Barton warned him early on that the birth would likely be difficult due to the nature of their two species combining. They discussed sending her to Earth for her delivery, but Ellie wouldn't hear of it. Crag's responsibilities as The Commander wouldn't allow him to go with her to Earth. She wanted him near when the time came. She said women had babies every day without a doctor in attendance. She had no doubt she would be ... fine.
Crag harbored enough doubt for the both of them, but Ellie wouldn't be swayed.
The caregiver from earlier entered the room. In her arms, she carried a small bundle swaddled in a white blanket. Crag froze in place and watched her approach. She smiled and placed the bundle in his arms. “Here is your daughter, Commander."
Crag received the bundle with utmost care. The emotion of it forced him to sit. Luckily, there was a chair behind him, or he'd likely have ended up on the floor.
His daughter was, of course, beautiful. She had Ellie's coloring and eyes.
"Fine looking young lady,” his father said over Crag's shoulder, only confirming what he already knew to be true. “She'll make a fine Commander someday."
"Is she okay?” Crag looked up at the caregiver.
"Yes, she is perfectly healthy, Commander."
"No, I meant my life partner. How is she?"
The caregiver's face registered sudden alarm. “She is still with the healer. I'm sorry to tell you there has been another complication."
"But she'll be all right, won't she?” Crag blurted out. The stricken look on the caregiver's face chilled him to the bone. Obviously, Ellie wasn't all right.
"The healer will be out to talk to you in a moment, Commander,” she said, dodging his question and would not say another word about Ellie. She waited silently to take his child back to the nursery.
Crag placed his cheek on his daughter's downy soft head. He took a deep breath to hold in his emotions before handing back the precious bundle. The caregiver turned to exit. Crag would have followed her if Elsbeth had not arrived at that moment.
The caregiver turned again and handed his beautiful daughter to the queen. The two women made the appropriate cooing noises over her. He waited, a burning sensation low in his stomach, to discover the complication, whatever it was, which already made his soul shrivel in dread.
"Commander?” Crag looked up to see Barton at the waiting area doors. He motioned Crag to follow. Crag leapt up. Blood covered Barton's smock. He left his precious daughter with the caregiver, his silent father, and the queen to follow his uncertain future in the hands of the healer.
As they walked slowly down the hallway to the delivery room, Crag spoke, “Barton, you're scaring me. Tell me what has happened.” Crag stopped. He couldn't go on if she were gone.
"I want you scared, Commander,” Barton said and motioned for him to follow again.
"What? Why?” Crag resumed his steps.
"Ellie shouldn't have any more children."
Crag stopped again. “Then she won't! Tell me will she live."
"She will live, Crag, but don't forget what I've said."
"I swear, I won't. What was the complication?” They resumed walking. Crag was elated. Ellie would live, and they had a child who was perfection. They didn't need anything else.
"Your son was the complication."
"My what?” Crag stopped again. Barton stood before the recovery room and motioned him inside.
"Twins, as you may or may not know, are very rare for citizens of Tiburon. However, when combined in gestation with earthlings, it's commonplace. Your son decided to follow his sister out feet first. Scared me nearly into a heart collapse, he did. We had to cut her open to take him out in time. But he is well, rest assured."
"Thank you, Barton.” I have a son.
"My pleasure, Commander.” Barton smiled and patted him on the back. He led Crag to another room.
Ellie was in a bed half asleep with their son cradled in her arms as if trying to protect him from the world. She woke when they approached. Her smile warmed him from head to toe. She looked down at their son and smiled again. Barton excused himself and left them alone.
"Isn't he perfect?” she asked sleepily.
Crag sat on the edge of her bed, leaned in, placed his head on Ellie's shoulder, and took several deep breaths to ease the sharp stabs of pain that swelled in his chest. “Of course, he is perfect, but don't ever scare me like that again. I thought you perished giving me the next Commander of Tiburon."
"Are you upset?"
He rose up to stare at her, wanting to clearly make his point. “Yes, I'm upset, and to that end, there will be no more, Ellie. I won't enlarge my cock for you ever again. I don't care how much you beg."
"No, I meant are you upset your son was born second?"
His brow furrowed in puzzlement. “Why would it matter?"
"Well, doesn't this mean our daughter will be the next Commander at Arms?"
He shrugged. “Yes, but she's my daughter. She will be the finest Commander at Arms Tiburon has ever seen. I have not a doubt. Just like my grandmother was the greatest Commander of her generation."
"Your grandmother was the Commander at Arms for Tiburon?” Ellie sounded shocked.
"Yes, but I'd like to name our daughter after my mother. I wish you could have known her. She would have loved you."
"All right, but please tell me her name wasn't something horrible."
"Her name was Allisandria."
Ellie sighed as if in relief and smiled warmly. “Allisandria is a beautiful name. You know, we should really honor our son with either the name Keller or Barton."
"Or Kelton,” he said, smiling.
"Or Bartler,” she added, laughing.
Together they agreed. “Kelton."
THE END
Lara Santiago always loved to write. However, her pragmatic, analytical side got the upper hand at an early age and informed her she should be getting a ‘real’ job and not pursuing a creative writing career.
She joined the Air Force and spent her four years of service in Blytheville, Arkansas working nights in Supply issuing aircraft parts to guys working on the flight line. Her husband discovered her there and married her to continue getting his aircraft parts quicker than all the others.
Lara soon earned a degree in the field of Logistics—a word she thinks is very sexy. No logisticians will ever be the bad guy in any of her novels.
After the military, Lara spent many practical years working at a ‘real’ job, allowing her analytical side total free rein. Then one day, the characters banging incessantly inside her brain simply couldn't be silenced any longer. She bought a laptop with the sole purpose of writing a book to allow her creative side to express itself and to let all those characters out. Her motto ... so many characters ... so little time.
To those interested, Lara's practical, analytical side is now stuffed in a dark hole and only allowed out once or twice a month to pay bills.
When she isn't hunched over her faithful laptop, now with half the letters chipped off in her zeal to write as fast as possible, Lara enjoys reading, catching up on all her recorded television shows, and watching movies. Oh, and occasionally, she cooks for her family, too.
She hopes her readers enjoy her stories and looks forward to hearing from them—but only if they refrain from insisting she make anyone in Logistics a bad guy.
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Just One Embrace [The Tiburon Duet, Book 2] Page 16