Ten months later

Lucas

I wasn't here for Jadon's untimely birth, but I am now.

Seventeen hours. We have been in this room for seventeen hours. She's had every whine and moan about pain and some of it, I can't fix for her. Okay, not some. All of it. I can't cure her pains, but she seems to be less angry with me when she squeezes my hand enough to crumble the bones in it.

"One more, Allie. You've got this."

The nurse holding her leg across from me nods and I'm too damn ready for this to be over. Just the labor part, really. I mean, I knew it wouldn't be fun, but fuck. I didn't think I would see her in misery. I almost feel bad, but seeing the top of the head coming out, I have to bite down on my lip so Allie doesn't see me smiling while she screams.

I'm excited about our daughter, but hell, she couldn't have made her grand entrance into the world a little less chaotic?

Allie has cried, slept, and she even cussed out one of the nurses. She declined an epidural multiple times and then, when she wanted it, they told her it was too late.

"Come on, Allie, you got this," I say.

Sweat-covered forehead and hair stuck to her face, she's so damn perfect. Her eyes soften while she waits for the next push. "This is harder this time."

"Hey, no." I push some of that damp hair back on her head. "You got this. You've done so good so far."

"Deep breath, Allie," one nurse says. "And three, two, push."

Allie strains and squeezes my hand—the dominant one. I don't need to be able to write. There's voice to text now. Writing is for losers, I guess. She's forcing a tiny human out, and the least I can do is permanently give up some use of my hand.

Fuck, I think she broke it.

I lean to my side and catch a lot of nasty stuff coming out, but then everything changes and the world stops. My heart skips a beat—or just stops. I'm not sure. It doesn't matter.

It all fades the second the midwife pulls the baby out.

Our daughter, Andrea Kennedy. Andy for short.

One nurse cleans off the baby while I shakily cut that cord. Everyone moves quickly, like cogs in a machine, while my wife and I watch every move.

"You did so great, Allie."

I watch while they weigh her and wrap her up in a blanket. It feels longer than the actual pregnancy, waiting for them to bring her back over.

Skin to skin. That's what the brochures all said and the birth plan packet. I remember, because I read about the golden hour.

"Um, are we going to get her back?"

No one answers me.

"Just wait, Lucas, it's fine."

How can she be so calm? What's the matter with her? She clearly needs a nap.

"Just a minute, dad, and we'll have baby girl over to you two, okay?"

Yeah, I want to cuss her out, too. Allie did enough already, but fuck this nurse. I want to see my daughter.

Eventually, they bring Andy over and Allie holds her gown open, ready to feed her.

Damn, she's tiny. A little dusting of hair on her head, and a tiny nose. They read us her height and weight. Humans cannot be this small when they are born. They just can't.

The room dies down as they finish cleaning up after a birth and soon, it's just us. Allie hasn't taken her eyes off of Andrea, and I don't think I've lost this stupid grin on my face.

"Lucas, she's done. Do you want to hold her?"

I'm so damn ready. Allie holds her up to me, and we perform the awkward brand new baby trade-off. It should be illegal to be this small.

My daughter. I'm glad I got to be here for this one.

"Jadon was much smaller than her when we left the hospital."

My stomach sinks thinking about that. "He was smaller than this?" She's tiny. How could he have been smaller?

***

Allie

He hasn't stopped staring at her like she hung the moon and stars. We all need rest, and while I've slept some, and Andrea has, too, Lucas looks almost as exhausted as me. He was surprisingly attentive and over the top, for the most part.

We didn't plan to get pregnant so soon, but it happened. He was overjoyed, of course, and Jadon, too. I had my reservations about this happening so early in my business, but things are working out with Charity and we're growing. My worries died down after a few good bookings over the past few months and a calendar that's filled up over the next two years.

"Lucas," I say. He glances up at me with a tired smile. "Put her in the sleeping cart thing and get some sleep."

He frowns for just a second, but relents. "You're the one that needs sleep, Allie."

Lucas gently sets Andrea down and takes a seat in a chair beside me. "Jadon is going to flip the fuck out when he sees her."

I am aware. Jadon cried when we said he was getting a sister and then was happy because he said she wouldn't steal his "boy" toys. He'll learn the error of his ways soon enough.

Lucas takes my hand and kisses it gently. Those eyes. They were the first thing I noticed about Lucas Kennedy when we met, and it's all I'm seeing right now. I had no idea we would be sitting here right now, and if someone told me in six years we'd be having baby number two, I would have laughed in their face.

This is us, though. He loves me no matter what, and takes my flaws like they somehow make me a better version of myself. He's helped me build myself up just by loving me.

I don't know where we'll be in five years from now, or even ten, and I know it won't be perfect.

It's just us.

+++++

Author note

Hi, thank you for reading through this book with me. It was my first toe dip in contemporary romance. Didn't mean to make it a rom com but here we are. Now I plan to write a few more, since it was oddly enjoyable writing sunshine and rainbows.

I do hope to improve as I go.

This book won't be staying on here for long because it is going pay to read elsewhere and then - kindle Vella as well as kindle. It is also licensed on . It will also remain on my for those of you on my account.

I confirmed it in my group but not anywhere else, there will be another book for probably starting in springtime.

If you don't follow my other books or series, you can follow me on IG for updates if you are interested in that one. The title for the Joel and Charity follow up is going to be

If you follow me and my other books, my tentative order is below.

Finish Emmorta series (We Are Gods and This is Emmorta)

Sly Fox (not paranormal/fantasy)

My Dear Mate

Maybe the angel-demon apocalypse book

First Generation, take two

I don't want to release until I have a good chunk of it drafted so I can get it out smoother than this book.

Thank you for reading and I hope it was enjoyable. I intended for it to be a simple easy read, not too complicated. I hope it came across that way.

Happy reading to you all!

Best,

jojo

#fuckfate

- I'm 12 chapters into We Are Gods. I'm not at the big event that broke the world yet, but I'm getting there. It's deep and dark as expected and I will be focusing on this for the next few weeks. I'm taking my time with it and treading lightly on some touchy issues. You'll get a notification here once the chapters are uploaded if you're following the book. I'll announce on my social media channels.

Short of writing it in the sky, the notifications are there for you.

All I'm gonna say about We Are Gods...

I love Orion. E too, but Orion... *smirky face* *chef's kiss* and "ohmygodspleasetouchme" vibes in my opinion.

Let's not tell Mrjojo, okay?

Expect more teasers because that's all I ever do with those twins you've patiently waited for. You'll cuss me out and then beg for more. It's okay, we do the dance regularly.

Okay. Gotta go. Byeeeeee!!!