Page 19 of Heart of the Highlands: The Rose (Protectors of the Crown #6)
One year later…
The storm had rolled in just as Abby predicted, the sky, a blanket of heavy grey clouds. Aiden stood by the window, staring out over the hills of the Highlands, watching the wind lash the trees with an urgency that mirrored the knot of worry in his chest. His heart pounded, knowing what was coming. The past year, with his beloved wife Abby by his side, had been the most remarkable of his life, overflowing with an abundance of love and laughter that felt like it could fill a lifetime. But now, as he sits in the dimly lit room, his heart races with anticipation and concern, waiting for the moment when their first child will enter the world. He knows that this moment—one of joy and wonder—also carries with it a weight of fear that she had so often expressed. The air is thick with emotion as he nervously fidgets, yearning to support her and bravely face the unknown that stretches before them.
The days leading up to the birth were filled with an urgent, desperate sense of anticipation. Aiden refused to leave her side, his presence a constant reassurance even as their small, secluded cottage became a hub of activity. Abby had been adamant that the birth of their child had to happen, and every instinct told him to be terrified he would not lose her.
Abby has never been so tired. The pregnancy, once a source of joy, now weighed heavily on her body. But the knowledge that the child she carried would be the key to ending the warring clans kept her focused. She often wondered whether the vision she’d seen was truly inevitable or if it was simply the price she had to pay for the peace that would follow.
As labor grew near, Aiden took every precaution. He hired the most skilled midwife he could find and called every nearby healer in the nearest village who could assist. Every moment felt like the calm before the storm, and Abby's life hung in the fragile balance between life and death.
The storm outside raged fiercely on the night Abby went into labor, the wind howling through the trees and snow piling up against the door. Inside, the flickering light of the candles illuminated the room as the midwife worked swiftly, preparing Abby for what was to come. Aidens stood by her side, holding her hand as she gripped tightly, her face pale with the strain of contractions. As the night dragged on, so did the labor. Hours seemed to pass, and the babe had not made his arrival. The midwife worked tirelessly, and all through the agony Abby must have felt, Aiden could see the exhaustion on her face as she held on with every ounce of strength.
“Aiden, come,” Leland urged. “Ye need no’ see this.”
With tears in his eyes, he followed Leland outside the door. As it closed, he fell to his knees. Aiden felt comfort after Leland placed his hand on his shoulder. And then, just as the first light of dawn crept through the window, Abby’s cries were replaced with the sound of a baby’s cry, loud and healthy.
Aiden’s heart skipped a beat as he rushed back into the room. His eyes were immediately drawn to the crying bairn as the midwife swaddled him in a blanket, but then, as he looked at the bed and to Abby’s sweaty face, the truth hit. She was alive.
“Abby,” he whispered, his voice raw with emotion. Ye did it.” He kissed her forehead, then her cheek, and settled on her lips. “Rest now. I will be here when ye wake.”
Her eyes fluttered open, and though the pain still lingered, there was a warmth in her gaze as she saw Aiden sitting in the chair near her bedside, a small squirming bundle in his arms. Her heart caught in her chest at the realization that she was alive and just woken from a dreamless sleep. The silence in her mind was like a vast emptiness. For the first time, she felt…nothing. She had always been able to see glimpses of the future, small visions that gave her warnings or guidance, but there was nothing but an overwhelming stillness. She couldn’t sense anything. She felt as if a part of her was missing, as if a part of her had died. But it had. All this time, she saw her death during childbirth, but it wasn’t her demise that would be lost. She didn’t see her future past this day because, after today, she’d no longer have her gift. Everything made sense now. All this time, she had been afraid of nothing. And it had nearly cost her the one thing she wanted more than anything. Something she was willing to die for…love.
“Good morning,” Aiden said as he stood and walked over to her with the bundle in his hand.
“Would ye like to meet our son?”
She nodded, her heart full. Tears welled in Abby’s eyes as she cradled him in her arms. She lovingly gazed at their newborn son, still wrapped in blankets, his tiny fists flailing in the air. He was perfect.
Abby went on to have three more children. As for her son Leland, cursed with a rare gift of his own, he often came to her with visions of his own. Abby could see the weight of his visions upon him, and with a gentle heart, she listened to his concerns, offering comfort as he navigated the complexities of his rare abilities. Together, she and Aiden would help guide him to become one of the greatest laird Scotland had ever seen.
The End