need us,” I replied.
I’d pass on this one. Saoirse had Dusty, Fiona, the midwife, and the nurses, and was doing a water birth.
Dusty was pulled into the birthing suite. We heard a bunch of swears in Irish and music as the door closed.
Hale grinned. “She’s cussing him out in Irish, right? Saying she regrets letting him put a baby in her?”
“Probably.” I leaned my head on his shoulder as we sat on the couch.
“You got here really fast,” I added.
“I happened to glance at it right as Dusty texted. The professor asked me what was so interesting. I told him that one of my packmates was in labor and he said, Congratulations, have fun, don’t forget to do the reading, and pay the baby tax. So, I grabbed my shit and left. What’s the baby tax?”
“Probably like the pet tax?” I replied.
“Oh, photos. That makes sense.” He nodded.
We heard more very loud cursing in Irish through the door, along with a reassuring voice.
“Shit, I’ll ask Mercy to get Ispín and take care of him for a few days,” Hale said. He texted Mercy.
I grabbed us some snacks and drinks. There was a nice selection.
“You know, in eight months that’ll be us being yelled at,” I commented.
Fiona got her wish and got pregnant during her heat. Baby Peace and Beans was on the way.
“The idea of having two babies like eight months apart is going to be a lot… a lot of fun. Did you know they make baby seats for motorcycles?” His eyes gleamed.
Hale had a motorcycle now. Dusty, too. I’d been considering getting my motorcycle license, so I could join them.
“Oooh. We’ve got this,” I agreed. “Maybe Baby Lovely could come to opening night.” I’d already ordered a tiny jersey and ear protectors. After all, Tenzin’s babies had started going to hockey games fresh out of the package, why not ours?
Hale was on his phone. “Tru is very much adjusting to being at Grace’s.”
“Oh, good. What about the others?” I was really worried about them. It turned out his dad was dealing with a corrupted bond. That seemed horrifying.
“Grace, Verity, and Mama are working on it. They know we’re here if they need us.”
There was crying.
Oh, my goodness.
Baby Lovely was here.
“We’re about to get some of that right now.” I beamed.
Hale hugged me. “It’s a baby.”
“It is.”
We waited for someone to tell us what was happening. Though I got joy from Fiona through the bond, so I’m guessing everything was okay.
Finally, Fiona joined us, snuggling into our arms.
“It’s a baby?” Hale gave her a kiss.
“It’s a baby. Our baby girl.” She snuggled us.
“Was Saoirse yelling at Dusty in Irish?” Hale asked.
“Yes, but he’s singing now. It’s the cutest thing ever,” she said.
“I bet it is. Do you want me to sing for the baby when it’s born?” I asked Fiona, giving her a squeeze.
It was too soon to know what it was, but we were excited.
Fiona nodded. “I do. Also, this place is nice, but the Omega Center has good birthing suites, too. We’ll have to do some tours.”
“Of course,” I agreed. Whatever she wanted.
“Cici and the baby are okay?” Hale added.
“They’re great. The miracle of birth is beautiful, but I’m letting them have a moment,” Fiona replied.
The fact that we had a private waiting area with snacks and a bathroom was nice. I got myself a soda. Fiona made herself tea. Eventually, the door opened.
The nurse came out. “I’m sure your pack mate told you that mom and baby are just fine. Would you like to come in to see them now?”
The sunny room was decorated in different shades of blue. Music played and the lighting was soft. In one corner was a giant bathtub. Saoirse sat on an adjustable bed. A blanket covered part of her. She leaned into Dusty, a tiny naked baby on her chest.
“Congratulations. Look at that little baby,” Hale said.
“She’s perfect,” I replied.
Saoirse looked up at me, a little tired, patting the baby on the back. “Thank you. You’ll get a chance to hold her in a little bit.”
“I’m excited about that, but take your time,” I said.
“I really would like some tacos. Will you get some for me and then we can all eat them together in the recovery room?” she asked.
“We’ll do that,” I told her.
We left and walked to get the tacos she wanted. When we returned, Fiona was waiting for us and showed us where the recovery room was. We’d gotten one of the pack-sized recovery suites, which has several rooms and two bathrooms.
She’d be staying for a couple of days to make sure she and the baby were fine before she went to her mom and baby recovery spa.
They were in the living room area, sitting on the big couch. There were also armchairs, a table with chairs, a desk, and a kitchenette. The baby was now wrapped up in a little pink blanket and a matching hat. Dusty was taking pictures of her in Saoirse’s arms.
“Oh, my sister made you that,” Hale said.
“She did. Would you like to hold her now?” Saoirse asked.
“Can we? She’s so tiny. What if I break her?” Hale replied as he sat in one of the big armchairs.
“Says the person who throws children?” Saoirse gave him a look.
Dusty took the baby and placed it in Hale’s arms. He melted as he held the tiny, precious baby in his arms.
Fiona was at Saoirse’s side, trying to get her to drink something that was on the end table.
“We got the tacos.” I held up the bag.
“Thank you. I’m really hungry. Though I’ll just sit here, not at the table,” she said.
“That’s fine.” I put everything out on the coffee table.
Hale was cooing to the little baby. “Hi, there. We'll have to pick dad names. But I’m here. I’ll teach you about science, how to drive cars fast and avoid the police, and how to fix all manner of things.”
Dusty took the baby from Hale and came over to me. “Here you go.”
He set her in my arms. In that moment, my world changed and my heart melted.
This was our baby.
I was a dad.
I put a finger on her plump tiny little cheek. Big blue eyes looked up at me.
“Did you decide on a name, or do you need a little bit longer?” I looked over at Dusty and Saoirse who were now sitting together on the couch as he unwrapped her tacos.
They looked at each other and she nodded to Dusty.
“We’re going with Aurora Aisling Woodrow-O’Halloran,” he replied. “We’ll probably call her Rory for short.”
“Rory. That’s perfect.” For a long moment, I just stared into those beautiful little eyes. “Welcome to Pack Lovely, Rory. We are so excited for you. In a little bit, you’ll have a little brother or sister to play with and there will be even more love.”
I was a dad.
I had a pack.
And a baby.
I looked over at Saoirse. “Do you want her back or do you wanna eat your tacos?”
“I’m going to eat my tacos.” She took a big bite.
“I’ll take her.” Fiona grabbed her then sat on Hale’s lap.
Yeah, this is our pack.
I grabbed a taco. Gwen was blowing up the group chat with gifs of babies. Oh, Dimitri had mentioned I was at the birthing center.
“Can I drop a picture of the baby in the chat?” I asked. “Also, can we start telling people?”
“Dusty, send him the picture. But please don’t put them on social media–only private group chats. But yes, go ahead and tell people.” She took another bite of taco.
He sent me the photo, and I dropped it into the hockey group chat and the one I had with my family.
Me
Baby Lovely has arrived.
When I met Fiona over a year ago, I never thought that I would be here, but here I was. She had changed my life for the better and it would never be the same, and for that I was grateful.
The End
I hope you enjoyed One Winter Knight.