AIDEEN

“Your colostrum must taste good,” Kane chuckled. “Look at him.”

I smiled. “I love him so much.”

“Me too, babydoll.”

“Put him in his Moses basket,” Bra

Kane sprang into action as he climbed out of the birthing pool.

He very carefully placed our son in his Moses basket that was by my side of the bed. He came for me then, and with Bra

Bra

He dried himself off and changed clothes in record time. When I was completely dried off, Bra

I needed to wash it and take a proper shower, since I never got the one I wanted during the early stage of my labour, but that could wait until tomorrow. Right now, I was clean and totally exhausted. I needed to get into my bed, which Kane helped me with since it wasn’t low to the floor. When I climbed under my covers, I winced a little then glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was half seven in the evening.

I couldn’t believe it; it felt like the day was never ending, and it was only half seven. That meant I had only been in labour for seven hours. It seemed like a long time, but I knew from research, and Bra

“Are you up for some visitors?” Kane asked me.

I blinked. “Who’s here?”

He snorted. “Your father, all your brothers, all my brothers and all of the girls.”

I smiled and nodded my head. “Of course they can come in. They’ve waited to see him as long as we have.”

Kane left the room to get them as Bra

“He isn’t dressed.”

I blinked. “Could you do it? I want to watch you so I can copy. I fear I will hurt him.”

Bra

I nodded my head and watched as she unravelled the blanket from my son. I found myself leaning over to check between his legs.

I smiled when Bra

“Kane and all the brothers were right, that’s a bloody first,” she chuckled.

I didn’t look up when the door to my bedroom opened; I was too focused on what Bra

“Omigod,” I heard a female whisper.

I felt people enter the room, but I couldn’t look away from Bra

Bra

“Aideen,” Keela blubbered and came to my side of the bed.

She leaned in, kissed my cheek. “Well done, honey.”

I smiled in thanks and looked down to my son when she placed her hand on his little arm.

“He is perfect,” she whispered.

I agreed wholeheartedly.

“Darlin’.”

I looked up and smiled wide. “Hey, Granda.”

My father’s resolve broke as tears fell from his eyes. Keela moved over to her place in front of Alec while my father sat next to me on my bed and put an arm around my shoulders. He kissed my face and hugged me to him before we both gazed down at my bundle of joy.

“He looks just like you,” my father murmured. “So beautiful.”

I smiled again and lifted my arms. “Do you want to hold him?”

My father nodded his head and stood up. He reached down, and gently picked up his grandson, holding him protectively against his chest. Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched him interact with my baby.

He cooed down at him when he whimpered a little and swayed from side to side.

“Hey, buddy,” he whispered, he eyes welling up. “I’m your Granda.”

That was it.

My tears came fast and furious, making a few of the lads laugh.

“Well done, baby sister.”

I smiled at James when he came over to hug me, followed by my other brothers. Gavin held onto me the longest and told me loved me more than anything in the world... except his nephew. That made me chuckle.

“What is his name?” This came from Bronagh.

I looked to Kane who looked as lost as I felt.

“No idea yet.”

Everyone chuckled at us.

I hugged Kane’s brothers then, and I thanked and apologised to Nico, Alec and Damien for any harm or discomfort I brought to them during my labour. They smiled at me and waved it off like it was no big deal.

I cried some more when I got to the girls. They all cried, even Ala

I don’t know how long everyone stayed, but by the time everyone left, even Bra

It was an odd sequence of events. One moment I was so captivated by my newborn son, that I forgot about everything, and the next the mist of joy that clouded my mind lifted and confusion set in.

I looked at Kane and frowned.

I didn’t think much of it earlier because I was in labour, and afterwards it never occurred to me because I was so wrapped up in the baby and everyone else... but now that I had a minute to think, I was curious to know where Kane had been all day.

I was curious to know why he almost missed our son’s birth.

“Kane?”

He was folding up the birthing pool.

“Hmmm?”

I tiredly blinked. “Where were you all day today?”

He froze.

His hesitation in answering caused my stomach to churn.

“Kane?” I whispered.

The muscles on his back contracted.

“What?” he asked after a moment of silence.

He knew what I asked, but he was stalling.

“Alec was callin’ you for ages, Ryder too, but neither of you answered. Where were you?”

“I was in the gym for about two hours,” he replied.

I swallowed. “And for the other hours?”

He placed the birthing pool back into its container then turned to face me.

“Helping Ryder move... some stuff.”

Tears welled in my eyes.

“Kane.”

He took a step forward. “I swear if I knew you would be having the baby today I wouldn’t have left your side.”

I held my hand up in the air. “Stay where you are.”

Kane tensed, but nodded.

I lowered my hand to my stomach and exhaled. “You were movin’ drugs or weapons... weren’t you?”