Chapter 42: Baby Milly

GIANNA

“Ooo, you guys! She’s so cute!” I cooed, looking at the baby nestled in Liv’s arms. Liv had given birth a couple of days before.

There had been a few complications with her birth. The baby’s heartbeat was dropping, and Liv’s blood pressure was too high.

The pack healers and Mom were handling it fine until Diego got impatient with the lack of improvement and threw a healer out the window…

He was all right; he had a pretty soft landing. He had a few broken bones and was being treated for shock.

Liv just smiled at us and waved us into the room. “Can I hold her?” I asked, sliding onto the bed beside her while Kol sat in a chair close by.

I nestled the baby into the crook of my arm, resting her gently on my bump, which was sticking out nicely. “Have you thought of a name yet?”

“Yeah, we’re gonna call her Milly after Liv’s mom,” Diego whispered, walking in from the bathroom.

Liv scowled at him. “Did you apologize yet?”

“No, I did not,” he grumbled. “Dickhead deserved it.”

Liv glared at him. “You can’t just go around throwing people out of windows because you feel like it, Diego. What kind of example are you setting for your daughter?” she spat.

Kol laughed. “Ah, Liv? You do realize what family we married into, right? Our kids don’t stand a chance.” Diego and I glared at him until he stopped laughing.

Liv just giggled and rubbed my tummy. “Did you guys find out what you are having yet?”

I shook my head.

“No, we want to keep it a surprise. So much has happened this last year alone. Some things should be left a mystery. We just want the baby to be happy; that’s all that matters, right, Kol?”

He cleared his throat. “Ah, yeah, babe, course. I mean, I personally would like a boy, because, you know, our pack needs an heir, but yeah, happy, healthy baby,” he mumbled.

I rolled my eyes and turned back to Liv. “Have you heard from Emily?”

Emily had mated to Jax’s beta, Beau, at the baby shower, and she moved to the coast to be with him a week later.

“Yeah, she FaceTimed me this morning to see Milly and congratulate us. She seems to be settling in well.” I nodded and looked down at the little girl in my arms.

She was going to be dark haired like Diego and Dad, but her eyes were a lightning-blue like mine. “She’s really going to be beautiful when she grows up,” I whispered.

“And ruthless like her father, no doubt,” Liv scoffed, rolling her eyes. “She wouldn’t be a Gray if she wasn’t.” I winked at her.

I heard Diego mumbling to Kol and looked over.

“Word of advice, man. When the healer says the baby is crowning, do not look. I repeat, man, do not look! That shit will ruin the image of your happy place for life.”

Kol looked at me, shocked, and I just rolled my eyes. “Diego, you do realize that his happy place just happens to be on your sister, yeah?”

Liv snickered, and Diego went pale.

“But I don’t wanna ruin my happy place!” Kol whined. I rolled my eyes at him. “Then don’t look, genius!”

There was a soft knock on the door, and Mom popped her head in. “How’s it going in here, then?”

She strolled in, followed by a pack nurse, who glanced at Diego nervously. “We’ve just come to check up on you and the baby,” she mumbled.

I bit my lip, holding back a laugh and handing Milly back to Liv. “Do you think she’ll be part witch like us?” I asked Mom.

“It’s difficult to say, honey.

“I would imagine that with you and your brother coming from such strong genes that your children would possess some gifts, but we won’t really know until they are older and start showing.”

I nodded and glanced at Kol. “We should probably give you guys some space. We’ll call back to you later.”

Liv waved her hand. “It’s fine, guys. She’s almost finished anyways.”

Diego came over to us. “So, Mom, when do I get to sink into my happy place again?” His eyebrow raised in question.

“Diego!” Liv squealed, blushing red.

He feigned innocence. “What?” He shrugged.

“It’ll be at least six weeks, darling. Liv has to heal, and you both need to get into a comfortable routine with the little one, and you will be tired. Babies are not easy, darling.”

Mom clutched his shoulder, smiling.

Diego’s expression dropped. “Six weeks? What am I gonna do for six weeks?”

“You have a pair of hands, don’t you?” Liv muttered, smirking at him.

Kol burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. “Man you so got played!”

I smirked at him. “I dunno what you’re laughing at. You’ll be in his position in about three months.”

His laughter stopped instantly, and he looked at me, wide-eyed. “Oh yeah, buddy. You have a pair of hands, don’t you?” I stuck my tongue out at him, and Diego snorted behind me.

“Looks like you got played too, brother.”

“Everything seems to be looking normal, Mrs. Gray. You will be able to go back to your own home in a couple of days.” The nurse smiled and left with Mom following closely after.

“I’m sorry your mom wasn’t here to see her, Liv,” I mumbled, climbing onto the bed beside her. She sniffled and snuggled in close to me, still holding Milly.

Liv’s mom had died shortly after the baby shower. She had caught an infection, and Mom couldn’t get her to shake it off. Once it settled in her lungs, it was only a matter of time, really.

After that, Diego insisted that Liv choose the name for their girl, and she chose Milly, after her mom. It was fitting, really, but I knew Liv missed her.

“Yeah, she would have loved to have seen her,” she mumbled, stroking Milly’s face gently. I rubbed her arm and pulled her in for a hug.

“Gia? Do you think maybe if you’re up to it, you could do me a favor someday?”

“Yeah, Liv, what’s up?”

I watched her shuffle in the bed until she got more comfortable, sitting up and handing Milly over to Diego. “Do you think maybe you could take me to see Mom? So I can show Milly to her?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but Kol beat me to it.

“Liv, I know you miss your mom, but Gia hasn’t been in death since the incident, and now she’s pregnant. Maybe right now isn’t a good idea?” he said gently, and Liv nodded.

“I know, I know. I didn’t mean right now. I meant after you had the baby and you were feeling up to it. Do you think maybe you could take me there?”

I thought about it for a few minutes. I’d gone into death alone, sure. I’d gone into death to retrieve someone from it, but I had never taken anyone with me, never mind a baby too.

Would it even be possible for me to do that?

“I can’t promise anything, Liv, you know that, but I’ll try and find out more about it. I’ll ask Mom or some of the elders, the ones that didn’t want me dead.” I rolled my eyes.

“But I will try for you, Liv, I promise.” I clutched her hand and squeezed it gently.

She flung her arms around me, crying. “Thank you so much, Gia!”

“You’re welcome, Liv, but like I said, no promises, okay?” She nodded happily and waddled off toward the bathroom.

“You sure you can do this, G?” Diego asked, bouncing the baby in his arms.

I tried not to laugh at the cute sight of my murderous brother being soft and gentle. “Yeah, I’m sure it’ll be fine.” I shrugged.

Truthfully, I didn’t know if it would be fine or not, but I had to try.

~After all, death is what you make of it.~