"Of course you are." He gently stripped her of her clothes and walked her to the bathroom. Once she was seated on the toilet, he quickly undressed and started the shower.
"I love you," she sniffled.
"I love you too."
"I'm usually better than this at handling things."
He looked down at her, an amused look on his face. "If you handled things any better, you wouldn't be alive, you'd be a robot."
Ellie clutched at her chest. "We don't have anything for him!"
Grant shrugged. "All he needs are diapers, food, and us."
"We need clothes and pacifiers and blankets and toys and those reader book thingies."
"He's one."
"But they learn so fast."
"Get in, the water is warm."
"What are we going to do?" Ellie exclaimed, climbing into the shower.
"We let our relatives worry about it. Your gram is going to lose her mind when she finds out about Benji. We have a built-in babysitter for life. And Declan can start earning his keep as Benji's favorite uncle." He smiled smugly. "I didn't even have to wait for our son to be born. I get to play with him right away."
"Do you think Meryn would babysit?" she asked as he began to shampoo her hair.
His hands stilled. "Maybe she wouldn't be the best choice."
"Why? She's sweet and very protective."
"She's a bit nuts."
Ellie giggled. "I know. It's what I like about her."
Grant sighed and continued washing her hair. "Fine. At least I know Ryuu will be with her." He cleared his throat. "I would like to ask Adriel to be Benji's athair."
"Aren't you closer to Declan?" She let out a happy sigh as his strong fingers massaged her scalp.
"Yes, but the four of us in the Eta Unit decided a long time ago that if we were ever blessed with children, we would ask our leader to be athair. We vowed to each other to be the best uncles our children could ask for, but Adriel lived so long apart from us to distance us from the city's politics that we figured it would be the best way to show him we considered him our brother."
"I think he is a perfect choice."
"I'm going to be the best father any child could ask for, Ellie. I promise," Grant whispered and kissed her shoulder.
"And I will try to be the best mother." She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. She'd had so many wishes come true lately she was afraid this was all a dream and that when she woke, she'd be alone in her bed overdue for another shift at the hospital. Smiling, she let the shower wash away her happy tears. She would hold fast to her dreams and newfound happiness with both hands. She was mated to the most perfect man and she was finally a mother. She wouldn't let anyone take Grant or Benji away from her; they were hers to love and protect, and she would never let them go.
*****
Grant had to practically drag her away from the hospital to keep her from checking on Benji. They were already late for dinner due to their long shower.
"We'll see him after dinner," Grant said, tapping on her lower lip; she had been chewing on it again.
After they arrived at the prince's home, Sebastian escorted them to the dining room. When they walked in, the men stood and sat when she did. Even though she'd worked with other paranormals, she'd lived amongst humans so she had never experienced the courtly manners of the pillar cities. She loved being an independent woman, but there was something special about seeing so many handsome men stand when she entered the room; it did wonders for her self-esteem.
When she sat, Grant remained standing. She ducked her head to hide her smile; she knew what was coming.
"Adriel, I would like to ask a favor if I may?" Grant asked.