“You got this. You’re doing good. She’s almost here.” His forehead rested against hers.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” Coast asked.
Not long ago, he was pacing. It wasn’t casual or cool like usual. He paced like an anxious man, pensive. Thoughts going a thousand miles per minute. Could he be a father? What if he messed up? What if something happened to him or Coast? When this little girl entered the world, it would no longer be about just them. Now the two of them were also responsible for a whole human life, and sometimes, Mozzi felt like he still needed fucking supervision.
“We in this shit, Trouble. Me and you,” he vowed, leaning in to press his lips against hers.
Heart thudding, tears misting her eyes, Coast pulled back and searched his. When Mozzi looked at her, she knew he loved her. He didn’t have to utter a word. The way his hands brushed over her and he held her in his arms was something she couldn’t articulate if she tried. She just knew he was hers. A perfect fit.
The next few moments were chaotic. Lots of voices from Dr. Thorne’s staff in the room. She threw out instructions to Coast to push one last time with everything she had.
Pain ripped through her womb. Life-changing. A moment and feeling she was sure to never forget. Mozzi held her tight, giving her the will to push through. He didn’t let go of her once. Then, suddenly, a sharp cry filled the room. When everything stopped, and Coast heard that sweet sound, her head fell back against the pillows. Exhaustion wasn’t the word as she fought to catch her breath.
“Say hello to your baby girl,” Dr. Thorne cooed, lifting Iara with her umbilical cord still attached so Coast and Mozzi could see her.
Even covered in amniotic fluid and blood, she was the cutest thing either of them had ever seen. Suddenly the world got alittle brighter. Her cries grew stronger, and Dr. Thorne moved to place her in Coast’s arms. So tiny, and perfect. Mozzi smiled through glistening eyes, a calm warmth spreading through his chest. This was something else. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“Oh,” Coast whispered, eyes filling instantly. “She’s so small.”
“That’s crazy considering how big your stomach was.”
Coast cut her eyes at him, and Mozzi knelt to get a closer look at their little girl.
“I’m just fucking witchu. You the baddest, Trouble. In every way.” He kissed her cheek and stared down at the beautiful bundle in her arms.
She seemed to settle at the sound of their voices, and little coos followed as her tiny fingers curled. Mozzi reached out, letting her wrap her miniature hand around his index finger. His heart thudded anxiously, the kind of love he never knew in every beat.
“Yeah… I’m not going nowhere.”
Lifting her head, Coast looked at him, really looked at him. For the first time all night, she wasn’t scared or overwhelmed. Mozzi admired her with their baby in her arms.
“Hey… you did good, too,” she told him, nudging him with her shoulder.
“I ain’t do shit.” Mozzi perched himself on the edge of the bed.
“You stayed.” She smiled faintly and that got his attention.
Coast was the meanest, sweetest, sexiest woman he’d ever met. She had the kind of beauty that surpassed her looks. There were gorgeous women everywhere, but if their heart wasn’t right, them bitches looked like demons.
“What is baby girl’s name?” Dr. Thorne asked, hands resting on her waist while watching them bask in the moment.
She was proud of them as well, having watched their growth all these months as Coast got further along. It was honestly rareto see men so supportive during a woman’s pregnancy. She knew because she’d been doing this a long time. Most husbands made an appointment or two in the early months and kept it moving. Mozzi hadn’t missed one.
“Iara… Hale,” Coast voiced, looking at Mozzi and watching his brows lift.
He was adopted and became Moses Blackmoor, but Hale was the name he was born with.
“For real?”
“Yeah.” Coast nodded. “Iara Hale Blackmoor.”
“You hear that? Iara Hale. My little Rara.” Mozzi gushed over her and swung her hand back and forth as she moved her little lips like she was starving.
“She’s gorgeous you two. You did amazing. I’ll give you a minute, but we need to get her weighed. Mozzi, would you like to cut the umbilical cord?”
Coast nuzzled her daughter’s nose and couldn’t contain her smile. This was the happiest she’d ever been in her life. She only prayed it wasn’t short-lived. Her biggest fear now was losing everything she didn’t know she wanted.
The familiar tone of her iPhone ringing stirred Inari from her drunken sleep. Swiping drool from the corner of her mouth, she slowly peeled her eyes open one by one. She could still taste the tequila on her tongue. A familiar bookshelf was straight ahead. This was her home. Eyes shifting around, she sensed another presence nearby and heard the shuffling as her phone continued to go off nearby. When she shot up, a sharp pain fired through her temples. Yeah, she was damn sure hung the hell over.
