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

Then he’d locked the door, run a bath, and left Erik with the baby.


So Erik was pleased, but—a little out of his depth. Andreas had gotten what he’d wanted, but he’d also gone completely bonkers.


Slowly, Erik edged out of the room. Pausing at the bathroom door, he could hear the radio on low, but nothing else. The flickering of light around the edges of the frame said Andreas had lit the candles and gone for the entire pampering session. He’d not come out for a while if that was the case.


He stole quietly in the bedroom and tugged the band out of his hair. The mane spilled out, heavy and warm over his shoulders. It reached his mid-back now, and he took his time brushing it out until it shone, a shimmering waterfall of red and gold. The beard took more coaxing, and then he changed into a plain white T-shirt and some tartan pyjama bottoms. Nothing outrageous. Nothing to detract attention from his hair.


Chapter 56