New Atlanta
2056
“Chief, we have a problem!” Marley yelled from downstairs even though he could hear her just fine without the added volume. The yelling was because her water just broke. Luckily she’d been standing in the kitchen and not sitting on the sofa.
“What’s wrong, Sweetness?” he yelled back.
“It’s time!” she told him before waddling to the laundry room to find some dry clothes. Dane never fussed when she failed to take the clean clothes upstairs, and this was one time she was glad she’d been lazy.
Heavy feet thudded on the stairs as her husband ran down them, her hospital bag in his hand. He skidded to a stop at the door in his socks, his hair wet from the shower he just took. He stared at his naked mate. “Uh, Marley, if you don’t put some clothes on, I’m going to get you pregnant all over again.”
“If I didn’t feel like your daughter was about to slide out of my hoo-ha, I’d let you. Now find your boots so we can get this show on the road.” Marley pulled on fresh panties along with a slip-over dress. She opted for comfort since she was headed to the hospital to give birth. Dane shoved his feet into his boots and helped Marley down the couple of steps into the garage. They had bought a nice crossover SUV for Marley to drive, and after Dane tossed her bag in the backseat, he helped her into the passenger seat. When they were under way, he pressed the button on the steering wheel to call Lucinda.
“Hello?” Grace answered.
“Hey, Princess. Tell Grandma and Grandpa we’re on our way to the hospital.”
“I knew I should have stayed home!” their daughter fussed.
Things for Marley and Dane had been better than Marley could have ever hoped, until one evening when they got a call from her mother. Lynette and Chase had been out celebrating their anniversary when they were struck and killed by a semi. The driver had fallen asleep and crossed the median. Grace had been spending the night with Lucinda and Merrill, or she would have been lost to them as well. Lynette and Chase both had wills, and guardianship over Grace had gone to Marley.
Marley’s parents were beside themselves with grief, as was Marley, but her parents both agreed it was best for Grace to live with Marley and Dane. Merrill had mellowed over the years, and he even apologized to his daughter for being such an ass to her when she was younger. Things between him and Dane were better, but Dane never wanted Marley alone with her dad. He was protective of both his girls. The two of them adopted Grace, giving her Dane’s last name, and when she turned thirteen, Marley told her the truth of her birth. Grace took it in stride like she did most things in life. Dane had put their girl in therapy when her parents were killed, but after a few sessions, the psychiatrist said Grace was well-adjusted would be fine with them to love her.
“Don’t worry. You’ve got plenty of tiiime!!!!” Marley shouted as a contraction hit. “Dammit, Chief, drive faster. I need drugs!” Marley was not one of those women who insisted on doing things the natural way. The sooner she got an epidural, the better.
“Mom, you better not have my baby sister before we get there! Gran, we gotta go, like now!” Grace yelled to Marley before turning her attention to her grandmother. “I’m gonna hang up now, but if you start having this kid, you better call me back so I can at least be there by phone!” Grace disconnected without saying goodbye, and Dane laughed. He had fallen in love with Grace the minute he met her, and their bond had only grown since.
“She is definitely your child,” he said. Dane held out his hand, and Marley grabbed onto it, squeezing. Marley’s contractions were getting closer together, and she prayed her parents were able to get to the hospital with Grace before she gave birth. The teen was more excited about the baby than Marley or Dane, and that was saying a lot. Dane was ridiculous when he found out she was pregnant. Within a week, he had turned one of the spare bedrooms into a nursery, and the baby already had more stuffed animals than a circus midway.
After Dane talked to Grace, he made one phone call to Trevor, and they both knew the rest of the Clan would be notified within minutes. Over the last few years, Marley had become close with all the mates. Their children were cousins, whether they were blood-related or not. Connor had taken Grace under his wing, and he helped her with her homework when she needed it. Somehow, Grace had gotten the smart gene from her biological father. Other than Grace, that was the only good thing that came from Marley dating Brandt.
