Chapter 38 Hailey
Hailey
Sunny came wandering into the living room, baby Abigail in her arms, and plopped down beside me without so much as a hello. I was on the couch, being lazy and generally trying to gather the strength to do something, because pregnancy was no joke.
“I haven’t seen you in a while,” she said in a playfully accusing tone as she glowered at me.
“Oh, what’s been going on?” I said with a laugh, sitting up straighter and pulling her into a hug.
“How are you doing? How is your pregnancy coming along?” she asked, looking pointedly down at my bump. The days were flying by, I was already nearing my fifth month… and still no sign of Preston.
“I’m doing okay. I’m getting loads of support,” I said, doing my best to avoid going into details about Preston. His situation was need-to-know, and as much as I wanted to vent and talk about it, I also wanted to keep him safe.
Sunny snorted, giving me a disbelieving look. “My mates told me all about your situation. You don’t have to hide anything from me. Given how long it’s been going on, they thought you could use a female friend to talk about the baby with.”
“Oh, thank God.” I sighed in relief.
“Why didn’t you tell me yourself? Actually, now I understand why you didn’t, but still.” She huffed.
“Trust me, I wanted to tell you more than anything, because morning sickness has been a bitch. I thought it was meant to be first trimester only, but nope. I got blessed with it all through my pregnancy! And on top of that, I’ve had separation sickness—which you had a little bit, so you know how it feels. ”
Sunny grimaced, pulling her little bean closer as she shook herself.
“I had the mild version because my alpha was working a lot, and that sucked. I can only imagine how shitty you’ve felt.
I suppose you’re lucky that Merrick pulled his finger out of his ass and realized he had feelings for you,” she said pointedly.
Laughing, I nodded, rubbing over the blanket wrapped around the baby. “Yes, I was very lucky. And I mean, he always knew, but neither of us had acted on it. I’m really glad we did.”
“I was also very lucky that she came to me, because I nearly lost the best thing to ever happen to me,” Merrick appeared in the doorway, and I looked over my shoulder with a smile. “Hi, Sunny, do you want a drink?”
“I’ll take a soda.” She beamed, lifting her chin high.
Merrick disappeared for a moment, and when he returned, Sunny handed me her daughter so she could enjoy her drink.
Baby Abigail was nearly six months old and cute as a peach. Her little hands reached out, slapping my face lightly.
“You’ve got a heartbreaker on your hands here, you know,” Merrick said as he intently watched me holding the baby.
“You really think she’s going to get the chance to break hearts when her dads are going to be the most overprotective buttheads in existence?”
“They won’t be that bad.” Merrick laughed, turning and leaving.
“Oh, they are definitely that bad.” Sunny said, adoration clear in her tone. “Can you imagine what you’ll be like with your own daughter?”
“We don’t know whether it’s a boy or a girl yet,” I said.
Sunny frowned. “But you’re nearly five months along. You should know by now.”
“I thought about finding out,” I admitted.
“And you didn’t?”
I shook my head. “Honestly, I’ve got it in an envelope, but it feels wrong to open it without Preston. Even though I’m still mad at him… it’s also his baby, you know? And he’s missed out on so much.”
“You’re a good person, Hailey. Maybe better than me.” Sunny laughed.
“I’m not sure I’m a fan of it being a surprise, though.”
“Yeah, but at least this would be a fun surprise. Though, knowing what you’re having makes everything a lot easier. You can shop for the nursery and it’s a breeze. Have you just been buying neutrals?”
I grimaced. “Yeah, it’s beginning to look like I’m going to be a sad beige mom. I need to buy some more colorful things!”
“That’s the problem with only getting neutrals. And once you give birth, for the first few weeks, you’re going to be too tired to go shopping. If you really want it to be a surprise, I recommend getting clothes for both.”
“That sounds expensive.”
“Yeah, but your alphas can pay for it.” Sunny grinned playfully. “Also, I did bring all of Abigail’s newborn-sized clothing. She doesn’t fit into them anymore, and I thought you could get some use out of them. A lot of them are neutral colors as well.”
“Oh, wow! Thank you.” I sighed. “That’s perfect.”
In my lap, Abigail reached up her little hands and started grabbing at the loose tendrils of hair falling from my ponytail.
“Be careful,” Sunny warned. “She’s loving grabbing onto hair at the moment. She’s got a death grip too. It’s a weird baby thing. Their grips are surprisingly strong.”
“That’s okay. I don’t mind,” I said, gazing at her lovingly. It was surreal to think that in a few months, I would be holding a baby of my own.
“Do you feel ready?” Sunny asked.
“Not at all.” I laughed, still looking down at sweet Abigail.
“I suppose it doesn’t help that your entire pack isn’t here yet.”
“It really doesn’t,” I agreed, smiling so I didn’t tear up. “I’m really happy with my pack as it is, but Preston is just looming in the back of my mind.”
“Walker seems to think it won’t be much longer.”
I gave Sunny a sarcastic look. “They were saying it would be a few weeks a few months ago.”
“These men really don’t have a sense of urgency, do they? If they were the ones growing the baby, they’d be all over it.”
“Please, if they were the ones to give birth, parental leave would look very different. It’d be guaranteed, not just a suggestion, and it would last months instead of a few weeks. And it’d be paid!”
Sunny snorted. “I’m just trying to picture how Blaze would behave if he had to give birth.”
“You and I both know he would be the biggest princess.” I laughed. “Can you imagine?”
“I don’t think I want to,” she said, giggling. “So talk to me. What do you want to know? What are you worried about? What are you excited about? Tell me everything. Where are you planning to give birth?”
“I haven’t really planned that far ahead. I’ll give birth at the local hospital, and my birth plan involves every pain medication available.”
“Ha! Good, you’re going to want them.”
“Beyond that, I haven’t thought much about the birth,” I admitted. “I’ve been trying not to think too hard, considering the pack is still messed up.”
Sunny sighed. “Not having everything settled is going to make it harder for you. Maybe I need to kick Walker in the ass to get an update.”
“Honestly”—I raised my brows—“I would appreciate that a lot.”
“I’m not above using my adorable baby to get what I want. I’ll tell him I’m postpartum, I’m stressed, and I want to know my friend is safe and taken care of.” She winked at me, and I loved her all the more.
“Has anyone ever told you you’re amazing?”
“My alphas tell me every day, but that’s because they love me and they’re supposed to. Yours better be telling you the same things.”
“We do,” Wilder yelled from the kitchen. “We tell her every day that she’s beautiful and amazing and precious and special and that we adore her.”
“Did your mother ever tell you it’s rude to eavesdrop?” Sunny rolled her eyes.
“Yes, but I was curious,” Wilder said, appearing in the doorway. His eyes landed on me holding baby Abigail and softened. “Well, that’s a pretty sight.”
I eyed him. “Remember how this sight makes you feel, because in a few months when you’re dealing with a screaming baby at two a.m., you’re not going to feel that way.”
“At two o’-fucking-clock in the morning, I’ll be singing to our baby and smiling through the exhaustion. Just you watch.”
Grinning, I bobbed my head in a nod. “I think you’ve got a bet, sir.”