By then, the door to Nikita's room was wide open.
Some of the women who lived near her room had already gathered around her, soothing her nerves and helping her prepare to give birth.
Just then, Old Robert strode into the room, stopping well away from Nikita's bed as he nervously looked at the girl lying there, both eager and frightened.
He swallowed nervously, then instinctively took off his cowboy hat and gripped it in both hands to ease his tension.
Noticing Albert's arrival, Nikita took a deep breath. As the women around her helped her lie flat, she looked nervously at Albert and spoke softly.
"Uncle Albert..."
Within the Alliance, Albert held a special place in Gavin and Nikita's hearts.
After all, Albert was an elder who had watched Gavin grow up—the last person Gavin could truly call an elder of his family.
His ties to Gavin Farm ran deep. When Gavin was born, Albert had been there looking after Gavin's mother, just as Gavin's parents had helped deliver Albert's two children.
And after Gavin lost his parents, Albert had put aside the pain of losing his own two sons and supported everything Gavin did, never stealing his thunder or throwing his seniority around.
So, to Gavin and Nikita, two young people who had both lost their parents...
The gentle old woman Annie from the 6666 Ranch had once taken on something of a mother's role, while old Albert had taken on something of a father's.
So, even though Nikita was eagerly awaiting her child's arrival...
When she saw Albert, her nerves and the pain of childbirth awaiting her still made her give him a troubled look.
Seeing Nikita like that, Albert took a deep breath, nodded gently, and spoke in a quiet voice.
"Don't worry, Niki. I promise