Chapter Sixty Seven

Chapter Sixty-Seven

New Year's Eve was nothing like anyone had planned.

No parties.

No fancy dinners.

No celebrations.

No midnight countdowns surrounded by friends.

Instead—

it was spent in a hospital.

And strangely?

Nobody wanted to be anywhere else.

The NICU had become their world.

Every morning started there.

Every evening ended there.

Every conversation eventually found its way back to three tiny babies.

Three tiny babies who were slowly getting stronger.

Violet had gained a little weight.

The twins were doing well.

There were still scary moments.

Still worries.

Still setbacks.

But for the first time since Christmas—

there was progress.

Real progress.

That morning Roman arrived carrying coffee.

Noah arrived carrying breakfast.

Both men looked exhausted.

Both men were exhausted.

But there was something different today.

Something lighter.

Hope.

Because every update had been good.

Not perfect.

But good.

And right now good felt amazing.

Inside Harper's room Noah sat beside her bed.

A notebook resting on his knee.

Harper immediately narrowed her eyes.

"What are you doing?"

Noah looked up.

"Thinking."

"That's dangerous."

Noah laughed.

"Very funny."

The notebook remained in his lap.

Harper stared.

Then slowly her eyes widened.

"Oh."

Noah smiled.

"Yeah."

The babies.

Their babies.

The twins.

They still didn't have names.

Not officially.

Not because they hadn't discussed them.

They had.

Repeatedly.

Mostly arguing.

But every name had felt wrong.

Until now.

Because suddenly the babies weren't just babies anymore.

They were little people.

Tiny people.

People who deserved names.

Harper carefully shifted upright.

"Okay."

Noah laughed.

"Okay?"

"Let's do it."

The notebook immediately opened.

And chaos began.

Twenty minutes later nothing had been accomplished.

Absolutely nothing.

Roman walked in halfway through.

Immediately regretted it.

"What happened?"

"They hate all my names."

Noah pointed accusingly.

Harper looked offended.

"They're terrible."

"They're not terrible."

"They are."

Roman sat down.

The biggest mistake of his day.

Because suddenly he was involved.

"What about Oliver?"

"No."

"James?"

"No."

"Ethan?"

"No."

Roman looked at Noah.

"I see the problem."

"Thank you."

Harper threw a pillow at both of them.

Eventually Daisy arrived in a wheelchair from NICU.

Still recovering.

Still tired.

Still very much the older sister.

"What are we doing?"

"Naming babies."

Daisy immediately sat up.

"Oh."

This was important.

Very important.

Hours later everyone had contributed.

Even Roman.

Even the nurses.

At one point one NICU doctor offered an opinion.

Nobody asked.

He gave one anyway.

Then finally—

somewhere between lunch and dinner—

Harper looked down at the notebook.

Then at Noah.

Then back at the notebook.

And smiled.

A real smile.

The kind that meant she'd decided.

Noah immediately recognised it.

"You've got one."

Harper nodded.

Slowly.

"Two."

The room became silent.

Roman looked up.

Daisy smiled.

Everyone waited.

Harper glanced toward the NICU.

Toward her babies.

Then looked back.

"Theo keeps asking for a brother."

Noah nodded.

"He does."

"And Poppy keeps asking for a sister."

"She does."

Harper smiled softly.

"So."

A deep breath.

"Our little boy..."

Noah squeezed her hand.

Already emotional.

"...will be called Leo."

Silence.

Then immediate smiles.

Because it fit.

Perfectly.

Strong.

Sweet.

Simple.

Leo.

Their son.

Noah's eyes immediately filled.

Harper laughed.

"You're crying."

"No I'm not."

He absolutely was.

Then Harper looked toward the second name.

The little girl.

Their daughter.

The tiny baby sleeping beside her brother.

And her smile softened.

"Our little girl..."

Noah already knew.

The moment she said it.

Because it had always been her favourite.

"...will be called Ava."

Silence.

Then Daisy smiled.

"Oh that's beautiful."

Roman nodded.

"It suits her."

Noah laughed softly.

Because somehow it really did.

Leo.

And Ava.

The twins finally had names.

That evening all three families gathered in NICU.

Three incubators.

Three tiny babies.

Violet.

Leo.

Ava.

Three names.

Three little fighters.

Outside the hospital windows fireworks began appearing across the city.

New Year's Eve.

A brand new year arriving.

Roman stood beside Daisy.

His arm around her shoulders.

Noah stood beside Harper.

Holding her hand.

Nobody cared about parties.

Or celebrations.

Or countdowns.

Because everything they wanted was already there.

Sleeping peacefully beneath warm NICU lights.

As midnight approached, Daisy looked at the three babies.

Then at her family.

Then at her sister.

And smiled.

Because last New Year's Eve none of this had existed.

And somehow—

through chaos.

Through fear.

Through unexpected pregnancies.

Through hospital stays.

Through love—

they'd ended up exactly where they were meant to be.

Together.

❤️📖🎆💕👶👶👶✨ Leo • Ava • Violet ✨