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We ate our burrito bowls, my current obsession, and then I sat on the sofa while Pascal finished up his packing. There would be plenty to do on the other end when we got to my house, our new home together, but I’d let him tell me what he needed me to do. I had a hard enough time getting out of a chair at this point without assistance.

After a couple of hours, Pascal came to get me for bed. “My last night in my old house,” he said. “When I came back to decide whether to stay in Oliver Creek, I never dreamed I’d be moving to a fairy-tale cottage with a raccoon omega with a heart of gold.” He stroked my cheek. “You’re going to be a very good father.”

My heart melted. “So will you, alpha. Our little one, kit or cub, is going to be a very lucky baby.” Holding out my hand, I let him help me out of the chair, and together, we went to spend that last night in this home. I intended to show him what I was still capable of and make one more memory here before we left.

Chapter Twenty-One

Pascal

Quinn was one busy healer, but as I found out when I called to make an appointment, he kept slots open for Oliver Creek residents. Our town really was the best in the world. And I’d been all over the world.

“Welcome, Pascal. I’m Atlas. Oh! And, Rue, of course.” Rue had walked in behind me. He was famous in this town for his giving and sweet nature. Some of his shyness had worn off, but he was still my quiet raccoon for the most part.

“Hello. Yes. I’m Rue. This is my mate, Pascal.”

“Yes. Here. Fill out these forms, and I’ll see if my mate is ready to take patients.”

We filled out the forms and, when Atlas came back, Quinn was ready for us. Today, Rue would get examined and hopefully we’d get to hear the heartbeat. He was far enough along for that. At least, that was what the internet said.

The place was painted in a hushed baby blue with pictures of landscapes. The windows were partially open, letting in the morning air and making the curtains billow in the wind. Rue and I had discussed him giving birth at home, among his comfortable things, but if he had to give birth here, I didn’t think he would mind one bit.

We were escorted to a room, and Quinn came in. I didn’t miss the way Atlas touched Quinn’s hand before he left. They were cute together.

“Good morning. I had to do some research for you two. I wasn’t familiar with the gestation and birth of raccoons and had to do some digging.”

“I’m sorry,” Rue said, shrugging.

“Please, don’t be. It’s exciting for me, and I’m always happy to do research. I’m kind of nerdy at heart. Anyway, can I get you to put this gown on for me while I go over your questionnaire? I’ll turn around, I promise. If you’re ever uncomfortable with anything, please be vocal about it, and we will stop.”

I helped Rue into the gown, and he sat on the exam table. That and the ultrasound machine were the only medical-looking things in the room. “If you raise your legs, I’m going to make sure everything is good and then we’ll take measurements and see that baby by ultrasound and hear the heartbeat. Sound good?”

Rue nodded but took my hand in his. I expected my alpha bear to rear up at Quinn touching him, especially on his intimate parts, but he knew Quinn was taking care of our omega and our babe. No roaring required. Once the exam was done, Quinn put blue gel on Rue’s belly, and the room soon filled with a fast, whooshing sound that made us both gasp. “That’s their heartbeat?” Rue asked.

“It is. It seems fast for our ears, but this is a strong-sounding heartbeat. They are good in there. Let’s get some pictures. I have to ask, did you want to find out the sex of the baby?”

“We do,” Rue said. “I want to be able to have a name ready and get the nursery prepared.”

“Excellent. Let’s see what we have.” Quinn rubbed the wand around Rue’s belly and took screenshots of the measurements. “They are a bit small for how far along you are, for a bear, but for a raccoon, we’re all good. This doesn’t determine what kind of animal he or she will be, but the heartbeat tells me everything I need to know. They are growing well. Now for the good stuff.”

Rue squeezed my hand. “Are you sure you want to know?” he asked.

“I am. I can’t wait.”

Quinn moved the wand, getting the best angle, and then took another screenshot. He lifted his finger to the screen. “See there? That’s her genitals. Your baby is a girl.”

“A girl,” Rue whispered. “We’re having a baby girl.”

“I’ll give you two a minute. Here’s some cloths to clean up with, and I’ll be right back with the printed pictures.”

Quinn left, and I leaned down and wrapped him up in my arms, goop or no goop. We both cried a bit then he pulled back. “Are you happy? If we want a son, we can try again.”

I laughed loud and hard. “Rue, my love, let’s get through this birth before we start planning another one, okay? Unless you’re just eager to get me to bed, in which case, you don’t need another baby as an excuse.”

“We can celebrate when we get home, I suppose. Can we get this goop off me?”

We cleaned him up and, when Quinn came back, he gave us a bottle of prenatal vitamins. He told us how he was recommending the Trash Panda to couples or omegas who needed a bit of a hand with things. He also wanted Rue to advertise in the shop how he would give prenatal exams for free for those who couldn’t afford a healer.

My mate was a miracle, helping spread kindness everywhere.