by Grace, Aria
The room is silent for a full second before I hear the ear-piercing wail of my newborn child.
“It’s a girl!” the doctor announces through the flurry of activity. “You’ve got a daughter.”
“Nick…” Scotty sounds exhausted, but the look on his face is one of relief. “We have a girl, Nick.”
“You did it, babe. You were a Rockstar.” I press his sweat-matted hair back from his forehead and kiss him softly. “You’re amazing. You did it.”
Our daughter is brought to us a moment later, swaddled in a bright pink blanket and laid across Scotty’s chest. My heart tightens at the sight of my perfect angel, and I’m completely in love. I wasn’t sure I had room to love our baby as much as I love Scotty, but I instantly know I would give up my very life for this child and never even think twice about it.
“She’s perfect,” Scotty breathes out his reverence as he nuzzles her soft head. “She’s got your nose.”
“I don’t think so.” I trail the tip of my finger along her ear and jaw “She’s way better looking than me.”
For several minutes, we just stare at our baby while the staff cleans up the room around us. Eventually, our moment of family bonding is interrupted by a nurse with a tablet in her hand. “What is her name?”
Scotty and I exchange looks and grin at the same time. We wanted to keep the gender a secret, but we already had names picked out for each.
“Holly,” Scotty says with a nod of his head. “Her name is Holly.”
While the nurses help Scotty get comfortable, one of them asks me if I’d like to give my daughter her first bath.
My eyes are brimming with tears of pride as I gently lower her into the warm water. She’s so tiny that she feels like she barely weighs anything at all. Her little head fits snugly in one of my hands, and I’m nervous that one wrong move will hurt her.
“Don’t worry, Dad. Babies don’t break that easily.” The nurse winks and urges me to get a better grip when she sees how timidly I’m moving. “Now, you’ll want to scoop the water like this.”
My lesson on bathing my daughter isn’t very long, but I feel much more confident in holding her by the time we’re done. After I put her diaper on, the nurse teaches me how to swaddle her properly so she’s nice and snug.
My heart feels like it’s about to burst with joy and love by the time I carry her back to Scotty’s side.
He reaches for her eagerly and cradles her closely to his chest.
“She’s beautiful,” he murmurs as he looks down at her sleeping face. “I love her.”
“Are you up for visitors?” I glance at my phone and skim the list of messages from my family. “Everyone in the waiting room is eager to meet her.”
“Just…keep them quiet.” He shifts Holly in his arms as she dozes off. “I don’t want to disturb her first nap.”
Over the next hour and a half, all the people we care most about in the world begin to cycle through, a few at a time. Most only stop long enough to congratulate us and wish us well. My mom, on the other hand, takes up a position of pride beside the bed, so she can easily wait on Scotty hand and foot. Even though it’s only been a few hours, she’s already the best grandma I’ve ever seen.
Dad isn’t as demonstrative in his approval, but he gives me a nod and a pat on the shoulder when he sees his grandchild for the first time. It’s not much but I know how much he loves us, so I don’t feel slighted when he sneaks out early. He’s always been a little uncomfortable in hospitals.
“Rubin!” Scotty exclaims at the sight of his friend from Omega House. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“Nick called me. I’ve been in the waiting room getting to know everyone.” Rubin looks just as excited as always as he approaches Scotty’s side. “She’s beautiful.”
Scotty looks from Rubin to me with a grateful smile. I know how important Rubin’s friendship is to him. They’ve spent a lot of time together over the last several months, and Rubin is the reason we found each other in the first place.
“I’m going to run back home and pick up some things,” my mom says as she rises from her seat. “I’ll be back in a couple hours.” She quickly makes her rounds of hugs and kisses before disappearing out the door.
“I hate to dash too, but I ran out in the middle of a summer block party that Omega House is throwing. One of their fundraisers.” Rubin grins at each of us. “I’m so proud of you guys. I can’t wait to babysit this little one in the future.”
“Of course,” Scotty says. “You’re going to be her godfather after all, remember?”
“How could I forget?” Rubin clears his throat and gives me a quick hug. “I’m happy for you, Nick. You deserve this.”
I pat his back and nod before watching him leave the room too. As soon as we’re alone, our focus is wholly on our sweet baby girl once again.
“So, what do you think, Miss Holly?” Scotty asks our sleeping daughter. “Your whole family came to see you on the day you were born.”
“It’s too bad she won’t remember this,” I say as I slide onto the bed where they’re both cuddled up together.
“We’ll tell her all about it,” Scotty assures me. “She’ll know just how loved she is. We’ll make sure of it. Won’t we?”
I meet his gaze and see them shining with the threat of tears. His hormones must be running wild right now. I gently caress his face and kiss him with all the love and devotion I feel for him. “Of course, we will. She’ll grow up surrounded by love. She’ll never have any reason to doubt it.”
“Good.” Scotty nods and smiles softly. “I want her to know how amazing it feels to be loved by you.”
Seeing the way he looks at her makes me feel a contentment I never thought possible. A year ago, I was planning the vacation of a lifetime in an attempt to get away from my stagnant life.
Looking back, it’s easy to see I never needed a vacation.
