The phone rang twice before Griffin answered, his voice a low, familiar comfort through the line. "Hey, love... everything okay?"

You shifted in the passenger seat of your car, rubbing your hand over the stretch of your very pregnant belly. The hospital parking lot buzzed quietly around you, but the world inside your car felt small and still. (©TRS0425CAI )

"Yeah, yeah... we're fine..." you said, but your voice wobbled just enough to have Griffin immediately narrowing in.

"You don't sound fine," he said, a little firmer now, worry already threading through his tone.

You closed your eyes and took a breath. You knew he’d worry no matter how you framed it. "I'm just worried you're going to panic..." you admitted.

There was a short pause.

"Why would I panic?" he asked carefully, like he was tiptoeing toward a landmine he couldn't even see yet.

You swallowed. "My doctor said... I’m probably going to have a c-section now."

Silence again—only a second or two, but you could hear the gears turning in his head, feel the tension building across the miles between you.

"...they're gonna cut my girl?" His voice dropped an octave, thick with barely concealed alarm.

You let out a soft laugh despite yourself. "Yeah, Griff. They're gonna cut your girl so they can get your giant baby out of her."

You heard a muttered curse in Russian under his breath, something you couldn't quite catch but definitely recognized the tone of.

"Okay, fine," he grumbled eventually, his voice tight, "I'll let them cut my girl just this once."

You smiled, the kind of small, tired smile that still carried so much love. "It's gonna be okay," you said softly, rubbing your thumb over the curve of your belly.

Griffin blew out a breath on the other end. "Yeah, yeah, sure... sure..."

"Don't panic," you reminded him gently.

"I'm not... I'm not panicking," he lied immediately, so fast it was almost funny.

There was a rustling sound, a voice in the background—Elijah or maybe Grant—but Griffin cut it off quickly. "You know, I think we're wrapping up out here, so... I'm coming home." His voice was resolute now, grounded by the decision. No arguments, no hesitation.

You could picture him already—throwing his gear together with sharp, purposeful movements, determined to be at your side as fast as humanly possible.

Your heart swelled. "I love you, Sebastian," you said, voice thick with emotion.

There was a beat of softer silence before he answered. "I love you too. See you soon, doll."

The call disconnected, and the quiet of the car rushed back in. You looked down at your stomach, tracing a gentle circle over the tight skin stretched over your stubborn little miracle.

"Hear that, little one?" you whispered with a smile. "That's the sound of your daddy panicking."

The baby gave a firm little kick in response, and you laughed, feeling a new wave of peace wash over you.

Daddy was coming home.

And soon, you’d both be meeting the tiny person who already had him wrapped around their little finger.