he was the only calm one despite the appearance Catherine gave to the contrary.
Inside she was a mess. A complete and utter mess. She wasn’t ready for motherhood. What the
hell did she know about babies? Other than she wanted this one so badly she ached.
Hours later as she panted between contractions and Logan and Rhys hovered nearby, she
wondered why any woman ever wanted children.
“It won’t be long now,” the doctor said as he positioned himself between her legs.
Logan and Rhys stood on either side of her head, their hands laced with hers. They squeezed
reassuringly even as she caught her breath and bore down with the next contraction.
All the air escaped her lungs and she sagged against the pillows, her strength nearly gone.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered.
Rhys leaned down and brushed her hair from her face. He kissed her tenderly. “Yes, you can.
You can do anything, Cat.”
Logan also leaned down, her hand clasped tight in his. “I know you’re tired, baby. I know you
hurt. But hold on a little longer. Do what the doctor says. Think of how wonderful it will be to
finally hold our daughter in your arms.”
Her body stirred as the next contraction began low in her back. Burning, growing, and with it
the undeniable urge to push.
She gripped their hands, sucked in her breath and pulled against them as she pushed with
everything she had.
“That’s it, baby,” Logan urged.
“You’re doing it!” Rhys said excitedly.
The doctor’s words faded away. Even Logan and Rhys became a blur as she focused on her
body’s urgings. Just when she was sure she couldn’t take a minute more, she felt the most
exquisite relief, as if her stomach caved in. The pressure was gone, the pain relief immediate.
“The head’s out,” the doctor announced. “Give me just a minute and then one more push and
your daughter will be here.”
Both Logan and Rhys peered over her legs, craning for a view of the baby.
“Push with your next contraction,” the doctor said.
She put her chin down and pushed. The sensation of her daughter sliding free was one she’d
never forget as long as she lived.
She collapsed back against the bed as she heard a small cry from her newborn baby. And then
she was placed on Catherine’s stomach, wrapped in a loose blanket.
With trembling hands, Catherine gathered her in her arms and pulled her close. Tears blurred her
vision as she looked down at the blinking eyes of her baby.
Logan and Rhys bent down so they too could get a good look at their daughter. Catherine
opened the blanket so they could all peek at the fingers and toes of the squirming bundle.
“She’s perfect,” Rhys said in a choked voice.
Logan reached out with a shaking hand to touch the side of the baby’s face. “Beautiful,” he
whispered. Then he turned to look at Catherine. Her breath caught as she saw the emotion in his
eyes. Love. So much love and tenderness. “Thank you,” he said in a voice clogged with tears.
“Thank you for my daughter.”
“Lauren,” Catherine said in a quiet voice.
“Lauren. I like it,” Rhys said as he traced each of the ten tiny toes.
“Lauren Cullen-Wellesley,” Logan echoed in deep satisfaction.
The three of them huddled close around their daughter and then Catherine lifted her to her
breast. Catherine laughed in delight when Lauren began rooting and nuzzling in her attempt to
latch on.
Logan cupped his hand behind Lauren’s tiny head as she suckled at her mother’s breast. Rhys
cradled her bottom while Catherine touched the dark hair at Lauren’s crown.
Then she stared up at her husbands and let her sheer joy in this moment shine in her smile. They
smiled back.
“I love you, Cat,” Rhys said.
Logan leaned in close and kissed her gently. “I love you, baby.”
“And I love you,” she told them both. “So much. I don’t think we’ll ever have a day more
perfect than this.”
Rhys smiled then looked back down at their daughter. “I don’t know, Cat. I think the days will
only get better.”