Lynn

Little Jemma Layton was the cutest thing in the world. She had striking red hair pulled into two ponytails like her mother's and the brightest blue eyes in the world like her father's. The freckles on her chubby cheeks against her ivory skin extend to her neck and down her arms and tummy and all the way to her toes. She was only two-years-old and already loved taking advantaged of her new ability to walk and make sure to get into every kind of mess she possibly could.

"Jemma Ann, get your little butt over here!" I shouted.

Right then, Jemma pulled on the edge of my makeup bag and I watched helplessly as everything inside came crashing down on the floor at her little feet.

Jemma just looked at the mess with wide eyes. "Uh-oh."

Kneeling down on the floor, I sighed and grabbed the makeup bag. "Yeah, uh-oh."

I started picking up the brushes and eyeliners and dropping them into the bag. Not even a moment later, Jemma started doing the same. One by one, she helped me clean up her mess and that tiny bit of anger I might have felt, instantly disintegrated.

"You're a little villain," I told her with a laugh. "But it's really hard to get mad at you when you're so darn cute."

After we cleaned everything up, I picked her up and headed down the hallway to the living room. I looked at the clock on the far wall and saw that it was shortly after six in the evening. Jamie and Jace told me that they would be back by seven, so that meant I have a whole hour left of running around the house to keep her out of trouble.

"What's she getting into now?" Niall asked from the couch. "Seems like she's gotten into everything, what else is left?"

"My makeup, apparently" I told him. "What are you watching?"

Niall looked back at the TV. "I'm not even sure, I'm channel surfing right now."

I rounded the couch and motioned for him to scoot over. I sat Jemma on my lap as Niall continued to flip through the different networks, finally landing on an animated movie that Jemma got excited about. She settled between the two of us and stared at the TV as the talking animals took her full attention. Minutes turned into a half hour and the next thing I knew the three of us were lying on the couch, half asleep and snuggling close.

Just then, the front door opened and stepped in Jace and Jamie. The moment Jemma saw her parents, she sat up with a huge smile splitting across her lips and her arms went up in the air.

"There she is!" Jamie shouted, walking the length of the room to her daughter. She grabbed her from our laps and propped her against her hip. "Seeing your smile always makes my day better."

"How was the date?" I asked, sitting up on the couch.

"Horrible," Jace grumbled, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "We were about to go check out the botanical garden when it started pouring."

Jemma rubbed her eyes and pointed to the door, clearly stating she was tired and ready to go. "Alright, baby," Jamie soothed. "Let's go and put you to bed. You've had a long day, haven't you?"

"Wait, before you go," Niall interrupted and walked up to them. "Jemma, what's the best football team in the world?"

She blinked at him for a moment and looked from her mom to her dad before going back to Niall. "Iwerwand," she said through a tired voice.

"Ireland? Yes, that's right!" Niall shouted, holding his hand up to her. Jemma smiled wide and placed her little hand against his palm for a high-five. Niall turned to Jace. "Gotta teach her young. Can't have her thinking LA Galaxy is better than FAI, can I?"

"Ha-ha," Jace said with a glare in Niall's direction. "Let's go before she starts talking about chemical elements."

"Already on it!" Niall shouted after them. "We've made it up to nitrogen so far."

The response to that was a door slamming shut, which only made Niall laugh. He walked over to the couch and took his spot next to me again, wrapping an arm around my waste and pulling me in close. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a white Henley, his dark brown hair flat and messy against his forehead and the scruff along his jaw was several days old. Not a day goes by that he doesn't look good and it drove me crazy.

I leaned back against his arm and tucked myself into his side as Niall began to channel surf again. I paid no attention to the TV as I was lost in my own thoughts.

Niall and I were staying in Anders' LA house. We had come to visit Grandma as well as our friends and I took up my brother's offer to stay at his place whenever I came down. I was just hoping things would have worked out that he could have been here, too.

We've been married for a few months and it has been amazing. We had a small wedding at Jace's parent's cabin just outside of London with close family and friends. It was everything I wanted. We even sat down and had a long talk about children and we eventually came to a draw: we were ready to be parents. We've been trying ever since but haven't had any luck.

"What if I can't have kids?"

Niall stopped flipping through the channels and looked at me. "What?"

"What if, after all this, I can't have children?"

He laughed softly like I was losing my mind, but when he saw that I was serious, he stopped and shifted so he was facing me. "Hey," he said, grabbing my face in his hand to force me to look into his eyes. "You have no reason to think that."

"Why not?" I asked, half hysterical by now. "It's been a month since we started, and nothing has happened!"

