Touchdown

Epilogue Part 2

Coltons POV

The past few months have been a whirlwind of anticipation and nerves. Ellie has doubled in size, and the reality of our baby's imminent arrival hangs in the air, both exciting and terrifying. Practice after practice, I rush home to Ellie, to the woman who carries my child, the entire essence of my life wrapped up in her being.

One evening, as I burst through the door in my usual hurry, I found Ellie sitting on her yoga ball, a look of uncertainty on her face. "Ellie! Are you okay?!" I exclaim, my heart racing with concern.

"Actually... I think my water just broke like two seconds ago," she replies calmly, but I can sense the underlying tension in her voice. My mom, who's been staying with us to help, springs into action, a mix of excitement and readiness in her expression. "Oh my god, okay, I'll get the bag," I yell, disappearing to gather the necessary items.

Panic sets in as I search for the bag, but Ellie reassures me with a smile, though I can see the strain in her eyes. With everything in tow, we make our way to the car, my mom following closely behind us.

"Okay. Are you ready?" I ask Ellie, trying to mask my own nerves. Her grip on my hand tightens as another contraction hits. "Ahhh!" she cries out, and I can feel my heart racing even faster. "Okay, I'm driving," I decide, taking the wheel with one hand while my other rests protectively on her belly.

We arrive at the hospital in record time, and our doctor wastes no time getting Ellie settled into a room. The hours tick by, each minute feeling like an eternity as Ellie bravely pushes through the pain. But as time passes, my fear grows. "Colton, I can't... it's too much," Ellie gasps, exhaustion evident in her voice and on her face.

"Oh god, Ellie, it will be okay. You're going to be okay. You're strong, Ellie. Just keep going," I encourage her, my voice trembling with emotion.

And then, suddenly, I hear it—the cry of our baby. "Would Dad like to cut the cord?" the doctor asks, pulling me out of my daze. Dad? The word feels surreal yet incredibly fulfilling. Im a dad. Holy shit. 

 I nod, my hands steady as I cut the cord, my eyes locked on our healthy little boy.

"He's beautiful, Ellie," I whisper, tears of joy streaming down my face. I turn to her, and the sight of her holding our son fills me with overwhelming pride and love. "Oh my god, we did this," Ellie says, her excitement contagious.

"He's got your eyes, Colton," she adds, and I can't help but smile through my tears. I move closer, lying down beside them, feeling complete in this moment of pure bliss.

"Have you two picked out a name?" the doctor inquires, bringing us back to reality. I look at Ellie, and we share a silent understanding before I answer, "Noah Garrett Riley."

"My beautiful girl," I murmur, kissing her forehead and feeling a surge of gratitude and love for my little family. I call my mom back into the room, and we all marvel at our precious Noah.

"Isn't he the most beautiful thing?" my mom exclaims, her eyes shining with tears of joy. "Mom, meet Noah Garrett Riley," I introduce proudly.

I quickly call Millie and Garrett to share the wonderful news, feeling a sense of completeness and contentment wash over me. "My little family. Everything I need right here," I whisper, pressing kisses to Ellie and Noah's heads, feeling like the luckiest man alive. "mine" I kiss Ellie's lips and Noahs head. "all yours." she whispers leaning her head on mine.