Page 46 of The Bratva King's Twins

“What’s that?” I asked, pointing at a second lump on the screen ahead of us.

“That’s the second sac for your second baby,” she said, trying to hold back her lighthearted amusement. “Congrats, you’re having twins!”

Immediately, I looked over at Vivian to catch her shared surprise, and neither of us could say anything at first. Facing the screen again, I couldn’t believe it.

I swallowed hard as the thought hit me. “You’re…you’re sure?”

“See right there? That’s the second embryo. I’m as sure as can be,” the technician confirmed, suppressing her chuckle at our shock. “I’m sure this is a lot to digest right now, but both fetuses are looking great. So far, everything is as it should be.”

I almost didn’t know how to feel as I considered how much extra responsibility another child was, but at the same time, even more pride swelled within me.

The thought of being a parent to two babies at once was intimidating, but I did take care of Kir and Lara when they were both under two, and I somehow managed it then. I had the feeling I’d be able to slip back into that role just as easily.

At this point in my life, I was much better equipped to handle twins, and even if things became difficult to juggle, there were two of us, and I had the resources to hire a trusted nanny. Plus, I had more than enough family in the area who would be more than willing to do some babysitting on the side.

I only hoped Vivian could trust me with such a big step in our lives and wouldn't feel too overwhelmed by the revelation. I could tell she was nervous when I looked over at her, but when I smiled, accepting the news, she relaxed somewhat. I gave her hand an encouraging squeeze.

“The more the merrier,” I said, glancing back at the screen to watch as our growing children wriggled within their warm, temporary home. It brought tears to my eyes knowing we’d get to meet them in a few months, and our lives would be completely different.

***

As the appointment wrapped up and we were on our way out, I made sure to walk with a hand against her hip, letting Vivian know I was content with the appointment and everything going on.

Ever since she shared with me how she had been afraid to tell me about the pregnancy in the first place, I made a concerted effort to be more supportive than angry or demanding. I didn’t want Vivian to think I only knew how to respond with those intense and demanding emotions.

I wanted her to trust me with everything, and to know she could come to me about anything. Even with the difficult things.

“That was certainly a surprise,” I said as I unlocked the car and opened her door for her.

Vivian pulled a smile for me and climbed in. “I wasn’t expecting it at all.”

Once I closed the door and climbed in on my side, I added, “This is something we should celebrate. I think we should take the family out for dinner this weekend and share the news with them. They’ll be elated.”

“That sounds very nice,” she agreed, looking down at the scan prints of our growing children.

Before I could pull away, I sent a quick text out to Ben to let him and the others know about the plans and made a mental note to schedule us in somewhere we all liked.

Bringing the car to life, I drove out of the parking lot, smiling faintly as the idea of twins started sounding exciting to me. I was in a good headspace about it, lost in thought of how everything might pan out.

But as we went and the radio played quietly, I noticed Vivian wasn’t saying much from the passenger seat.

She was busy looking at the scan, and from my side, I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. She seemed to be lost in her head, and I couldn’t blame her. It was a big adjustment compared to what we were expecting, and I could only imagine how she was feeling about it.

As subtly as I could, I placed my free hand on her leg and carefully caressed the spot with my thumb.

When she looked over at me, I smiled at her. “I’m glad everything went well and that they’re happy and healthy. You’re doing wonderfully.”

I caught the faintest glimpse of sadness in her eyes until those words settled in, and she gave another faint grin before returning her attention to the picture.

Even if she was feeling unsure about it all, I didn’t want her to think I was anything but supportive and happy about the news. Knowing she came from a house that didn’t offer her much warmth or attention, I wanted to show her the opposite.

I wanted her to feel every ounce of appreciation I had for her.

When we eventually arrived at the house and Benedikt got back to me about the plans saying everyone was available to attend, I called up my restaurant of choice and made sure the reservations were set.

Since I knew the owner, I could’ve walked straight in and he would’ve cleared a table for us if necessary, but I was in a good mood and I didn’t want to ruin anyone else’s weekend.

Walking into the bedroom to get ready for work, I was surprised to find Vivian sitting on the end of the bed with the scan in her hands still, with tears in her eyes as she sniffled.

---