Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 29124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 116(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29124 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 116(@250wpm)___ 97(@300wpm)
“Good,” I say, my lips brushing against her forehead. “Because I’ve got you.”
Her eyes meet mine, and for a moment, everything else falls away. There’s a flicker of emotion there—something raw and real—and it makes me feel like I could take on anything. We’ve faced down storms, old bosses, family drama and doubts, but this… this feels different. It feels like the culmination of everything we’ve built together, everything we are.
“I’m glad I’m here,” she whispers, her voice filled with a quiet kind of awe.
“Me too,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. “We’ve got this, baby.”
As I carry her upstairs, getting ready for what’s about to happen, I glance out the window. The first snowflakes of the season are starting to fall, drifting down in lazy spirals, and it’s like the world outside is giving us this perfect, peaceful moment to breathe before everything changes.
Inside, there’s a different kind of stillness. The kind that comes from knowing you’re about to step into something big, something life-altering, but you’re not afraid. Because you’ve got the right person by your side.
“Will you text Indie and tell her to come quickly? I have a feeling this little girl is gonna come quick.” Bella slides a palm over her stomach and winces. Through clenched teeth she adds, “And tell her not to tell Betty–I don’t want an audience for this birth.”
I chuckle, thinking how perfect is is that Betty’s niece, Indie, is the new traveling midwife in Copper County. Betty’s been trying to marry the Steele boys off and pressuring us to have babies since we were old enough, she would absolutely love being at the birth of our daughter if she had a chance.
As I send a quick text to Indie that it’s go time, Blaze runs in from the yard, his cheeks flushed from the cold, and I see the way Bella’s face lights up when he toddles over, his toy truck still clutched in his hand. “Mama!” he yells, oblivious to what’s happening, but his excitement is contagious.
“Hey, big guy,” I say, setting Bella down on the bed for a moment to give her a break. “You ready to meet your sister?”
Blaze’s eyes go wide, and he grins, not fully understanding but excited anyway. Bella reaches out to him, pulling him close, her hand brushing over his soft hair. “You’re gonna be a big brother,” she says softly, her voice full of love.
I watch them, my heart swelling with something that feels bigger than I can put into words. This is my family—my world—and I’d do anything for them.
As Bella winces, another contraction hitting, I move back to her side, taking her hand in mine. “Time to go, mama.”
She squeezes my hand, her eyes meeting mine with that same fierce determination I’ve come to love. “Let’s do this.”
And just like that, we’re on the verge of welcoming the next chapter of our lives. The snow falls outside, blanketing the world in white, but inside, there’s nothing but warmth, love, and the knowledge that whatever comes next, we’ll face it together.
I lean down, kissing Bella’s forehead, my voice low but steady. “We’ve got this,” I whisper, and in that moment, I know it’s true. I cup her stomach in my palms, then place a kiss at her navel. “I was wired to love you, baby. All three of you. It’s the only thing I was put on this Earth to do. Forever.”
The End.