Chapter 1 : You’re pregnant

Candice’s POV

“You’re pregnant, Candice.”

For a second, I couldn’t breathe. Dr. Ruby’s words hit me like a train.

Pregnant.

I stared at her, my heart hammering wildly in my chest as she handed me a small sheet of black-and-white images. My fingers trembled as I took it, my eyes dropping to the blurry shapes on the screen.

Two.

Two tiny shapes. Side by side.

“Twins,” Dr. Ruby added, her voice soft and almost reverent, as if she knew this moment would change my life forever.

I blinked rapidly, my mouth opening and closing like a fool, trying to find my voice. “Twins?” I croaked, almost afraid I’d misheard her.

She nodded, her brown eyes sparkling with something close to pride. “Yes, sweetheart. Two little miracles. And from everything we can see, they’re both healthy. Your numbers look good.”

Healthy. Twins.

The words swirled around me, too big, too beautiful to hold all at once. My throat tightened, and before I knew it, my vision blurred with tears. I clutched the ultrasound photos to my chest, as if by holding them closer, I could make it feel real.

“I… I can’t believe this,” I whispered, my voice breaking apart under the weight of it all.

I wasn’t dreaming. I wasn’t imagining it. After all the appointments, the endless waiting, the miscarriages that ripped holes in my heart I thought would never heal—this was happening.

I was pregnant.

With twins.

Dr. Ruby reached out and squeezed my hand gently. “Believe it, Candice. After everything you’ve fought through… this is your moment. Congratulations.”

A ragged sob tore from my throat before I could stop it. I slapped a hand over my mouth, but the tears kept coming anyway, spilling hot and fast down my cheeks. I nodded frantically, too overwhelmed to find the right words.

“Thank you,” I gasped out, my whole body shaking. “Thank you so much.”

Her smile softened even more, if that was possible. “I’m so happy for you. I know how much this means to you.”

She didn’t know the half of it.

She didn’t know about the nights I curled up on the bathroom floor, begging a God I wasn’t even sure I believed in to just let me have one chance.

She didn’t know how Joshua would pull me into his arms, whispering that it didn’t matter, that we had each other—but I saw it. I saw the ache he tried to hide every time he thought I wasn’t looking.

She didn’t know about the secret appointments. The blood tests. The tears.

But I knew. And now, it had all been worth it.

“I can’t wait to tell Joshua,” I said, my voice breaking again, but this time with pure, dazzling joy. “He’s going to be so happy.”

Dr. Ruby smiled warmly. “He will. He’s going to be over the moon.”

I wiped at my eyes, trying to pull myself together, but I couldn’t stop smiling. “He always said it didn’t matter if we had kids… but I knew. I knew it mattered to him. And now… now we get to have two.”

I let out a watery laugh, clutching the ultrasound tighter, like it was the most precious thing I owned.

But before I could float too far into the clouds, Dr. Ruby’s face grew serious.

“There’s something you need to know, Candice,” she said gently. “Given your medical history, and the natural thinness of your uterine wall… this pregnancy is going to be high-risk.”

I froze,

“If anything happens this time,” she continued carefully, “if there are complications… it might be your last chance.”

The words sliced through my euphoria. I blinked at her, feeling that gnawing, familiar fear start to crawl back into my chest.

“You’re going to need to be extra careful,” she said. “No lifting heavy things, no stress if you can help it. Rest whenever you need to. And you’ll be coming in for more frequent check-ups.”

I nodded shakily, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I understand.”

She squeezed my hand again, reassuring. “You’ve got this, Candice. One day at a time, okay?”

“Okay,” I whispered.

And despite the fear buzzing at the back of my mind, it couldn’t smother the light blazing in my chest. I was pregnant. I was carrying not just one miracle, but two. I was going to do everything—everything—to keep them safe.

Still smiling through my tears, I practically floated out of the office, clutching the ultrasound pictures against my heart like a secret too precious to say out loud.

I couldn’t wait any longer.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Joshua’s number, my fingers shaking with excitement.

It rang once. Twice.

No answer.

Frowning, I tried again. Straight to voicemail.

Disappointment tried to creep in, but I pushed it away. Maybe he was busy. It didn’t matter.

This was good news. The best news. And it deserved more than just a phone call.

I would tell him in person. I would go home, set the table, cook his favorite dinner—something special. Something unforgettable.

Today wasn’t just a normal day.

Today is the best day of our life.

Once I got to my car,I put on my seatbelt and started the car immediately.

If only I could just disappear to where Joshua was so I could tell him the good-news.

The drive home was both a blur and an eternity.

My mind raced with ideas for how to share the news.

Maybe I’d cook his favorite meal—steak and garlic mashed potatoes—and light some candles. I’d wrap the ultrasound images in a small box and watch his face light up when he opened it.

Halfway there, my phone buzzed in the cupholder. Dr. Ruby’s name flashed on the screen.

“Hello?” I answered quickly, putting the call on speaker.

“Candice,” she said, her voice hurried and strained. “I—”

Her words were swallowed by a burst of noise on her end. Shouting, maybe? I couldn’t tell.

“Ruby? I can’t hear you. What’s going on?”

She tried again, but her words were fragmented. “Someone… needs to—”

The line went dead.

I frowned, picking up the phone to check the screen. It was black. Battery Low. Phone Shutting Down.

“Great,” I muttered, tossing the phone back into the cupholder. Whatever she needed could wait. Right now, I had bigger things to focus on.

When I pulled into the driveway, I felt a surge of excitement. Joshua’s car was parked out front, and his shoes were by the door when I stepped inside.

“Joshua?” I called, slipping off my heels. “Honey, are you home?”

The house was quiet at first, but I spotted his jacket draped over the back of a chair.

I smiled to myself. He must’ve been in a hurry to get comfortable.

I wandered into the living room, but something felt off. The coffee table was a mess, papers scattered everywhere. One of the cushions was on the floor, and the throw blanket was crumpled in a heap.

My smile faltered. Joshua hated messes. He was always so particular about keeping everything neat.

“Joshua?” I called again, my voice tinged with unease.

No answer.

That’s when I heard it.

A sound coming from the bedroom. Muffled voices. A low moan.

My heart began to race. I took a step forward, my bare feet silent against the hardwood floor.

The sounds grew louder as I approached the bedroom door and I figured it was a woman’s voice.

And then I heard her.

Violet’s voice.

Laughter, soft and breathy, unmistakable.

My best friend.