Hopeless Devotion ~ A Jasper Hale Story

Chapter Sixteen - Everything Changes

Tuesday, September 12th

The quiet that settled over the room afterward felt almost unreal.

Not silence—there were still soft voices, the occasional laugh from Emmett, Alice already fussing gently over blankets and future plans—but everything had softened around the edges. The intensity of labor had finally passed, leaving behind something warm and fragile that seemed to wrap itself around all three of us.

Adeline rested against my chest, bundled carefully in blankets while Jasper sat pressed against my side, one hand tangled with mine and the other resting lightly against our daughter's back like he still needed constant reassurance she was actually there.

I understood the feeling.

Every time I looked at her, it hit me all over again.

We made her.

The thought still didn't feel real.

Her tiny fingers flexed absently against my skin, green eyes blinking open every so often with startling awareness before drifting shut again. Jasper watched every movement like it was the most important thing he'd ever seen. The expression on his face kept catching me off guard—softer than I'd ever seen him, completely stripped bare in a way I didn't think he realized.

Emmett leaned lazily against the far wall, grinning. "So when exactly does she decide I'm her favorite uncle?"

Rosalie snorted immediately from beside him. "Never."

"That hurts, Rose."

"You'll survive."

Barely."

A tired laugh escaped me quietly, and Jasper's eyes flicked toward me instantly, his own mouth softening at the sound. His thumb brushed absentmindedly over the back of my hand in slow, repetitive motions.

Grounding himself.

Or maybe grounding both of us.

Carlisle stood near the doorway speaking quietly with Esme, though I caught him glancing toward me every so often out of habit more than concern. Everything had gone smoother than anyone expected. Better than Bella's. Better than the horror stories we'd all secretly braced ourselves for.

For the first time all day, I finally let myself relax into it.

Into Jasper beside me.
Into Adeline in my arms.
Into the overwhelming relief that we'd made it through.

I shifted slightly against the pillows, trying to ease the dull ache settling through my abdomen.

The movement sent a strange wave of dizziness through me.

I frowned faintly.

Jasper noticed immediately. "Tiff?"

"Nothing," I murmured automatically. "Just sore."

Which was probably normal.

Carlisle's attention sharpened subtly from across the room.

I tried adjusting Adeline higher against my chest again, but another wave hit harder this time—cold rolling through my body so suddenly it made my stomach twist.

Not cold.

Wrong.

My grip weakened involuntarily.

Jasper straightened instantly beside me. "Tiffany."

Something in his voice made Carlisle move before I could answer.

The room shifted all at once after that.