Page 118 of Sincerely, Pack Pucked
The shower had been a good call, and I did feel a million times better afterward. When I came out, I found that they had cleaned the sofa nest and put fresh blankets and sheets down so I could get comfortable.
My back was pressed against Percy's chest as he gently ran a hand through my hair, watching me feed our daughter.
“She really is a bottomless pit, isn't she?” I said wistfully. “I guess it's a good thing I'm an over producer.”
“Though, I'm pretty sure she tried to bite Saint the other day when he held her with no shirt on. She really needs to learn that he doesn’t have the parts she wants.”
I chuckled lightly. “Funnily enough, she almost did the same to Devin before my shower.”
We lapsed into a comfortable silence as I fed Maggie, simply basking in each other's presence.
I was about to open my mouth and ask for a glass of water, because nursing made me darn thirsty, but Saint was already atthe side of the couch, holding out the bottle of water that was probably much too large for a regular person, but I was obsessed with it.
“Fresh water with ice.” He smiled.
“Thank you,” I said, reaching out to take the bottle. It was the kind that had a built-in straw, so when Percy plucked it out of his grip, he held it out for me with the straw so I could take a deep chug.
“Dinner won’t be long,” Saint said, glancing toward the kitchen.
My entire pack was home for the evening, and it was downright domestic bliss. The guys had taken over all of the cleaning, not letting any housekeepers in the apartment after I'd given birth because they didn't want me to feel like my space was being intruded upon.
That was something I never would have asked of them, but I was eternally grateful that they did. My hormones right after giving birth were a mess, and I didn't know if I could handle any strange scents in my home. In fact, I knew I couldn’t. I was still getting upset at the drop of a hat, and the guys were making the house as nice as possible. They’d already talked to me about sitting down with my OB and making sure I was taking care of myself. My appointment, so graciously scheduled by Devin, was in a few days.
Now, though, Jasper was cooking, and Devin was doing laundry while Percy and Saint were on Mommy and Maggie duty.
After Maggie was full, going from one boob to the other, Percy took her to burp her, and I chugged down some more water. The living room was looking much better than it had in a while, and it made me think. We had been in “comfy” mode for so long, sitting on the couch or in the bed and rarely doing more, that I wanted to change things up. I finally felt like I could.
So, I insisted on actually sitting at the dining table to feel a bit more like I was a normal person for a few minutes. The guys took care of setting the table, and I brought my massive water bottle with me so I could hydrate while I ate.
Saint insisted on holding Maggie while I was eating because he knew I wouldn’t be eating a hot meal otherwise. He had read somewhere that mothers usually ate last because they were holding the babies, and he had made it his personal mission to make sure that I always got hot food right away. It was sweet.
“Ooh, this is delicious. Thank you so much for cooking, Devin.” He smiled at me, rolling his eyes because he never did well with a compliment. “Ugh, it’s been too long since we had lasagna and garlic bread.”
“Well, tell your mom I appreciate her sending over the recipe.” Devin shoved a big bite into his mouth just as I did the same, and I chuckled quietly, humming my agreement.
“The baby seems to like the smell too. Look at her.” Saint laughed as she waved her little arms enthusiastically at his fork. “Not yet, baby girl. You get wallpaper paste first.”
I snorted. “Baby cereal is not wallpaper paste.”
“It might as well be,” Jasper added. “Watery milk rice? Yeah, pass.”
We all chuckled, enjoying the time as a family at the dinner table. It had been a minute, and I knew that this was the way life would be for a while. Raising a child is hard work, but when we came together like this, when I had my alphas there to keep me safe, to care for our daughter, and make this place a home, it was work I was glad to be doing.
Chapter 48
Mable
“Promise me you'll text regularly, even if I'm not lucid,” I said as I checked one of the diaper bags for the hundredth time.
“I will text you regularly. I'm in a group chat with you and your pack. They will get regular updates,” my mother reassured me as she rocked Maggie in her arms.
“And if you need anything?—”
“Mable!” my mother said firmly but lovingly. “I have raised a baby before. I think I can handle looking after my granddaughter for a few days. If I need anything, we will simply go to the store.” She looked down at Maggie with a smile.
“Come on, sweetness,” Saint said softly, wrapping an arm around me from behind.
My eyes started to water as I turned to my mate. My entire pack surrounded me, knowing that I wasn't the most stable emotionally. My heat was going to hit in full force any minute. The cramps had been slowly getting worse all day, so before I became a mess and couldn't think straight, my mother had come over to wisely kidnap my daughter for a grandmother-granddaughter visit.