"Shhh," he soothed, drawing me into his chest and wrapping his arms around me. "It's not going to happen on the first try, Lynn. It takes time and it's not always easy."

"What if I'm broken!?"

"You're not broken, Lynn. And even if one of us is infertile, then we can work around it. There are other options we can take to have a kid. We don't need to rush to that right now, but we can't stop trying. We'll do what we have to do for you to get pregnant, okay? I'm talking different positions, lie in bed with your feet in the air post-sex, I'll make sure to get a shit ton of vitamin D, and we can play around with that vastu shastra science if we must. Whatever it takes, Lynn, we can do it. We have all the time in the world."

I nudged my nose into his neck, taking in his worn cologne and natural scent. My fingers fisted in his shirt and I placed a chaste kiss to a freckle on his skin. "Let's try now."

Niall smiled in my hair. "Whatever you say, Princess."

His hands ran down my spine and to the small of my back before getting a good grip of my ass and lifting me on to his lap. In one swift motion, he stood up and made his way to the bedroom where we tried once again to get pregnant, all the crazy myths included.

× × ×

It had been two months since we got back home from California, two months since my slight breakdown with Niall about not being fertile. The outcome? Still not pregnant.

But I was okay with it. I did some online searching and talking to my regular health doctor and I felt better about the situation. Niall was right; it wasn't going to be easy. But we've been trying our hardest, but also making sure not to overdo it, as well. There's a delicate balance to conceiving, I've learned, but at least I was getting some damn good sex out of it.

Niall was an amazing lover, hands down the best I had in my life. That was half the reason I married him. I'm joking. Kind of.

He made sure I was always comfortable and feeling the best I possibly could, and never, ever finishes before I me. Or on the rare occasions that he did, he would make sure to triple the pleasure the next time around. He never pushed me or guilt tripped me into bed and he always made sure to remind me of the safe word that has yet to be used. Even outside of the bedroom he was generous, always telling me that he loves me and that I'm a sight for sore eyes. His hands would be on me every chance he got, simply to touch me or to tell me that he was right there; never too far away.

Our connection had been strong right from the beginning, no matter how many times we might have yelled at each other, but now? Unbreakable. We've been through a lot together - grew stronger together - nothing was going to break us apart. Especially not because of infertility.

I just got done doing some yoga in our gym and started making my way upstairs to take a shower. Niall didn't get home from practice for another hour so I had some time to kill before he comes through the door asking for another round in the bedroom before dinner.

As I was gathering my clothes and things for the shower, I spotted the bottom drawer to the vanity open slightly; the drawer that held the multiple boxes of pregnancy tests.

It had been over a week since the last test I took, and according to the period calendar I created once Niall and I decided on expanding the family it says that I'm also a week late on that. However, ever since getting off the pill, my periods have been crazy and not very reliable. I decided to take another test. There was no harm in it and I was desperate to know what the verdict was.

Taking out three different brands of tests and removing them from the packaging, I got to work. When I was finished and cleaning up, the tests sitting in a line on the counter, I heard a noise downstairs.

"Achilles!?" I shouted, my voice echoing out the bathroom and down the hall.

When the sound didn't continue, I turned the shower and the light off in the bathroom and went to investigate. As suspected, I saw our Border Collie sitting at the front door waiting for Niall to return home.

"He'll be home soon, boy," I assured him. "You want to go for a walk?"

The mention of walk perked him right up, as it always did. He ran over to me and started jumping up and down. He was almost nine-years-old but had the energy of a puppy.

Grabbing his leash, I hooked it on his collar and headed out the door and to the park. It was five minutes to five in the evening when we got back home, still no sign of Niall's arrival. But that wasn't anything new, he often stayed late to get some extra training in.

After putting the leash away, I went back upstairs to take that shower I had abandoned only to see the three tests on the vanity that I had forgotten all about.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly walked to the counter like if I made any drastic movements I might set the place on fire, and peered down to look at the results.

"I'm home!" I heard Niall shout from the entryway. "I'm sweaty and exhausted, but I'm home!"

Niall barely had time to take off his shoes before I was bounding down the hallway and stairs, throwing my body on his. Being a professional soccer player kept him alert and vigilant all these years so he was quick to catch me, but that did little to stop the force I had created and it nearly knocked the two of us over.

"Whoa, love," Niall laughed into my hair. "Where's going on?"

I pulled back and grabbed his face in my hands not wanting to miss the emotions he was sure to show. "I'm pregnant!"

I expected something, anything really; happiness, excitement, fear... but he only blinked at me and kept his face blank. "What?"

"Niall," I said, searching his eyes. "It worked! I took the test - three tests, actually - and they all came back positive. We're going to be parents! You're going to be a dad!"

