Page 9 of Echo’s Secret

The words feel strange coming out of my mouth. *My son.* Two words I never thought I'd say. Never planned to say. But here they are, true and undeniable.

Phoenix is the first to move. He crosses the room slowly, Ivy following a step behind. Stops a few feet away and looks at Theo, then at me, then at Hannah.

"Older than five months, right?" he asks.

"Yes," Hannah says. Her voice is steadier than I expected.

"And you're just telling Echo now?"

"I thought I could handle it alone."

Ivy reaches out and touches his arm gently. They exchange a look, that wordless communication couples develop. He nods slightly.

"I apologize. You're welcome here," Phoenix says to Hannah. "Both of you. Echo's family is our family. Whatever you need, you've got it."

Hannah's eyes go wide. "I… Thank you. I don't want to be a burden. We'll only stay until—"

"You'll stay as long as you need to," Phoenix interrupts gently. "That's not up for debate."

Ivy steps around Phoenix and smiles at Hannah. "Hi. I'm Ivy. Phoenix's old lady." She gestures to Theo. "Can I see him? I love babies."

Hannah hesitates, then nods. Ivy moves closer and makes cooing noises at Theo, who stares at her with his docile gray eyes.

"Oh my God, he has Echo's eyes exactly," Ivy says. She looks at me. "That's wild. He's perfect."

The ice breaks after that. The women descend on Hannah like a protective wall, forming a barrier between her and the overwhelming presence of nine bikers. Nora stands with Grace, teaching Hannah a few basic signs. Eden asks medical questions about Theo's condition. Rosie hovers close, clearly seeing a kindred spirit in another woman who ran out of options. Quinn stays back slightly but watches everything with her usual military awareness.

Mariah finally breaks free from Wraith's lap and runs over. "Is that a baby?" she asks loudly.

"Yes," Hannah says, smiling for the first time since she arrived. "His name is Theo."

"I'm Mariah. I'm five. Can I hold him?"

"Maybe when he's a little less fussy," Hannah says. "He's tired."

"I get tired too," Mariah announces. "My dad says that's normal for kids."

Wraith walks over and scoops Mariah up before she can launch into one of her legendary monologues. "Give them some space, sweetheart."

The men hang back, letting the women do what they do best: make someone feel welcome. Phoenix catches my eye and jerks his head toward the bar. I follow him, Brick and Judge trailing behind.

"You want to explain what the hell just happened?" Judge asks quietly once we're out of immediate earshot.

I lean against the bar and cross my arms. "I met Hannah years ago. Sacred Heart Orphanage. We were kids. Lost touch when she got moved. Reconnected a while ago through a mutual friend."

"And you didn't think to mention you were seeing someone?" Brick asks.

"Wasn't seeing her. Not officially. It was..." I search for words. "Complicated. We had history. We talked. It became something more. Then it ended."

"When did it end?" Phoenix asks.

"Around a year and a half ago."

They all do the math. Phoenix's expression doesn't change but I can see him processing. "She was pregnant when she left."

"Didn't know it yet," I say. "Found out two weeks later. Didn't tell me."

"Why not?" Judge's voice has an edge. He doesn't tolerate people keeping secrets, especially about kids. He's got Nora and Grace now and takes fatherhood seriously.