Chapter 10

CHAPTER

TEN

Stanley

I wake with a jolt and reach for Lena. Thankfully, she's sleeping peacefully next to me. I've been on edge for the last few weeks. Who am I kidding? I've been on edge since the night we found out she was pregnant. I worry about her and our son every day.

Our son.

He's due to arrive any day now. I'm so damn excited to meet him. The nursery is ready, and the bags are packed and in the car along with the car seat. Trust me on this. I've checked what feels like a few thousand times in the last couple of weeks. I'm anxious, and I want to do everything I can to make my wife's delivery better.

It weighs heavily on me that she's doing all the work. She's been a fucking rock star throughout the pregnancy. I know she's uncomfortable, but she never complains. She simply smiles and tells me he's worth it. However, I see her grimaces and how she's moving slower and constantly rubbing her back.

I once thought that I couldn't love her more. Every single day, she proves me wrong.

She moans in her sleep, pulling me out of my thoughts. Reaching over, I start to rub her lower back. She's been having lots of pain in the last couple of weeks. She moans as I apply light pressure, and the sound goes straight to my cock. I ignore my needs because I know she's uncomfortable right now.

She's also never been sexier to me. She doesn't feel that way, I know, but if she could see herself through my eyes, she would know I've never desired her more. Hence the reason I'm ignoring my cock, which is begging to be inside her.

"Gotta pee," she mumbles, tossing the covers off. I'm out of bed and standing at her side to offer her a hand before her feet hit the floor. "Are you part superhero?" She chuckles.

"That's me, superhero husband to the rescue. Up you go." I help her stand, and with my hand on the small of her back, I guide her to the bathroom.

"I'm too tired to argue with you, but in case you didn't know, I live here, too, and I'm able to find my own way to the bathroom."

I bite down on my cheek to hide my grin. This isn't the first time we've had this conversation since we found out she was pregnant. "I like taking care of you." Sure, I take it to the extreme, but again, she's doing all the heavy lifting, being pregnant. The least I can do is make sure all of her wants and needs are met.

She sighs. "I—" She stops midsentence. "Oh shit," she says breathily.

"Lena?"

Her nails dig into my arm that's pressing against her belly while the other rests at the small of her back. "My water just broke."

Panic starts to set it. It's time. We're having a baby. My palms are sweaty and my heart feels as if it could jump out of my chest. Taking a deep breath, I try to remain calm. At least on the outside.

Sure enough, I look down to see there is indeed a small puddle on the floor beneath her that I didn't notice. "Right. Okay. We've got this." I scoop her up into my arms, and she yelps.

"Stanley Riggins. Put me down."

"No can do, baby momma. We have a little boy to meet."

"I can walk down the stairs," she grumbles. "And I'm—messy."

"You're not telling me anything that's changing my mind here, baby. I've got you. I don't give a fuck that you're messy. Let me be messy with you. I'm not leaving your side, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let you walk."

"You're a lot, Stanley Riggins." She sighs, but it's more of a dreamy sigh than an irritated one. She knows this is who I am, at least where she's concerned.

I grin down at her as we hit the bottom step. "I'm yours, Lena Riggins. Are you ready to meet our son?" My heart pounds in my chest. My nerves are on high alert, but I do everything I can to keep them at bay. I'm not worried about being a dad. I know that I can do anything with Lena by my side. I'm worried about my wife. I know labor isn't exactly easy, and if I could, I would step into her place. It's going to kill me to watch her go through this.

"I'm so ready. I'm also scared as hell. We're about to have a tiny person who's going to rely on us for everything."

"You're going to be an amazing mother, Lena. Don't doubt that. Your heart is big, baby, and you have so much of it to give. This little man, he's going to be smothered in love."

She sniffs and wipes at her eyes as I fiddle with the garage door to push it open without letting her go. "Way to make me cry." She smacks at my chest lightly. "Brat."

"Love you." I smile at her.

"I love you too." She returns my smile.

We're having a baby!

Carefully, I place her on her feet and pull open the passenger door, helping her inside.

"I should sit on a trash bag or something." She scrunches up her nose while staring down at her lap.

"What?"

"I don't want to ruin the seats."

I kneel so that we're eye to eye. "Listen to me. This car can be cleaned. It's a material possession. I don't want you to worry about anything but bringing our little guy into this world. Let me handle the rest."

"But I'm a mess."

"You're a beautiful mess, wife." I kiss her softly before reaching in and strapping her seat belt. I make one more mental check that I have everything before closing the door on the house and opening the garage door. Whatever I might have forgotten, we can send someone to get it for us. Right now, we need to get to the hospital.

I'm floating. At least that's what it feels like. I was happy the day Lena agreed to be my wife. I was thrilled the day we changed her last name and today… today, I don't have words to explain how I'm feeling.

Watching Lena deliver our baby boy was an experience I'll never forget. I held my breath until he took his first, and I knew, without a doubt, I'd never be the same. My dad was right. This is a different kind of love—not just for our son but for Lena too.

My wife is sleeping peacefully, as she should be after the work she put in, while I hold our son against my bare chest. The nurses said it was good for him. So, that's what I'm doing. He's so damn tiny. He grunts around, and I know he's getting hungry. Lena made the decision that she wanted to breastfeed. She asked my opinion, and honestly, I didn't have one. It's a lot on her. From the books I've read, I know that it can be painful at times, and that wasn't a choice I felt like I should have a say in.

I told her I would support her no matter what, and she decided that she wanted to try. The little man latched right on like a pro for his first meal, but I have a feeling he's getting hungry again.

"That's a vision I'll never forget," a groggy voice says.

"Look, buddy, Mommy's awake."

"How are my boys?"

"Perfect. We're perfect. How are you feeling?"

"Sore." She pushes herself up, and I scramble to my feet, cautious of our sleeping son, to help her. "My boobs are heavy."

"I think he's ready too." I place him on the bed next to her, wrap him back up like a little burrito, just like the nurse taught me, and hand him to his momma.

"Now that," I say, sitting on the bed next to her, wrapping my arm around them both, "is a vision I'll never forget."

She laughs softly as she runs the tip of her index finger over his cheek. "We need to give this little guy a name."

"Is there one from the list that's standing out to you now that we've met him?"

"Not really. There are so many good ones, and this is a big deal, Stanley. He's going to be stuck with this name the rest of his life."

"I agree." I smile as I press my lips to her temple.

"What about you? Is there a name that's sticking out to you?"

"One."

She peers up at me. "Do I have to offer sexual favors to get you to tell me?" she teases.

"Hey, now, let's not be talking about that. You're out of commission for six to eight weeks."

"My mouth's not." She smirks.

"Lena Riggins!" I pretend to scold her, and she laughs, making our baby boy jerk in her arms.

"Mommy's sorry. You'll learn we have to tease Daddy to keep him on his toes," she tells our son. "All right, husband, hit me with it."

"Royce. Royce Riggins."

"Royce," she whispers.

"It's a strong name. Has a nice ring to it."

"I love it. I love it so much. Welcome to the world, Royce Riggins."

I snuggle them both in close, pressing a kiss to my wife's cheek as she rests against me while feeding our son. Today has been more than I ever anticipated it could have been. I never knew my heart was capable of this much love.

With each day that passes, I find even more layers to the love this woman has brought to my life. Layer by layer, that love grows stronger.