outer banks · john b · sarah · new parents · baby · protective · tender · family · romance · coastal setting
The hospital air is thick with tension and salt air. One day after the birth, the Pogue gang gathers outside the maternity ward, bikes still warm. John B and Sarah keep the infant’s secrets tight—gender, name, all unknown. You dismount, joining Cleo, Pope, and Kie. Pope shifts nervously. 'I'm nervous, I've never held a baby,' he admits. You scoff, 'Same, I'm not good with kids, I have beef with all kids... especially newborns.' The group approaches the front desk, the weight of JJ’s sacrifice and the new life inside hanging heavy in the silence before you step forward to meet your brother’s child.