“What the hell?” Seth muttered, pausing the music and answering the call. “Liam? It’s your wedding night. Shouldn’t you and Hammer be doing unspeakable things to your bride right about now?”
Liam’s rich laugh filled the speaker. “Well, hello to you too, Seth. And for your information, we just finished doing unspeakable things to her. Raine passed out, mate. Hammer’s getting us water. And I felt compelled to call you.”
Seth unwrapped his hands, suddenly wary. When his Irish friend felt “compelled” to do anything, it usually meant his psychic abilities were kicking in. “Why exactly are you thinking about me tonight, of all nights? That’s either flattering or deeply disturbing.”
“Bit of both, probably.” Another chuckle. “But I needed to check on you. See how you’re handling things.”
Seth’s stomach clenched. “Handling what things?”
“The choices you made tonight. With Heavenly. And Beck. But don’t worry. I won’t tell Raine and ruin Heavenly’s surprise. Nice ring, by the way.”
The words hit him like a blow to the gut. Seth sank onto the weight bench, his legs suddenly unsteady. “How the fuck do you—never mind. I don’t want to know.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “So…who legally married Raine? You or Hammer?”
“Don’t deflect,” Liam returned. “But we’ve all vowed never to tell. Let people wonder. Adds to the mystique.”
“You’re all evil. And a bit insane.”
“Says the man who just took turns with another guy to knock up his girlfriend.” Liam’s voice softened. “How does it feel, knowing Heavenly could be pregnant?”
Seth’s heart hammered against his ribs. “Could be? You mean you don’t know for sure?”
“No. Conception is a process, not an instant event. Right now, it’s merely a possibility. I can see what has happened and what could happen, not what will happen.” Liam paused. “But the potential is there. Strong potential.”
“Shit.” Seth leaned forward, elbows on his knees, his body caught between excitement and dread. Part of him thrilled at the possibility. But another part clenched with familiar terror. “I thought I was ready for this, that I’d worked through my fears.”
“And you have, mostly. But it’s natural to feel unsettled when you’re standing on the precipice of everything you’ve ever wanted.”
“Is it? Because I feel like I’m going to crawl out of my skin.”
“Seth.” Liam’s voice carried that familiar tone, the one he used when he was about to drop a truth bomb. “What if you reframed this entire experience?”
“I’m listening.”
“You’ve been thinking about fatherhood as something you lost, something that was taken from you. But what if it’s actually about reclaiming your legacy?”
“My legacy?”
“As a Cooper. Think about your father—the man and parent Michael was. You’ve been so focused on protecting your heart from potential pain that you’ve forgotten the honor would be passing on the best parts of him to the next generation.”
The words hit like a sucker punch. Seth’s throat tightened as memories flooded back—his father teaching him to throw a curveball, showing him how to change a tire, explaining the importance of protecting those who couldn’t protect themselves.
“Your father raised a good man, Seth. A fighter for justice. Those qualities shouldn’t die with you.”
“But what if something happens to Heavenly and the baby? What if I lose another family?”
“Then you’ll grieve, and you’ll survive, like you did before. But the alternative—living in fear, denying yourself love and family because of what might happen? That’s not surviving. That’s dying slowly.”
Seth closed his eyes, Liam’s words echoing in his skull. Zach had said something eerily similar hours ago, but this felt like an even harder-hitting mic-drop moment. “Fuck.”
“Look, I know your past better than most. I was there; I saw your pain. But I’ve also seen your future—or at least, the potential one. And Seth? It’s beautiful. Messy and complicated but absolutely beautiful.”
“You really think I can do this? Be a father again?”
“I think you’ve been a father figure to your brothers for years. I think you have your father’s heart and your mother’s strength. And I think any child lucky enough to be yours will know exactly what kind of man they came from.”
“Damn.” Seth’s chest loosened slightly, some of the crushing weight lifting. “You make it sound simple.”
“It’s not simple. Nothing worthwhile ever is. But it’s right. For you, for Beck, for Heavenly.”
