“Arsen!” I’m sure my scream can be heard in every house in Tennessee. As I waddle to the top of the stairs, my husband comes running.

“Is it time?” I want to smack his stupid grin as he races up the stairs.

“What do you think?” I growl at him. His hand snakes around my back as another contraction hits me.

“They’re close together. You think you’ll make it to the hospital?”

“Just get me there,” I grunt.

“Mom!” Jacob skids to a halt in front of us. “Is it happening? Are you okay?” Even though our sweet boy has been worried and scared about the baby coming, he’s a real champ. He loves her every bit as much as we love him.

“It’ll be fine,” I reassure as Arsen helps me into my new SUV, and Jacob gets my “go” bag from the house.

The doctors have been baffled at how I got pregnant at all, and Arsen has been strutting around like a damn peacock, proud as could be for the last six months.

We were warned that I would likely miscarry and that I should abort, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I couldn’t abandon my baby without giving her my all, first. She deserved everything I had before we gave up.

I’ve been on bed rest for the past three months as a precaution, and Ember and Thea have been practically living with us ever since. They’ve traded on and off depending on their schedules, so I was never alone. Even Kol spent a week with me because the girls couldn’t get away.

“Kol, it’s happening.” Arsen phones his brother to tell him what’s going on, nothing but pride and excitement in his voice.

Jacob has been worrying me in the backseat. He’s being quiet and subdued. “Sweetheart, it’s going to be fine.” I reach a hand back to him, and he grips it. I can feel him shaking.

“I know, Mom.” I never tire of hearing him say that. It’s like I’m getting a gift each time.

As we roll up to the hospital, Kol is standing there with an entire maternity team ready to take me away. “Contractions are only a minute apart,” Arsen tells them as he helps me from my seat and onto the stretcher.

“Good luck, Mom!” Jacob calls, and I want to cry and hold my baby.

“I love you, sweetheart!” I see Arsen give him a quick hug as he runs after me, leaving our son with Kol while I bring new life into this world.

* * *

Seeing my mom, the nicest woman I know, screaming in pain brings tears to my eyes. I’ve tried to stay strong for her. Dad has told me that I should show her how excited I am to have a new baby sister, and I am.

But I’m also scared.

What if they love her more than they love me?

What if they send me back?

What if they don’t want me anymore?

“Jake?” Uncle Kol grips my shoulder, squeezing it. “You okay?”

I look up to him; he’s a lot of fun. He’s always treated me like I was really his family. “I don’t want to lose you guys,” I reply. Angry when I feel my eyes fill with tears.

“Oh, kid, you ain’t never going to lose us. We’re family.” His smile is genuine.

“But they have their real baby, now.”

Without saying anything, he guides me upstairs to where Mom is going to have the baby and into a waiting room.

“You’re their real son, too, you know,” he tells me.

“Not by blood. I’m not really theirs.” I can’t contain my tears.

“Who says?” He looks angry.

“Kids at school.” I got into a fight twice this year because of it.

“Have they ever made you feel like they won’t love you anymore?”

“No. Mom does her best to let me help with all the baby stuff.” I really enjoyed all the extra time I’ve been getting to spend with her. Mom’s smile soothes me in ways I never knew before.

“Yeah?” Uncle Kol smiles. “And Dad, he likes to play basketball with you, right?”

“And fishing,” I say. It’s one of our favorite things to do.

“Don’t you guys have a boys’ weekend planned in three weeks?”

“Oh yeah!”

“Can I tell you a secret, Jake?”

“Yeah!” I’m excited Uncle Kol wants to tell me something.

“Being a big brother to a little sister is a huge job, but you won’t find one you’ll love more than this. Girls are gentle creatures. They cry a lot, they’re sensitive, and they need tons of love. More love than just Mom and Dad can give them.”

“They do?” I sit up straighter, sounds like a tough job.

“Yep. When she’s a teenager and a boy breaks her heart that first time, she’s going to look to you to make things better. You’re going to have to show her that men aren’t always selfish, and she needs to be more selective.”

“I like the sound of making her happy.” I always love when Mom smiles at something I’ve done.

“And that’s not all,” he says.

“It’s not?”

“Nope. Sometimes, we have to scare the boys away.”

“Like Uncle Noah?” I remember when Uncle Kol got really mad at him.

“That’s right. We have to make sure they’re worthy of our little sisters. If they can’t impress us, then they got to go!”

“Wow.” This sounds fun now. Except… “What if Mom and Dad don’t love me as much as they used to?”

“You know what they’re going to do, Jake?” I shake my head. “They’re going to love you more.”

My eyes grow wide. “Why?”

“Because not only will they get to raise you, they’ll get to raise your sister and watch how you help them out with her. Because even when she makes you mad—and trust me, she will—you’re going to love her just as much as you love your mom.”

“Do you think she’s born yet?” I jump up, too excited to sit still a second more.

Before Uncle Kol can say a thing, a nurse comes in. “Mr. Daniels?”

“That’s us!” I cheer.

She smiles. “Your Mom and Dad would like you to come meet your sister.”

I follow the nice woman, with Uncle Kol behind me, and as we near Mom’s room, Dad comes out, a big smile on his face. Running to him, he catches me and gives me a huge hug.

“I love ya, kid.”

“Love you, too, Dad.”

He carries me into the room, and Mom smiles at me, looking just as happy as the day she told me I was theirs. “Hi, sweetheart.”

“Hi, Mom. Are you okay?” She doesn’t look like she was ever in pain now.

“I am, baby.” She pats the bed beside her leg, and Dad sits me down. “Would you like to meet your baby sister?”

“I really would.” As she unravels the blanket in her arms, I see a pinched nosed, red-faced little… “Is that an alien?” I tilt my head to the side. Everyone laughs.

“She’ll be cleaned up soon and look more like a sister then.”

“Okay.” I shrug as I reach out a hand touch her cheek. “What’s this white goop on her?”

Dad and Uncle Kol lean over to see my finger as mom laughs. “That’s from the sac she was in, in my belly.”

“Eeewww,” Uncle Kol and I say together. Dad helps me wipe my hand off.

“We have a big job for you, kid,” Dad says.

“What?”

“Well, you did such an amazing job of helping me get everything ready for your sister, we thought you might want to help name her?” Mom smiles at me then the baby.

“Wow.” I look to Uncle Kol, and he gives me two thumbs up. “Janelle,” I say, thinking it’d be cool if we were both a J name.

“Janelle,” Mom whispers with a soft smile. “It’s perfect.”

“It sure is.” Dad seconds.

“Cool.”

“How about a picture of the happy family?” Uncle Kol asks, pulling out his phone.

As we get positioned for it, I wonder why I was ever afraid. My mom and dad have enough love to love all the kids in the world.

Our family is just lucky enough to have it all for Janelle and me.