“Well, that was so sugary sweet, I’m pretty sure I got a toothache,” Markus said as he fell back on Baylor’s couch. “Or it was all the cheesecake I ate.”

Baylor giggled as Jayden brought her down onto his lap, his hand resting on her belly. The party was over, and Baylor was convinced it was one of the greatest days of her life. The impromptu wedding was amazing and so romantic. She hadn’t expected it, and she had to admit, she was really starting to love surprises. Well, as long as they included Jayden.

After they redid their vows, they danced as Avery sang “This” by Ed Sheeran. After that, they opened presents, and it was easy to say their child would be set for the first year of its life. It would definitely be ready for its first hockey game in its stylish Number 59 Sinclair Assassins jersey Elli had gotten them. Along with the Assassins blanket, hat, pacifier, and carrier. They had gotten so much stuff—even a stick and puck for the little baby. She just couldn’t wait to find a home for every gift.

But she was more ready for the baby to come.

“Hush, it was amazing,” she gushed, kissing Jayden’s cheek as he peeled off her shoes, rubbing her feet.

“You loved it?”

“I did,” she said, cuddling into him. “Did your mom plan it?”

“Nope, all me,” he said proudly, and she beamed back at him.

“Wow, good move, Sinclair. It was nice,” Markus said with a nod. “Way better than those stupid shower games.”

Baylor laughed. “Right? But it was all perfect, and I can’t wait to put all the stuff away.”

“Do I have to help?” Markus asked, and Jayden scoffed.

“If I have to fold onesies, so do you,” he said, and Markus nodded.

“Figured. Gotta work for the plane ticket, I guess,” he teased, and they all had a good laugh.

Leaning against Jayden, she looked up at the wall that was empty, waiting for what she had thought would be pictures of their child. “I want the pictures there.”

Jayden looked at the spot she was pointing to, his brows coming together. “I thought the baby’s first pictures were going there.”

“Nope, I want pictures of us, with the baby in the middle.”

“Anything you want,” he whispered, kissing her temple, and Markus groaned.

“You guys are mushy. Ew,” he teased, a grin pulling at his lips, and Baylor stuck her tongue out.

“You’re jealous.”

“I am. Can I move in and be the third wheel? I’m lonely.”

“No way,” Jayden laughed, looking over to their friend. “So it’s not going well down in Florida?”

“Hate it. Loathe it. I want to leave. Y’all are up here, and Jace is all the way in Ft. Lauderdale. I don’t have anything in common with my team. I hate it.”

“You’ll be brought up, just give it time. Not everyone goes straight in,” Jayden said, and Markus nodded.

“I know. I’m just impatient and bored.”

“Try being me. I’ve played hockey my whole life, and now that’s all gone. I’m growing a child, and I have no hockey. Things change in an instant. Don’t give up,” Baylor said, a smile on her face, and Markus beamed back at her, leaning into the couch cushions.

“And you’re doing it effortlessly, babe. I wish I had y’all’s life.”

Looking at her husband, Baylor decided she did have a pretty great life. She just wished her best friend did too. He’d almost had it, but he’d thrown that away. Glancing back at Markus, she knew even though it was a sore subject, she had to ask. “You haven’t talked to Mekena at all?”

He scoffed, shaking his head while not looking at her. “No, man. She wants nothing to do with me, not that I blame her.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “But maybe—”

“Nah, no use.”

“You know she’ll be at Lucy and Benji’s wedding?” Jayden asked. “She’s the photographer, from what I heard Avery say to Mom.”

“Yeah, that’s what Jace said.”

“Maybe you can talk to her, then,” Baylor suggested, but Markus didn’t look hopeful as his eyes met hers.

“It’s been almost a year, Bay. I doubt she gives two shits about me or that she wants to. I’ll get over her. I just need more time.”

“Yeah,” Baylor agreed as she shifted to the side from a pain that shot up her back all of a sudden. “Ack.”

“What?”

“I got a pain.”

“A pain?” Jayden was alarmed as he watched her. “What kind of pain?”

When it shot up her back once more, she cried out, gripping his shoulder while she sucked in a breath. “Pain, pain.”

“Like, baby pain?” Markus asked, his eyes widening, concern filling them.

“I don’t know,” she wailed, her back on fire. Surely, it wasn’t time. She wasn’t ready. “It just hurts.”

“Do we need to go in? Markus, grab her bag,” Jayden said, but Baylor didn’t move, leaning into him as her back seized up. It hurt, badly, but it was probably just Braxton-Hicks; she had them a lot. Though, this felt more intense. That scared her.

