“Cole, I’m freaking the hell out!” I screamed as we pulled into the hospital parking lot. I looked toward the automatic front doors. Just looking at the hospital gave me anxiety. I didn’t want to go. I wasn’t ready.

“Honey, if we sit in the car all day, we’ll have to deliver the baby in here. Trust me. You don’t want that to happen,” I said.

I took deep breaths in and exhaled, just like they told me to do. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on all of the good in my life. To be honest, it wasn’t helping. “Okay, okay, okay,” I said. “We’ll go in thirty seconds. I need to just like… relax.”

“Alright,” Cole said calmly. “Thirty seconds, but then we’re going in. Cool?”

“Sure, whatever,” I said, quickly.

Cole was doing his best to remain cool and composed. I appreciated him for doing that because my mind was going crazy. Every few minutes, I’d feel the baby start to move. He demanded that I let him out.

“Peter is being a dick right now,” I said. “I know that he’s our baby, and he’s our bundle of joy, but he’s already the biggest jerk I know! Why is he doing this to me?”

I pouted, but I also let out a very quick laugh. Even I could make myself laugh during these intense times. “He’s a mover.” Cole laughed. “He’s going to get shit done, baby.”

“Okay, let’s go,” I said, shaking my head. “Enough of this sitting in the car crap. It’s time I give birth to our baby.”

Cole snorted. I darted my eyes at him with all the fury I had inside of me. “Not funny?” Cole asked.

“No. It’s not. I hope someday you have to squeeze a baby out of your dick. Then, I can laugh,” I said. Cole burst out laughing, but another contraction came. I squeezed the pain back down. “Shit! Let’s hurry. I need those drugs.”

Cole helped me into a wheelchair. He wheeled me in quickly. We called ahead, so the doctor was waiting for us with open arms. “This is the best time of your life, Piper!” he exclaimed.

“Shove it, doc. I am going through literal hell right now,” I said, feeling the pressure expand inside of me. “My child is a boxer.”

“He’s probably just complaining about the food you’ve been eating,” Cole joked. I glared at him, which immediately caused him to shut up.

The doctor remained his sweet self. “Don’t worry. We have everything here for you. Think of it as a nice spa day,” he said.

“Does the spa include pain medication?” I asked, already feeling weary.

Doctor Frederickson smiled and glanced at the nurse. The nurse wheeled out the IV kit, which I assumed would be packed full of drugs soon enough. “Oh, thank God,” I said.

The doctor noticed my ring. “Big night?” he asked.

“We’re getting married,” Cole said with a straight face. Cole tried his best to avoid eye contact with me. I didn’t blame him. I was turning into a monster.

“Perfect timing,” doctor Frederickson said with a smile. The nurse positioned the IV, and within minutes, I felt a slow relief start to come in.

“Sorry for getting angry,” I said, exhaling again. Sweat was starting to build on my forehead and body. I felt very drowsy, but I could finally focus on what was going to happen, rather than what was happening right at that moment. “It was just kind of painful.”

Cole walked behind me and kissed the top of my head as well as the back of my neck. He started to massage my shoulders. “No apologies needed, darling,” he said. “This is an intense time for you. You can scream at everyone all you want. You get a pass today.”

I closed my eyes, cried a little, but I did it with a massive smile on my face. This was the day every omega waited for. For the longest time, I didn’t think it would ever happen to me. Now, it was happening, and I couldn’t believe it.

“Doctor,” I whispered. “Is everything okay? Am I going to be alright?”

He had been checking me periodically, but he refrained from giving me any notes. I just wanted to know if I was safe. “You came in a week early, but your baby was ready. Everything is going smoothly so far. It’ll just be another hour,” he said.

“An hour?!” My eyes shot open. “Oh, jeez.”

It was nothing like the movies I watched as a young kid. I kind of prayed it would work a little faster. “It’ll come sooner than you think,” the doctor said before walking out.

“Cole,” I whimpered.

“Close your eyes, baby,” Cole said while massaging me. “Listen to the sounds of the world.”

In a typical situation, I would have thought that was totally cheesy. But this time, it was different. I followed his advice and closed my eyes. My senses were so heightened that I could hear everything around me, including the wind from outside.

I listened to the rustle of the leaves, the chirping of the birds, and the passing of strange automobiles. My whole life seemed to exist for this one moment. When I opened my eyes, the doctor was back inside.

“Okay, baby,” Cole said. “It’s time to push.”

“But it has only been a few minutes,” I said.

Cole chuckled. “Baby, it’s been over an hour,” he said.

At that moment, I had no sense of time at all. I just had a strong connection to my body. “I love you, Cole,” I whispered. “I can’t wait to start our life together.”

“I love you more than anything,” Cole said.

“He’s coming!” Doctor Frederickson announced. “Keep pushing for me. You’re doing so well, Piper.”

I closed my eyes and pushed with all my might. The pressure was unbearable, but I knew I had to persevere through this. I couldn’t give up, not after all that we’ve been through.

“There’s his head!” the doctor said. “Just a few more pushes, Piper. Breathe in and out.”

I strained my legs, pushing my hips back. I felt our son push into this world, and when he finally let out a sharp cry, I started bawling uncontrollably. “There we go, baby,” Cole whispered with tears in his eyes. He wiped them away. “You did it, baby. He’s here. Peter is finally here.”

I was beyond exhausted, but once the baby was out, the flood of endorphins knocked me awake. I saw our baby, crying and flailing about. He was scared and tired, and probably a little bit angry. But once he saw me, he stopped crying. For a few moments, we just stared at each other. He knew I was his daddy. He knew me more than I knew myself.

“Hi, Peter,” I waved, trying not to cry any more than I already was.

With careful precision, Cole cut his umbilical cord. After our baby was carefully cleaned and prepped, the nurse handed our baby to us and left the room.

“My life is complete,” Cole whispered.

Barely able to sleep, the three of us snuggled together. The whole time, I watched our baby intently. I kissed every single part of his face and head. His tiny hands curled around my fingers. Peter didn’t seem to want to let go.

He was the smallest, most precious being I had ever seen or held. Our little bean had so much promise and potential. “How could any place deny a sweet being like this?” I asked. “Why was our town so against love?”

“They were never given a chance to experience it. But those who leave will know,” Cole whispered. “When we go back, we’ll show them the truth. We’ll tell everyone about my father and his omega.”

“I hope they’ll listen,” I said.

I looked into the glossy, pure eyes of our baby. I knew he’d be the catalyst for change. Within these few hours, he had already changed my life.

There was nothing more valuable than family. Nobody could change my mind on that.