Chapter 398
yuqe ne dind, in sad gulizi fer
She led me to her letter with hy side. And then they were.
Chn balues.
On lay on his back, wearing only a diaper and a tiny knit hat. Wire and monitors were attached to her tort and a tatt na rested under his nose. His eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling sdity.
Qui daughter was in the next isolette, just as tiny, just as covered in wire ust as perfort.
Can I touch them? Athena asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“Absolutely. There are portholes on the sides. You can reach in and touch them, talk to them. They know your voice
Athena wheeled closer, reaching through the porthole to gently stroke our son’s tiny hand. He stirred slightly at her touch, his little fingers
curling.
1 reached into our daughter’s isolette, touching her soft cheek with one finger. She was so small. So fragile. So perfect.
“Hi, baby girl,” I whispered. “I’m your daddy. And I love you so much already.”
“They’re beautiful,” Athena sobbed, her hand still on our son. “Tristan, look at them. They’re really here. They’re really ours.”
“They are,” I said, my own tears falling freely. “Our son and daughter. Our family.”
We stayed there for over an hour, just touching our babies, talking to them marveling at their tiny features. The nurses explained all the equipment–the monitors tracking heart rate and oxygen levels, the IV lines providing fluids and nutrition, the warming beds keeping them at
the right temperature.
“They’re doing exceptionally well for thirty–three weekers,” one nurse told us. “Both are breathing room air with just a little support. Their vital signs are stable. If they keep this up, they might not need to be here as long as we initially thought.”
“How long is that?” I asked.
“Usually babies born at this gestation stay until close to their due date. So roughly seven weeks. But every baby is different. These two might
surprise us.”
Seven weeks. Seven weeks of our babies in the hospital while we went home without them. The thought was unbearable.
But they were alive. They were healthy. They were here.
“Have you chosen names?” the nurse asked gently.
Athena and I looked at each other. We’d discussed names for months but never settled on anything. We’d said we wanted to wait until we me
them.
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Chapter 398
“Can ng ihint abut it‘ Athena neba.
found Take cou time for now, they re Baby Doy Tayes and Raby (TAVAA
Eventuais, a nurse came in lake Athena hack to het toent. She needed to eat, to let her borty recover front surgery, dhe protasted, wending to
slay with the babies, but het exhaustion was obvious,
We’ll come back, I promised. “As soon as you’ve tested. They’re not going anywhere, and they know we love them.
Back in het hospital room, Athena was asleep within minutes, the day’s rights and the medication catching up with her. I sat beside her bed,
holding her hand, my mind racing.
We had babies. A son and a daughter. Tiny and early and perfect.
Our family was complete.
1 pulled out my phone and texted Sarah and Orion.
Come meet your niece and nephew. Room 4 in the NICU.
Then I texted Derek.
It’s a boy and a girl. Both healthy. Both beautiful. Both in NICU but doing well. Athena is recovering.
His response came immediately.
Congratulations, buddy. I’m so happy for you. Will be back soon.
Within twenty minutes, Orion and Sarah were there, scrubbed and gowned, standing beside me at the isolettes.
“Oh my god,” Sarah breathed, staring at our babies. “Tristan, they’re so tiny. So perfect.”
“They look like Athena,” Orion said, his voice thick. “Both of them.”
“They do,” I agreed, unable to stop staring at them myself.
We stood there together, watching our babies sleep, and I felt a peace settle over me despite the fear and uncertainty.
This was my family. My mate recovering upstairs. My children fighting to grow stronger. My brother and sister standing beside me.
Everything I’d lost, everything I’d mourned, had led me here.
To this moment.
To this perfect, terrifying, beautiful moment.
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11:23 Tue, Feb 10 DTU
The Biker Alpha Who Became My Second Chance Mole
Chapter
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
