LOGINBy the dim glow of the bedside night-light, Sharon studied the side of Thomas's face and suddenly felt a small ache in her chest."Thomas."His eyes opened almost instantly. "Still uncomfortable? Should I call Uriah?""No." Sharon pressed her face into his chest, her voice muffled. "I just wanted to say—thank you for putting up with all this."Thomas pressed his lips to the crown of her head, dropping a soft kiss there."It's no trouble at all." His voice came quiet. "As long as you and the babies are here, none of it is ever too much."Sharon didn't say anything more. She just buried her face deeper into his chest, listening to the steady, solid beat of his heart.Outside, the night had settled in deep, the oak tree in the courtyard swaying gently in the evening breeze, the occasional unfamiliar birdcall drifting in from somewhere far off.Thomas had once stood alone amid blades and blood, believing that was the whole of what his life would ever be. And now here he was, gettin
From then on, aside from major decisions, Thomas took over every bit of the day-to-day work and minor business for the Kalen family. Sharon got to sleep in every morning, and whenever she woke, there was always a cup of honey water waiting at exactly the right temperature by her bedside.Thomas had turned her entire diet into a precise weekly spreadsheet, every meal prepped in advance, each one labeled with its nutritional content and calorie count. Fruit came washed and cut, placed within easy reach. Even the snacks she occasionally craved had all been swapped out for pregnancy-safe alternatives.One afternoon, Sharon suddenly found herself craving sour plums, mentioned it in passing, then went down for a nap. When she woke, she found a small white porcelain bowl waiting by her bedside, holding six freshly washed green plums, still beaded with water. Beside it sat a note in Thomas's sharp, precise handwriting: Don't eat them on an empty stomach. Milk's warming in the kitchen.She h
Sharon turned back to the screen and said to Theo, "Okay."She and Theo talked for another ten-odd minutes before he finally, reluctantly, said his goodbyes."Mom, I'll come see you soon. Tell my siblings their big brother's already on the way!""Okay."Theo waved at the screen, then waved again at Sharon's stomach, shouting a loud "bye-bye little ones!" before hanging up, clearly still not wanting to.The moment the screen went dark, Sharon leaned back against the sofa and let out a long breath.Thomas handed her a cup of warm water and sat down beside her."Theo seems really happy.""Mhm." Sharon took the cup, cradling it with both hands, feeling the warmth seep through the sides. "He's genuinely wanted a little brother or sister for a long time now. He told me once that all the other kids at preschool had siblings and he didn't. I told him he'd have one eventually, and he never forgot it."Thomas said, "Sharon, now that you're pregnant, let me handle the work side of things
When Wendy heard Sharon was pregnant, she was practically more excited than she'd been about her own pregnancy.She even said, "Sharon, I'm coming to see you in Marcentine tomorrow."Wendy's belly had already grown quite large by now, so Sharon quickly talked her out of it. "Planes hit turbulence all the time. Wendy, don't do anything reckless."It took plenty of persuading, but Sharon finally managed to get her to drop the idea."Fine, then," Wendy said, sounding disappointed. "I'll come see you once I've had the baby."Aside from Wendy, no one was more thrilled to hear the news than Theo. Sharon had barely set her phone down when a video call request came through. Theo's name flashed across the screen.The moment she picked up, Theo's handsome little face filled the entire screen. The image shook wildly as his excited voice came through the speaker."Mom! Where are my brothers or sisters? Let me see!"Sharon couldn't help but laugh. "They're not born yet."He leaned in close
Thomas's lashes trembled faintly. He lowered his gaze, looking at Sharon's stomach for a long moment—long enough that the light outside the window shifted several degrees, settling on the crown of her head. Then he reached out and laid his hand over it, moving with exquisite care."Twins?" he asked."Yeah. Twins." Sharon looked at him. "Do you want a boy or a girl?""A girl." Thomas raised his eyes to meet hers, something in them that Sharon rarely saw—something almost tender. "A girl who looks like you."Sharon's heart went as soft as cotton candy."Not a chance," she said. "At least one of them has to look like you. I want to know what it's like raising a genius baby too."Ever since meeting Thomas, Sharon had learned the gap between a genius and an ordinary person was as vast as the gap between heaven and earth. She didn't need him to spell it out—she could already picture exactly how brilliant he must have been as a child.Watching Sharon's eyes crinkle with laughter, Thomas
Thomas seemed to snap out of it at that.He looked at her. "Sharon, what did you say?"Sharon was speechless.Sure enough, he hadn't been listening at all.By rights, this wasn't even Thomas's first time facing fatherhood. Even though they'd lost their first child, he should have had some mental preparation going in—there was no reason for him to look this rattled.Sharon repeated what the doctor had said. "The doctor says the babies look fine for now. But since it's twins, we need to be extra careful compared to a normal pregnancy."Thomas looked at her. "Sharon, do you really want to keep them?"His question caught her off guard."Thomas, you don't want the babies?"They hadn't used protection this whole time. They'd never talked about it outright, but there'd been an unspoken understanding between them—Sharon had assumed they were already on the same page.Thomas saying this now took her completely by surprise."No, that's not it," Thomas said, looking at her. "It's just—
Not sure if Sharon had pushed too hard, but Kelly suddenly collapsed to the floor.Right then, as if on cue, the door swung open. It was Carter. His eyes darkened as he spotted Kelly on the ground. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and helped her up."Kelly, are you alright?"Still caught in
Kelly dabbed at the corners of her eyes. "I heard Nate say that Sharon didn't care about Theo at all, that she went out to a bar looking for male models. And lately… she's been acting really strange.""So I just thought I'd provoke her a little," she continued, voice soft, "make her pay more attent
"You—!" Madeline's face drained of color, her voice sharp with fury.Her lips parted as if to speak, but before the words could form, her eyes rolled back. She collapsed."Mom!" Denise cried out, running to her side in a panic. "Mom, are you okay?""Call an ambulance—hurry! Madam's passed out!"
Let alone Wendy, even Sharon herself couldn't be compared to Kelly.Carter would never show mercy to Wendy just because she was Sharon's friend. If anything, he might even think Sharon was the one behind it all.After hanging up with John, Sharon finally dialed a number she hadn't touched in a lon