"Holy shit..."

A switch must have gone off in his head because one moment he was staring at me vacantly and the next he was pulling me in tight and kissing my face, neck, and any part of my skin he could reach. Everything shifted in my world then. Nothing else mattered from this moment forward except Niall and our baby. It was like I could see clearly for the first time and I felt like my heart was going to explode.

Niall gave me one last quick kiss before he sank to his knees in front of me and rolling up my shirt. A bump wasn't even close to showing, but that didn't stop Niall from placing his huge hands on my waist and kissing right below my bellybutton.

My hands automatically went into his hair as he continued to pepper kisses all over my stomach. We've talked about this moment before and I knew he couldn't wait to watch me grow. He had made a deal with me that he wouldn't miss a single moment of my pregnancy and I had no reason to not believe him.

He stood back up suddenly and cupped my cheeks, looking at every inch of my face. "Fuck, I love you so much. We're going to be parents!"

Achilles came bouncing up to us excitedly, clearly catching on to the excitement of the atmosphere. It had been the three of us for a long time, and finally, after months of trying, we can finally say we were going to have a baby.

× × ×

I was officially four months pregnant and the first few weeks had been blissful and exciting and very, very emotional (mostly on my end), but sooner or later that high we both felt crashed down and reality sat in.

We were going to be parents!

Was I ready to be a mom? Of course not, no one really is. Would the kid even like me? Would it be true that mine and Niall's free time would be nonexistent? What if I mess up somehow? What if I have a miscarriage? What if the baby is born premature and has problems? What if I die!?

I've expressed all these concerns to Niall on multiple occasions and every time he would assure me that there was nothing to worry about, and if something like that were to happen, we would cross that bridge when it came to us. That information did little to ease my mind.

"How're you feeling, Princess?" Niall asked from the bed.

I groaned in response.

It was in the middle of the night and it was the fifth time I had gotten up to go to the bathroom, two of those times was to pee, and the other three was to throw up. Being pregnant sucked!

Niall lifted himself up on his elbows as I crawled back into bed. "Anything I can do to help?"

I just shook my head and fell back into the mattress. Niall wasn't satisfied with that answer, but he didn't say so. Instead he lay back down and molded himself next to me, his hand coming up to lift my shirt off my stomach and placed his hand against my skin like he expected to feel the baby kick already.

At this stage of the pregnancy, you can't really tell. I have a small baby bump, but it can easily be covered up with a slightly loose fitting shirt or it might simply look like I gained a little weight.

"When do you start showing?" Niall asked, his head ticked up into my neck.

"Between twelve and sixteen weeks," I explained. "I figured you would know that since you're reading all those pregnancy books."

He hummed in response. "Must have overlooked it. I do know that this is the stage where your boobs start to get bigger, though."

I rolled my eyes just as my stomach started to growl, drawing both of our attentions to it. Ever since learning I was pregnant I swear I never stopped eating. I knew I was feeding myself as well as a fetus, but damn, that baby could eat.

"You hungry?" Niall asked, sitting up in bed again. "I can make you something, what do you want?"

"Niall, no, I'm fine." I said and rolled over onto my side so my back was facing him. "It's three in the morning and we both work tomorrow. Let's just sleep; I can survive the night without eating anything."

There was movement on the other side of the bed and I looked over my shoulder to find Niall crawling out from under the covers and pulling on a pair of boxers.

"I know it's hard to grasp that you can't just look out for yourself anymore, but you're growing a little one inside you so you have to think beyond what you can handle," Niall said sternly. "What do you want to eat? I'll make you anything you want."

I sighed, knowing he was right. "I'm actually craving fast food."

"Where and what?"

"McDonald's. Big Mac."

Niall didn't say anything as he continued to get dressed. He was clearly angry but he didn't have the heart to argue with me in case of stressing me out or whatever bullshit that pregnancy book was telling him. I appreciated everything he was doing; I just really hated being helplessly waited on. I guess it was something I was going to have to live with until this baby was out of me because Niall wasn't going to have it any other way.

When Niall started heading toward the door, I called after him.

He spun and walked up to me in the bed. I sat up and grabbed his shirt, pulling him down and give him a kiss to the lips. "I love you."

Despite whatever negative mood he was in, he smiled against my mouth. "Love you. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Don't forget the fries!"

The moment I heard the front door close, Achilles jumped up and joined me on the bed, taking his usual place beside me whenever Niall was out of town for a game. He nuzzled up against me and placed his head on my shoulder, his wet nose nudging against my jaw.