One day, Dane had taken his girls shopping at the mall, and they ran into Brandt. Grace was looking at something toward the back of the store while Dane and Marley waited on her. Brandt took one look at Grace and knew who she was. Stupidly, he asked, “Is that my daughter?” Marley immediately stepped in between her ex and Dane, because the rage coming from her husband was thick enough to choke a mule.
“No, she’s my daughter,” Dane seethed. “You didn’t want her, remember?” Brandt held his hands up and backed away. Marley caught a glimpse of him outside the store, watching Dane and Grace together. She almost felt sorry for the man. Marley knew how the two of them looked together. Grace might not be Dane’s biological daughter, but he couldn’t love her any more. The two were practically inseparable.
When they arrived at the hospital, Jonas and Caroline were waiting for them. “Joseph” was no longer Chief of Staff, so his being there was purely personal. Even though her father had come around, Marley still preferred Jonas’s kind of love – unconditional. The next half hour was hectic with getting Marley into a room, checked out, and finally getting an epidural. Her contractions were coming closer together, and she had dilated to nine centimeters. One more and it would be time to push. “I will not have this baby until Grace gets here. I promised.”
“Sweetness, it’s not like you can squeeze your legs together to keep the baby from popping out.”
“Watch me,” she huffed just as Grace ran into the room.
“Is she here yet?”
“No, but she’s on her way,” Dane said, wrapping his free arm around Grace’s shoulders, pulling her in for a hug.
Grace clapped her hands together and said, “Okay, let’s do this!”
The nurse had Grace scrub up so when it was time, she could help deliver her sister. She had been to every class with Marley and Dane, just in case Dane had to miss the birth for some reason. Like he would ever let that happen. After poking their heads in long enough to say hello, Marley’s parents headed to the waiting room to sit – or pace – with the rest of Marley’s family.
After Marley was dilated to ten, the doctor had her push. Dane held her hand while Grace watched for her sister to make an appearance. At some point in the past few years, the girl had decided she wanted to be a nurse, and she insisted seeing a baby being born was the most natural thing in the world. The doctor explained everything she was doing, and Grace absorbed it all. Together, they brought the baby into the world, and Grace held her sister while Dane cut the cord. Marley’s heart was bursting at the sight of her two girls together.
Grace passed the baby off to the nurse to get cleaned up, removed her gloves, and tossed them in the trash. Beaming, she stepped up beside Dane and leaned into his body, crying.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Marley asked.
“She’s so beautiful, Mom. Just like you and Dad. Thank you for letting me be part of that.”
The nurse brought the little bundle over and handed her to Marley. “Did you ever decide on a name?” Marley asked. She had agreed to let Dane and Grace name her.
“Amber Marie,” they said in unison. Marley couldn’t stop the sob that escaped when she heard her sister’s first name coupled with Grace’s middle name. They couldn’t have chosen better. Dane sat down beside Marley, wrapping her and the baby in an embrace, and Grace went to tell the others the good news.
Once the nurses cleared out, Marley’s family was in and out of the room for several hours. She was glad she had them all, but she was ready to get home with just the four of them. Dane stayed overnight in the room, while Lucinda and Merrill took Grace home. Marley’s parents stayed in one of the guest bedrooms, but Lucinda had already promised they would leave once Marley got settled at home. She remembered how it was being a new mother and wanting the peace that came in those first few hours alone.
The next day when they arrived at home, Lucinda snapped a picture of the four of them as they stood together while Dane told Amber Marie about her new home. Later while Marley was resting on the sofa with her head in Dane’s lap, her phone pinged with an incoming text. “Would you see who that is for me?” Marley asked Grace who was sitting on the other side of Dane. He had his legs stretched out and Amber Marie secured against his shoulder.
“It’s a text from Grandma. It’s… Huh.” Grace handed the phone over, and Marley gasped.
When she showed the picture to Dane, he shook his head. “Connor really is amazing.” The photo was an exact likeness to the one hanging over their mantel. Amber Marie grunted, but she didn’t wake up. The four of them sat together, just being, and Marley silently thanked the fates for bringing Dane to her before she sent up a little prayer to her sister, thanking Lynette for watching over Grace and promising she would return the favor.