I needed my omega and our daughter.
I’ve got everything I need right here.
Epilogue
The Christmas season is just around the corner. Thanksgiving is less than a week away and soon, we’ll be opening the doors to Christmas tree hunters from all over the city.
I smile as I hold Holly in my arms. She’s nearly three months old and getting bigger every day. She’s even trying to roll over in her crib, though she can’t quite get the hang of it yet.
“You should move the reindeer a little to the left.” I cock my head while I inspect the Santa photo area Nick is setting up.
“Like this?” Nick picks up the wooden reindeer and shifts its position.
“A little more.”
“I’m not moving it after this, so it better be perfect,” Nick grumbles.
I laugh. “I guess that’ll do. What do you think, Holly?”
She babbles incoherently but seems fixated on watching what her daddy is doing.
“We’ve still got a lot of setup to get done.” Nick arches his back to stretch it out as he looks at the scattered props for the photo area. “It’s going to take all day if we have to get everything perfect.”
“I know, don’t worry.” I rest my hand on his shoulder and attempt a one-handed.
“And I can help with that.” Nick’s mom startles us both as she approaches from behind. “We got the bassinet set up in the trailer, so I can read her a story and get her tucked in while you work out here.”
“Thank you so much,” I tell her as she takes her granddaughter. “You be good for grandma, okay?” I kiss Holly’s forehead and wave goodbye as she’s carried away.
“Even after all this time, I hate letting her go.” I sigh as I approach Nick.
“I know, but now you can give me a hand with this instead of just supervising.” Nick passes another reindeer to me.
“Admit it, you like when I tell you what to do,” I tease as I move the reindeer into place.
“Maybe a little.” Nick blushes slightly and smacks my ass. “I like it when you’re assertive, but I a
lso like when you help me get things done.”
We work together to finish getting the props in place. I try my best to keep from adjusting things too much, though I make a few mental notes to move things later on when Nick’s not looking. All in all, it looks pretty awesome when we finally finish.
“Are you gonna reprise your role as ‘Sexy Santa’ this year?” I waggle my eyebrows with my arms curled around Nick as we admire our handiwork.
“I don’t think I really have a choice in the matter.” He shrugs and puts his arm around me so I’m full encased by his strength. “We made more money on photos last year than the previous two years combined. Pretty much everyone that came for a photo bought a tree as well, so that means both Omega House and the farm benefited from it.” Nick runs a hand through his hair and laughs at the reality of his new position as the town sex symbol at Christmas time.
“Well, you’ll probably have a couple new elves to help you out this year.” I turn in his arms so I can kiss him. “Rubin told me they’re planning on sending more than two volunteers this time, so that will help too.”
“I know, I just wish you were gonna be one of them.”
I stand on my tiptoes and press my whole body to his, kissing him a little deeper this time. “I would love to be one of your elves, but I’m gonna be helping your mom with the books this time. She put a lot of effort into teaching me how to keep track of everything.” I’m actually looking forward to my job this year. It’s not exactly glamorous, but getting into the details of the business, actually contributing to the process that keeps everything running, really appeals to me. Not only that, but it makes me feel like I’m actually being useful to the whole family.
“I know.” Nick sighs and takes a step back before things go from PG to R-rated. “I think they’re planning on retiring soon. I’m convinced my mom was just waiting until I had a partner she could trust to take over her job.”
“Well, then, I guess it’s important for us to knock it out of the park this year.” I turn back to Nick’s side and we start walking back to the trailer.
It’s warm inside and both of Nick’s parents are sitting on the sofa with Holly.
“I thought she was supposed to be taking a nap.” I raise my eyebrow and look between the two guilty grandparents.
“The little booger wouldn’t go to sleep.” Nick’s dad bounces her in his lap, making her laugh that sweet belly laugh that I love so much. “We’ve read this dang story to her a dozen times now.”
He holds up one of the books Holly usually falls asleep to.
“It’s his voice.” Nick’s mom tosses the book onto the counter. “She likes the way it sounds when he’s doing the voices for the characters.”
Nick’s dad demonstrates for us, and a great big grin spreads across Holly’s lips. She looks delighted by the funny sound and babbles in response.
“Well, at least she’ll fall asleep fast on the drive home,” Nick says as he retrieves a thermos of hot cocoa and pours me some.
The four of us sit together for a little longer, watching Holly’s reactions as she spends time with Grandma and Grandpa. While we’re there, we discuss the preparations for Black Friday and make sure everything is going according to plan.
There’s so much left to do, but if we all pitch in together, it shouldn’t take long.
At least, that’s the hope.
As I sit back in my chair and look around the room at my little family, I feel a sense of joy I never thought possible. This is where I belong. There’s no longer any doubt in my mind about any of it. Holly, Nick, his parents…they’re my family now, and they all value me. Because of their unconditional love and acceptance, I’ve figured out how to find value in myself.
My life has changed so much in the past year. When I look in the mirror, I almost don’t recognize myself anymore. But in a good way. I’m healthier, and there’s a happy glow that surrounds me. There’s nothing more in life I could ask for. I have everything a person could want…and more.