Achilles was a rescued dog from the pound. A year ago, shortly after coming home from our honeymoon, Niall and I decided to get a pet. I had told him how lonely the house would get when he was away and came up with the idea of a pet to keep me company. We went to the pound straight away. We had gone there expecting to get a small, young dog, but the moment our eyes landed on Achilles, there was no going back. The fact that he was named after a Greek hero was just a perk, or a sign that he belonged with us. Either way, he was part of the family and Niall and I loved him to bits.

"Hey, boy," I said with a smile, rubbing behind one of his big floppy ears. "Are you excited to have a baby in the house soon?"

He looked up at me with his big, blue eyes and winked. He never did know how to blink properly.

After getting up two more times to pee, Niall got home and came into the bedroom with a McDonald's bag, the smell of greasy food fallowing his wake. He seemed to have been in a better mood when he left, but any hint of anger was gone when he stripped from his clothes and joined in the bed once again, squishing the dog in between us.

"Your Big Mac and fries, my love," he said, placing the food on my lap. Then he pulled out a few double cheeseburgers for himself.

"Won't your coach be mad that you're eating all this junk food before a game?" I asked.

He shrugged and opened one his burgers. "He knows you're pregnant and the stress that comes along with it. He'll understand."

"Yeah, the stress on me, not you!" I laughed.

"Eh, what's the difference?"

× × ×

If I thought the first trimester was hell, then you could imagine what it was like when I hit the seventh month. This was around the time the physical changes became very obvious. I had stretch marks along my thighs and stomach like tiger stripes, my ankles were swelling up like balloons, and my belly was noticeable enough that people no longer assumed I had just gained weight.

But all of that seemed bearable when someone special in my life made a surprise visit.

"Anders!?"

My brother stood in the doorway, a wide smile on his face that exposed the dimple on his right cheek. He didn't seem to change at all from the last time I saw him, and that was saying something because it had been a really long time. His hair was short on the sides and messy in the front, the stubble on his firm jaw seemed to have grown out thicker, and his brown eyes were as warm as ever. It was almost scary how much he looked like Dad.

"Hey, little sis," he grinned with arms out wide and engulfing me in a big bear hug. "Jesus, you've gotten big."

"Wow, what a nice thing to say to your sibling," I said as I pulled away.

"I was talking about the baby bump," Anders laughed. "So, where's that husband of yours? Is he treating you right? Taking care of you?"

"Doing everything I can, sir," Niall said, walking into the living room and to the entryway. I stepped back as he made his way to Anders and gave him a quick hug in greeting. "What brings you to Ireland?"

Anders shrugged. "Just stopping by to see my sister; haven't seen her since I heard the news so I wanted to come see for myself. Maybe lend a hand here and there if needed."

And that's exactly what he did. About a month ago Niall had decided to start getting the nursery ready, and when he wasn't at a game or training, he was in the extra bedroom preparing for the baby. We had gone out and bought all the necessities from a baby store, like the crib and bedding, changing station, dresser, rocking chair, and any other things we might need. He instantly started putting the crib together, his excitement on a level I couldn't even reach. After we had settled on the theme of the room, we went out and bought accessories and décor to pull the room together as well as the paint we were going to use on the walls.

And that was what Niall roped Anders in helping him do.

"Yellow, huh?" I heard Anders say when I walked by the open door of the nursery. "I take it you're waiting to know the gender?"

"Yeah. For two people who don't like surprises much, we were quick to agree on this."

I stood leaning against the wall right outside the door, wanting to listen in on the conversation but not wanting them to know I was there. I mainly wanted to know what Niall would talk about. Ever since I became pregnant, he hasn't hung out with his friends as much. I was sure it was because he wanted to make sure I was okay and in good hands, but even when I told him I was fine and that he should go out, he insisted that he was staying. So I was dying to know his thoughts on everything, man-to-man.

"Any names picked out?"

"Sort of. I mean, we have a short list, but nothing final. I'm sure we'll wait until the baby is here before we make a decision."

"Well, I can't wait to meet the little one," I heard Anders say. "I've always wanted to have a niece or nephew and when I learned that Lynn was so against having children, that dream was crushed. So I'm beyond happy that she didn't settle with that mindset."

Niall snorted. "You're welcome for that."

They must have fallen into a comfortable silence after as the only thing I heard was the sound of paint rollers against the wall. I was about to leave when Anders spoke up again.

"How has she been? Like, with all the changes and everything?"

"She's strong, I'll give her that. And stubborn," Niall added with a laugh. "She acts like she's fine but I can see it in the way she moves and the look on her face that she's in pain. I do everything I can to make her feel comfortable and loved, but ever since she hit the second trimester, it seems to do little to no affect. It's frustrating because I just want to help, you know?"

