Our daughter was right there, ready for us to meet her. “You’re doing great, Hudson. She’s almost here.”
He fell back, panting, but he didn’t get much rest because less than a minute later, the next contraction rolled in, and my omega was right back to pushing. But this time, he pushed her right out and into the waiting hands of the midwife.
Except…when the midwife held up the baby, I saw why. “Omega, I think the ultrasound lied. That little person has a very respectable set of boy parts.”
“Not Wendi, then?” He lay back, holding out grabby hands. “Is he well?”
“He’s fine.” She brought him and laid him on Hudson’s chest. “He just managed to hide his bits from us before. Shy. But he’s got all his fingers and toes, is breathing well, and after you have a moment together, we’ll have nurse clean him up and get him presentable. Do you have a boy name picked out?”
“Theo.” We hadn’t known what we were expecting for most of the pregnancy, so we’d picked both. “I think it suits him, don’t you, Hudson?”
He was stroking the fine hair on the baby’s head. “Yes. He’s a Theo for sure. Do you like your name, little one?”
“Did he answer you?” the nurse asked.
“No, but my wolf says he likes it.” Hudson cuddled the baby until they took him away for his cleanup and whatever else they did with tiny shifters. “Bring him right back?”
“We will.” The midwife looked up his body from where she remained at the foot of the bed. “But we have things to finish up here too.”
They were still working when the baby was ready, so I got my first chance to hold my son.
“Support his head,” the nurse warned while passing him into my waiting arms. “Here’s your father, little one.”
My hands shook as I accepted him but then brought him against my body and sat down in the chair by the window. “Look, Son. It’s beautiful out there, isn’t it? Not a perfect world, but there’s a whole lot to love about it.”
“Alpha, bring him back?” Hudson reached out. “I miss him.”
“We’re coming, aren’t we, Theo? Let’s go cuddle with your omega daddy.”
The nurse and midwife finished their work and left us alone in the room, just us and our surprise son. Not that we’d had long to think he was a girl, but it had me thinking that maybe there was one of those out there in the universe for us, too.
Just not right away.
Epilogue
Hudson
Theo was a dream baby. Parents hoped for one like him. We would love him no matter what, but a baby who started sleeping through the night at three months?
Of course, I still had to wake up in the middle of the night to pump, since I was making so much excess milk. Theo wasn’t waking up for a feed in the night. None of this good stuff would go to waste, though. I froze it for later needs.
“Good morning,” Evander said, coming in with a tray of food. Since having Theo, there wasn’t a single morning where he hadn’t brought me breakfast in bed. No matter how tired he was. No matter his schedule.
His omelets were to die for.
“Good morning,” I said, raising my arms to stretch. “What kind of omelet today?”
He chuckled and kissed my forehead before laying the table across my lap. “Caramelized onion and sausage. And fresh sourdough toast.”
I might’ve given birth, but my alpha was the miracle sometimes.
“Thank you. That sounds amazing. How was work last night?”
“Uneventful. It’s a good thing. The weekdays usually are.”
“When can we go back?” I asked. He hadn’t mentioned it. He had waited the entire eight weeks after birth before making a move on me and, now, I was ready for more.
“Whenever you are ready. My parents are coming in next week. We can sneak out for some fun if you’re up to it.”
