That night, after dinner, Victor and I tuck the boys into bed. Alvin spent our entire dinner gushing about their day studying with Miss Georgia – about everything they learned, and how great the books were, and how every single thing Georgia did was wonderful. Ian, alternately, spent the meal sullen
Victor looks down at me, considering. “They’re really growing up, aren’t they?” I nod, my face a little grim at the fact. If it were up to me, I’d keep them at this age forever. But, also…a little part of me has to admit that I’m excited to see the people they grow into. Victor sighs, putting his
Victor and Edgar sit in the driver and passenger seats of a basic black sedan with darkly tinted windows, watching the restaurant where Amelia has agreed to meet for lunch. “Seriously, Victor,” Edgar says quietly, staring out the window and not at his friend. “You don’t think Amelia is going to be
“No,” she bites out, between her teeth. “I did not know that.” She narrows her eyes at him. “It hasn’t been on any of the gossip blogs or in the media. How do you know?” He shrugs a little. “My intel is just better than yours.” “Fine,” she growls, taking his bait a bit, getting angry precisely whe
About forty-five minutes later, the van pulls up to a chain-link gate at the airport. As the drivers stop the van to have a brief discussion with the guards, Amelia raises her eyes to glare steadily at Victor. He meets her eyes evenly, without emotion, and doesn’t break her gaze. She doesn’t intimid
“You probably don’t believe me, Amelia,” Victor says quietly when the final ashes of the passport have collected at his feet and started to blow away on the wind. “But I mean you no ill will.” Panting a little, scared again, Amelia looks at him, her arm still held steadily in Edgar’s hand. “I actu
There’s the start of a guilt in him at this realization, but he doesn’t let it show on his face. Instead, he merely looks at this beautiful woman and realizes that he hardly knows her at all any more. That she’s thoroughly part of his past, and he hopes she’ll stay here. Amelia reads this on her ex
It’s almost four o’clock and Victor still isn’t home. I stand at my kitchen sink with a glass of water, pretending to stare contemplatively out the back window when really I’m just staring anxiously at the black screen of my phone, which is propped up against the window’s glass. The boys are upstai
“Me me me,” he says, hardly able to contain his excitement. “My turn, mama. Please.” And he looks down, again, at his little girl. “Well,” I say, shifting her in my arms and leaning forward so Ian can better see her face. She frowns in her sleep, squirming a little and making me smile. “I was think
Several hours later, I’m changed and curled up more comfortably in my bed with Victor by my side, a baby in each of our arms, and our boys curled up like puppies at the end of the bed. Archie is on the bed too, cuddled between them. We sit quietly together, all still focused on the two little babie
“It’s all right, doctor,” I say, giving her a little smile and nodding towards the boys. “We found them.” “Oh my god,” she says, shaking her head and placing a hand over her heart. Then she frowns at them. “How did they…” “Window,” Victor says, gesturing towards it and sighing. “It’s all right. Th
“Come on, Evelyn,” the doctor says confidently as Victor squeezes my hand, his eyes darting between my face and the first baby, which the doula is now wrapping in her first swaddle. “One more push, and then you’ll be done, and you can hold your little girls.” “Okay,” I huff, sitting up and shifting
Slumped on the couch, Ian heaves a gigantic sigh. “What is taking so long,” he mutters, glaring angrily at the steps as if they’ve personally offended him. “You knew it would take a while,” Bridgette murmurs, running a hand over Ian’s soft brown hair and smiling fondly at her nephew. She sighs and
“Oh my god,” Victor gasps, instantly wide awake. “Oh my god,” he says again, grabbing my face and searching it like it has answers. “Are you – are you okay?” “Yes,” I say, nodding but then belying my answer with an immediate moan. I grit my teeth, my hand going to my stomach as I weather the contra
And between them, my three Alphas have kept me sane. Even though every other part of the end of this pregnancy has worked hard against that sanity. Very, very hard. Even though the TV is on, capturing both of our attention, Ian very suddenly turns his head towards my stomach, like a dog hearing a w
As it turns out…I cannot. I cannot spend 3 months in bed, waiting for my babies to be born. Two and a half months later, I’m basically climbing the walls, I’m going so crazy sitting here in this bedroom, waiting for my little girls to be born. I’ve done it this long, though. I’ve stayed in my bedr
“Why?” Victor asks, suddenly serious in the sea of merriment. “Evelyn, why aren’t you here? What’s wrong?” “Um…” she says, her eyes glancing away awkwardly. “Because…I went into early labor…and I’ve been put on bedrest…” The tablet cracks as it falls to the floor. Rafe gasps, reaching down for it