Chapter Eighteen
August — Saturday – Southern Maryland
Summer
“Finn should be landing in a couple of hours. Are you sure you’re all right for me to go get him from the airport?” Donnie asks as he comes into the kitchen where I’m standing making scrambled eggs for breakfast. “I don’t like leaving you alone this close to your due date. She could come at any time.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine while you go and get him. Even if I go into labor while you’re gone, you two would be back before I was close to delivery.” Donnie wraps his arms around me as I stir the eggs in the pan on the stove.
I nuzzle my face against his and kiss his cheek. “Can you believe your daughter is going to be here so soon?”
“I can’t. I’m so happy, Summer.” Taking my waist in his hands, he turns me to face him and kisses me. “Are you happy, baby? I know this has been a hell of a year for us.”
“Of course I’m happy. The past few months home with you and Gus have been some of the best in my life. I cannot wait to meet our little girl.” I kiss him back.
“Good. I will go through all of the supplies in the closet before I head out and make sure we have everything we need before I leave to get Finn.” Nodding at his words, I go back to preparing breakfast as I watch him leave the kitchen. Content with our decision and optimistic that he will find everything we need upstairs in the master closet. We have spent the past few weeks gathering everything we need for an at-home-delivery. I trust that things will go smoothly once it is time.
***
Donnie
We are about thirty minutes from home when Finn turns to me in the front seat of my cruiser. “Donnie?”
I half glance at him but keep my eyes on the road. “Please don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts about this, I have Summer all prepared and convinced that you and I actually know what we are doing.” My knuckles are white as I grip the steering wheel, nerves getting the best of me, both at being a father sooner rather than later and at being in the house when Finn delivers our baby. I can only hope things go smoothly and that I will not put anyone in any danger during the delivery.
“No, it’s not about that. You told me about Summer being taken and the Nowak brothers. You said you handled it. Are you sure that no one else is going to come after her?” He sighs. “I mean, what is your plan for the future? Eventually, someone else will discover who or what she is and come looking for her, Donnie. You have to accept that.”
My mouth goes dry hearing his words, and I want to stop the car, but I keep my eyes on the road and focus on getting home to Summer.
“Donnie!” he shouts at me then.
“Yes, Finn. I’ve thought about it. I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do! What do you want me to say?” I slam my hand against the steering wheel.
“I’m trying to help you. I have an idea. If you would consider it.” Looking at Finn from the corner of my eye, I nod for him to continue. “What if you four came to Ireland?”
“What?” I slow the car and let it drift to the side of the road, stopping now so I can give him my full attention. “What are you saying? You want us to come live in Ireland?”
“Hear me out, I have plenty of room at the keep, the girls would love it, and we have wards. We can keep your family safe, Donnie.” Finn is earnest with his words. I can tell by the look in his eyes that he genuinely wants to help us. But I don’t know if I can accept his offer.
“I would have to talk to Summer about it and see what she thinks. You haven’t mentioned this to Melody, have you?” My grip on the steering wheel is still tight.
“No, not yet. I’ll wait until you decide. But I think sooner or later you’re going to need backup, and I’m more than willing to help. We need to stick together.” His words relax me a bit.
I sit for a few more moments. “Thank you, Finn. I’ll consider it.”
***
Saturday – One Week Later
Summer
A sharp pain tears through my body and wakes me in the night. I roll and grab my stomach as my insides twist. Wrapping my hand around Donnie’s upper arm, my fingertips dig into his bicep.
“Donnie, wake up. The baby, she is coming.” Donnie groans in his sleep and shifts towards me, opening his eyes quickly.
“What?” he murmurs, still half asleep.
“Get up!” I screech, then clench my teeth and take a deep breath in through my nose as the next contraction takes hold of my body. My fingers digging into Donnie’s arm further, rousing him now.
“Okay, I’m up. I’m up. I’ll go wake, Finn.” I watch as he jumps from our bed, crosses the room, and disappears through the doorway to wake our friend.
***
Donnie
I stand in the hallway with my back pushed against the closed bedroom door. At first, there was a flurry of activity as Finn and I got everything he would need for the baby's birth. But once he closed the door behind himself, locking me from the room to protect Summer from me and my blood lust, things got quiet. I have stood, waiting here in the silence for what seems like hours.
Every so often, I can hear Summer cry out. My heart hurts to know she is in pain, and I can’t be there to help and protect her from it. My need to hold her hand and tell her that she will make it through this is overwhelming. Still not trusting myself to be in the room with her, surrounded by her blood. I remain vigilant and lock my feet in place.
When the door opens behind me, I nearly fall into the room. I turn, and I see Finn with a smile on his face. He pats me on the shoulder and pulls me into a one-armed hug.
“You have a healthy baby girl, Donnie. Would you like to meet her?” Finn motions into the room and steps aside for me to enter.
***
Summer I’m sitting up in the bed, pillows behind my back, with Rae wrapped in a blanket in my arms. Finn has taken his time removing the soiled bed linens and replacing them with a fresh set while I waited patiently, cooing at my new little girl. We were sure to wrap everything in plastic, and he is carrying it out of the room, so there is no sign of blood remaining when I look up and see Donnie coming towards me.
