Page 87 of Reaper

He pulls me in close to his side as we walk into the hospital.

“Try not to attract attention. I promised Bones I wouldn’t do anything stupid today.”

His phone starts chiming with an alert, so he looks down as we step into the elevator, and with a big goofy grin, he says, “Little Bonetti is here.”

“Boy or a girl?” I ask as the door slides closed.

He shrugs. “I don’t know. Kage sent me a text, but didn’t say.”

Once the doors re-open, he takes my hand and we walk to Athena’s room. Walking in, I see something I never would’ve imagined. We are quiet, so we don’t interrupt the moment between father and son.

Bones stares down at his newborn son, judging by the blue blanket, and I’ve never seen his face like this. Not stern, loving, yet so emotional.

“Atlas Bonetti, you have done the impossible. You made me a father. Something I never aspired to be, but now that you’re here, it’s everything I want. I’m in trouble though, son. I can already tell you’re just like your mother and you, too, are going to change everything for me. I love you, son,” Bones says to his little boy, as Athena looks on with tears streaming down her face. He looks over to Nico and says, “Come here. I’ll introduce you to your nephew.”

I go over to Athena and sit by her on the bed, and ask her how she’s feeling.

She smiles softly.

“I’m so in love.”

Nodding to Nico, she says, “Look.”

Turning my head, I gaze at him holding his brand new nephew, as he talks to him in a quiet voice, and the baby has his hand wrapped around his finger.

“Hi. I’m your Uncle Reaper. One day it’ll make sense, I promise. And just so you know, you have two other uncles, but I’m going to be your favorite.”

The other two walk into the room and Psycho snorts loudly.

“Not a fucking chance.”

Athena scowls at them both.

“Watch your language around him.”

When they nod instead of telling her off, I can’t help but giggle, because I’m pretty sure if it were anybody else they would have.

She takes my hand in hers, and beams with pure happiness.

“You’re next. Are you excited?”

“Yes,” I say, but then admit, “And terrified.”

I never had a great example of how to mother. My mom never had that bond with me that you hear almost every mom go on about. I think I was an inconvenience more than anything, yet also her way out of her own abusive upbringing. I was useful to her until I wasn’t. And now I’m going to have a family of my own, and I’m terrified to make the same mistakes, but somehow I know we’ll be better parents than mine were. Nico and I are not perfect people, in fact, we do things that most people in society would call heinous. Yet we both also have so much love for each other, and I know that will continue with our child.

Nico comes over with baby Atlas and asks, “Do you want to hold him?”

I glance over at Bones, who is standing in his normal stance, feet slightly spread and arms crossed, watching like a bomb is going to go off at any moment, and he’ll have to rescue his wife and child. He’s intense.

I shake my head no.

“It’s okay. You hold him for me.”

Nico arches a brow at me.

“Why don’t you want to hold him?” he asks in a low voice.

I speak low back.

---