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“That’s not all.” Twilight threw open a door, revealing a small room with painted blue sharks swimming over cheerful yellow walls. “You can bring your little guy with you. There’s a crib and a changing table. Oh, and a washroom, too.”
“You guys thought of everything.” I looked around at their smiling faces. “Thank you. I’m…speechless.”
“If you want to make any changes,” said Talon, “let us know.”
“I will, but I can’t think of anything right now. I love it.” I twined my arms around his neck and kissed him. “It’s the best gift you could’ve given me.”
He ran a hand up and down my spine. “I want you to be happy, angel.”
“It was Talon’s idea,” Rio said, “but me and Twilight put it together.”
“You did a great job,” I said, releasing Talon to hug first him, then Twilight.
She took my arm. “You have to see this vintage dress I found. I want you to fix it up for me.”
I went with her to the rack she indicated. The deep-pink cocktail dress would be perfect for her. We were discussing how to make it over when the ache in my back moved around to my front, a light but definite squeeze.
I blinked and brought my hand to my abdomen.
“You okay?” asked Twilight.
“Yeah, but—” I looked past her to Talon. “Umm…Talon?”
He was across the room in a heartbeat. He took my hands, his Adam’s apple working. “What?”
“I think I’m in labor.”
“You had a contraction?” He sounded calm, but his eyes were wild.
I took a deep breath. Nervous and excited, adrenaline pumping through me. “I think so.”
“I’ll call Olivia,” said Twilight. “You take Eden to the birthing suite.”
Rio’s mouth had dropped open. “Fuck.” Then he straightened his shoulders. “I mean, you’ve got this. What do you want me to do?”
Twilight answered for me. “Why don’t you hang out for a few minutes while we get her ready, then come along to the birthing suite, okay?”
The birthing suite had been added to the castle’s lair at Twilight’s instigation. Together with Olivia, Twilight and I had designed a comfortable place for labor and delivery in soothing blues and greens with dim lighting and state-of-the art equipment including a hydrotherapy tub.
The first thing I did was go to the bathroom while Talon hovered outside the door. He barged in the moment I flushed. “Twilight says Olivia’s on her way.”
I was still on the toilet. I pushed down my underpants and leggings as far as I could reach. “I want a shower.”
“Maybe you should wait for Olivia.”
The leggings got stuck around my ankles. “Please, Talon.”
He pressed his lips together and knelt to pull the leggings the rest of the way off. “Two minutes, that’s all.”
He turned the tap and waited nearby, a towel in his hands, while I washed up. “Twilight’s letting Brien and Cain know, too,” he said, “and I’ll text your mom and dad after we get you settled.”
I flashed him a smile. “Thanks.”
The past couple of months, Twilight and I had grown close. She was smart, funny and more of a rebel than I’d realized. We’d clicked, bonding over a shared love of anime and eighties dance-pop.
When she’d offered to be part of my support team during labor and delivery, I’d beamed and thrown my arms around her. “Yes, please. I wanted to ask, but…”
She seemed taken aback by my hug, but after a tiny pause, she squeezed me back. “But what?” she demanded as I released her.
