Page 25 of A Trident Christmas Baby

Ace nodded, silently agreeing. But as they moved their gear toward the waiting C-130 that would take them to Virginia Beach, a base officer approached with an apologetic expression.

“Gentlemen, I’ve got some bad news,” the officer said, his voice hesitant. “All flights are grounded.”

“What?” Dino snapped, his brows furrowing. “The snow’s not that bad. We just landed.”

“It’s not the snow itself,” the officer explained. “The plow we use to keep the runway clear broke down, and we don’t knowwhen it’ll be repaired. Without it, we can’t guarantee a safe takeoff.”

Ace froze, the weight of the news hitting him like a punch to the gut. He clenched his jaw, his frustration bubbling beneath the surface.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered under his breath. His chest tightened as he thought about Alex, about how close they were to being reunited, only to be stalled by a goddamn broken plow.

As if he could hear his thoughts, Irish slapped him on the shoulder. “We’ll figure it out, Ace. We always do.”

But Ace couldn’t shake the tension coiling in his stomach. He picked up his phone, debating whether to call Alex, when it buzzed in his hand. Derek’s name lit up the screen.

“Derek?” Ace answered, stepping away from the team to hear better over the wind.

“Hey, Ace,” Derek’s voice was steady but urgent. “Alex is at the hospital. She’s been having some back pain the last couple of days, and tonight, she had some pretty strong ones, so I brought her to the hospital. The doctor said that she is in the early stages of labor.”

The words hit Ace like a sledgehammer. His heart leaped and sank all at once. “Labor?” His voice cracked slightly, and he cleared his throat. “How is she? Is everything okay?”

“She’s fine—strong-willed as ever,” Derek said, a faint chuckle in his tone. “She was insisting that it was false labor until the doctor confirmed it. But she swears she’s not having the baby until you’re home.”

Ace exhaled sharply, his thoughts racing. A thrill of excitement coursed through him at the idea of finally meeting their baby, but a deep ache in his chest quickly overshadowed it.

“I’m at least a half a day out, Derek,” Ace said, his voice thick with frustration. “I can’t…” He trailed off, gripping the edge of his seat. “I can’t miss this.”

“I know,” Derek said, his tone firm. “How soon are you leaving Kodiak?”

Ace exhaled sharply as he ran his fingers through his hair. His mind was racing. “I have no idea. Our flight is grounded. The damn runway plow broke down, and they don’t know when it’ll be fixed.”

There was a pause on Derek’s end, followed by a low sigh. “Okay, hang tight for a bit. I might have an idea. Let me make some calls.”

“Derek…” Ace started, but Derek cut him off.

“I’ll call you back. Don’t worry. We’ll get you home.”

The line went dead, leaving Ace staring at the phone in his hand. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions in check, but the thought of Alex in labor without him there sent a pang of helplessness through his chest.

“You good, man?” Potter’s voice broke through his thoughts.

Ace turned to find the entire team watching him. He could see the concern etched into their faces.

“It’s Alex,” he said, his voice steadier than he felt. “She’s in labor.”

A chorus of reactions rippled through the team—cheers, whistles, and even a fist bump from Diego.

“Hell yeah, Ace!” Potter said, grinning. “Congratulations, man!”

Ace smiled despite himself, the team’s enthusiasm lifting some of the weight from his chest.

“Thanks,” he said. “Derek’s working on getting us out of here, but…” He shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know if I’ll make it in time.”

Potter clapped him on the back. “Hey, you’ll get there. Plus, Alex is tougher than all of us combined. That kid’s probably staying put until you walk through the door.”

The team laughed, and for a moment, Ace allowed himself to believe it. He looked around at his brothers, their camaraderie a reminder that he wasn’t in this alone.

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