chapter 218Epilogue

I had been getting braxton hicks all day or so I thought as I watched Orion finish the mural on

the wall in the nursery room. Orion had drawn a heap of Zoo animals on the wall next to the crib

and was just painting the giraffe, Mara had already asked for him to draw her and olaf on her wall

and he was going to start it when he was done in here.

My hips were killing from the extra weight as I tried to get comfortable on the exercise ball I

was sitting on, Orion brought it home reckons it would help with lower back pain, but all I was

feeling was pain and pressure, I swear the ball was making it worse as I rocked back and forth on it

trying to distract myself from the braxton hicks.

“Want me to run you a bath?” He asks as he puts the paint brush down. I nod and he holds his

hands out to me. “Come on big momma" He says and I glare at him.

“Call me that once more, I dare you" I tell him but take his hands, letting him pull me to my

feet. He chuckles, pulling me closer and rubbing my lower back. “You're still beautiful, just rounder”

He says and I smack his chest. He laughs but pulls me closer kissing my lips. “I love you” he whispers

against my lips.

“I love you too” I tell him before he turns me toward the door.

“Come, a bath might help” He says, steering me towards the stairs. I waddled out, Orion

keeping his hand on my arm, Orion hated the stairs after I tripped down them, luckily Thaddeus was

walking ahead of me so I only stumbled into the back of him before he grabbed me stopping me

from rolling down the stairs. Ever since Orion won't even let me take the stairs without one of them

with me which I thought ridiculous, I may not be able to see my feet but the stairs have a bannister.

He was a little paranoid. Halfway down the stairs though, I feel my thighs become drenched, my

grey tights darkening as I look down.

“Ah Orion, I don't think they are braxton hicks,” I tell him, stopping on the stairs.

“Are you sure you didn't just wet yourself like last time?” I growled at him. I hated the reminder.

It was so embarrassing.

“Let just get you to the bath first, your contractions have been irregular, if they are

contractions” He says. Thaddeus walks into the entryway looking up at me. “She wet herself again?”

He says and I growl at him.

“No, I didn’t, now stop mentioning it” I tell him, my face heating. They were never going to let

me live it down, I am also never going into that shop again, more embarrassing when they called a

clean up over the PA system. The baby shifted and I wet myself, yet I was convinced I was going into

labour early. I shake the memory away and continue down the steps.

“Where is Mara?” Thaddeus asks, grabbing my other arm as I step off the last step

“Having her nap, can you grab a mop and clean that up” Orion says and Thaddeus nods.

Orion runs me a bath and I sink my fat ass into it. I looked like a beachball, I was nearly as

round as I was tall. The kid was going to be huge. Sitting in the bath though, the contraction only

got worse, Orion placed his hand on my stomach and had been timing them.

“Your belly is like a rock” He mutters looking at his phone while I try to breathe through it.

Thaddeus was staring worriedly from where he was sitting on the sink basin. “Maybe call Ryland

and get him home, I think she is in labour, she seems to be in a bit of pain, plus they are only two

minutes apart now" Orion says. Thaddeus nods walking out of the room.

8 hours later

I wanted to kill them, 1 was in agony, while they kept offering advice like they were about to

push a baby out their coochie. Amara was scrolling on her phone, “Talk about stubborn, hurry up

and push that kid out already Evie, stop playing” I grow! at her. All dignity went out the window

around two hours ago and I no longer cared that I was stark naked on the bed in front of Amara

and Imogen.

Theo and Tobias were downstairs with Emmet and some girl apparently but I didn't pay

attention as to why she was here. All I cared about was the pain that seemed to never end and only

got worse. Hearing Amara crying and waking up, Orion looks to the bedroom door.

“She is fine, Theo is grabbing her” Imogen says and I hear footsteps before hearing Amara’s

door open. “There's poppy’s girl” I vaguely heard him say when I suddenly got the urge to push. I

groaned, pushing as this overwhelming urge to go to the toilet rushed over me, making my entire

tense as I pushed. I let out a breath and saw Thaddeus push off the wall where he was leaning, he

smacks Ryland's chest from where he was dozing in the armchair next to the bed while Orion was

between my legs. Thaddeus sits on one side while a half asleep Ryland walks to the other side when

I suddenly get the urge again, my body pushing even though I wasn't trying to.

