“He’s lucky,” he said quietly. “Robert. To have you as his father.”
“And you as his uncle.” Derek grinned, and it was the grin of the boy he remembered from their childhood—before Vivienne, before responsibility, before everything got so complicated. “You’re going to spoil him rotten, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The baby made a small sound—not quite a cry, more of a complaint—and he carefully passed him back to Julie. She settled Robert against her chest with the easy confidence of a mother, and his chest suddenly ached.
Soon,he thought.Maybe.
“Harper,” Julie said gently, “Come and join us. You’re lurking by the door like a nervous cat.”
She approached with obvious reluctance. She’d changed so much in the past three months—more confident, more comfortable in her own skin, more willing to engage with the world outside her computer screen—but she still had moments of retreat. Moments when the scared orphan she’d been showed through the capable Luna she’d become.
“Congratulations,” she said, her voice a little too bright. “He’s beautiful. You did great. Julie, you look amazing, seriously, I don’t know how you…”
“Would you like to hold him?”
She went pale. “Oh. I don’t… I’m not really… I’ve never held a baby before.”
“First time for everything.” Julie was already transferring Robert into Harper’s stiff arms. “Support his head. There you go.”
He watched his mate hold his nephew, and the ache in his chest increased.
She looked terrified. Her glasses had slipped down her nose, her pink ponytail was coming loose, and she held the baby like he might explode at any moment. But beneath the fear, something else flickered across her face. Something soft and wondering and achingly vulnerable.
“He’s so small,” she whispered.
“They start that way,” Julie said gently. “They get bigger.”
“Right. Obviously. I knew that.” Her laugh was shaky. “Hi, Robert. I’m your Aunt Harper. I work in cybersecurity, which probably doesn’t mean much to you right now, but I promise I’m going to make sure no one ever hacks your college fund.”
The baby blinked up at her with unfocused eyes.
“Great talk,” she said. “Really productive.”
She practically shoved Robert back at Julie a moment later, stepping away from the bed like it had burned her. He caught her hand as she retreated past him, feeling her trembling.
“We should let you rest,” he said to Julie and Derek. “Harper and I will be at the penthouse. We’ll come back later.”
Derek nodded, already settling onto the bed beside his mate, his attention entirely consumed by his new family.
He led Harper out of the room.
They didn’t speak in the elevator. They didn’t speak in the car that took them across the city to Derek’s penthouse, where they’d been staying for the past week in anticipation of the birth. They didn’t speak as they walked through the marble lobby, or rode the private elevator, or entered the guest suite with its sweeping views out over the harbor.
She walked over to the window, staring out at the city, her arms wrapped around herself.
“Harper.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine.” He crossed to her, turning her gently to face him. “Talk to me.”
Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should be happy. Derek and Julie have a beautiful baby, and everything went perfectly, and I just… I couldn’t…”
“Couldn’t what?”
