Chapter 264

Ava

As the balloon hit me square in the face, I stumbled back, nearly losing my balance. Chris’s strong arm caught me, steadying me as a chorus of “Surprise!” filled the air.

Our living room had been transformed, covered with balloons and streamers in shades of blue and silver. A banner hung across the fireplace, proclaiming “Happy 40th Birthday, Ava!” in glittering letters. And there, gathered around with broad grins on their faces, were the people I loved most in the world.

“You... you did remember,” I breathed, turning to Chris with tears welling up like shimmering pools in my eyes.

He grinned, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “You know I’d never forget. Happy birthday, my love.”

Leonard and Ophelia stepped forward, their four-year-old son, Max, clinging shyly to his mother’s leg. “Happy birthday, darling,” Ophelia said, enveloping me in a warm hug.

“Thank you,” I whispered, squeezing her back. As we parted, I knelt down as best I could with my swollen belly. “And hello to you, Max!”

The little boy who looked so much like his mother, with a head of white-blonde hair and enormous blue eyes, grinned and shoved his tongue through a gap where his front tooth should be. “I lost a tooth, Auntie Ava!” he proclaimed proudly.

“So I see! Make sure you put the tooth under your pillow, or else the Tooth Fairy won’t leave you a treat.”

“I won’t forget!”

Fabian and Betty were next, Betty’s own pregnant belly jutting out noticeably. “Looks like we’ll be joining the sleepless nights club soon,” she joked, patting her stomach.

I laughed, remembering those early days all too well with Ellie and Mattis. Mattis had been quite the handful; sometimes, I said that the Moon Goddess had sent him just to torment me for cursing her that one night all those years ago.

“Trust me,” I said, “it’s worth every moment.”

Speaking of my own children, they came barreling toward me, their faces already—somehow—covered in frosting. “Mommy! Mommy!” Ellie, my eldest, cried out, her golden curls bouncing as she pointed at all the decorations. “We helped Daddy decorate! Do you like it?”

I leaned down, peppering her face with kisses. “I love it, sweetheart. You did a wonderful job.”

Mattis, not to be outdone, tugged at my dress with fingers that were just as sticky as his lips. “I blew up the balloons, Mommy!”

Chris chuckled, ruffling our son’s honey-colored hair. “He sure did. Nearly passed out a couple of times, too.”

The evening passed in a blur. We gathered around the dining table, laden with all my favorite foods. The scent of roast chicken and herbs filled the air, mingling with the sweetness of the enormous chocolate birthday cake centered on the table.

We spent the night sitting around the table, swapping stories and watching as Mattis, Max, and Ellie ran in circles around the living room. Leonard and Ophelia leaned close, just as in love as the day they met—Leonard’s face was more world-weary by now, although Ophelia hardly looked a day older, still sporting her red lipstick despite having swapped out her heels for mucky work boots.

And then there was Betty and Fabian. They had become another installment in our little family, visiting as often as they could from Moonshine. We visited them often as well; Moonshine Manor had long since forgotten its days of being a spooky old house, but rather a warm and inviting home with fires constantly burning in the hearth and raging Christmas parties that could put everyone else’s to shame.

When it came time to blow out the candles, Chris dimmed the lights, and everyone gathered around, singing “Happy Birthday” with gusto. As the flames flickered, casting a warm glow on the faces of my loved ones, I closed my eyes and made a wish.

I wish for many more birthdays just like this one, I thought, before taking a deep breath and blowing out all forty candles in one go.

Cheers erupted around the table, and Chris began cutting the cake. As he handed me a slice, a sudden warmth spread between my legs.

For a moment, I thought I had simply lost control of my bladder—an unfortunate side effect of being so heavily pregnant. But then I felt it—the unmistakable pop and gush of my water breaking.

“Chris,” I said, my voice surprisingly calm as I lifted a bite of cake to my mouth, “I think the baby’s coming.”

The room fell silent—all except for me, who continued to munch happily on my cake, my eyebrows raised. I had done this twice before, and the days of pre-parental panic were behind me. And I wanted my cake, dammit.

But it wasn’t long before everyone was erupting into chaos. Chris was at my side in an instant, checking me as if for injuries. “Are you sure? How do you feel? Do you need anything?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his flustered state. I nodded, dabbing my face with my napkin, and set my cake aside. “I’m sure. And what I need is to get to the clinic.”

Leonard sprang into action, grabbing his car keys. “I’ll drive. Ophelia, can you stay with the kids?”

Ophelia nodded, already gathering Ellie and Mattis close. “Of course. Go, go!”

Chris already had me halfway to the door. “Grab my cake!” I shouted over my shoulder, my tone leaving no room for argument.

