Submitting to my Ex Uncle-Chapter 254

Months later:

The room smelled like antiseptic and lavender oil. The scent was soft. Amara had insisted on bringing it. She said Celeste deserved something calm, and something alive, after everything.

The world outside was gray, and heavy with rain. Inside, Celeste’s breathing filled the silence between heart monitors. Sharp, and shallow, then deep again.

"Is it coming again?" Dominic asked, voice low, and hovering near her ear.

Celeste gritted her teeth. Her fingers tightened around his hand, with her nails biting into his skin. He didn’t flinch.

She nodded once, her body arching slightly as another contraction rolled through her. "It’s— it’s coming—"

"I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you."

He was by her side instantly. One hand pressed against the small of her back, massaging in slow circles just the way the nurse had shown him earlier. His other hand brushed damp strands of hair from her forehead, his lips following to kiss away the sweat.

"Rest, rest, rest," he whispered, the words trembling through him more than her. "You’re doing so good, Celeste. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known."

Celeste half-laughed, half-cried. "You said that last time."

"And I meant it even more now."

The contraction eased. Her body loosened, and she leaned into him, exhausted but smiling weakly. Dominic kissed her temple.

Amara stood by the window, arms folded across her chest. She was smiling too. The scar across her shoulder caught the light when she turned.

"You’re doing amazing," Amara said gently.

Celeste looked up at her. Tears shimmered in her eyes again. "I asked you not to come. At least, not yet."

Amara stepped closer and reached for her hand, squeezing it over Dominic’s. "You’re stuck with me, remember?"

Celeste laughed through another tear. "You shouldn’t be here."

"Try stopping me." Amara’s smile tilted with mischief, the old one that used to light up every room. "Someone has to make sure Dominic doesn’t faint."

Dominic shot her a glare that had no real weight behind it. "I’m not fainting. I’m—"

"You’re as pale as the wall," she cut in.

Celeste laughed again, and it broke through the tension.

Then came another contraction. The laughter died immediately.

She clutched his arm, gasping. "Oh God! Dominic—"

"I’m right here, sweetheart. Breathe. Look at me." He pressed his forehead against hers, his breath syncing with hers. "In. Out. In. Out. Good girl."

She whimpered, a sound that tore through him. He wanted to take the pain away, to bear it for her, but all he could do was hold on and whisper, "I love you. I love you so damn much."

The nurse came in again, checking the monitors, and muttering something about dilation.

Celeste tried to move, but her legs trembled. Dominic immediately bent down and helped her up. "Let’s walk a bit, yeah? Like they said. Maybe it’ll help."

She nodded weakly. He wrapped his arm around her waist, steadying her.

Amara followed closely behind with the IV stand.

Every step hurt, but Celeste pushed through it, her forehead pressing into Dominic’s shoulder as they paced slowly down the hall. His hand never left her back, rubbing circles, and whispering encouragements every few seconds.

When another contraction hit mid-walk, Celeste’s knees buckled.

Dominic caught her before she fell, lowering her carefully to the chair in the hallway. "Breathe, baby. Right here. You’re okay. Look at me."

Her face twisted, her eyes squeezed shut, and then she cried out.

He held her tighter. "You’re doing it. You’re almost there. Just hold on for me a little longer, alright? For them."

Tears spilled freely now. Hers came out first, then he followed.

"I can’t," she whispered. "I can’t do it, Dominic." She sobbed.

"Yes, you can." His voice broke. "You’ve done the impossible before. You can do this."

Amara’s voice came softly from behind them. "He’s right. You’ve always been the fighter."

Celeste opened her eyes, meeting Amara’s gaze. That was enough. She nodded once, fiercely.

Dominic pressed his lips to her forehead again. "Let’s go back. They’re waiting."

They went back into the room together.

The air in the delivery room was thick, humid with pain and panic, and love so strong it nearly hurt to breathe.

Celeste screamed. Her back arched, with sweat dripping down her temples. Her fingers clutched Dominic’s hand so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Okay. Okay, breathe, baby," Dominic whispered, his voice trembling. Every sound out of her broke him. "You’re almost there. You’re doing so damn good."

Dominic helped her to lay on the bed.