"It sucks to be helpless."

"Helpless..." Niall repeated. "That's exactly what I am."

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall. Niall would never come out and tell me that he felt like that to my face - that just wasn't the type of person he was. But he was the type of person to feel personally attacked when all he wanted to do was help.

Walking away from the doorway, I made my way to the living room and distracted myself with the TV.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but I was being woken up by my brother.

"Hey, you ready to go to the game," he said, taking a seat on the couch beside me.

"Uh..." I said, rubbing my eyes and sitting up. "Yeah, I just need to get ready real quick."

"You have about ten minutes," Niall said as he entered the room. He had yellow paint on his hands and clothes and I wondered how much they had gotten done in the time of my nap. "Coach wants me there at least an hour early to warm up."

Anders stood up. "I'm going to go out and grab my things so I can change."

I watched from the couch as my brother put on his shoes and walked out the door. Niall went into the kitchen to wash the paint off his hands and I followed in behind him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I leaned my forehead against his back and tried to give him a hug the best I could with my giant belly.

"You're not helpless, Niall," I told him, kissing the back of his neck. "You do so much for me, you have no idea."

Niall turned the water off and dried his hands on a towel before turning around in my arms so he was facing me. His eyes were sad as he looked down at me; hands soft and gentle as they run up my back, sending a wave of chills down to my toes.

"You're always rubbing your back or trying to find a different position on the bed," Niall started, pulling me in closer. "I used to be able to make you feel better with a massage or a warm bath but... nothings working anymore. I feel like everything I can do is useless and it pains me to see you so uncomfortable. I am helpless, Lynn."

I shook my head. "You may not be able to take my pain away, but you shower me in love and kindness daily. You're always telling me how beautiful I am and boosting my confidence. You're getting me the food I might be craving and simply hold me when I'm feeling emotional. Niall... I can't see myself going through this without you by my side. I wouldn't make it; there's no way."

I felt one hand leave my back and run through my hair. His eyes were very blue and very clear; laying his emotions right out in front of me to see. His hand then moved down to my jaw and to my cheek before pressing his mouth to mine. The arm still around my back pulled me in closer and deepened the kiss; his tongue tangling with mine, our teeth clanking clumsily in his attempt to get just a little bit closer.

"I love you, Niall," I said tenderly against his mouth, putting every emotion I had into the words. "I don't want you ever thinking you're helpless again. Promise?"

He placed his forehead against mine and smiled down at me. "Promise."

"Oi!" Anders said from the doorway of the kitchen, instantly breaking the two of us apart. "Are we going or what?"

Three hours later, Anders and I stood in the stands, jumping up from our seats every time Niall would get the ball. Nothing had changed from his college years as I could predict his every move. I knew what he was going to do even before he did because it was the exact same thing I would have done in his position.

I kept my hands on my belly for most of the game and every time the crowd would cheer around me, I could feel the baby's little feet kicking away.

Going to Niall's home games was something I had done the moment we had gotten back together. If he had a game in Dublin, I would be there cheering him on. The god awful pregnancy wasn't going to break that tradition no matter how much pain I was in.

× × ×

It was May and past the due date, however the baby inside me didn't seem to know that as they stay comfortable where they're at inside me.

I've tried everything I could to induce labor - yoga, eat spicy foods, walking, kneeling on all fours, and even drinking red raspberry leaf tea. I was desperate to try anything; I even skirted the idea of acupuncture despite my deadly fear of needles.

"How're you doing, love?" Niall asked, walking into the living room with his shirt off and hair wet, looking like a wet god.

I shot him a look. Along with the pain came the emotions, or more accurately, the sass. I was not in the mood for anything and every little thing made me want to rip my hair out.

Everything was ready to go. The nursery has been finished for weeks now, we had taken care of financial cost and healthcare, I was already in the process of maternity leave and Niall had talked to his coach for some time off as well, we have bags packed for when my water breaks, an agreement on who would attend the birth, and the paperwork was out of the way. I was so ready for this baby to come out of me.

"Right," Niall laughed and took a seat on the couch beside me. "I shouldn't ask."

Sighing, I closed my eyes and leaned against him, completely exhausted. Since the third trimester, my sleeping at night hit an all-time low. If it wasn't the baby kicking away in my belly, then it was the pain in my back, or the constant need to pee.

Niall shifted so his back was against the armrest and his leg came up around me so I lay gently against his chest.

"We can keep trying to get him or her out of there, you know," I heard him say into my hair, a sexy ring to his voice. "You heard Dr. Rodin; she encourages sex at this stage in the pregnancy."

