Nearly an hour later, Tim let out a sigh of relief the second he heard his daughter’s cries for the first time. They started out as short, soft whimpers, then escalated into high-pitched shrills.

As tears of joy trickled down his cheeks, he said a silent prayer, thanking God for seeing his beloved safely through the birth of their precious daughter.      

“She’s definitely got a healthy set of lungs,” Helen remarked, bringing Tim back to focus.

He stood back and nervously watched, feeling as though his heart was about to burst, as Cassie cleaned the baby while Helen and the male nurse tended to Angel.

“Is she okay?” Angel asked, her eyes wet with tears.

“She’s a tiny thing,” Cassie said, wrapping the baby in a blanket, “but as healthy as a horse.”

Angel reached out. “Can I hold her?”  

“She’s all yours,” Cassie said with a smile, then carefully deposited the tiny bundle in her mother's arms. “All five pounds, ten fingers, and ten toes.”

Angel beamed. “Thank you, Cassie.”

The baby’s cries instantly quieted the moment Angel cuddled the infant close. “Welcome to the world, baby girl,” she said softly, then tenderly kissed her daughter’s forehead.  

Tim turned and faced Helen when she placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Congratulations,” the physician said to him, a caring expression radiating from her brown eyes. “You doing okay?”

“I, uh…” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down in his throat. “I think I’m still in shock.”

Helen fixed him with a comforting smile. “That’s to be expected. But I’m sure you’ll do just fine. You manage to keep fifty Breedline Covenants in line, so a baby should be a cakewalk.”

“I’m not so sure about that, but thanks for the vote of confidence.”

The physician patted him on the shoulder. “So, what are you waiting for?” She gestured toward his family. “Go meet your daughter.”

Tim swallowed back his nerves and slowly trudged forward. As he approached the hospital bed, Helen said, “We’ll give you some privacy.” She motioned toward Cassie and the male nurse and headed for the door. “I’m sure everyone is still in the waiting area. Cassie and I will give them all the good news.”

“Thank you,” Tim said as he turned to face the trio with an expression of gratitude. “For everything.”

Helen smiled broadly, and Cassie said, “It was our pleasure. I’ll be back shortly to check on Mama and Baby.”

The moment the two physicians and the male nurse exited the room, Tim bent over and pressed his lips to Angel’s forehead. “I love you, honey,” he whispered softly. “I love you both,” he added, then kissed the top of his daughter’s head.

“You’re not upset?”

Tim straightened with his brows furrowed. “Why would I be upset?”

Angel averted her eyes from him and looked at the baby, then back up at him with watery eyes. “I know we weren’t planning to start a family, and I—”

“It’s okay,” he said, stopping Angel in mid-sentence. "In fact, it’s more than okay. I couldn’t be happier, sweetheart.”

“Really?” She blinked tears. “But what about our partnership? I mean, our D&S relationship?”

Tim looked at her with compassion, then took hold of her hand. “Angel, that’s not important to me now. You and our daughter are my new priorities. Let’s focus on that,” he tacked on with sincerity in his tone. “Okay?”

Hearing his loving words brought more tears to her eyes. “Okay,” she choked out. “I love you, too.”

He lightly squeezed her hand and brought his lips to hers, kissing her sweetly. When he pulled back, his face was ravaged with raw emotion. Using the pad of his thumb, he caressed the side of her face. His gentle touch made her heart soar with love.

She stared up at him, realizing for the first time just how much she meant to him. She was silent for a moment, imagining what their future might hold. Could she foresee marriage? Perhaps. If not, she’d be okay with that. Their complicated relationship wouldn’t be solved overnight, but this was one helluva start. Although there would be bumps and curves to overcome, she was sure of one thing. Their love was everlasting, and it was well worth the effort. They’d take one day at a time. Together as a family.

“Would you like to hold her?” she blurted, breaking the silence.

Tim sucked in a deep breath through flared nostrils, and his eyes went shiny with tears. “Yes,” he said, then smiled. “I’d like that.”

“Don’t forget to support her head,” Angel pointed out.

He nodded, wiped his eyes, and reached for the tiny bundle. “Come to Daddy, sweetheart.” 

Tim finally looked up from his daughter, whom he held securely in his arms. “She’s perfect. Beautiful, just like her mother.”  

Angel smiled at him. “She has your nose.”

“You think?” he said, inquisitively observing his daughter’s face.

The baby slowly opened her eyes and cooed.

Tim’s face lit up. He looked over at Angel. “Honey, she has your eyes.”

Angel beamed with delight. “We need to come up with a name for her,” she said, directing the topic to something more important. Her little sister had entered her mind the second she’d laid eyes on their daughter. Although she’d been stillborn, their mother had named her. “I thought of naming her after my sister Natalie. What do you think?”

“I think the name suits her.” Tim’s eyes softened more. “But what about a middle name?”

“I was thinking of Rose,” Angel suggested. “After your mother.”

“It’s perfect.” Tim smiled down at his daughter, then kissed her cheek. “Happy birthday, little Natalie Rose.”  

Moments later, a light knock came from the other side of the door, followed by a familiar raspy voice. “Tim… Angel… It’s Jace and Tessa. Care if we come in?”

