⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀<  ❈Branch's POV❈ >
(This is the last chapter!)

Branch was pacing nervously back and forth down the hallway, his palms sweating and his fingers trembling. His heart raced hard in his chest. Today was an exciting yet anxious day for him.

It had been eight more months, and Poppy was now giving birth to their first child. A few months earlier, they'd been given the chance to find out the gender of their baby, but refused, saying they wanted a surprise. Branch did not care what gender it was. He was happy to have any child with Poppy.

A hand on his shoulder made him halt, turning his head and seeing a doctor next to him. It was a female with yellow skin and orange hair. "Are you okay, sir?" she asked.

Branch sighed. "Just nervous. How's Poppy doing?" He knew she was just in the room he was standing outside of, but he really couldn't hear anything going on.

Before the doctor could answer him, a shriek of pain sounded from inside the room. Alarm spiked through Branch and all instincts told him to rush in there and help Poppy. He knew those screams were hers. They were pain-filled and desperate. But he had to remind himself they were from the contractions.

"Looks like the delivery has started," the doctor commented. "Come and sit, Branch. We don't want you too nervous. It's not good for you to worry." She grabbed his arm and guided him towards a chair pressed to the wall.

"Sit here," she instructed.

Branch settled himself into the soft cushion, looking up at the doctor with a questioning gaze. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Sage," she responded, turning and walking off. "The doctors will come and get you once the birth is over."

Time stretched out forever. Poppy's screams were the only sound crowding his ears, and he gripped the chair arms tightly with his muscular hands. It'll all be okay, Poppy, he thought, hoping his silent words were true. What if the baby didn't get oxygen in time? What if Poppy bled to death? What if there was some other terrible issue? Geez, being a first-time parent was not easy. Branch took a shaky deep breath in attempt to calm himself. But adrenaline was still pulsating through his veins, causing him to shake uncontrollably.

The King shut his eyes tightly together, trying to slow his breathing. He thought about Poppy's cute smile, the beauty of her singing voice, and the bravery he'd seen countless times within her. He truly admired her and knew he was the luckiest Troll in the whole universe to be married to her. He then let his mind focus on their coming baby. What would he/she look like? What would they name him/her?

Branch had hated children for a very long time during his grumpy days and always avoided them. But ever since his colors came back, he felt a huge change within himself. He enjoyed the moments of singing, dancing, hugging, and even telling old stories to the village's children. He was finally a normal Troll again, thanks to Poppy.

Branch had been so lost and absorbed in his thoughts, that he hadn't realized how much time had passed. Next thing he knew, a hand was tapping his shoulder and he opened his eyes. Another doctor, a green male with darker hair, was standing over him.

Branch quickly scrambled to his feet and glanced over at the room. "Is she okay? Is the baby okay? Is—"

"Yes, everything's fine, Branch," the doctor replied, a smile curling the ends of his lips. "I was just coming out to get you. She's ready for you to see the baby. Actually, she's been begging to have you in the room."

Branch was about to ask the doctor what the baby's gender was, but he flung that away. He wanted to find out for himself. He slowly approached the door, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. What if he dropped the baby? No! Stop worrying, idiot! Everything will be fine! Just go! Branch bustled open the door, his eyes locking on Poppy who was laying down in her bed, a soft white gown worn on her body, her eyes sleepy, and a baby Troll held against her chest cocooned in a blanket.

The doctor had closed the door and was no longer in the room, leaving the two Trolls to see their child in private.

"Poppy," Branch muttered happily. He moved closer to his wife, propping himself up on the side of the bed. His breath hitched in his throat at the sight of the baby.

"Branch, meet your daughter," Poppy whispered, giving a weak and exhausted smile.

Branch moved his face closer, seeing the little girl Troll had beautiful bright blue skin just like him. Her hair fascinated him the most. It was split into two colors. One half was the same shade of blue Branch had in his hair, and the other half was pink like Poppy's. The King reached out one hand the gently rub a finger against the newborn's cheek, love swelling up in his heart. He never thought he'd lay his eyes on anything so precious in his entire life. This was his child—their child. His and Poppy's child. This was not any child Creek and Poppy conceived. It was the child Branch and Poppy had conceived.