I rolled my eyes. "You just showered, Niall," I noted as I reached behind me and patted his cheek. "We've been at it like animals the past few weeks. Give it a rest."

"Alright, fine. I'll just cuddle the baby out of ya then," Niall laughed softly, running his fingers up and down my arm.

Breathing in a deep breath, I slowly let it out in an attempt to calm my strained muscles and fall to sleep. Niall's hands on my skin, trailing down my arm and around my round stomach, soothed me into tranquility.

As I floated around that thin line of being awake and asleep, I heard Niall speak. Or more like, sing. He had read all the baby books we had gotten and had told me once that talking to the baby pre-birth will help them bond with you; that they will recognized your voice once they enter the world. Whether that was true or not, Niall made it his mission to talk to the baby every night before bed. This was, however, the first time I've heard him sing to the little one.

Achilles joined us then, jumping up on to the couch and settled himself between my legs. He gently placed his head on my belly and looked up at the two of us with wide, blue eyes almost like he was asking so is this baby coming or what? I need someone new to play with!

That was when a sharp pain hit my lower back and abdomen. The sting made me jump slightly, instantly making Niall's singing halt to a stop and Achilles' head perk up.

"You okay? What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up straighter behind me.

I didn't say anything at first and kept completely still, waiting to see if the pain would return. "I don't... nothing, I'm okay," I explained.

"That didn't seem like nothing, Lynn. Talk to me."

I opened my mouth to continue my argument but another wave of pain washed over me, making me wince and roll over onto my side. Okay, so maybe it wasn't nothing.

At this point, Achilles was whimpering and sitting on the floor with his head on my leg. He knew I was in pain and didn't like it one bit.

"Lynn, are you... are you in labor?" Niall asked, suddenly on his feet. "Tell me what's happening."

I shook my head. "I don't know, Niall. My water didn't break so I don't think-"

"Your water doesn't have to break if you're in labor," Niall explained, getting onto his knees so he could get closer to me on the couch. "If you read the baby books you would know that. Now tell me what you're feeling, it might be false labor."

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!" I shouted as another wave of pain came over me again. "I just know that everything hurts and I'm unbelievably uncomfortable right now!"

"Okay, okay," Niall said, trying his best to calm me down. "We can go to the hospital and make sure. Do you remember what to do?"

"Yes, Niall! I'm in pain, not stupid!"

I knew Niall was just trying to help and didn't deserve to get his head bitten off, but I was in agony and frankly scared as hell. Was I in labor!? I've wanted this baby out of me for so long and now that it could be right in front of my face, I was terrified!

Niall reached for my hands and helped me onto my feet. "I'm going to change and get the bags, okay? I'll meet you out in the car."

The moment I was securely on my feet, Niall vanished up the stairs and into our room. I tried to gather my composer and walked to the entryway to put my shoes on. Another crash of cramps hit and my world nearly flipped upside down, but I managed to get control of it enough to tug my shoes on.

Then right there on the wooden floors, any doubt that I was in labor became very obvious.

Niall

"Niall!" I heard Lynn yell from downstairs.

"I'm coming!" I shouted back to her. After putting on some jeans and a shirt, I grabbed the duffel bag and the blanket from the bed and ran out of the room. "I thought we were going to meet at-"

I stopped mid-sentence when I saw her in the entryway. She was wearing a simple light pink sun dress perfect for the spring weather outside the window that stretched across her large belly. Her hair was up in a ponytail, now messy from lying down and rolling around. She only had one shoe on her feet but as I took a closer look, I understood why.

Her water broke.

"Shit," I said under my breath.

Through the whole pregnancy, I couldn't wait for the little one to enter the world. But now that the time was here, I've never been more scared in my life.

But I had no time to fret about that because the longer we stayed here, the more uncomfortable Lynn was going to get. So I took the stairs two at a time and slung the duffel bag strap over my shoulder along with the blanket and wrapped my arm around Lynn's waist.

"Let's get you to the car, love," I lulled. "The sooner we get to the hospital, the sooner you can lie down and get off your feet."

The car ride there Lynn kept silence, the only sound coming from her heavy breathing and the winces that were getting closer and closer together. I was in the middle of calling people to tell them that the baby was coming as I drove to the hospital, and to my surprise, everyone answered their phones on the first try.

Once we got to the hospital, I left the blanket and duffel bag in the car and helped Lynn through the front door and to the desk. From there, everything was a blur of movement and the next thing I knew, Lynn was admitted into a room and lay in a bed while I was in the chair next to her holding her hand. The nurse had already applied the IV into her hand and gave her a small dose of pain killers to ease the contraction's intensity. Lynn was only four centimeters dilated and the remaining six could take hours. The only thing left to do was wait.

