Page 177 of Fought and Freed

She knew what this was about and didn’t want to do this while she was in pain, but she couldn’t say no to her future in-laws. “Bring them in.”

Jared and Giselle entered the room.

“We’ll make this quick,” Giselle said. “Ryder, we should have done this years ago, when you first discussed who would marry Maddy and how you didn’t want her to have your last name because you wanted nothing to do with that heinous woman anymore. While you’re an adult and don’t need any parenting, we are here for you.”

She handed him some papers.

Ryder unfolded them, and as he read, his eyes began filling with tears. “You want to adopt me?”

Jared placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Yes, if you want to.”

Ryder strode over and hugged Giselle and Jared. “This is the second-best gift I’ve ever gotten. Ryan was my first gift.”

“We’re proud to call you son.” Jared lead Giselle toward the door as another contraction had Maddy screaming. “We’ll leave you alone.”

Ryder turned to Skylar and Cody. “Did you know this was going to happen?”

“Yeah, Mom and Dad were planning on doing it while Maddy was getting dressed.” Cody clasped him on the shoulder. “Now that you’re an Anderson, do you want to be the one officially marrying Maddy?”

Ryder looked at her in question.

“It’s up to you guys,” she huffed out. “It doesn’t matter which of you I say I do with first.”

“No, I’m good,” Ryder finally said. “Stick to the original plan.”

“Shit, this hurts!” Maddy shouted. “Tell the priest to hurry up.”

“I’m right here, Maddy.” The priest stepped into the room. “I have to say, this is the first time I’ve married someone while they’re giving birth.”

Maddy willed her twins to hold on a little longer. “Not giving birth just yet!”

Cody stood by Maddy’s bed with Ryder beside him and Skylar and Jace on the other side.

“We’re going to do this quickly.” The priest turned to Cody. “Do you, Cody Anderson, take Maddy Walsh for your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”

Cody smiles down at Maddy. “I do.”

The priest turned to her. “Do you, Maddy Walsh, take Cody Anderson for your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”

Of course, a contraction hit right then. “I doooo!”

Cody placed the wedding ring on Maddy’s ring finger. “Maddy, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity.”

Maddy took the ring Ryder passed her and placed it on Cody’s finger. “Cody, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity.”

“I now pronounce you Man and Wife.” The priest beamed at them. “You may now kiss the bride.”

Everyone in the room cheered as Cody leaned down and kissed Maddy.

The nurse looked up from the blanket draped over Maddy’s legs. “Get the doctor. It’s time.”

“That’s my cue to leave. Bless you both.” The priest left the room.

The doctor came in and checked Maddy’s dilation. “Get ready to push!”

Twenty minutes later, Maria was born screaming into the world. Two minutes after that, Lia was born.

Since they were several weeks early, they put them both in an oxygen-enrichment environment and whisked them off to the NICU.

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