Delphi whirls around and hurries over to him. “Is he okay? Is Legs okay? Wait…he…I thought you were having a girl?”
“Surprised the fuck out of us too. But both baby and mom are doing well.” He grins at her before he reaches down and picks her up, swinging her around, which makes her squeal. He places her back on her feet before he cups her face and presses his lips to her forehead, making me scowl. Why the fuck does everyone insist on kissing my woman?
“Thank you, Delphi.”
“You are so very welcome.”
“Want to meet him?”
She nods as he looks over to us.
“Come on then. Come meet my son.”
He beams with pride as he practically drags a laughing Delphi along with him. We follow, walking through the door to Legs’s room, behind them.
I see Legs on the bed, looking tired and so fucking happy it’s impossible not to smile.
“Hey, little man,” she coos to the baby in her arms. “I want you to meet your Aunt Delphi.”
Midas gently takes him from Legs and hands him over to Delphi. “Delphi, meet Hero, our son,” Midas murmurs reverently.
It’s only because I’m so focused on her face that I see the tortured pain steal her breath away before she masks it, pasting on a smile as she introduces herself to the little boy I know she’ll spoil rotten. As happy as she is for Legs, and god knows she is,the baby is a stark reminder of the little boy she never got to take home.
I walk up behind her, wrap my arms around her, and offer her my silent support. “Breathe, Delphi. I’ve got you, baby.”
She takes a shuddering breath, her gaze never leaving the baby’s, but I catch the tear that drips into his onesie.
“You are so loved, little one. You’re going to have an amazing life, and I’m so happy I get to be a part of it,” she whispers before kissing the top of his head and handing him back to Midas. I can feel her shaking, but she doesn’t let her smile falter, even when Legs looks at her and frowns.
“Everything okay? What happened after we left?”
“Everything is fine. And the rest doesn’t matter right now. Enjoy this moment, Legs. The rest—it’s all bullshit anyway.”
“Delphi—”
“The seizure took it out of her Legs, but she refused to rest until she saw you.”
“Oh, my goodness, I got so caught up in everything, I forgot. Please?—”
“No. You didn’t forget, you were busy,” Delphi teases. “But I’ve gotta go lie down before I fall down. I’ll be back, though, I promise.”
She takes a deep breath and walks over to Legs to hug her. When she pulls free, she heads back to me. I ignore Midas and Legs’s worried looks, happy when Crane steps in to distract them. We say our goodbyes, and I lead her out. She’s shaking so hard right now, I’m not sure we’ll even make it to the elevator.
“You need to breathe for me, Delphi, or you’re going to end up having another seizure.”
“I’m okay. I’m okay, I’m okay,” she chants as we step on board. She grips the front of my T-shirt and holds on tight as the elevator descends.
The doors open, but she stands there, holding me, not making a move to get off. “He was so beautiful, wasn’t he?”
I don’t know if she’s talking about Hero or Samuel, but my answer is the same. “Yeah, baby. He’s beautiful.”
She holds herself together as I lead her out of the elevator and toward the main exit. When we make it outside, the sky has darkened to an indigo blue, streaked with the vivid pink of the setting sun. It’s not the color of the sky that makes her stop, though. It’s the boy who walks up to us.
One look at him and she breaks. He pulls her from my arms into his and holds on to her as I move in close, letting her know I’m here, offering Theo support as much as Delphi. His eyes lock on mine as he shields her from the storm of chaos surrounding her. I know in that moment, where Delphi is concerned, we’ll always be a team.
I don’t know how long we stand there, but by the time she pulls back, she looks as if someone has hollowed out her insides.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers.