"Where's Grandma?" Lynn asked through heavy lids.

"She's on her way from the hotel," I explained softly. "And my brother and Denise are currently en route from Mullingar."

"Jamie and Jace?"

"I called them and they are getting a plane as soon as they can, but they can't promise they will be here for delivery."

Along with them I had also called my mum and dad; however Dad was the only one who answered. Our relationship has been rocky since having that long talk with him during the day I was going to marry Elise, but it had gotten better. However, he never did say he would be coming down to the hospital or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't see his face among my friends and family.

"I'm scared," Lynn whispered, so softly that I could barely hear her in the silent room.

I squeezed her hand. "I know, petal. I'll be here the whole time."

The steady beep, beep, beep of the baby's heart monitor filled the silence of the room, which didn't help the sudden nerves of becoming parents at all. We were both scared of parenthood and the possible outcome of this labor - terrified out of our goddamn minds - but we were also ready and very excited all the same.

Eventually, Lynn stopped fighting the dose of morphine given to her through the IV and finally closed her eyes and fell asleep, something she well deserved. I continued to sit in the chair beside her and hold her hand until I got a text message that interrupted the beeping.

I silently left the room and closed the door shut behind me, knowing she was in safe hands.

"Hey, father to be," Greg said when I met him in the waiting room.

I gave him a quick hug before moving to his wife and Theo who stood close to his mom. "Good to see you," I smiled. "It's been a long journey but we're finally here."

I looked up when I saw someone walk into the room.

"Dad?"

"Hey, Son," he smiled kindly, walking up to us. "Don't be so shocked to see me. It's your first kid, of course I'm going to come."

I broke the space between us and hugged him, not caring about the twisted history between us. He might have fucked me over, but in these few years, he has changed and started getting himself involved more in both mine and Greg's life. I really shouldn't have been so surprised to see him.

I showed the group to the room Lynn was in and we chatted quietly as Lynn slept in the bed a few feet away. Lynn's grandma eventually made it along with some of her friends and my teammates. Lynn woke up about a half hour later and was greeted with a mass of people. She was over the moon from seeing all these familiar faces, especially her grandma's.

Some more time has passed, the doctor came in once and shoved everyone out so she could check how far along Lynn was, and once she had left saying that there was still a little time left, Nona took my hand and dragged me away from the commotion and out of the waiting room and down the hallway.

"How are you, dear?" She asked, her voice soft and yet strong at the same time.

"Tired, scared, excited..." I smiled at her. "A complete mess."

Nona laughed and it was so full and hearty that I couldn't help but laugh along with her. "It's completely normal to feel that first baby panic; it comes with the territory," she confided. "But from my experience of being a nurse back in the day, you're handling it very well."

We stopped walking when we reached the middle of the hallway. I was confused when she turned to face the wall, but only then realize where we stood. Through a long window, a row of babies in blue or pink little hats lay in beds either kicking their feet or eyes closed and fast asleep. My heart instantly swelled from the sight. In less than twenty-four hours, I would have one of these babies of my own, and I wouldn't have been able to if it wasn't for the woman I loved only a few feet away in a hospital bed.

"I wanted to talk to you alone, Niall," Nona said, suddenly serious.

Lynn's grandma has always been one of my favorite people; right from the beginning when she was reading my palm. She had my full respect and admiration; a true old soul that I could never fully reach if I tried. I was honored to get her blessing to marry Lynn, and grateful to know she was just as excited as I was to become a great-grandmother. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared shitless to know what she had to say to me alone.

"There was a fear I had detected in you two years ago when you came to me asking for my blessing to marry my granddaughter," Nona started, looking through the glass at the row of babies in front of us. "At first I thought it was because you were afraid of me and what I might say, but now I know better."

She paused and turned, her dull, blue eyes looking at me through her glasses.

"You're scared you don't have Lynn's parent's approval," she finally said.

I opened my mouth to argue, but when I fully registered what she said, I knew she was right. It was something I wasn't even aware of until now, and the fact that Nona could see that scared me even more then I already was.

"How you don't know, and never will know, if you've won Rachel and Ryan over is haunting you," she continued. "I would be too, if I were you. But I just want you to know that... you have nothing to worry about."

"How... How would you know that for sure?" I couldn't help but ask.

Nona smiled then, breaking the seriousness she had brought between us. "For one, Rachel is my daughter and I know her better than anyone. And I knew Ryan for a long time. Trust me, I know."

And I did trust her, with my whole life.

"Besides, they'd be crazy not to approve of you and Lynn," she added. "You haven't given me any reason not to like you. You make her happy and really, that's all it comes down to, right?"

