Here is the last chapter! Phew. Couldn't believe this is ending too. Epilogue to follow soon!
***
Rae groaned as she gingerly opened her eyes, adjusting her vision with the dim lighting in her hospital bed. What happened? Where's my baby? She frantically thought. She pressed the call button on her bedside as her anxiety increased at not knowing where was or what happened to her baby.
Dr. Sanders and a nurse came by quickly, with relieved smiles on their faces. Rae frowned but held her tongue as her doctor spoke.
"Oh thank God, you're awake. You scared us there for a quick second, Mrs. Stan," Isabelle spoke before checking Rae's vitals on the monitor. She proceeded to explain what happened and Rae was a trembling mess afterwards.
"Can I...can I see my baby now?" Rae asked in a small voice. Isabelle nodded to the nurse behind her who scurried out immediately to fetch Rae's baby from the nursery. She was back after less than 10 minutes and Rae lost it when she saw who was carrying her child.
Sebastian couldn't help his own tears from falling from his eyes as soon as he cradled his little girl in his arms. Nothing could have ever prepared him from the explosion of emotions he felt upon seeing her mop of dark hair and the tiny pair of hands that grabbed his finger. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful and precious in his entire life.
"Ready to go, Mr. Stan?" the nurse gently asked him. He nodded and she opened the door to Rae's room.
"Hi Mommy," Sebastian said through his tears. He looked at their daughter before approaching Rae who was also holding a watery smile out at them. He then gently laid her little girl down beside her mom who had begun sobbing as soon as her child was in her arms. Sebastian kissed Rae's forehead, letting his lips linger there, grateful that he now had his family with him. They didn't even notice Isabelle and the nurse leave until the door gently clicked close.
Sebastian had let Rae feed their baby and have them both sleep first. She had insisted she was fine staying up until she had started yawning not even five minutes after their baby had finished feeding. He reassured him he'll be there when she wakes and she was out like a light right after.
A knock sounded on the door and Sebastian nearly jumped out of his seat before answering. Opening it he found not only Chris and Scarlett waiting, but Tom, Robert, his wife Susan as well as Anthony. They were all carrying various gifts and Robert was holding out a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
"Well don't just stand there, Boo Bear, let us in!" Robert scolded with a smile. They all laughed softly before Sebastian stepped aside and let them all in. A chorus of gentle oohs and aahs sounded as soon as they all saw Rae sleeping soundly with their baby. The room was big enough so that everyone took a seat.
"Have a name yet, Seabass?" Anthony asked.
Sebastian shook his head. "We waited until the last minute to find out the gender and we didn't discuss names while she was pregnant."
"Well," Scarlett spoke. "Whatever her name will be, she's absolutely gorgeous, Seb. We're so happy for you."
"Thanks Scar. Thank you for being here, you don't know how much that means to us."
As soon as Rae woke up, she again started crying at the multitude of people who were there to see her. Everybody laughed when she couldn't say anything and sobbed even harder upon seeing Robert Downey jr. beaming at her. RDJ, the godfather, freaking Iron Man was there visiting her and her baby! She was again reminded that this is her life now; Sebastian's friends are now her friends too. Life was good.
They had to stay at the hospital for a day more, Isabelle insisting she wanted to make sure Rae was 100% before they went home. They both agreed; they weren't taking any more chances with her health now that there was a baby to take care of. Their daughter was far more important now than anything else.
Isabelle had just finished her round for the day, leaving the newly minted parents alone. Rae had also just finished nursing the baby and Sebastian was placing her back to the crib beside Rae's bed. She patted him to lie beside her.
"How's mommy doing?" Seb asked before kissing her forehead.
Rae sighed contentedly, looking at her daughter before looking up at her fiancé. "I feel great. I never knew I could be this happy. I mean, look at her."
They turn their eyes to the peacefully sleeping baby in the crib. Sebastian suddenly remembers Anthony's question hours earlier just in time with Rae spouting out the same thing.
"What's her name, dad?" she asks affectionately.
He looks at her questioningly. "Are you sure?" Rae giggles.
"Yes, Sebastian, I'm sure. I trust you well enough not to name our daughter with something silly like Peanut or something so long that wouldn't fit in the birth registry. No pressure though."
Sebastian laughs but he was beginning to get nervous. He looks at her daughter again and that's when it hits him. Whenever he looks at her, a warm, bright feeling creeps up to his chest, emanating to the rest of his body. He remembered his mother's story to her one time about how his grandfather lovingly nicknamed his grandmother that name, or as he put it, the ray of sunshine in his life. He smiled at the memory and had now understood how his grandpa felt.
"Iliana," he said with pride. "Our ray of light, Iliana."
"Iliana," Rae murmured. "It's perfect."