The blue Troll pressed himself lovingly against his wife, staring at his daughter with eyes tearing up. "She's perfect," he finally spoke. The new Princess of Troll Tree had been born, and Branch took a lot of pride in being her father. And to have the Troll he admired the most be her mother was absolutely satisfying to him. This moment was beautiful and perfect. He shut his eyes, letting that happiness lift him up like he was laying on a cloud.

"Branch," Poppy spoke softly against his pointed ear.

He snapped open his eyes and stared at his love. "Yes, Poppy?" he asked sweetly.

"We need to name her," the Queen reminded him.

Branch nodded in understanding. "Yes, we do," he replied. He stared at her, amusement filling him up like water being poured into a cup as his daughter stretched open her little mouth into a yawn, sneezing just right after. His heart swelled up so much he thought it would burst. "She looks like you...like a...umm...like a...blue Poppy."

Poppy glanced over at him with laughter dancing in her eyes. "You want to name her Blue Poppy?" she asked, snickering.

Branch shook his head. "No, no, no, I'm just saying she looks like a blue version of you. Hmm..." He thought hard. Since a poppy was a flower, and their daughter looked like a blue version of her mother, Branch tried to think up every blue flower he knew of. Anemone, Wolfsbane, Hyacinth, Aster, Ageratum...no. Those are all weird. The blue Troll felt a flash of frustration. But suddenly, a thought—a memory—flashed through his brain.

The smiling face of Branch's grandma loomed over him as she held out a stash of pretty blue flowers.

"These are my favorite! And they look so beautiful this season," the old purple Troll beamed brightly. "Do you like them, Branch?"

Branch examined them. They were tall-stemmed flowers with petals that curled downwards, and a strange yellow center. But their scent was tantalizing and the view soon made him awestruck. "Yeah! They're cool! What are they called?" The little boy tilted his head to one side, curiosity fizzing through him. He was already fascinated by nature, and to see a pretty flower like this excited him.

"They're called irises." The old Troll moved them closer to her face, giving them a gentle sniff with her bright blue-green nose. "Would you like to put them in the vase?"

Branch was snapped back to reality when he heard the gentle call of Poppy's voice tickling his ear. "Branch? Branch! Wake up!" she snapped, her eyes glimmering with amusement when he met her gaze. "Is everything okay?"

"Iris," Branch muttered out. "Those were her favorites! Iris!"

"Branch, what are you talking about?" Poppy asked with confusion.

Branch faced his wife with a serious, loving gaze, casting a glance at his daughter, and then focusing on her again. "My grandma knew of a very pretty blue flower. They were her favorites and she planted them all the time in her garden. They were called irises. And if...if it's okay with you, I'd like to name our daughter Iris."

Poppy smiled. "Of course I'm okay with that," she replied softly. "That's a beautiful name. Iris. Oh, she's perfect! The Princess of Troll Tree has arrived! I can just tell she'll be an amazing Queen someday." The little family pressed against each other. Branch held the two females in his strong arms, his nose buried into Poppy's soft pink hair, and one of his hands resting on Iris. He closed his eyes, feeling the joy of a better life rising inside of him, filling him like a waterfall tumbling into a river. This was a perfect moment for him. A day he'd never forget. Everything they went through was crazy. But they had healed. They had healed back into happiness. And now they had their little Blue Poppy to continue on with that.

The end! Oh, I hope you guys enjoyed this book! I'm sorry if you're sad it's over. Don't worry! I'm making a sequel! I already have the cover and most the plot down!

The support and feedback I got from writing this story was absolutely amazing. I was actually considering stopping this whole thing yesterday because it was just a terrible day. I'm in a horrible state right now, but I don't want you to pity me. I'm fine. I can deal with it. It's tough, it's tearing me up, but I will be fine. If I didn't have life issues, I'd never get stronger. So, in a way, it's a good thing.

Writing this has helped me connect with Trolls better and helped me to find many more amazing people and stories on Wattpad! You're all amazing and I love you very much! Have a good day and thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this.