Page 191 of Colt

The door creaked open slightly and my stomach dropped as Dad popped his head around it. “Okay to come in?”

Atlas jerked a nod. “You can’t touch her unless you’ve washed your hands.”

Dad sauntered into the room, rubbing his hands together gleefully. “Course I’ve washed ‘em, and I put some’a that gel shit on ‘em too.” He did a grabby hands gesture. “Give her to Grandpop John.”

Atlas turned his back on him. “No. She’s mine.”

Sophie sighed. “I’m sorry, John. Sooner or later he’ll need to pee. We’ll get her back then.”

The SAA’s jaw clenched tight.

Atlas turned back around. “You can come meet her but watch yourself. She’s a little lady and very sensitive to dirt.”

Dad rolled his eyes but still leaned down to take a closer look. “She’s pretty as a fuckin’ picture, At. You did a good job there.”

Atlas puffed out his chest. “I know.”

“What’s her name?” Dad asked.

“Belle,” Sophie murmured. “Belle Iris Woods.”

“Ris’ll be over the moon,” Dad whispered. “You’ll make her year.”

“We thought we’d ask her to be godmother.” Her gaze came to me. “You too, Freya. Will you?”

My hand flew to my chest. “Really?”

Sophie smiled. “We’d love you to. I like the idea of a doctor looking out for Belle if anything happened to us.”

I swiped the happy tears from my face. “I’d be honored.”

The door opened again and Cash walked in with his arm slung across Cara’s shoulder. He wore a baby carrier on his chest with Wilder inside.

“Where d’ya get those things from?” Atlas demanded. “Want one for my Belle.”

“Oh!” Cara exclaimed, extracting herself from Cash and moving toward Atlas and the baby. “I love that name!” Her eyes widened as they fell on Belle. “How did you make her? She’s tiny.”

“Seven pounds on the dot,” Sophie relayed.

Cara glanced at Wilder. “He was eight, six, and had a big head, like his dad.”

“Well my Belle’s perfect,” Atlas muttered. “She’s in proportion and I won’t have anyone sayin’ different.”

“Wouldn’t fuckin’ dare,” Cash muttered.

“Yo,” Bowie called from the door before it opened wide to allow him, Layla, and Sunny to walk inside. Sunshine skipped toward the SAA. “Assless, please can I holds the baby? I promise I’ll be gentle, and I’ll love her, and tell her stories, and later Willows will too.”

Atlas looked up to the heavens and sighed. He couldn’t deny Sunny anything, especially when she was so excited. “Get up on the bed with Sophie,” he ordered softly. “Do you remember how to hold a baby?”

Sunny glared up at him. “I’m not stupids, Atlas. I’ve gots a baby sister, and soon I’ll have two baby brothers.”

Silence fell over the room.

“Brothers?” Dad questioned.

Bowie nodded. “We’ve just come from Doe’s sonogram. We’re havin’ two boys.”

Calls of congratulations filled the room, waking Wilder up with a start. He opened his mouth so wide we could see his little tonsils, then proceeded to let out an eardrum-shattering scream.

---