“I don’t know. Wait, stop. Give me a minute. It’s not time. I’ve got like two weeks.”

She hissed out a breath, but Jayden was shaking his head. “Maybe we should call my mom, I doubt she’s far.”

“No, I’m fine—” But before she could even finish, a warmth rushed out of her, wetting her thighs.

Jayden cried out, “Shit, are you pissing on me?”

With her eyes wide, she shook her head. “No, I think my water broke.”

“Oh, hell. Can you get up? Markus, get her bag. Shit, we gotta go,” Jayden said frantically, helping Baylor up.

“Ew, gross. You’ve got baby juices on you,” Markus said. But when Baylor looked up, he had the bag.

“Shut up, Markus,” Jayden said as he held up his hand. “Let me change, and we’ll leave. Is that okay? Can you wait?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Let me change too,” she said calmly as the pain lessened enough for her to stand, but Jayden didn’t move. “I don’t want to go soaked in baby juices.”

“Maybe you should just stay there. You don’t want to move too much, right?”

“It’s fine.”

“Why are you so calm? You’re having a baby!” Markus cried out, as frantic as Jayden.

“Yeah, this isn’t something to be so calm about. Where is emotional, crazy Baylor?”

She rolled her eyes, passing by Jayden. “I’m sure she’ll rear her ugly head. Until then, let’s go get changed and head up to the hospital. These things can take forever from what I’ve heard, so I don’t want to be just sitting there.”

But that wasn’t the case for Baylor. Because when they got to the hospital and in the bed for the doctor to check her, Jayden and Baylor were completely blown away when the doctor said, “Wow, you’re at a six. This is going to be fast. Hope you’re ready.”

Baylor looked to Jayden, who looked to her, and they both laughed. “No, we aren’t ready!” he said, shaking his head. “We haven’t finished those birthing classes.”

“The room is nowhere near ready.”

“Did you install the baby seat?”

“No, I thought you had.”

“Lord, we’re a mess! I thought we had two more weeks,” Jayden laughed, his face full of happiness. But his eyes told the truth; he was scared to death. Though, Baylor was sure she looked the same.

Because she was scared out of her mind.

“Well, it’s coming. Might want to call family,” Dr. Flynn said before taking off her glove and tapping Baylor’s leg. “Want some pain meds?”

Baylor shook her head. “I want a natural birth.”

When Markus hissed in shock, she smiled as he said, “Show-off.”

Baylor laughed as Dr. Flynn nodded. “Sounds good to me. I’ll be back in a few.”

“Thanks,” Baylor said before looking to Markus.

“Can you call Jace and Jude while Jayden calls Mom, Dad, and Lucy?”

“Yeah, but from now on, make sure I’m on this side of you. I just saw way more of you than I ever wanted,” he said, making a face of pure horror, causing Baylor to giggle.

“So I guess you aren’t going to hold my leg back?”

He looked up at her, alarmed. “Please don’t make me do that.”

Holding back her giggle, she smiled. “But I was depending on you.”

Looking to Jayden for help, Markus found none since he was on the phone. “You’re joking.”

“Yeah, I am. Jayden’s mom is going to be in here.”

“Thank God,” he breathed as he pulled out his phone, calling the rest of the family.

Looking up at the ceiling, she felt her body start to seize up once more. Like she had been practicing, she did the breathing techniques that had gotten her to this moment. She was scared. Would she be able to handle the real pain? Maybe she should get the pain meds… But ever since she had found out she was pregnant and she’d already been taking meds for her knee, she had promised herself she would never take anything stronger than ibuprofen because she was scared she’d hurt the baby. No, she could do this.

She was strong.

She was woman; hear her roar.

“We got this,” she said, looking to her husband, who was a nice shade of greenish-white. “We’re gonna rock this birth. Kick its ass and get the greatest reward ever.”

Jayden nodded, though not confidently at all. She could see it in his eyes. He was freaking out. “Okay, yeah. Yeah, we are.”

“Don’t worry, it will go easy and well. I just know it.”

With his brows to his hairline, he said, “Never expected you to be calm and cool about this.”

She scoffed. “Right. Usually, you’re the calm one.”

“Yeah,” he said with a grin. “But you’re right. We got this.”

She held up her hand for a high five. “Damn right. Let’s do this, Sinclair.”

Slapping her hand, he laced his fingers with hers before kissing her hard on the lips. “You are fucking amazing, and I love you.”

Grinning like a fool, Baylor nodded. “I love you too, now let’s make this birth our bitch.”

As confident as she was an hour before, though, nothing could prepare her for the pain when it really started up. The sounds she was making were something straight out of a horror film. It was so bad, Markus had to leave the room, unable to watch his best friend in such pain. Poor Jayden was white as a sheet as he held her hand, telling her how beautiful she was, how strong she was.