I heard scrambling as Leonard, cursing, quickly grabbed a slice and tossed it into a tupperware, having long since learned that you do not, under any circumstances, say “No” to a woman in labor. Especially not his Luna.

Chris shook his head, rolling his eyes. “Unbelievable,” he hissed as I smirked with satisfaction.

The trip to the clinic went by a lot faster on wheels than on foot. Chris remained glued to my side, his hair falling into his eyes as he repeatedly checked on me. I simply smiled in the backseat, and when Chris asked why I was so chipper, I merely replied, “We’re sharing a birthday. How exciting is that?”

As we burst through the clinic doors, a familiar face greeted us—the Omega girl I had saved from Olivia all those years ago. She had grown into a confident young woman, now one of the head delivery room doctors.

“Luna Ava,” she said, guiding us to a wheelchair. “Let’s get you settled. It looks like your little one is eager to join the party.”

The next few hours passed by in a haze. Chris remained by my side throughout, gripping my hand as I pushed and cursed and panted. At one point, I think I called Chris a bastard, although he only seemed to agree with me with equal fervor—because, like Leonard, he had learned not to say “No” to a woman in labor.

Finally, with one last almighty push, our third child entered the world with a husky cry.

“It’s a boy!” the doctor announced, placing the squirming, red-faced bundle on my chest.

I gazed down at our son, too overcome with love to notice the aching sensation between my thighs. “Hello, little one,” I whispered, tracing a finger along his tiny cheek. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

“You’re a bit late, though,” Chris added with a chuckle. He leaned in, pressing a kiss to my sweat-soaked forehead. “You did it again, Ava. He’s perfect.”

As the initial frenzy of activity died down and we were left alone with our newborn son, all washed and dry hours later, Chris perched on the edge of the bed, his arm around my shoulders.

“So,” he said softly, “I guess we’ll finally have to name him.”

I nodded, pursing my lips. I had picked Ellie and Mattis’s names almost as soon as we had found out the genders, but with this one… I didn’t know why, but I had wanted to wait.

“I want to see him first,” I had said. It was like something was… tugging me from the other side. Something telling me to wait, to look into his face, before I decided on a name. Something telling me that it would come to me then.

And now, as I stared down at that little scrunched up face and saw that little tuft of nearly-white hair, I knew why.

He was familiar. So familiar.

“Degas,” I blurted out, the word coming out like a breath.

Chris was quiet for a moment, and I looked up to see his eyes staring at me, wide and unblinking. “After Elder Degas?”

“Yes,” I said. “I think it’s meant to be his name.”

Chris blinked at me for a moment longer, processing my words. The feelings came like this sometimes, just like they did with the scent of the moonpetals.

They came randomly, without warning, like… little pockets of the world beyond the veil slipping into my consciousness.

It was the same world that we had ushered the wailing woman into all those years ago. The same world that I had slipped into that night, standing in the corner of my childhood bedroom. The world that the Moon Goddess had given me access to when I glowed bioluminescence and saved our pack.

And when little whispers came from that world, I answered them.

Finally, Chris smiled, reaching out to stroke our son’s downy head. “Alright. We’ll name him Degas.”

A soft knock at the door interrupted our moment. Ophelia poked her head in, Ellie and Mattis peeking around her legs. Their big green eyes—their father’s eyes—blinked nervously up at us.

“Is it okay to come in?” Ophelia asked. “There are two very excited siblings out here.”

I laughed, adjusting my position slightly. “Of course. Come meet your new brother.”

Ellie and Mattis approached the bed cautiously, their eyes wide with wonder.

“He’s so tiny,” Ellie whispered, reaching out to touch Degas’s hand.

Mattis wrinkled his nose. “He’s all red and… wrinkly.”

Chris chuckled, lifting Mattis onto the bed. “You looked just like that when you were born, buddy.”

“Did not!” Mattis protested, but he couldn’t take his eyes off his new brother.

As I watched my children interact with their new sibling, my heart felt full to bursting. This, right here, was everything I had ever wanted—a happy family. Everything else could have fallen away, and I would have been okay with it, if I only had this.

Ophelia and Leonard hung back in the doorway, giving us our moment. But I could see the joy and love shining in their eyes too. We had been through hell together once, and now here we were, watching our families grow in a new world.

“Thank you,” I said softly, looking around at all of them. “For the party, for being here... for everything.”

Chris squeezed my shoulder gently. “Happy birthday, my love,” he murmured.

Degas suddenly yawned, his tiny fist curling around my finger, and a tear slipped down my cheek. We had made it. Through all the darkness, all the fear and uncertainty, we had made it here, to this moment.

And I was happy. Truly, deeply happy.

The end.