Two months after our wedding, when the excitement of Christmas and the New Year had finally died down, and all the decorations had been put away, our baby was born into a different world than the one she’d been conceived in. The city had a new mayor, and anti-segregation activist, a woman who was already putting into place the first protective laws for shifters in the history of the state. By the time our daughter grew up, she would have rights and protections that none of us had ever even dreamed of.

We already had a name picked out. After hours scouring baby name books, trying to prepare for something neither of us had been well prepared for, we settled on Anna Beth, so the name wasn’t even a question, as we held her, gazing down at her precious face. Instead, James had other concerns.

“I want to put most of my money away for the kids. For her future, and…”

“And any others we might have?” I asked with a little smirk. “I’m not getting any younger, you know. If you want more, we’ll have to get started pretty soon.”

“Don’t challenge me,” he laughed.

“I’m fine with you doing whatever you want with your money baby, you know that, but… I really think we should consider moving out of the city. Buying a house, maybe with Stefan and Tyler.”

“Call them in,” he encouraged, holding our sweet baby close to his chest. I couldn’t help but stare at that perfect sight, it made my heart soar with happiness in a way that hadn’t become real until it was there. “Let’s ask them.”

I nodded and went out to the hall.

“You can come see her,” I encouraged.

Stefan and Tyler had been waiting with bated breath, and eagerly pushed their way into the private hospital room.

Stefan made an unholy noise, something close to a squeal, and I laughed at the huge, ex-military alpha as he reached helplessly for our child.

James laughed, too.

“Oh, did you want to hold her?”

He gently handed her over, though, and Stefan pulled her close to his chest, gazing down into her face.

“She’s perfect, Ben. Anna Beth, right? I love that name. Ugh, you and Tommy are going to be best friends. You don’t even know it yet.”

James reached for Tyler, pulling the other omega onto the bed with him.

“We have a question to ask you.”

“Good, because we have something to tell you two,” Tyler admitted, glancing at Stefan, who nodded.

“You go first,” James encouraged Tyler, glancing at me curiously, but I refused to give away the surprise. Stefan had made me promise to act like I didn’t know. I did my best.

“We’ve been approved to adopt!” Tyler said, excitement in his voice. “There was a question, because if Stefan had been charged, we never would have been approved, but… We did it.”

James looked genuinely shocked, so I copied his face, but I was reminded of how fragile that had actually been. All it would have took was a shittier lawyer, someone who couldn’t get Stefan’s battery charges dropped, and their chances would have been ruined forever.

“That’s amazing. And it means we’ll need a bigger house.”

Tyler blinked.

“Uh, what?”

I grinned. Stefan and I had briefly talked about it, but Tyler of course knew nothing about what I was suggesting.

“What do you guys think about buying a house with us outside the city?” I suggested.

They looked at each other, and then slowly nodded.

“We were thinking of asking you the same thing. Are you sure?”

I nodded, taking Anna Beth from Stefan’s arms and rocking my beautiful daughter, utterly besotted.

“We’re sure. We want the best life for her.”

In that moment, I knew that she would have it. The world was getting better. Our future as a family was forming. This child would grow up surrounded by love--and I got to be happy for the rest of my life.