Accidental Surrogate for Alpha

#Chapter 481– A New Family

It takes a little over two hours, but finally the last of the doctors leaves, the door clicking shut behind them.

“Finally,” Roger sighs, falling back into the linens of the freshly-changed bed. “Now we just have to get our stupid

family to leave and we’ll get some sleep – ”

“Excuse me,” I say, glaring over at him. “If you think you’re tired -”

“Fine fine,” he sighs, turning his head to grin at me. “You’re right. What can I get you, my love? Do you want

anything?”

The doctor officially gave me and Jesse a clean bill of health after I delivered the placenta and Jesse had his first

feeding and full check-up. It was, of course, a relief to have everything turn out right and relatively easy -especially

in comparison to Ella’s experiences – but now that they’re all gone?

Honestly, it all feels very real.

Like now I have to be a mom, and Roger has to be a dadall by ourselves.

“I don’t know,” I say, laughing a little and looking between Roger and our little baby. “Honestly, it’s all kind of weird,

isn’t it? All of this fuss and then they just…leave you alone with a baby. To do what you will.”

“I know,” he says, looking at me with wide eyes. “I’m glad you know what to do. I’m totally lost.”

“I don’t know what to do!” I protest, laughing and shaking my head.

“What!?” he breaths, sitting up sharply.

“I’m just a doctor, Roger!” I say, laughing harder now and feeling a little hysterical as well as exhausted. “People

come to me pregnant, but then I send the babies home with them! I don’t know what to do with a kid – that’s Ella’s

department.”

“Well then,” he says, looking anxiously towards the door. “I take back my previous words. Ella has to stay – for like,

ever.”

“Or at least until this kid is six -”

“Can we push to seven?” Roger asks, looking at me with real anxiety that just makes me laugh harder.

There’s a little knock on the door but suddenly Roger and I are laughing too hard to answer it. It cracks open

anyway and Ella again peeks her head in.

“I thought I heard the hysteria of new parents,” she says, shaking her head at us and smiling as she comes into the

room. “Are you totally freaking out?”

“Full meltdown,” Roger says, wiping a tear of mirth from his eyes. “What are we supposed to like…do with him?” he

asks, gesturing to the baby as Sinclair comes in after Ella, shutting the door and grinning at us. Rafe fusses, starting

to blink awake in Sinclair’s arms.

“You’re suppose to love him,” Ella says, coming close and reaching for the baby, which I gladly hand off to her. ”

And, you know. Keep him alive.”

“Loving I can do,” Roger sighs as Ella folds her legs beneath her on the bed and Sinclair pulls a chair up to the

bedside, completing our little group of six. “The rest…we’re going to need some help.”

“It’s not so hard,” Sinclair says kindly, smiling down at Rafe who yawns and looks around at us sleepily, a little

confused. “They sleep a lot their first couple of weeks. And then, after that, they find ways to tell you what they

want.”

“Maybe we should trade,” Roger says, looking dubiously between Rafe and Jesse. “Yours looks…sturdier.”

Ella grins suddenly and looks at me like she’s considering the idea but I just laugh and shake my head. “You can’t

take my baby, Ella,” I say, crossing my arms. “Even if Roger is inept, I still like him.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like him,” Roger murmurs, sighing and leaning against me, happy.

Rafe lets out a surprised little screech all of a sudden and all of our eyes turn to him as his own gaze fastens on his

cousin, his eyes going wide like he’s noticing him for the first time.

Which, I mean, he honestly probably is.

“Do you want to see the baby, Rafe?” Ella coos, leaning forward so that Rafe can meet Jesse face-to-face for the

first time.

I smile in surprise and delight when my sweet nephew really does lean forward to see Jesse, his face very curious.

Rafe lets out another little squeak, more demanding this time, and reaches out his hands towards the baby.

“Oh my god,” Sinclair murmurs, looking down at his son with a fascinated and pleased expression. “He really does

want to go to him!”

“This is Jesse,” Ella says, laughing a little as she beams at her own baby. ” He’s your new cousin! And I think you’re

going to be best friends.”

“They’d better be,” Roger murmurs.” Because they’re going to be together a lot. It’s going to be very inconvenient

if they don’t like each other.”

“Oh,” I scold, giving him a light smack on the chest. “They will. Besides, shut up, I want to watch this…”

And the two of us lean forward as Sinclair sits Rafe on the bed, letting him lean forward and continue to reach for

the baby.

“Lay them down,” Ella says softly, her voice a little awed, “next to each other -”

“What?” Sinclair asks.

“Please,” Ella says, almost beyond herself, as if she’s speaking from instinct. “Let’s just…try it…”

Sinclair looks at me and Roger and I just shrug, fine with it if Ella is. I don’t see Roger’s response, but I don’t hear a

protest, so I assume it’s okay.

And so Sinclair gently flips Rafe on his back and lays him out on the blankets, and Ella very gently, very tentatively

places Jesse next to him, close enough for Rafe to touch.

To my shock, the usually rambunctious Rafe stays very, very still for a moment as he stares at his cousin. And then

he begins to turn, and almost gently reaches for Jesse –

And the moment they touch, when Rafe’s fingers brush against Jesse’s cheek, and Jesse’s little eyes flutter open –

All four of us parents take a sharp intake of breath.

Because we all feel it – each and every one of us.

We look around at each other for a spilt second and then all of our eyes dart back to our kids, who are still

touching, just barely, skin to skin.

Rafe babbles a little, saying hello to his new cousin, who just sighs and closes his eyes again.

“Oh…oh my god…” Ella says, her hands going to her mouth for a split second before she reaches down and gathers

Jesse back up into her arms. ” Did you guys…”

“Um, yeah,” Roger says, and I turn my head to see him staring wide-eyed at Ella. “Yeah, I think it’s fair to say we all

felt that.”

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