My mouth falls open and then I’m laughing, my shoulders shaking almost with hysteria, and I put my head in my hands. Twins. Twins! Again, twins! Oh my god. I’m still processing the news when I feel warm hands on my shoulders. I look up, then, into Victor’s serious face. “Please, Evelyn,” he murm
“I’m sorry,” I say to them all, my voice muffled by the closeness of Victor’s body – “I didn’t mean to keep a secret – or, well, I did – but I just wanted to be sure before I told everyone and we got all excited –“ “It’s all right, Evie,” Victor murmurs, pulling back from me and giving me a warm sm
The boys then throw their heads back, wailing harder and I… Well, I do something that, in retrospect, is probably very dumb. But I gasp and smile broadly, my eyes shining as I lean forward, my voice breathless with joy. “Girls!?” I ask Alvin, thrilled. “They’re girls!?” “See!” he shouts, staring
“And we could tell that they will be girls,” Alvin says, assured. “I don’t know how we know. But we could tell.” “Amazing,” I murmur, shaking my head a little and looking between them. “I thought that you two could connect with each other because you were…well, because you’re twins. You’ve always b
“I can’t believe they talked us into this,” Victor murmurs, anxiously massaging his temple with two fingers and glancing at me in the rearview mirror. I’m sitting in the back seat with one twin in my lap, the other pressed tight against my side. Rafe, seated next to Victor in the driver’s seat, like
Victor laughs a little, shaking his head. “But,” I continue, “do I think it’s really going to benefit them to stay home watching Paw Patrol? No, I don’t.” I shake my head, really meaning it. “I think we have to walk a fine line, Victor, of keeping them safe and happy while showing them the realitie
The boys stayed with Rafe, of course, in the lobby of the jail, waiting for us. As much as I wanted them to experience the realities of their world, I didn’t want it to go that far. They look curiously at their grandfather, though, as he walks wordlessly to the second car that will take him home, Ra
“Um, no?” I say, looking up at her, realizing that…well, that she’s going to think that we’re crazy when we tell her how we know. “Then how…” she wonders aloud, standing up straight and looking between us. “Um…our kids told us?” I respond awkwardly, blushing. I don’t add that my first hint was whe
“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