Page 297 of Ignite

“Yeah. They’re going to be a handful. I bet you were as a kid. You’ve got that cheeky look about you, Conan.”

I chuckle.

“Yeah. My mom always said I was. But she used to find it hard to tell me off because she said I was too funny.”

“I can see that,” she murmurs, her voice soft.

A lump rises in my throat.

I wish my parents were here to see this.

My mom would’ve made the best grandma.

“You okay, beastie?” Hallie asks quietly.

I suck in a breath.

“I miss them,” I admit. My voice feels raw. “I’m so unbelievably happy. For the first time I can remember, everything feels…perfect. I’ve got a family. I’m madly in love with my wife. The house, the dog, the legal MMA…and she didn’t get to see any of it.”

I look down at my beautiful little boy, tucked against my chest.

I hope I can give him everything he needs in life.

I hope he ends up as happy as I am right now.

“She would be proud of you, Conan,” Hallie says softly. “And she’s watching. I’d bet my life on that.”

I swallow hard, blinking back tears.

“Liam?” I ask.

We never picked a name beforehand—we didn’t even know the gender.

So we decided to wait. To see what name felt right when we met our baby.

“Shut up,” she breathes, her smile breaking wide. “I was thinking that. Liam Quinn. Sounds pretty powerful.”

I don’t know how, but Hallie and I are always perfectly in sync with each other.

“Hi, Liam,” I coo, brushing my knuckle over his soft cheek as he wriggles in my arms.

There’s a soft tap on the door, and Declan pokes his head in, Isabella clutching his hand, Charlotte beside him with their two-month-old son, Noah.

Charlotte closes the door behind her as Isabella runs straight to me.

“Can I see him?” she pouts.

“Of course you can.”

I crouch to her level, and she leans forward to peek into the blanket.

“Aww. Uncle Conan. He’s so cute.”

I press a kiss to her temple.

“So are you, whirlwind.”

“Wanna hold your nephew?” I ask Declan, straightening.

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