Tim looked away from the door and focused his eyes on Angel. “You up for visitors, sweetheart?”

She smiled. “Of course.”

“Come on in, guys,” Tim called out.  

As Jace and Tessa made their way inside, two more faces appeared in the open doorway. “Hey, what about us?”

Tim rolled his eyes at Kyle and Casey, who anxiously waited with shit-eating grins on their faces. “Yes, you too,” he said, waving them inside.

A second later, Drakon and Cassie, along with Helen, barged into the room.

“I hope you don’t mind us joining in,” Cassie said. “We’re dying to know if you’ve come up with a name for the baby.”

“You’re fine,” Angel spoke out, motioning them over. “We’ve decided to name her Natalie Rose.”

Cassie clasped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, how beautiful.”

“She’s gorgeous,” Tessa said, smoothing her hand over the baby’s head, which was thick with dark hair. “And I love the names you’ve picked out.”

“Thank you,” Angel remarked, rising higher on her pillow. “We decided to name her after my sister and Tim’s mother.”

“I think that’s so sweet,” Tessa said, then her green eyes went from joy to concern. “And how frightened you must have been through all of this. Being home alone while going into labor. I had no idea you were even pregnant.”

Angel raised a brow. “Neither did we.”

While the women chatted back and forth, Jace moved next to Tim. “Nice going.” He shot the new father an impressed look and patted him on the back. “So, how’s it feel to be a father?”

“I’m not going to lie,” Tim admitted. “It’s a lot to process, but I couldn’t be happier.”

“Well, congratulations, buddy,” Jace cheerfully said. “Although,” he started with a clear smirk in his voice, “I can’t seem to picture you changing poopy diapers.”

Tim chuckled. “You just wait. Your time is coming, Bucko. You’ll be changing dirty diapers before you know it.”

“Tim’s right,” Tessa chimed in, overhearing the butt of the conversation. “I want at least two or three. Sooner than later. My biological clock is ticking.”

Jace’s mouth hung open with a deer-in-the-headlights look. “Two or three?”

“Oh, man,” Kyle groaned as he slid an arm around Jace. “Sounds to me like you’re gonna be changing a whole lot of poopy diapers.”

“Yeah,” Casey piped in, laughing. “Good luck with all that.”

Jace looked between Kyle and Casey, utterly appalled. “Thanks a lot, you two,” he groaned with an eye roll.

Cassie cleared her throat and changed the subject. “So, who gets to hold her first?”

When Tim handed the baby to Cassie, the crowd surrounded her with oohs and aahs. Even Drakon gathered and admired the newborn, smiling down at the baby tucked into his beloved’s arms.

Drakon winked in her direction. “You look natural holding her, honey.”

“Well, I’ve had plenty of practice,” Cassie said with a smile. “I’ve delivered a lot of babies over the last few years.”

Helen peeked over Cassie’s shoulder and smiled at the baby nestled in her arms. “You did a wonderful job helping with this cutie pie,” the physician praised. “And by the way, thanks for volunteering on such short notice.”

“It was no problem at all,” Cassie said. “I was glad to help out.”

As everyone kept their eyes on baby Natalie, taking turns holding her, Tim found his way closer to Helen until the two were standing side by side.

"Can we talk in private?"

The physician dipped her head and followed Tim as he moved away from the others.

“So, when can I take my family home?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

“Angel and the baby should be good to go first thing in the morning.”

He nodded. “What about Jem?”

“Same with him, too,” Helen declared. “He’s healing faster than I expected. I checked on him right after we left this room to deliver the news to everyone about the birth of your daughter. His wounds are barely visible. If I hadn’t performed the surgery myself, I’d swear he’d never been on my operating table. His healing abilities are far greater than any Breedline I’ve ever come across. It’s got me mind-boggled for sure. And I wonder if his twin brother has similar abilities.”

“It’s possible,” Tim replied. “Speaking of Jace, did you mention anything to him about his brother’s release?”

Helen nodded. “I’ve agreed to let him stay in Jem’s hospital room overnight. He refuses to leave his brother’s side.”

“Well, after everything that’s happened, I don’t blame him,” Tim said, then placed a hand on Helen’s shoulder. “Thanks again for everything. I don’t know what we would have done without you. And Cassie, for that matter. You’ve been a Godsend to this Covenant.”

“You’re welcome.” Helen smiled. “Glad to help out.”

Laughter swept through the room, grabbing both Tim and Helen’s attention. Everyone was gathered around the hospital bed, doting on Mama and Baby.

Tim looked around at every single face, sensing their unconditional love and support. Then, he looked directly at Angel, his love for her so powerful that it was hard to put into words. And now, he had another precious life to love. One was his soulmate, and the other was a part of him. The two combined made him feel whole.         

To be continued. . .

Thanks for taking the time to read my chapter. I'm rewriting my first book, Sweet Chaos, and I'd love to hear your feedback. If you're interested in previous chapters, visit my profile and look up Revised Sweet Chaos/A Novel of the Breedline series. I hope you enjoy it, and have a blessed day! :)