CHAPTER TEN

Three days after their wedding, Erica was lying on her back, her feet in stirrups, as Gray examined her and did the ultrasound. It would normally be far too early for an ultrasound, but with the advancements of the technologies provided by G.R.I.P., they could now do one as early as four weeks. Patting her knees, she pushed her back on the table.

"You can sit up, honey," she smiled.

"Is she okay? Is the baby okay? Is it too big because of me? Should she be playing her cello? Should she be walking?" Gray held up her hands, Wilson staring at him as if he'd lost his mind.

"How about you take a breath, big boy," said Wilson. "Women have been having babies since the dawn of time. Erica won't be any different. It's incredibly early to see anything right now other than a fetus."

"Well," said Gray, smirking at Wilson, "she'll be a bit different. That's a big baby. A big boy baby."

"A boy," whispered Moose, swallowing. Erica smiled at him, nodding.

"Told you."

"Uh huh," he nodded again. "A boy."

"I've already chosen a name," she smiled up at him, those large almond eyes so filled with love. "If I have to carry this big boy, I get to name him."

"Anything," said Moose.

"Sergeant Bear Sculler. We'll call him Bear. Might as well give him a nickname now so that no one else chooses it for him." Moose could only laugh, Wilson laughing with him.

"That's a good one," smiled Wilson.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Everything is fine," smiled Gray. "She's only about a month along now. You two got busy quickly."

"We did," blushed Erica. "I couldn't help myself."

Gray could only laugh, shaking her head at the woman. She'd heard that more than a few times from a Belle Fleur woman.

"Well, he is a big baby, and I do anticipate that at some point, you'll need to be on bed rest. We might have to take him early, but I assure you, it won't be premature. I also think you need to prepare yourself to have a cesarean section. You're much too narrow in the hips to have him naturally."

"I'm okay with that," said Erica.

"But it's surgery," frowned Moose.

"Yes, it is. But I can't push a ten- or twelve-pound baby out of my body, Moose," said Erica. "This may be the only way for me to have a safe birth."

"Of course. I'm sorry, you're right. I was concerned for your health. It will all be fine."

"Moose?" said Wilson. "Come on outside with me for a minute. Let Gray and Erica talk. Girl stuff, you know."

"Are you sure?" he asked Erica.

"Go," she smiled. "I think I'm in great hands."

Moose kissed his wife, following the big blonde out of the room. Wilson led him to a small office that he used while at the clinic. Telling him to take a seat, he gathered some information for him about prenatal vitamins, sex, and about c-sections.

"Is there something wrong? Is that why you called me in here?" he asked.

"No, brother. I would never deliver information like that. It's all good. She's good. She's healthy, young, and, most importantly, she's had one healthy baby. There's no reason to believe this one won't be healthy."

Moose nodded, his lower lip trembling. Wilson stood, coming around to the other side of the desk. He half-sat, gripping Moose's shoulder.

"Brother, what's wrong?" he asked with fatherly concern.

"Me. It's me," he said, waving his arms up and down. "This. This massive body I was cursed with. What if she can't? What if my big, huge body kills her?"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down, brother. You heard Gray. It's all going to be just fine. Listen to me. Eric was the biggest baby I'd ever seen delivered by a woman. I've seen bigger in horses and cows, but never by a woman. That kid's head was huge. I'm talking watermelon-sized head coming out of that little woman."

Moose chuckled, shaking his head as he wiped his eyes.

"Listen to me. Once he turns, months from now, we'll know just how big he's going to be and whether or not she can deliver vaginally. My guess is she won't be able to, but that's okay. Millions of women deliver via c-section every year. It's safe, Moose. She'll be safe, the baby will be safe, and you'll go home as a family of four."

"Thanks, Wilson," he said to the big man. "Hey, is there something weird going on out at the island? I noticed a few others moved out there recently."

"Nope," said Wilson, shaking his head. "Nothing different. All as usual."

"Cool. I'm glad. This is home for me, and I'm so thrilled that I found Erica, or she found me, or Mama Irene helped her to find me. I don't even care anymore," he laughed. "My life is full. I just have to find out what the hell is happening with these assassins and make sure Ece doesn't sell us out."

"It will all work out, Moose. It always does. I thought for sure I'd lose Sara to a crazy woman, but my teammates were there for me, protecting her. I've trusted them many times since then, and they've never failed me. Never. They won't start now."

"Did you regret leaving the teams?" he asked.

"No. I knew when Nine left that I would as well. We'd been on the same team since coming out of BUDs. He was there when my fiancé drowned. He was there with Sara. He was there at the birth of both of my daughters.

"In theory, I went from one team to another and never looked back. It was the best decision of my life. I made new teammates, great teammates. My daughters married two fine, strong, good men. I have three amazing grandsons who hopefully will be delivering great-grandchildren to me in the next few years. My life is perfect, Moose. And so is yours."

"When Brandi made me leave the teams, giving me the ultimatum, there was this voice inside me saying, don't do it. Don't leave. I thought I was doing what was right for my marriage. I guess I should have looked into whether or not my marriage was worth sacrificing a career.

"I didn't think I'd get another chance at a career, let alone love. When I found out what Ece had done, brother, I wanted nothing to do with women. Then I walk back into my cottage and find Jennifer in that baby bed and Erica in my bed," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Brother, that was a wake-up call."

"If you want to know my opinion, Moose, we're all exactly where we're supposed to be. Don't question it. Don't try to figure it out. I didn't used to believe in higher powers or divine intervention, but lately, things have made me change my mind. We're where we were meant to be."

"You know what? I couldn't agree more," he grinned, seeing his wife walking toward him. He grabbed the stack of materials, giving Wilson a brotherly hug. As the big nurse watched them leave, Gray smiled at him.

"Did you give him the ‘dad' talk?" she grinned.

"It's not the ‘dad' talk," frowned Wilson. "It's the ‘be grateful and stop worrying' talk." Gray laughed, kissing the big man's cheek.

"Same thing."