Page 30 of The Quiet Alpha and His Fox

I laughed just before another huge wave came over me. I could tell the baby was almost out. I released a loud, guttural, animalistic cry as I felt the baby coming out.

Waylan was crouched down in front of me, holding my arms. "Good, Joe! There's the head. One more push."

I took a deep breath and gave the hardest push I could as the baby finally slid from my body onto the nest of towels and pillows below me.

An enormous relief washed over me as my lungs fully inflated for the first time in months.

I did it.

Waylan scooped up the baby and cleared her nose and mouth. "It's a girl!"

He rubbed her back as a bleating little cry came from her, followed by a ragged breath and a second, louder and more solid cry.

Tears sprang from my eyes at the sound as I reached out my arms for my baby girl.

Waylan gently laid her against my chest as the boys cheered and clapped outside.

Waylan took care of the immediate aftermath, cleaning the space and carrying me back to the bed before lying down next to us. "You did it, Cinnamon. You were amazing."

"We did it."

The baby shivered, and Waylan tucked a blanket around us. Her gray eyes opened wide and stared up at me. I put my pinky in her hand, and she closed her tiny fist around it.

"Hi, baby girl. Welcome to the world. We're your daddies."

I heard Abigail's car pull up a moment later, and she came rushing into the room. Waylan and I looked up at her from the bed, and I laughed. “So close.”

She put some water on the stove and checked over me and the baby.

When I had a second bout of energy, I nudged Waylan. "Call Mateo and Este. And tell the boys they can come in to meet her."

Abigail finished cleaning up, and the boys came in to see us. Waylan stood by the door and pointed at the phone in his hand. "Mateo and Este say congratulations, and they want to know her name."

I looked down at her little wrinkled face and looked for the answer. Was she a coyote or a fox? Did she have The Quiet? Would she be a loner like me and Waylan? How were you supposed to pick out a name for someone you didn't yet know anything about?

I looked into her deep, gray eyes, and I felt like I did know her already. I smiled at Waylan. "What about Iris?"

Waylan smiled and spoke into the phone. "Iris. Her name is Iris."

Iris sighed and fell to sleep. She seemed to approve too.

Epilogue

Waylan

The day started like any other Saturday. I woke up early and warmed some pumped milk on the stove so Joe could sleep in. At exactly six am, I heard Iris's baby talk start up.

I could set my watch by that baby's internal clock.

I walked to her crib and scooped her up. “Good morning, sweet girl.”

She smiled and pointed at my nose. "Mmm bababoo."

I scrunched up my face and smacked my lips at her. "Mmm bababoo."

She giggled and looked around the room, describing what she saw in her nonsensical language.

I changed her diaper and then carried her outside to the hammock, where we sat and watched the sun rise while she had her breakfast and I had my coffee. Elvis started crowing, and a few minutes later, I heard a cabin door open, which meant the boys were getting up.

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