Page 65 of Echoes of Desire

Chapter Eighteen

Raven

The waiting room buzzes with nervous energy. Even though we’ve been here for hours, the tension never dips below a steady hum. King’s wife, Maddy, is in labor, and every single person in this room is on edge.

“Does it really take this long to have a baby?” I ask, half-joking to distract myself from the knots in my stomach.

“Sometimes it takes much longer,” Ma says from beside me, her tone calm and knowing. “Do you want kids, Raven?”

I can feel the weight of Jaxon and Jasper’s attention settle on me at the question, but I don’t mind. I take a deep breath, considering my answer.

“I do,” I admit, letting the truth settle in the air. “But it scares me. I have this fear that one day, I’ll take them to the park and lose their faces. I wouldn’t be able to recognize them, and that thought... it’s sad and terrifying.”

“You’d adapt,” my mom says gently from her spot beside Ma. The two of them have become inseparable these past few weeks. “You always do, honey. You’ve faced so much already and handled it beautifully.”

“I know,” I say with a small smile. The knot in my chest loosens slightly as I hear King’s booming voice shout his joy.“And my baby would have two amazing dads who’d help me every step of the way.”

“Imagine her swollen with our child, brother,” Jaxon’s voice murmurs low enough that only Jasper and I can hear.

“What a sight that will be,” Jasper replies, his voice tinged with awe.

“Fuck,” Jasper groans quietly, and the heat in his tone causes a ripple of laughter to burst from those close enough to catch it.

“It’s a girl!” King shouts, racing into the room like a whirlwind of joy.

Even though I’ve only known him for a few weeks, I’ve never seen him act so wild. He’s a man usually defined by his quiet strength, but now he’s radiating happiness that’s impossible not to share. I join the others in hugging him, feeling the warmth of this makeshift family envelop me.

By the time I pull back, my stomach twists—not with nerves but with the familiar pang of my face blindness. Everyone’s features blur together in a way I’ll never get used to. But I know, somewhere in this wonderful group, my two men are here. Their presence is as steady as a heartbeat, even if I can’t see them clearly.

“Are we ever going to have a boy?” someone jokes, and the room bursts into laughter.

“Elijah’s our only boy, and he’s sixteen,” he continues. “Why do all my boys keep giving me granddaughters? Not that I’m complaining. I love them all. But do you know what comes with granddaughters, boys? Dating. Teenagers with no self-control.”

“And that’s why they’ll all have uncles,” someone else says, his tone laced with amusement. “And fathers. And grandfathers. Let’s see one of those little punks get past us.”

“Damn right,” another adds. “We’ll have shifts if we have to.”

The laughter rolls through the room, a balm to the tension that’s lingered for weeks.

I lean back in my seat, letting the sound of their voices wash over me. Somewhere deep down, I know that no matter what challenges lie ahead, no matter the fears, struggles, or uncertainties, this is where I belong. With them.

With all of them.

The joy, the love, the chaos…it’s perfect.

And as I watch King hold his newborn daughter for the first time, I can’t help but feel a quiet, powerful hope for everything that’s to come.

“Sweetheart,” the man in front of me says. Suddenly, everything that connects Jaxon to who he is comes into focus.

“Pet,” the man beside him says. Of course, all that connects to Jasper snaps into place as well.

“Lose our faces, sweetheart?” Jaxon asks.

“Yeah,” I admit. “But it’s okay. I knew you were here somewhere.”

Jaxon kneels in front of me, his green eyes soft with understanding as he cups my face. “You’ll never have to search for us, sweetheart. We’ll always make sure you find us.”

Jasper kneels beside his brother, his hand resting lightly on my knee, grounding me as always. “Even if you lose us for a moment, Pet, we’ll bring you back. Always.”

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