All The Wild Ones | Wildfire Series

A Simple Question - Bonus

G R A Y S O N

"You've been keeping him from us forever."

I rolled my eyes while passing my son to his grandma. "Mom, he's barely a week old."

"I know." Her eyes twinkled as she looked from me to Gabriel. "I've just been so excited."

Excited was an understatement. When Nessa and I stepped into their house for brunch this morning, my parents were positively giddy. Nessa's family would be along any minute now to also meet Gabriel for the first time.

It didn't surprise me one bit, but our parents all got along great. A little too great, if you asked me. My moms talked way too much about the spicy romance reads that Nessa's mom had gotten them into, and I felt a little bad for what Nessa's dad had to go through whenever they got together without us. Luckily, Ivan had always been good-spirited.

"He's so precious," Maman cooed, peeking over my mom's shoulder to get a glimpse at Gabriel.

I smiled, and then Nessa rested her head on my shoulder as we watched my parents meet Gabriel, and my smile grew even wider.

"Why don't you go sit down?" I whispered, ripping my gaze away from Gabriel to kiss the top of Nessa's head. I've always known Nessa's strength, but damn, it had undoubtedly shone this week. She was exhausted, though. We both were, but I was sure any fatigue I felt was multiplied by hundreds in her. I hadn't pushed an entire human out of me a few days ago.

Nessa shook away my suggestion. "I'm fine."

"Please rest," I urged.

I knew she hated the idea of leaving Gabriel's side, but this was her chance to relax. I mean, I'd been trying my damn best to give her other times to relax, too, but still. My parents would take care of Gabe and fawn over him for as long as we let them.

With a reluctant nod, Nessa moved into the living room, and we both noticed for the first time who was waiting in the armchair in the corner.

A content grin lingered on his face, but it grew into something more when we made eye contact. Clearly, he'd been hanging back to let my moms have the spotlight, but now he leaned forward, standing as Nessa rushed toward him. He enveloped her in a hug, but his eyes smiled at me over the top of her head. After muttering a few heartfelt congratulations, he released Nessa, ran a hand through his gingery hair, and crossed the living room to clap my shoulder.

When I told Julian that I wanted him to meet Gabriel in person, he insisted on flying out here. I insisted on paying for his airfare, and then he insisted on not taking the money. It had been a lot of back and forth, but the most important thing was that he was here in the end.

It had been too short of notice for him to make it for the birth to be there with our other friends at the hospital, but I actually preferred it this way. Because Nessa and I had a special question we wanted to ask Julian—just Julian.

"He's perfect," Julian muttered, looking over my shoulder at Gabriel.

"Yeah," I said absently, also staring at the miniature recreation of Nessa and me in my mom's arms. "He is."

"I see more of Nessa in him, gotta be honest," Julian said, humor in his voice.

"That's why he's perfect," I agreed.

I glanced over my shoulder. Nessa was curled up in the corner of the couch, snuggled under a blanket. I liked that she seemed so much at peace and at home under the roof where I grew up. She'd melted into my family perfectly, and now we were making that family bigger.