The next few months were some of the happiest of my life. Ashley’s move went smoothly and my apartment quickly became our home. The more time we spent together, the deeper I fell for her. I didn’t think it was possible, but I loved her more each and every day. The feelings seemed to be reciprocated, and I felt as if things were finally falling into place for me. I had never known how much I desired a proper lover until I had one and she was taken away. With Ashley back in my life, I knew I would never let her go.

We’d already scheduled a C-section for the birth of our children, having been reassured that natural birth wasn’t really an option. When the day came to head to the hospital, I could tell Ashley was terrified. Truth be told, I was rather scared myself, but I managed to keep my composure for her sake, not wanting to allow a sliver of weakness to shine through when I had to be strong for my princess.

Our hands were tightly clasped together for the drive to the hospital, and her entire body quaked from the force of her nerves. I rubbed my thumb against the back of her hand, glancing away from the road for just a moment to check on her.

“I’m scared,” she said quietly, fidgeting nervously in her seat. The scene reminded me vaguely of when we’d first found out we were having four children, though the fallout was blessedly absent. My only concern that time around was comforting her.

“You don’t have to be scared, princess. We’ve hired the best doctor in the country, everything is going to be smooth sailing, I’m sure of it. I’ll be by your side all the way, and in a matter of hours, we’ll be seeing our children for the first time,” I assured her, and I observed her anxious grin from the corner of my eye.

“All this will have been worth it, if they’re all safe and healthy. I’m still just afraid that there may be some side effects from the drug,” she confessed. I tightened my grip on her hand, hating myself for putting that doubt in her mind to begin with.

“Darling, you know that the supplement was approved months ago. You’re worrying over nothing, my love, just please try to relax. I hate to see you upset,” I said comfortingly, and she leaned back in the seat, closing her eyes and steadying her breathing.

“Are we almost there?” she asked, her voice strained. Her free hand rested on the swell of her stomach, trembling vigorously. I drew the hand I was holding to my lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles.

“We’re here. Wait here and I’ll fetch a wheelchair for you,” I said hurriedly, parking in the nearest spot and rushing to get a chair to transport her in. She had grown huge in the last few months, and while she could still walk, I knew how quickly she tired.

Rushing back to the car, I threw her a stern look as I saw her making an effort to get out of her seat. I quickly rushed forward and helped her into the wheelchair and she sagged into it, struggling to catch her breath. I could only imagine what an effort it took to carry four children at once.

“We’re not late, are we?” she asked nervously, and I brushed a hand through her hair to comfort her.

“No, baby. Not late,” I smiled.

We were recognized as soon as we stepped into the building, and the next half hour seemed to pass in a blur as they moved us into a room and prepped Ashley for surgery. I could see her nerves working her over, and though I made my best effort to soothe her, there was only so much I could do. I sat in the chair next to the bed, speaking words of encouragement and comfort. She squeezed her eyes shut, shifting uncomfortably on the hospital bed.

“It’s almost time, Miss Calhoun. Just sit tight,” one of the nurses assured her. Her eyes widened in a blind panic, and she made an effort to sit up. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder, cooing softly into her ear.

“It’s going to be okay. You’ll be fine, the babies will be fine. This is the moment we’ve waited so long for,” I whispered. She nodded jerkily, gripping my hand tightly enough that it felt as if the bones might crack. “Just try to relax. Lie back and think of the good times we’ve had these past few months,” I said soothingly. Ashley made a valiant effort, eyes fluttering shut as she exhaled deeply.

“I hope they like the nursery. Green is a nice color, isn’t it?” she asked, obviously forcing her voice to remain level. I could only smile fondly at how hard she was trying to stay composed.

“Gender neutral as well,” I replied, glancing up as an entourage of doctors and nurses stepped into the room.

Ashley’s eyes shot open, and she inhaled a shuddering breath as the group began to crowd around the bed. The nurses busied themselves with thoroughly preparing the area where the incision would be made, the doctor accounting for each individual tool he needed. I wasn’t the only one to notice that Ashley was getting a bit green around the gills.

“Oh, honey, with the epidural you won’t feel a thing,” a nurse assured her. Ashley hummed her acknowledgement, watching as they sterilized a large area of her lower stomach. Before we knew it, the time had come for the procedure to begin.

One by one, the doctor carefully extracted four healthy-looking babies from my lover’s belly. Ashley caught her breath and watched with bleary-eyed fascination as each of the babies was lifted into view. With each infant delivered, the doctor announced the genders in a booming voice.

In what felt like the blink of an eye, everything was finished. Ashley had successfully delivered our four perfect children: three girls and a boy. She looked utterly exhausted, but before she lost consciousness altogether, I asked her about names.

We’d known we were having four children, but somehow we hadn’t really discussed names. We’d been sure that the right thing would strike us when we saw our children for the first time.

“The boy, his name is Jeffrey,” Ashley managed, looking at me with tears in her eyes. I felt my own eyes grow moist—we had truly honored my brother.

We gave the girls names starting with Js as well: Jennifer, Jessica, and Julia. The doctors allowed us a brief moment to embrace with our children, but Ashley was soon lost to the world. Concern must have been obvious in my gaze, as the doctor clapped a hand on my shoulder.

“She just needs some rest, son. Don’t you have some happy grandmothers waiting to meet these little ones?” the man asked with a smile.

I nodded, and before I knew it, my mother was clinging to Jeffrey and choking out sobs while Ashley’s mother fretted over the little girls. I watched the scene tears in my eyes, feeling for once like my family was actually whole again.

Slumping into the chair beside the hospital bed, I gripped Ashley’s hand in my own as our mothers cooed over their grandchildren. I glanced toward my princess, noting that she seemed to be watching peacefully. I hadn’t realized she’d woken back up, but tears of joy were running down her cheeks.

“We did it, Jensen. We actually did it. You think your dad would be proud?” she asked gently, and my heart clenched in my chest.

“He would be thrilled, honey,” my mother said, answering for me. “Not only did Jensen carry on the family name, he found true love in the process. I can’t imagine his father could be any happier.”

“Now you rest, sweetheart. You’ve had a long day,” Ashley’s mother said softly. Ashley looked as if she might argue for a moment, but soon she nodded her head and allowed her eyes to close again.

“I love you, Jensen,” she whispered, tightening her grip on my hand for a moment before she began to drift off.

“Oh, Ashley. I love you too. And I’ll spend the rest of my days being there for you,” I vowed.

I had never been more certain of anything in my life.