Page 39 of Mated For Convenience
"How can I sit still?" I protest as I walk toward one of the empty chairs and then stalk away from it in frustration. "I'm so helpless right now. I should be in there with him."
"You'd just be in the way," my dad says with a chuckle. "He'll need your help soon enough, but for now he needs you to conserve your energy."
"God forbid you're more exhausted than he is." Caleb's dad laughs.
"Exactly," my dad agrees. "You need to sit. You need to try to relax, and you need to think about what Caleb will need from you once he's brought your children into the world."
I nod in understanding and force myself to sit. They're right. I know they are. What they're saying makes a lot of sense. But it's not easy to do. Not when I feel like I'm leaving my mate alone to struggle through the most difficult thing he's ever done.
I take a deep breath and close my eyes as I focus on the sound of my breathing and the gentle sound of the breeze moving through the trees.
I feel so useless.
But I can't imagine being anywhere else right now.
Even if it means sitting here and doing nothing while my mate goes through something incredibly difficult.
My mind drifts back to the moment that I first saw Caleb. He had just climbed out of the car that had chauffeured him all the way from southern Oregon. I'd been unable to keep my eyes off him, he was so stunning, and I felt like an idiot for just standing there staring.
So I pulled out my cell phone and pretended to be disinterested.
The reality is that I'd been writing something down. Something that I'd been waiting to share with him until the perfect moment. And now, as I sit and wait...I know exactly when that moment will be.
I let out a shuddering breath.
And inhale sharply at the sound of Caleb's primal cry of effort. It rattles me to my core, and I jump to my feet without realizing it. My gaze is fixed on the front door. I want to charge through it and run to his side. The only thing that keeps me rooted in place is my worry that I'll somehow mess everything up by stumbling in there like an idiot.
There's a moment of silence.
Then the sharp, clear wail of a newborn.
My heart leaps.
The front door opens a moment later, and Kale emerges with a small bundle swaddled in his arms.
My feet carry me toward him, my gaze locked on the tiny pink face that's staring up at me.
"Here you go, Papa," Kale says with a little grin as he settles the baby in my arms. "Say hello to your son."
"Son..." He barely weighs anything as I cradle him carefully. Wisps of dark hair cling to his tiny head, and his tiny face is still pouting.
"Wait," I call out to Kale as he turns to head back inside. "How's Caleb?"
"He's doing fine," Kale assures me, pausing just outside the door to the cabin. "Diana reckons we've got just a few more minutes before the next one."
I nod slowly, barely comprehending his words as he disappears inside. I return to my seat and cradle my newborn son with utter disbelief. He's more beautiful than anything I could've imagined. I'm stunned into silence. I can't even bring myself to look away from his face.
And then, a few moments later, there's another cry of effort from my omega. This time immediately followed by the wails of a newborn.
Several minutes pass before the front door opens this time. When it does, a steady stream of omegas filters out of the cabin. Kale is the last one to leave. He grins at me and nods toward the door.
"They're ready for you," he says with a nod. "You should go be with your mate."
I rise from my chair without hesitation and carry my son toward the cabin. I hesitate and glance back at my dad and Caleb's, but the two of them have already broken out the beer and cigars. They're content to sit out here and celebrate in their own way.
Smiling to myself, I enter the cabin.
My mom meets me as soon as I enter and takes the baby from me. Caleb's mom is sitting in a rocking chair with a second baby in her arms. I barely have time to take in that brilliantly perfect little ray of sunshine before my gaze falls on Caleb.
