Chapter Sixty Four

Chapter Sixty-Four

Roman had never imagined a hospital could hold so much happiness and so much fear at the same time.

One moment he was standing beside Violet's incubator.

Completely in love.

The next—

his phone rang.

Noah.

Roman answered immediately.

"What's happened?"

Noah laughed.

A shaky, emotional laugh.

The kind people made when they were trying not to completely fall apart.

"It's happening."

Roman froze.

"The twins?"

"The twins."

And just like that, the night wasn't over.

Not even close.

Harper's labour had progressed far faster than anyone expected.

Far too fast.

The stress.

The emotions.

The early waters breaking.

Everything had snowballed.

Now the maternity ward was moving again.

Doctors.

Nurses.

Machines.

Everyone rushing.

Noah stood beside Harper's bed.

Looking terrified.

Absolutely terrified.

Harper wasn't doing much better.

"I hate this."

Noah immediately grabbed her hand.

"I know."

"I'm serious."

"I know."

"I really hate this."

Noah laughed despite himself.

"I gathered that."

Another contraction hit.

Harper immediately took back every nice thought she'd ever had about him.

The labour room echoed with her complaints.

Most directed at Noah.

The nurses found it highly entertaining.

Noah did not.

Hours passed.

Slowly.

Painfully.

Meanwhile Roman split his time between NICU and Daisy.

Daisy had finally woken properly.

Weak.

Exhausted.

But desperate for updates.

"How is she?"

Roman smiled immediately.

The first genuine smile she'd seen all night.

"Beautiful."

Daisy cried.

Immediately.

"Roman."

"I'm serious."

He showed her photographs.

Tiny photographs.

Of a tiny little girl.

Dark hair.

Tiny hands.

Tiny nose.

Violet.

Their daughter.

Daisy cried harder.

Naturally.

Then the phone rang again.

Roman looked down.

Noah.

Again.

Roman answered immediately.

"What's happening?"

There was silence.

Then:

"There's two of them."

Roman burst out laughing.

Noah sounded horrified.

"I know."

"Just checking."

"Very funny."

A few minutes later another call came.

This time Noah wasn't laughing.

He was crying.

Actually crying.

Roman immediately stood.

"Noah?"

"They're here."

Everything stopped.

Both babies.

A son.

A daughter.

Safe.

Alive.

Perfect.

The relief was overwhelming.

For everybody.

Harper had done it.

The twins had arrived.

The family had grown by three babies in less than twenty-four hours.

Unfortunately...

the doctors weren't finished.

The twins were early.

Just like Violet.

Too early.

Their lungs needed help.

Their bodies needed support.

Their tiny little systems needed time.

The explanation was gentle.

Careful.

Professional.

But the outcome was the same.

NICU.

Both babies.

Noah sat quietly beside Harper.

Listening.

Trying to process.

One baby.

Two babies.

Three children.

Four children.

Now NICU.

It was a lot.

A lot for anybody.

Harper looked exhausted.

Completely drained.

"What happens now?"

The doctor smiled softly.

"Now we help them grow."

The words eased something inside both parents.

Not fixed.

Not completely.

But eased.

Hours later Roman pushed Daisy's wheelchair carefully through the NICU.

Slowly.

Carefully.

Because she refused to stay in bed.

Absolutely refused.

Nothing short of a security team would have stopped her meeting Violet.

Roman knew better than to try.

The room was quiet.

Filled with tiny incubators.

Soft beeping.

Low voices.

Hope.

Fear.

Love.

And then they saw them.

Three incubators.

Side by side.

Violet.

A tiny little girl.

Beside her—

Harper and Noah's daughter.

And their son.

Three tiny babies.

Three fighters.

Three little lives who had arrived far earlier than planned.

Daisy covered her mouth.

Roman wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Across the room Harper sat in a wheelchair.

Noah beside her.

Nobody spoke.

Because suddenly words didn't seem enough.

Three babies.

Three miracles.

Three reasons to be terrified.

And three reasons to hope.

The Christmas lights still glowed outside the hospital windows.

Boxing Day had arrived.

Nothing had gone according to plan.

Not one thing.

Yet somehow, looking at those three tiny babies sleeping beneath warm NICU lights...

everybody knew the same thing.

The fight wasn't over.

Not even close.

But none of them were fighting alone anymore.

❤️📖💕👶👶👶✨