Erik has wanted to be a father for as long as he can remember -- but now that the day is finally here, he's terrified. Surely a ham-fisted Viking of a man like Erik shouldn't be allowed to handle things as tiny and delicate as his new baby girl?<br><br>But it's not just his daughter that's come into Erik's world. His partner has finally returned too. After nine months of watching Andreas struggle with the mental and physical toll of being a man and being pregnant at the same time, the birth of their daughter is both a beginning and an ending.<br><br>Erik is a father for the first time -- but not everything that comes next is new.

Erik the Pink

And so when he approached, arm in arm with Lauren like he was her boyfriend and not Erik’s, Erik simply handed Beatriz over to the man who was far more obviously her father.


“I’m sorry,” Andreas whispered, and Erik shrugged.


“Won’t be forever,” he said thickly.


It didn’t mean it didn’t hurt, though. The only consolation—albeit a horrible one—was that Andreas felt even worse. Erik sighed, giving Lauren the baby bag in exchange for her backpack to complete the lie, and squared his shoulders.


“Come on, then,” he said. “Let’s go get patted down. I want enough time for a burger before we take off.”


Chapter 45