I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. "Right," I smiled at her.

Right then, Denise came up to us in a frenzy. "Lynn's having the baby!" she told us with a wide grin on her face.

"What!?" I nearly shrieked.

"She's panicking asking for you-"

That was all I heard as I ran past her and down the hall. I passed my dad, brother, Theo, and my teammates in the waiting room and flew into the hospital room. I saw Jamie and Jace but didn't give them a proper greeting because when I saw Lynn on the bed with her hands covering her face, she was my first priority.

"I'm here, I'm here," I soothed and took one of her hands in mine. "It's okay, I'm here now."

"Just in time," Dr. Rodin said with a smile in my direction. "We're about to start. I already gave Lynn the epidural and we're ready to push."

And that she did. I was on one side of the bed and Jace was on the other, Lynn holding both of our hands. Or more like squeezing the living shit out of them until our fingers were white. Jamie was right beside Jace, helping me with kind, encouraging words to get her through this. Dr. Rodin was there, too, telling Lynn that she was doing great and that she had to push just a little bit more.

"Holy fuck, Niall!" Lynn screamed out, her eyes screwed shut. "It fucking hurts!"

"I know, love. But you're almost there," I encouraged and moved the back of her hand to my lips and gave her a small kiss. "Any time now the little one will be here. Just keep pushing."

Lynn was obviously uncomfortable and sweaty as hell, but as I watched her, I think I fell in love with her all over again. She's never looked more beautiful and I was happy to spend the rest of my life with this woman. I was excited to see what was to come, all the ups and downs, the messes we would have to clean, growing old and seeing our kids grow up and start families of their own. I couldn't fucking wait.

Through the chaos of noise and movements, the most beautiful sound broke against the commotion.

The sound of crying.

Instantly, the two nurses in the room burst into action and started mulling around the doctor and doing something I couldn't see beyond the spread of the blanket over Lynn's legs.

"Congratulations," Dr. Rodin said. "It's a girl."

I didn't even wait to see the baby myself, hearing the news instantly made me turn to Lynn and grab her face in my hand and kiss her. She laughed against my mouth, pure joy in the sound that made my heart soar.

We pulled apart when the doctor held the baby out for Lynn to take. Hesitantly, Lynn reached for her and placed her gently on her abdomen.

"Oh my god," Lynn whispered, tears stinging her eyes.

I leaned in closer to get a better look. It was so incredible to see. I couldn't believe I helped make her; my flesh and blood. She was the smallest and most precious thing I had ever seen in my life.

Jamie and Jace stood in the corner watching us, the nurses and doctor tending to things I paid no attention to. In the next few minutes, the umbilical cord was cut (which I had the honor to do), the baby was swaddled and capped in pink, and information was given on what was going to happen next.

"I'll be back in a few minutes to take the second Apgar test, but in the meantime..." Dr. Rodin trailed off, giving us a perceptive look. "I'll leave you two alone."

She and the nurses left the room along with Jamie and Jace, leaving Lynn and I alone with our new baby girl.

Lynn shifted in the bed, making room beside her for me to slide in next to her. And I did, perfectly molding into her side as we both gazed down at the creation we produced.

I reached out to touch her for the first time, her skin soft and surprisingly warm. Tiny fingers curled around my pinky almost instantly. I watched the newborn peer through brand new eyes at what must be such a strange world after life in the womb. She seemed so breakable, much like a doll. This is a new person, and I'm already filling up with love for her.

"She's got your hair," Lynn noted, taking in the full head of brown hair she already had, peeking out of the little pink beanie.

"She's got your eyes," I whispered. "And your cute nose."

The baby girl in Lynn's arms yawned and closed her eyes. The content smile that spread on her lips filled me with a sunshine I never knew existed in the world.

"Leandra," Lynn whispered softly.

That was not one of the many names we had thought of, but when Lynn said it, I knew it felt right.

"Rachel," I added.

Lynn looked over at me, surprised. We were having trouble thinking of a name we agreed on, so middle names weren't even thought of. But I've been thinking about this for a while now.

"Leandra Rachel Horan," Lynn smiled down at the baby. "Born on May 16th, 2026."

Heart full of love, I leaned in towards her and gave her a soft kiss, making her sigh happily and kiss me back. I ran my hand through her hair, resting on the back of your neck before pulling her even closer to me as I deepened the kiss.

After what seemed like eternity, I finally pulled back. I smiled at her, fingers gently caressing her cheek.

"I want another one," I said, out of breath.

"Another one!?" Lynn squawked. "I am never doing this again."

I laughed and nuzzled my nose into her neck, watching the little bundle in her arms fall asleep. "We'll see about that."