Page 83 of Blissful Devotion

“I’ve always wanted a big family, and I’d love to have at least one from each of you.” The words slip out before I can really think them all the way through, and I don’t realize what I’ve said until his ears turn red.

“As long as you're happy, Sunshine,” Oliver says, brushing a stray hair from my face, and now it’s my turn to blush as he leans in and presses his lips to my forehead.

That damn nickname.

I grunt as another contraction hits me, and any trace of happiness melts off Oliver’s face as he goes white.

“Maybe he should stay out in the hall,” Desmond teases, throwing his arm over his shoulder and earning himself a glare.

“Less than four minutes apart. Might want to hit the gas a little, Vinny,” Alex says, ignoring the rest of them, his eyes glued to his phone, and now it makes sense why.

“Shit, isn’t the first one supposed to be long and shit?” Desmond asks, seeming much more serious.

“It can be, but that’s not how it is for everyone. Our Queen will handle this like she does everything else, beautifully.” Nathan presses a kiss to my head, soothing a hand over my hair and helping me breathe through the tightness until it subsides. “And we’ll be right here every step of the way.”

Iwon’t pretend ‌Oliver’s idea sounded pretty good there for a minute. One kid was more than enough, and I wasn’t sure I could watch her go through that again.

But then it ended with a sharp cry that somehow silenced the room and pulled us all impossibly closer.

“A boy,” the doctor announces before moving up to set our son right on Kat’s bare chest, and it should be gross, weird even with him fresh out of her, but I’ve never seen a more beautiful sight.

Kat’s crying, tears running down her cheeks as she presses a kiss to his head before looking around at all of us.

“Do you have a name?” One of the nurses asks, standing with a marker near the board on the wall with all of her and the babies' information.

“Niccolò,” Kat’s voice is strong, just like she is, and fuck if the name isn’t perfect.

We’d been through hundreds of names, but even with the last three, we couldn’t decide. Seeing him really cemented it.

“Niccolò Lawson.”

“What color are his eyes? His hair looks dark. I bet he’s mine.” Desmond puffs his chest out, and I roll my eyes.

“Well, let's find out, boys.” Dr. Sterling makes her way over with cotton swabs and a few little baggies. She makes her way around, starting with Nate.

“You don't need to swab them. They weren’t in this round.” Des says as she stops in front of Oliver. This time Maria rolls her eyes, clearly used to him after months around us.

She’d done so well with Kat’s care in Mexico that we’d offered her housing here and to pay for everything she needed to come to America to continue as her primary doctor. She’s currently working under a visitor's visa and had to go through a lot of testing, but she really is great at what she does.

“That might be true now, but something tells me it won’t be in the future.”

That shuts him up, and I watch the wheels turn as he realizes what that means.

“Crap, the competition just got harder. Please be mine, Niccolò. Daddy loves you so much already, and to have us win right away.” He shakes his head with stars in his eyes. “It would be epic.”

Kat laughs as he leans in, pressing a kiss to Niccolò’s head before doing the same to hers.

“You're ridiculous. Our children are not in a competition,” she tells him with a stern look that never ever works on him.

“Of course not. They are all perfect and winners and have the best and most beautiful mom in the world.” The smile he gives her should be illegal; it’s the reason he always got his way.

Well, that and the way he can suck up.

“But we have to see who gets bragging rights.”

“I’ve never been a man of faith, but I pray he’s anyone but yours just so you can eat those words,” Vince says, shoving Des out of the way after he gets swabbed. I’ve never seen that man be soft in all the years I’ve known him.

The closest he got was with Addison, but even now, this look, the softness in his eyes, it's kind of crazy.