“Hold her legs,” Orion says while I push.

“Oh baby time” Amara says, jumping up and walking behind Orion. I let out my breath and

nearly snort when Amara speaks.

“I am not doing that, you want grandkids from me, they are coming from Mia” Amara says

looking at Imogen. Imogen chuckles when I suddenly need to push again.

1 hour later

“Come on babe, keep pushing” Orion says and I shake my head catching my breath.

“I can't it hurts” I tell him, I felt like I had been pushing forever.

“Baby is right there, I can see him,” Orion tells me before grabbing my hand and directing it

toward between my legs.

“Right there, feel that? It's his head” Orion says.

“Right there love, now push for me” He encourages and I take a deep breath in before pushing,

Ryland and Thaddeus pushing my knees toward my shoulders. “That's it keep going, keep going”

Orion says as I grit my teeth, a deep guttural groan leaving me when I feel his head break through

offering relief and I flop back on the bed.

“One more big push and he should come out,"Orion chokes out, making me look at him. All

three of them with their eyes downcast staring between my legs. I took a deep breath before

pushing again, I could feel Orion's cool hands on my skin from where he was holding the baby's

head. I push feeling him slide out of me in a rush, Orion catching him and he starts rubbing him

with a towel while I sit up on my elbows watching, holding my breath when he doesn't make a

sound.

Orion rubbing his back before he sticks a finger in his mouth removing some gunk. “Orion?” I

ask worriedly.

“There we go” I hear him say before hearing him start screaming, the sound of a newborn's cry

filling the room and I take a deep breath, a sob leaves my lips as I hold my hands out for him. Orion

smiles up at me before looking at Ryland and Thaddeus who were crying as they stared at our boy.

Orion places him on my chest and I clutch at him. Holding his crying tiny body against me, the

sound was better than anything I had heard in my life. I longed for the sounds of his cries, the

sounds of life for so long and immense relief flooded me when I heard him cry out. Orion stands up

before placing a clamp on the umbilical cord near his belly button. Before holding out the scissors.

“Ryland can, I will get the next one” Thaddeus tells him before Orion hands the scissors to

Ryland. I watch as he cuts the cord. I was too absorbed with my very much alive, pink son in my

arms to pay much attention to what Orion was doing.

Thaddeus bends down kissing my lips. “So small, was Mara this small?” He mutters playing with

his tiny fingers.

“Hey buddy” Thaddeus tells him. Imogen and Amara were over his shoulder staring down at

him and Ryland was stroking my hair as he stared down at our son. I feel something slide out of me.

Amara looks toward Orion and she pales slightly before pulling a face.

She notices me staring and looks away and I chuckle. “Like day one, yep perfectly intact down

there” She mutters, making me laugh.

I hear Orion leave the room before returning and he pulls a blanket up over my legs that were

still trembling. He wraps our boy in a towel before placing him on my chest.

“Wanna hold him?” I ask them.

“I cut the cord, you hold him first” Ryland tells Thaddeus and I pass him to him. Thaddeus sits

down beside me staring down at our little miracle. He kisses his little head. Orion sits next to my

head before leaning down, and pressing his lip on mine. I touch his cheek, rubbing it with my palm.

“I love you" He whispers before pulling back when the door opens. Mara runs in excitedly.

“Dad, Dad" She says running in, Theo hot on her heels with Tobias. Ryland bends down, grabbing

her so she can see over Thaddeus’ shoulder. “That's you brother” Ryland tells her and she claps

excitedly, her hands on Thaddeus’ shoulder as she peers down at him while Ryland holds her.

“Where is Emmet?” Amara asks Tobias.

“Downstairs with your mate?” Amara nods and I stare at her.

“Mia, the girl downstairs, she is human and our mate” Amara explains and I smile happy she

finally found another of her mates.

“So what did you decide to name him” Ask Tobias while he stared down at him in Thaddeus

arms

“Ridion” Ryland answers, passing Amara to Orion and Thaddeus hands him our son.

“There's my little man,” Ryland says, kissing his forehead.

Author Jessica Hall Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/jessicahall91/000