My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 1064

After watching Serenity get taken in to be checked, Lucius finally let out a breath of relief. His mind kept replaying everything that had just happened, and he still couldn't believe it.

How could he? Never in his life had he imagined going through something like this. I mean, who walks around thinking they'll one day help bring someone into the world? Especially when the mother of that someone had only just forgiven you for the hurt you caused her.

"Lucius…" a woman's voice rang as she ran down the hallway.

Lucius looked up and saw Valerie hurrying toward him.

He knew right away she was Serenity's mother—even though they'd never met face to face, the resemblance was unmistakable.

"Lucius, son, how's my girl? Are they taking care of her? How's the baby?" Valerie asked, bombarding him with questions.

"Well… they took them both in to get checked. They haven't said anything yet, but when we got here, Serenity and the baby seemed okay…" he replied, recalling the moment.

"Lucius, wait—so they haven't come out to say anything yet?" Lucius heard a deep male voice—it was Marcus, Serenity's father.

"No, but it shouldn't be long now…" he answered calmly.

"Lucius… thank you! Really, thank you so much!"

"There's nothing to thank me for. Honestly, she did all the work—I just stayed with her…" Lucius replied, still a bit dazed by how calm Valerie was being with him.

It felt strange to see Serenity's parents walking up to him with such kindness, especially knowing he had once been part of the mess that hurt them.

"We do have to thank you, Lucius," Marcus said firmly.

Lucius didn't seem to understand what was happening…

"Lucius, Serenity's your sister—and life gave you both this one-of-a-kind moment to share. The fact that you were there with her during it… that means the world to us. You have no idea how happy we are.

"And you, you're Serenity's big brother—and today, you acted like it. You didn't back down, and you faced the situation head-on, just like it had to be done.

"This, Lucius… this means way more than anything you may have done in the past. Now, you and Serenity will always be connected by this one small, yet enormous, act," Valerie said warmly, looking at the man who'd stood by her daughter through pain and joy.

A few minutes later, the emergency room doors finally opened and Serenity's OB-GYN stepped out.

"Family of Serenity Palmer?"

"That's us! How is she, doctor? How are both of them?"

"Valerie, take a breath, everything's fine. I know it feels like the birth came early, but we've checked both mom and baby—they're doing perfectly well.

They'll be moved to a room shortly, and you'll be able to see them there. Just remember not to overwhelm them—Serenity just became a mom, and it's exhausting."

"Yes, doctor… Oh! Here's Serenity's bag—with clothes, diapers, and a few things. Should we hand it to someone or take it to her room?" Marcus asked, eager to see his daughter.

Still a little unsure, Lucius walked over to the hospital bed. He came closer and carefully looked down. A small smile formed on his face. Just a few hours ago, he had helped bring her into the world. Everything felt surreal. He was overwhelmed, still trying to process how it had all happened. And yet, he had no hesitation in looking straight into the tiny girl's face.

Serenity held out the baby, wrapped in a soft blanket, and gently brought her closer to him.

"Come on! Hold her. I'm sure she wants to see the face of the man who brought her into the world," Serenity said with a smile, seeing how unsure he still was.

"But… how do I hold her?" Lucius asked nervously.

"Just support her little head," Marcus said as he watched.

"Here, I'll place her in your arms. You just need to hold her steady…" Valerie added, encouraging him to take his niece.

Lucius held out his arms, and with a bit of nervous energy, he took the baby. The first thing he noticed was how incredibly light she felt—surprisingly light for a newborn.

Baby Isabelle looked up at him with those big eyes—definitely inherited from Alden, because Serenity's eyes weren't nearly that large. It was too early to be sure, but he thought he saw flecks of green, blue, and gray shimmering in her pupils.

She clearly couldn't focus yet on the face holding her, but maybe, someday, the scent of that man and the warmth of his arms would become a memory etched in her little heart.

Everyone in the room felt a deep sense of joy. For Serenity, one thought echoed clearly in her mind—a thought she couldn't help but say out loud:

"Lucius, from now on, this memory will always connect us… just like Laura and Alden." she said, smiling.