“I don’t think I can do this,” she cried, leaning into his hand as the pain took over, making her delirious.

“Yes, you can. I know you can. You can do anything,” he promised in her ear, moving the washcloth along her head as the door opened and Autumn hustled in.

“I’m so sorry! We were already home, my damn phone was off, and Lord! I’m so sorry!”

“It’s fine, Mom. She’s at eight.”

“Wow, moving along,” Autumn said, coming to the other side of the bed and moving her hand along Baylor’s arm. “We’re gonna have us a baby soon.”

“Thank God,” Baylor struggled to say as she leaned into Jayden’s hand, squeezing it so hard she was sure she was going to break it off.

“Everyone is in the waiting room. They wanted to me to tell you they love you and are so proud of you guys. And Lord knows your daddy can’t stand to see you in pain,” Autumn said, but all Baylor could do was cry out as the pain once again took over.

“Keep breathing, baby, you’re doing awesome.”

“Ugh, it hurts so bad,” she cried out, reaching for Autumn’s outstretched hand and squeezing. “Fuck. Damn it. Ugh, this sucks!”

“I know, honey. It will be worth it, don’t worry. Just keep breathing,” Autumn encouraged, but Baylor wasn’t sure it would ever end—or that she would make it. It just hurt. Everything hurt. But then, all of a sudden, she needed to push.

“Fuck, I gotta push now. Jayden, now!” she yelled, squeezing their hands. Within seconds, a nurse was in the room, her hand up inside of Baylor, checking her.

“Yup, it’s baby time,” she said, and Baylor let out a harsh breath as tears ran down her face.

“See, baby? It’s time. You’ve done so great,” Jayden said, kissing her temple and cheek. “Almost there. Are you ready? Ready to meet our little baby?”

Nodding, she really didn’t want to cuss him out, but he had to stop talking to her. “Not now. I love you, Jayden Mitchell Sinclair, I do. But right now, I want to kill you. So just hold my hand and tell me I’m pretty as I push your kid out.”

The room filled with laughter as the doctor came in, getting dressed while Jayden nodded. “Yes, ma’am. God, you’re so pretty.”

Everything was happening so fast. She heard the click of a phone, and when she looked up to Autumn, she was taking pictures. Great. They’d need those, but the pain was almost pure hell. Burning. That’s all Baylor felt.

“All right, Baylor, next contraction, we’re doing this.”

“Okay,” she agreed, bringing her legs back as Jayden and Autumn both grabbed a knee.

“You got this, baby,” Jayden said, his head leaned against hers as the contraction hit and Baylor pushed with everything in her soul.

“Whoa, great pushing!” the doctor encouraged, but it was hard to hear her over the pure fucking fire Baylor was feeling. Closing her eyes, she cried out as another contraction came, and she pushed once more. “We have a head. Do you wanna feel the head, Baylor?”

“No, I fucking want it out!” she screamed, her body feeling as if it wasn’t even hers.

“Holy shit, Baylor. It’s right there. You’re almost there,” Jayden cried, and she wanted to appreciate his enthusiasm, she did, but not right now.

“Well, if the baby has shoulders like you, I’m fucked,” she grunted as another contraction hit, and she started pushing once more. The baby apparently did have shoulders like its father because it took several more pushes until, finally, the cries of her baby filled the room.

“It’s a boy!” the doctor exclaimed.

“Oh my God,” Jayden cried out.

Autumn bubbled a sob, but all Baylor could do was cry as the doctor lifted the baby, putting him on her stomach for her to see.

And boy, what a scary little thing he was.

Big as all get-out, with blood and fluids covering every inch of him, and a full head of hair. She was pretty sure he had Jayden’s nose and chin, but as he screamed in sheer frustration, Baylor figured that was all her.

And just like that, Baylor was in love.

Still unable to speak, she just moved her finger along his head as Jayden cut the cord, his tears coming down his face in sheets.

“Baby, you did it,” he cried, kissing her over and over again. “I’m so proud of you.”

Looking up at him, she beamed. “We did it.”

“You did it.”

Gasping for breath, she kissed her little boy’s head. She felt so dizzy, so out of breath, but she was pretty sure that was normal.

“So, what do you think? Rhett or Dawson? You said you’d know when you saw him.”

She had said that, but she couldn’t think right now. Closing her eyes, she sucked in a breath, but she still felt like she couldn’t catch it. She felt wrong. Everything was spinning. Something was wrong.

“Jayd—”

And then, it was black.