AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And with that, we dive headfirst into forever, surrounded by the roaring approval of everyone we hold dear.
Epilogue
TWO YEARS AFTER CANCUN
The sterile scent of the hospital is a sucker punch to my senses every time I pace back and forth, but it's nothing compared to the adrenaline cocktail pumping through my veins. Emrys, Wyatt, and I are like a trio of caged lions, our restless energy filling the cramped space as we await the main event: Kat bringing our mini-messiah into the world.
"Man, oh man," I mutter under my breath, catching sight of my clammy palms before I rub them on the thighs of my jeans. Always thought I'd be cooler under pressure, like some suave hero in a spy movie. Instead, here I am, Wilder the Wreck, internally freaking out at the prospect of being called Dad.
I catch Emrys’ eye, his usually calm demeanor edged with a twitchy sort of excitement that mirrors my own. His hand hovers over his mouth, the telltale sign he's biting back a barrage of what-ifs and maybes.
As for Wyatt, he's doing that thing where he pretends to check his watch every five seconds, but we all know it's just a nervous tic disguised as concern for punctuality. We’re a mess, a hot mess, but we're in this together.
"Can't believe we're about to level up to parent status," I say, attempting to break the tension with humor. Emrys snorts, and even Wyatt cracks a smile, his eyes crinkling in amusement before they flicker back to worry.
"Level up? Feels more like we're about to unlock an entirely new game," Emrys chuckles, running a hand through his hair, which has long lost its styled composure.
Wyatt nods, his usual stoic self breaking for a moment as his gaze softens. "And there's no one else I'd rather have on my team."
Their words, their presence–it steadies me. And as much as this room feels like it's charged with enough nervous energy to power the city, it's also brimming with something far stronger–our shared anticipation, the love we have for Kat, and the life she's about to bring into ours.
"Kat's going to ace this boss fight," I say, trying to bolster us all. After all, if Kat can handle the three of us, what's childbirth but another day in paradise?
The door to the delivery room creaks open, and it's go-time. My heart, already a jackhammer, kicks into overdrive. It’s a hive of controlled chaos, the air thrumming with purpose. Nurses dart by in a blur of scrubs, and doctors mutter to each other in that cryptic shorthand that might as well be another language. Monitors beep insistently, like they're cheering Kat on–or maybe that's just my pounding heart trying to sync up with the machinery.
"Another contraction coming," announces one of the nurses, her voice calm and steady, a lighthouse in the stormy sea of activity. She checks the monitor, adjusts a dial, and gives us a nod that says it's time to rally.
I'm at Kat's side in an instant, Emrys and Wyatt flanking me like we're about to run the most important play of our lives. We're a team, always have been, but this–this is the super bowl of supportiveness.
"Okay, baby, you've got this," I say, squeezing Kat's hand. It's slick with sweat, but her grip is iron–Valkyrie-strong. "Just breathe."
"Remember those breathing exercises? In, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four." Wyatt's voice is a soft baritone, soothing despite the underlying tremble. He's the rock when the earth shakes, the port in the storm. Today, he's all encouraging whispers and cool cloths dabbed gently on Kat's forehead.
Emrys stands silently, his presence a reassuring weight, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder. The man of few words, but when he speaks, it’s with a gravity that anchors us all. "You're incredible, Kat," he murmurs, and there's a reverence in his tone that makes me think he's not just talking about childbirth.
I lean down, brushing a kiss on her temple, tasting salt and determination. "Baby, you're doing amazing," I tell her, meaning every word. "You're about to score the biggest win of our lives."
"Damn right, she is," Wyatt agrees, and even under the strain, Kat manages a weak smile.
"Keep that focus. You're unstoppable," Emrys adds, his eyes locked on hers, full of awe and something fiercer, something that goes beyond mere admiration.
Heat swamps the room, a humid microclimate born of sweat and exertion. Kat's forehead is a battlefield where determination wrestles with exhaustion, each droplet of perspiration marking its territory in this labor of love. Labored breaths huff from her like she's dealing cards at a high-stakes poker game, and with every contraction, she seems to up the ante.
"Dammit, you fucks," she hisses between gasps. "If you ever come near me with your fun-loving adventure sticks again, I'll?—"
"Feed them to the tigers?" I offer, trying not to laugh because damn, even now, she's fierce as a wildfire.
"Exactly," she grits out, squeezing my hand with a strength that would make a grizzly bear wince. The beeps of the machines tether us to reality, a staccato rhythm underscoring the intensity of the moment.
"Come on, Kat. One more push. You've got this," Wyatt encourages, his lawyer's poise nowhere in sight as he stands by her other side, his voice rough with emotion.
"Show us that unstoppable power," Emrys chimes in, his eyes gleaming with that mix of admiration and something wilder. Love in its rawest form.
And then, with a crescendo of sound and effort that could rival any adventure we’ve ziplined through, there’s a new cry piercing the air–one that's small, insistent, and life-changing. It cuts through the fog of tension like a beacon, and suddenly, there's a tiny, wriggling being placed into my arms.
"Hello there, little one," I whisper, my voice breaking. This little person stares up with wide, curious eyes, and I'm undone. I never knew my heart had the capacity to swell like this, threaten to burst with love and pride. My vision blurs with joy and relief, and I glance over at Emrys and Wyatt, their faces mirrors of my own awe.
"Hey, champ," Wyatt murmurs, gently stroking a miniature fist with his fingertip.