By the time we get back home, it’s snowing, which is odd for this time of year. According to Nick, it usually doesn’t snow until at least December.
“Do you remember the first snow of last year?” Nick asks after we finish putting Holly to bed.
“It was the first time I stayed the night here and then…the next morning…” My voice trails off as a hunger starts to roar inside me.
“The second time we had sex.” His eyes are dark and the bulge in his pants is thick as he reaches for my hand and tugs me down the stairs to the first floor.
“That feels like a lifetime ago…” I look down at the baby monitor in my hands. As I reach the bottom of the stairs, Nick takes it from me and sets it on the end table nearby.
“In a way, it was.” He holds me in his arms and kisses me soundly.
“In the mood for something, mister?” I giggle as he dips me toward the ground and then sweeps me upright once more.
“I just thought it might be a nice tradition.” He nips at my lip and my jaw before looking up.
I follow his gaze to the ceiling and see a sprig of mistletoe hanging above us.
“When did you hang that?” I ask as he kisses my neck.
“This morning, before we left. I thought I’d surprise you when we got home.” He tugs gently at my shirt, making it clear what he wants from me.
“I’m definitely surprised.” My cock is already hard as I lean forward and allow him to pull off my shirt. “I just hope you haven’t forgotten that your parents are coming over for lunch.”
“Dammit.” Nick groans in frustration as he steps away from me. He glances toward the clock hanging on the wall then reaches for my pants. “They’ll be here in an hour. That’s plenty of time.”
“Are you kidding? That’s barely enough time to do anything fun.” I fold my arms across my chest in protest.
“That sounds like a challenge.”
“Maybe it is.”
Nick pounces on me, pushing me back toward the stairs with a shower of kisses and caresses. I stumble slightly and find myself sitting on the stairs as he stands before me, peeling off his shirt.
“We should do this somewhere we won’t have to clean up.” I hate being the voice of reason in a situation like this, but someone has to be. My balls are tightening, and all I want to do is get right to the fun. But I also don’t want to find ourselves in an awkward position later.
Nick growls again. “Right, yes, I know you’re right.” He reaches for my hand and helps me to my feet. “Downstairs shower, chop chop.” He gives me a gentle nudge toward the bathroom and taps my ass as I pass him.
I grin from ear to ear as I jog toward the bathroom door with him hot on my heels. The downstairs bathroom is a little more cramped than the one upstairs, but all we need it for is the shower. I rip back the shower curtain and turn the water on full blast without wasting another second.
As soon as Nick enters the room, he finishes discarding his clothing and mine. Moments later, we’re both naked and making out while the shower heats up. Our hot water heater is old, and we’ve got to wait for supply to catch up with demand. And once it does, we have a limited amount of time to get things done before we’re drenched in ice water.
Nick shoves his hand beneath the stream of the water while stroking my cock with the other one. Our mouths collide hungrily, and the heat of our kisses runs through my body, sending chills down my spine.
“Is it ready yet?” I thrust my hips forward, fucking Nick’s hand with my dick.
“It’s warming up.” He pulls his hand out of the water and caresses my face gently. His kiss is passionate, deep and considerate, leaving me breathless with my heart racing. “Let’s get in.”
The water is still a little on the cool side, but it’s not unbearable. In a few minutes, it’ll be perfect. No sense waiting that long to get started.
Nick shoves me against the shower wall and grinds his hips against mine. His kisses are more lusty now. Hurried, hungry, and despera
te.
He grasps at my thighs and pulls us as close together as possible. His erection rubs against mine, and I want it more than anything.
The water splashes over us as we move beneath the flow. The sensations cause me to shiver with anticipation for what is about to happen. The gentle motion across my skin heightens my arousal and makes me even more eager to be one with my alpha.
He can tell I’m going crazy here, and he seems to be even more aroused by my reaction. His hands stray down my back, and he squeezes my ass cheeks in his firm grip. His fingers slide across my wet skin and tease my asshole, making me whimper with need.
“You’re so mean.” I turn around in his arms and bend over in front of him. “Stop teasing and just give me what I need.”
“If I do that, I’ll knot you.” He makes it sound like that might be a bad thing. “Then you might wind up pregnant again.”
“I’m not in heat right now.” I can answer that confidently this time. Now that I’m off suppressants altogether, I can tell when I’m actually in my heat cycle. According to what little research I’ve been able to find, there are documented cases of omegas meeting their fated mates and getting pregnant despite being on suppressants. Not because the suppressants failed but because that first encounter with a fated mate is almost always guaranteed to trigger a heat.
“I wish you were…” Nick blows hot air on my neck as he presses his cock against my asshole.
“Do you really?” We haven’t really talked much about having more kids. It’s only been three months since Holly was born, and we planned to avoid knotting during my heat, so we could focus on raising her for now.
“I really do.” His voice is soft as he presses closer to me. “I was an only child growing up. I’ve always wanted a big family.”
“Me too.” I stand up and turn to face him. “I just didn’t think…we’ll be moving kinda fast.”
“What about us has ever been slow?” He looks me in the eye and kisses me softly. “I’ll let you decide. I’ll be happy with whatever size family we have, just know that I’m open to more kids if you are.”
