Page 117 of Triplet Babies for Pucking Christmas

I breathe in deep. “I’ll go get him,” I say, heading toward the nurses’ station. “I’ll go get the damn test.”

Jamie slaps me on the back as I move, and I don’t miss the look on his face. He’s trying to hide the worry, but I can see it. It’s there.

I head down the hall, my boots clicking on the linoleum floor. It feels like I’m walking through mud. I’m trying to stay calm, but all I can think about is her and those kids. I can’t imagine anyone trying to take them from us.

I reach the nurses’ station and spot one of the younger nurses at the desk. “I need to talk to the doctor,” I say, voice rough. “About the paternity test for Noah.”

She looks up, surprised. “You’re...sure about that?”

“Yeah,” I growl. “I need to get it done. Can you find a doctor for me?”

The nurse nods, picking up the phone. I shift, trying to keep my nerves in check, but it’s damn hard. My mind’s racing with the worst-case scenarios. What if they don’t let us do it? What if they give us a hard time?

Finally, the doctor comes over, looking like he hasn’t slept in days either. “You wanted to speak to me?”

I don’t waste time. “We need a paternity test for Noah. Right now.”

The doctor raises an eyebrow. “You understand what this means, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I know what it means. But I don’t care. I need this to make sure we have a chance. I’m not leaving here without it.”

He sighs but nods. “All right. I’ll have the nurse start it. You sure you’re ready for this?”

I glance back toward the NICU, where the babies are. “We’re ready. Just do it.”

The doctor gives me a serious look but nods. “We’ll get started right away.”

I head back to the NICU, my mind spinning. When I walk in, I see Jamie sitting by Savannah’s side, holding her hand, watching her sleep. It’s almost too quiet in the room. I feel like we’re holding our breath, waiting for something.

“You get it?” Jamie asks.

“Yeah, it’s happening.” I move closer to them, my heart beating faster. “We’ll have the results soon. It’ll give us something to fight with.”

He nods, his expression tight. “Good. We’re gonna need it.”

I sit down next to Savannah, my fingers brushing her hair. She stirs, but doesn’t wake up. Her breath is steady, peaceful. I’m fucking terrified, but I’m also damn grateful.

Jamie watches us both, his face softening. “She did well, man. You know that, right?”

I nod. “She’s incredible.”

The door opens, and the nurse steps in with the test kits. “We’ll need to get the samples,” she says gently.

I glance at Jamie, then back at Savannah, then back at the babies. They’re all here. We’re all here. This is our family.

“Let’s do it,” I say, finally feeling like we’re taking control.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Jared

I’m sitting in the waiting area, staring at my phone. Troy and Jamie are still gone, dealing with the paternity test stuff.

I should be there too, but I need a second. A breather. Just to catch my damn breath.

As I lean back, trying to keep my focus off the buzzing in my head, my phone rings. I glance down. Carter Novak. What the hell?

I answer, trying to sound like everything’s fine even though my nerves are shot. “Jared.”

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