“Come and meet your daughter.” I smile at him. My heart is so full of love and overflowing with emotion at what we have accomplished.
Sitting on the bed next to me and reaching out to brush my hair with his hand Donnie kisses me on the forehead. “You did it, baby. Good job.” Pulling the edge of the blanket Rae is wrapped in away with his fingertips, he looks at her for the first time. “She is gorgeous. Do you want me to wake Gus and introduce them?”
Looking up into his eyes, I exhale a deep breath. Tired and sore, I snuggle my head into his shoulder. “No, let him sleep. I want to spend this time with the two of you. We can introduce him to his new little sister in the morning.”
My mention of the morning makes Donnie shift towards the window. He rises from the bed and pulls the curtains tighter together in the middle. Ensuring that they’re drawn closed, and no light will seep in through the cracks.
“I want to be sure before we take any chances,” he says as he turns back to us.
“Yes,” I answer as I nuzzle the wispy patch of dark hair on my daughter’s head. Taking in a deep breath and filling my nose with her sweet scent. “Come lie with me.” I pat his spot on the bed, inviting him to join me.
Rae shifts in my arms, starting to whine, I place the tip of my finger near her mouth, and she suckles at it.
“She is hungry,” Donnie points out, and I nod at his words. “We took this into account. I can get a bottle.” He moves to get up, and I stop him with my hand on his arm.
“No, I want to nurse her. You can eat food and be sustained on animal blood. We don’t know for sure that she will need blood to survive. I want to try this first.” My eyes meet Donnie’s, looking for his approval at my decision. Nodding, he settles back onto his pillows next to mine and rests his hand on our baby's tiny head, brushing her soft hair.
I position Rae and lead her to my breast, letting her suckle and then latch on. The feeling of the milk coming down for her tells me she is successful at her attempts. I close my eyes for a moment, and when I reopen them, I see her little fist wrapped around Donnie’s finger as she nurses. Her wide silver eyes look up at me, taking in her new world.
***
Sunday Summer
The remainder of my night was spent blissfully napping while Donnie held our daughter in his arms, watching her sleep and waking me to nurse her again each time she fussed from her hunger. Finn left us to return to Ireland this morning. I was sad to see my friend go, but I know I will see him again when we visit Ireland at Christmas.
Sitting at the breakfast table and watching dust dance in the rays of sun cast through the windows, I feel a sadness come over me. Rae is tucked away in her bassinet upstairs, safe from the sunlight, for now. A precaution we are unsure if we need to take. But until we test it, Donnie is correct. No unnecessary risks should be taken with our little girl.
I’ve spent the past few months thinking a lot about this moment and what we would do when Rae arrived. We have to see if she will indeed be able to withstand the sun’s deadly rays without a charm, and the thought makes my stomach twist into knots. My nerves have me on edge. I jump when Donnie lays his hand on my shoulder.
“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you ready?” The question hangs in the air between us.
Exhaling a large breath, I nod and rise from the table. Donnie takes me into his arms when I turn, wrapping me in his embrace. “I promise I won't let anything happen to her, one test, one spot of sunlight. If she can’t withstand that, we will know. I will contact Alec, and he will be here in a few days to provide her with her own charm.”
My face is buried in his chest, I feel tears prick my eyes, and I nod. This will all be so much easier if Rae can be in the sun. The idea of having an infant, then a toddler, and eventually a child who must always keep a charm on her body but cannot fully understand why sends me into a tizzy. The thought of her losing it has run through my mind over and over again.
“Let’s go. I’m ready,” I murmur into Donnie’s chest, and he releases me from his grip, taking my hand and leading me to the stairs.
When we enter the room, I see the small bundle wrapped tightly in the bassinet, and I smile. Our little girl is a fighter. She and I have made it through so much already. She will be able to make it through this. I know it in my heart.
Donnie makes his way to her and lifts her from the bassinet. Rae lets out a soft mew at the motion but remains sleeping in his arms. When I see him untuck her tiny hand from the blankets, I watch as her fingers close around his, and I smile. He has been so fantastic with her and Gus. I am truly blessed to have a wonderful father for my children.
Holding my breath, I take in the scene as he steps towards the window. When his tight grip freezes on the curtain, Donnie hesitates, his body visibly stiffening at the idea of what he has to do next. She is not in any mortal danger, but no parent wishes to cause harm to their child in any way, for any reason, even if it is to help them.
I walk across the room to him and put my hand over his. “We’ll do this together.” My words settle around us, and we both move as one, pulling the curtain open a crack. The shaft of light shoots into the room and across the hand of our child still wrapped around his finger. The rest of her body is protected by the blanket she is wrapped in.
Letting out a sigh of relief, the tears I was holding back break free and stream down my face. Rae’s perfectly soft, pink hand glows in the light of the sun, with no sign of burns. She continues to sleep peacefully in her father’s arms. When he turns to look at me, I see the tears on Donnie’s cheeks, and he kisses me softly on the lips.
“Thank God” is all he says, and I laugh at his words, letting what this means for our family wash over me, giddy with the news.