Page 145 of Bound By Blood and Lies

Eventually the room quiets properly and the midwives slip out to give us a moment alone. I just stare at the tiny little human curled against Fae’s chest and try to comprehend the fact he’s ours.

Fae looks up at me softly. “Do you want to hold him?”

The panic that shoots through my body is genuinely embarrassing. “What if I drop him?”

“You won’t drop him.”

“He’s really small, Fae.”

A tired laugh leaves her as she carefully lifts him toward me anyway. The second he settles into my arms, the entire world goes silent.

Oh.

Oh, this is what people mean.

His little body fits perfectly against my chest whilst his breathing stays soft and uneven against my arm. He smells clean and warm and new and I swear to God I have never loved anything the way I love him in this exact moment.

“Hi, little man,” I whisper thickly. “I’m your dad.”

A knock suddenly sounds at the hospital door before it swings open hard enough to hit the wall.

“IS THE BABY OUT?” Riggs yells before Victor physically shoves him sideways out the doorway.

The rest of the group spills into the room behind them carrying balloons, flowers and enough gift bags to suggest they’ve robbed an entire shop on the way here. Robyn looks slightly apologetic whilst Felix stands beside her holding a huge bouquet of flowers and grinning properly for the first time in months.

“How the fuck did you even know?” I ask immediately.

Atlas shrugs calmly. “I hacked the hospital system for updates.”

“…You what?”

“I only breached three firewalls.”

Fae starts laughing from the hospital bed whilst the entire group crowds closer trying to get a look at the baby. Robyn reaches us first, leaning down to kiss Fae softly against the forehead.

“How are you feeling?” she asks gently.

“Slightly like I’ve been hit by a bus,” Fae admits weakly before glancing down at the baby. “Do you want to hold him?”

Robyn’s whole face softens instantly. “Really?”

Fae nods and I reluctantly pass him over whilst every protective instinct inside me starts screaming.

Fuck.

I thought watching people touch Fae was bad enough over the years but somehow watching somebody else hold my son feels even worse. My entire body stays tense as Robyn cradles him carefully against her chest and the rest of the group crowds around her.

“He’s so tiny,” Atlas says quietly.

“Oh my God,” Riggs wipes aggressively beneath his eyes. “He’s so cute. I was worried he’d come out looking like Felix.”

“I hate all of you,” Felix mutters.

Victor reaches down and gently touches the baby’s hand with one finger looking completely awestruck whilst Felix stares at the baby like he can’t quite believe he’s real.

“What did you name him?” Robyn asks softly whilst rocking him gently.

Fae looks toward me with a smile before turning back toward the group.