Page 122 of Beyond Enemy Vows
Niko immediately tenses, his hand flying to adjust my pillows. "Are you okay? Do you need water? Is he hungry? Should I call the nurse?"
His panic is so endearing that I almost laugh, despite my exhaustion.
"Relax, Niko," I say, gently bouncing our son. "I already did the hard part. We're good now."
The baby settles back into sleep, and Niko's shoulders drop.
"You're right," he says, leaning down to press his lips against my forehead. "You were incredible."
"You're going to be an amazing father, you know," I tell him.
"Well, you're already an amazing mother."
A soft knock interrupts us, and the door cracks open. Keira's red hair appears first, followed by her cautious face.
"Can we?" she asks, eyes already fixed on the bundle in my arms.
I nod, and the door opens wider. My entire family files in after her. Ares and Katerina, Theo with his arm around Stassi, Dimitri's hand on Athena's lower back, and Declan trailing behind with his hands shoved in his pockets.
The room suddenly feels smaller, filled with all these people I love most in the world. But instead of feeling crowded, it feels complete.
Keira reaches us first, her green eyes bright with unshed tears. She gently touches the baby's cheek with one finger. "I can't believe you're a mom, Cal."
"I know. It's crazy," Katerina says, moving to stand beside her. "And Niko, a dad!"
Niko laughs, but his eyes remain fixed on our son. "Still processing that part."
Ares steps forward, his usually stern face uncharacteristically gentle as he looks down at my son. Then his eyes shift to Niko.
"Take care of them," he says simply.
Niko doesn't hesitate. "Always."
Dimitri clears his throat, breaking the moment. "So what's the baby's name?"
I look at Niko, waiting for his nod of encouragement. We talked about this during those long hours of labor, between contractions that felt like my body was being torn apart and put back together.
"Vasilis," I announce, my voice steady despite the emotion swelling in my chest. "After Dad.”
The reaction is immediate. Ares's jaw tightens with emotion. Theo looks away for a moment, blinking rapidly. Dimitri's usual stoic expression cracks completely.
"Dad would have loved that," Theo says quietly.
"Yeah, it's perfect," Ares says, voice rough.
"He would have been a hell of a grandfather," Dimitri adds.
There is a moment of silence between everyone before Athena steps in.
"He's got your chin," she says to Niko.
"And Calli's eyes," Stassi adds. "The shape, I mean."
We laugh, and everyone takes turns looking at the baby.
After some time, Keira glances at the monitors and my clearly exhausted face. "We should probably let them rest," she suggests.
Everyone nods in agreement. They file toward the door, offering final congratulations, promises to visit when we get home, and reminders to call if we need anything.