Celeste’s head fell back against the pillow. Her eyes squeezed shut, with tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. "It hurts, Dominic," she whimpered. "God, it hurts so much."

He brushed the damp hair from her face, tied it up into a messy knot with his fingers, and kissed her forehead again and again. He was trying to anchor her back to him each time the pain tried to take her away.

"I know, I know," he murmured, his lips still pressed against her skin. "You’re my woman. You’re my Queen. You’re my baby. You can do this. Just breathe with me, alright? In... and out... In... and out..."

The nurses rushed in with a Doctor. The baby was close.

Her breathing synced with his for a heartbeat. Then another contraction hit her, hard and mean. She cried out and nearly crushed his hand. Dominic didn’t flinch. He didn’t even pull back.

"Push!" the doctor urged. "Come on, Celeste, one more—"

"I can’t!" Celeste sobbed harder, shaking her head. "I can’t, I—"

"Yes, you can." Dominic’s voice rose over the chaos. It was firm, low, and loving. "You hear me, Celeste? You’ve been through worse. You’ve fought through everything. You can do this."

She whimpered something unintelligible, and Dominic just leaned in closer, so close their foreheads touched. "Look at me," he whispered. "Right here. Just me and you, okay? Nobody else."

He pressed a kiss to her lips and then, somehow, he started talking. "You know what? Let me tell you a story," he said, his voice breaking halfway between a laugh and a tear. "Once upon a time, there was this man, an absolute fool, who fell in love with a woman who could ruin him with one glance."

Celeste let out a shaky laugh between her cries. "Dominic—"

"And this woman," he went on, ignoring her, his voice trembling with both laughter and panic, "was terrifying. She’d throw shoes at him, insult him, make him lose every deal he ever made—"

"I did not throw shoes," she breathed out, her tears turning into a watery smile.

"She did," he said, grinning through his own tears. "Two of them. Matching pair. And he still loved her so damn much that he’d get hit a thousand more times just to hear her laugh like that again."

Another contraction tore through her body, and she screamed again but this time she was holding his hand and laughing through it. A broken, beautiful laughter ripped through her throat.

"Push!" the doctor shouted again. "She’s right there, Celeste. One more, and one strong push!"

"Come on, baby," Dominic urged, voice shaking. "One more time. For me."

Celeste bit down on her lip, clutched his hand so tightly he thought she might break him, and pushed.

Amara could only pray under her breath, sobbing lightly.

There was a rush sound. A cry, small but loud enough to split the air, and the whole room shifted.

"A girl," the nurse said, smiling. "It’s a girl."

Dominic froze. His breath caught in his throat. His eyes darted between the nurse and Celeste, who was sobbing, laughing, and shaking all at once.

He kissed her hard, hand cupping her cheek. "You did it," he whispered. "You did it, baby."

Celeste reached weakly for his hand. "She’s beautiful, isn’t she?" she whispered.

Before he could answer, the doctor’s voice broke through again. "Wait, there’s another."

Celeste’s eyes went wide. "I forgot I’m not done."

Dominic blinked, and then laughed.

The nurse shook her head. "Push again, Celeste. One more."

Celeste groaned, exhausted beyond words, but Dominic leaned close again, his voice low, warm, and sure. "Same man, same fool, same love story. Remember?" he whispered, lips brushing her ear. "You still owe me one more happy ending."

She let out a breathless laugh. "You’re an idiot," she whispered.

"Yeah," he said, smiling through tears. "Your idiot. Now push."

She pushed again, screamed again, and then, another cry split the room. The cry was softer this time, and smaller.

Another girl.

Dominic’s hand went to his mouth, his eyes glistening. He looked at Celeste like she was something divine, something no man deserved.

"You gave me two," he whispered. "You gave me everything."

Celeste’s lips trembled. "Two girls," she said, her voice weak but full of wonder. "Dominic, they’re ours."

He kissed her again, deeper this time, hands shaking against her cheeks. "All ours."

Celeste’s body shook from both exhaustion and disbelief. Dominic kissed her mouth, her cheeks, then her forehead. He couldn’t stop.

"You did it," he whispered over and over. "You did it, Celeste."

Amara was crying quietly in the corner, hands pressed to her mouth.