Marrying My Father's Enemy-Chapter 162: Nova

Chapter 162; Nova!

The maternity ward was in chaos.

Not from the hospital staff—they were calm and professional—but from the group of nervous, loud, and wildly overprotective people pacing the waiting room.

"Will you sit down, Callian? You’re making me nervous!" Elias said, throwing his hands up.

Eira’s older brother leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed, but the smirk on his face showed his amusement at Callian’s frantic pacing.

"I can’t sit!" Callian snapped, running a hand through his already messy hair.

His tie was loose, his jacket long discarded, and he looked as if he’d been dragged through a battlefield.

"What if something goes wrong? What if she needs me and I’m out here—what if—"

"What if you calm down before you pass out?"

Sana interrupted, rolling her eyes.

She was sitting cross-legged on a chair, eating chips she’d somehow smuggled in.

"Eira is in great hands, Callian. This isn’t the 1800s."

"Yeah, Callian," Leonardo decided to join them, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.

"Stop freaking out. I’m the grandfather, and I’m not losing my mind."

Callian turned on him, glaring.

"Oh, right, because you’re so calm and collected? I saw you try to bribe a nurse to let you in!"

Leonardo flushed. "That was different. I just... I needed to check on her, okay?!"

"That was so smooth, by the way," Rylan teased, grinning as he leaned against the vending machine.

"The nurse looked like she was two seconds from calling security."

"I was concerned!" Leonardo raised his voice.

"Could both of you stop acting like hormonal teenagers?" Elias drawled, throwing a piece of gum at them.

"Seriously, it’s like watching a soap opera."

"Hey!" Callian, Leonardo, and Rylan shouted at him at the same time.

Sana burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.

"Oh, this is too good. I should’ve brought popcorn."

Callian groaned and started pacing again, muttering under his breath.

"Honestly, Callian, you’re acting like you’re the one giving birth," Rylan said, smirking. "And here I thought you were the cool, stoic type."

"Don’t you have someone else to annoy?" Callian replied back, tensing his veins.

"Not right now," Rylan replied cheerfully.

Before the bickering could escalate, a nurse stepped into the waiting room. "Mr. Callian Reed?"

Callian’s head snapped up so quickly that everyone flinched. "Yes? Is everything okay? Is she—"

"Mother and baby are both healthy," the nurse said with a kind smile. "You can come in now."

Callian didn’t need to be told twice.

He practically sprinted past the nurse, leaving the others behind.

"Well, there goes Mr. Calm and Collected," Elias muttered, earning chuckles from the group.

Inside the delivery room, the waiting room melted away.

Eira was lying on the hospital bed, her face was white and faded but glowing with happiness.

In her arms was a tiny bundle wrapped in a soft pink blanket.

"Eira..." Callian breathed as he approached the bed.

His eyes were wide, his steps seemed hesitant, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Eira smiled at him, tired but calmer. "Come meet her," she whispered.

Callian sank into the chair beside the bed, his hands trembling as Eira carefully passed the baby to him.

The moment the tiny girl was in his arms, he froze.

"She’s so small," he muttered to himself more than to Eira.

Eira chuckled softly. "She’s perfect."

Callian’s heart felt like it might burst.

The baby’s tiny fingers curled around his thumb, and he let out a shaky laugh. "She’s got a strong grip."

"Just like her mom," Eira said in a teasing voice.

The dark circles under her eyes and the pain didn’t matter right now.

Callian looked up at her, his own eyes started shining with emotion. "Eira... thank you. For her. For everything."

Eira reached out and touched his cheek. "We did this together, Callian. And now we start over."

He nodded, and his head dropped back to their daughter. "She needs a name. Something... meaningful." free𝑤ebnovel.com

Eira smiled. "I’ve been thinking about that. How about Nova?"

"Nova," Callian repeated louder.

He looked at Eira, his heart seemed full. "It’s perfect. A new star, a new beginning."

"Exactly," Eira said, leaning back against the pillows.

Back in the waiting room, the group was getting restless.

"What’s taking so long?" Leonardo grumbled, pacing now himself.

"Maybe Callian fainted," Elias suggested with a grin.

"That would be hilarious," Sana said with an open to laugh mouth. "Someone go check."

Before anyone could move, the door opened, and Callian walked out, cradling the baby.

His eyes widened, and a smile broke across his face.

He stood a bit taller, shoulders back, as if the moment itself had lifted him, and for once, the group fell silent.

"She’s here," Callian said softly.

The group surged forward, crowding around him to get a look.

"She’s beautiful," Sana said, her voice sounded unusually tender.

"Looks like Eira," Rylan added with a gentle smile. "Which is a relief, honestly."

"Hey!" Callian protested.

"I’m sorry, but it’s best for her if she looks like her mother," Rylan joked again. "What is her name?"

"Nova."

Leonardo ignored them. "Nova," he murmured. "That’s her name?"

Callian nodded. "Eira chose it. A new star, a new beginning."

Leonardo’s throat worked as he swallowed hard. "It’s perfect."

Sana sniffled loudly, dabbing at her eyes. "Ugh, stop being so sweet! You’re going to make me cry!"

"You’re already crying," Rylan pointed out.

"Shut up, Rylan!"

Elias laughed, clapping Callian on the back. "You survived, man. Barely, but you did it."

Callian rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide his smile. "It was worth it."

Later, after the others had gone to see Eira, Callian stood by the window with Nova in his arms.

The city lights twinkled below, but they couldn’t compare to the tiny, perfect face he was holding.

"You’re going to do amazing things, Nova," he whispered. "And I’ll be here for all of it. Every step of the way."

As if in response, Nova let out a tiny yawn, her fist clenching against his chest.

Callian laughed softly, his heart fuller than it had ever been.

This was the beginning of everything.

"Eira, we’re going to be parents..." He looked around, and felt Eira’s hands wrapped around his waist.

"I should be the one hugging you like that, Mrs. Reed."

"Let me...just for tonight."

~The End~

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