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Epilogue
CLAIRE
SEVEN MONTHS LATER
“It’s a girl!”my OB announces joyfully.
Griff grips my hand tightly before pulling it up to his lips and kissing my knuckles. His eyes shine down on our daughter as they wipe her down and weigh her. She lets out the tiniest little cry and my heart swells with a type of love I’ve never felt before. The doctor and nurses finish everything with me while the pediatric nurses look her over.
“What’s her name going to be?” the nurse asks as she hands her to Griff.
“Alina Josephine.” He stares down at her and tries so hard to hold his emotions in check. I can see the tears swimming in his eyes though and he can’t hold them back when he looks over at me, our baby girl cradled in his arms.
I pull the hospital gown down my arms and put her against me so she can try nursing. She’s a couple weeks early but a good size. Griff and a nurse stand on either side of the bed helping me. As soon as she latches on and starts suckling I have the most intense shower of emotions.
I look up at Griff as tears pour down my face. Our little miracle baby is here and she’s so perfect. Gratitude and love fill my entire being as I caress her bald and slightly misshapen head. Through hiccupping and tears I look to the nurse, “It’s not going to stay like that, is it?”
“No, honey, it’s just from birth. It’ll go to a normal shape soon.”
“Give us a call when she’s done feeding. We’ll need to take her to the nursery to check her out a little bit more but she looks perfect.”
Griff sits down beside me on the bed as I switch Alina to the other side. He leans down and kisses her head lightly, causing her to open one eye and give him a newborn glare. I chuckle at her little attitude, amazed by her tiny body. I say a silent prayer that I’ll be able to be the mother she deserves for as long as I’m granted time here. My only wish is to be able to be a fully present mother to her.
“I’ve been thinking.” He kisses my temple.
“About how we made the most perfect little miracle baby?”
“No,” I hear the smile in his voice, “about how amazing you are. About how I want to spend the rest of our lives worshipping you, loving you, fighting you. I know it won’t be easy, there’s going to be hard moments but we can face them together.”
He pulls a beautiful ring out of his pocket. We’ve talked about how I don’t know if marriage is something I want but sitting here, overwhelmed with love for Alina and for Griff I can’t think of a reason to say no.
“Tsarina, I want to be the one you dance for. When you can’t dance alone, I’ll be the one you dance with. Then when you can’t dance anymore, I’ll be the one to dance for you. I love you more than I ever thought I could love another person. Will you marry me?”
“Yes.” I nod and hold my shaking hand out for him to slip the ring on my finger. It’s an emerald cut black diamond in an antique setting with pave diamonds surrounding the center stone. It is perfectly nontraditional and I could not be happier.
He wraps his arms around the baby and me and holds us for a minute. “I love you,” he whispers with his forehead pressed against mine. “No one knows I was going to propose at all. We can tell everyone or just let them figure it out on their own.”
“Let’s just let them figure it out on their own. I’m sure it won’t take long because this ring is never leaving my finger.” I give him another lingering kiss.
“Should I text everyone now?” he asks when we break apart.
I nod knowing they’ll all be pissed that we had the baby and didn’t tell anyone but between his family and mine, it would have been a circus. He shoots off a text into our group chat and not three minutes later Levi, and Con are walking through the door to my room followed by Lilith and a heavily pregnant Ivy.
“How did you get here so fast?” I ask.
“Please.” Levi rolls his eyes. “As if we didn’t see this,” he points at us, “treachery coming from a mile away.”
“I’ve been watching your location the past few weeks so I’d know when it was baby time,” Con says nonchalantly.
“Boy or girl?” Lilith asks from beside me. “Sorry they’re so ridiculous but honestly, are you surprised?”
“Girl,” I tell her as the room quiets. “Her name is Alina. The nurses are going to take her down a for a few tests when she’s done feeding but said she looks great so far.”
“She’s perfect,” Levi says softly, his hand finding its way to Ivy’s protruding belly. “It’s crazy that we will all have had girls.”
“Karma,” Lilith deadpans.
“Oh my God!” Ivy exclaims. “Oh my God!” She charges over to Lilith’s side and points at my finger. “Is that an engagement ring or a very fancy push present?”
