Page 11 of The Prince's Secret Twins

Tila smiled faintly at the memory of slapping him. She shouldn’t have done that, but boy had it felt good! Violence was never the answer, but…!

That’s when she remembered the way she’d burst into tears. And his strong arms around her, holding her. She didn’t remember much after that, but she vividly remembered how good it had felt to be held.

And then that kiss. The hard kiss of promise.

Right before he’d walked out. Again.

Tila sighed and was just about to close the door when a third vehicle pulled up to the curb, this one with a logo she recognized. A cleaning crew? Tila nearly sobbed with excitement and relief. She hadn’t had the time to properly clean since the boys were born, although the piles of dirty dishes that had been in the sink had been mysteriously cleaned and put away.

“Good morning, Ma’am,” one of the cleaning crew said in greeting. “We were sent by a man named ‘J’ to clean your house. The order was for an emergency cleaning?”

The last part was a question and Tila nearly cried. “Yes, thank you.”

The team of five smiled and nodded as they moved into the house, each person carried a mop and a tote filled with cleaning supplies.

The ladies cooed in delight when they caught sight of Rafi in his chair and Tila’s heart warmed with pride.

“I’ll just pop them into their stroller and take them out for a walk, so we’re out of your way,” she told the ladies.

They all nodded, already busy with various tasks. While Tila struggled to get the double stroller out of the closet, someone had already stripped her bed and was heading for the washing machine with her sheets. Tila’s eyes filled because she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had time to wash her sheets. It definitely hadn’t been in the past two months! Andshe’d been so heavy and off-balance during the last few months of her pregnancy…!

More tears flowed when one of the ladies helped her with the stroller. Within moments, the annoying contraption was open and locked in position. Tila sighed with relief as she settled Laith into one of the seats and belted him in. Rafi was next and Tila was just about to push them out through the front door when one of the ladies rushed out of her bedroom, waving a clean shirt.

“Ma’am, if you give me your shirt, I will wash it too. This one is clean.”

Tila suddenly remembered Laith throwing up on her just before the police officer arrived. She glanced down at the yellowish stain on her shoulder. At this point, she was eager to be free of the stained shirt, so she pulled the dirty one over her head and accepted the clean one. The maternity bra covered more of her than a bathing suit. Besides, this woman seemed to…know. She understood.

She shoved her bare feet into her sneakers and stepped out of the house, strolling towards the park. Thankfully, the weather was mild today. The summer heat often got into the triple digits, but right now, the sunshine offered a gentle warmth on her shoulders as she happily pushed her babies down the sidewalk. Laith was asleep, but Rafi was wide-awake and, probably getting hungry. Still, she lifted her face to the sunshine, feeling an unaccustomed sense of freedom now that she was out of the house for the first time in…far too long.

“Goodness, dear! What are you doing out and about?” Fatima Bindi said by way of a greeting.

Tila smiled at the older woman in her long skirt and head covering.

“Good morning, Fatima. How are you?”

Fatima smiled, but the expression was more like a grimace. “I’m doing quite well, thank you.” Her grin turned genuine as she looked down at the boys. “And how are you two doing today? Are you helping your momma?” she asked, using a baby voice and pouting her lips. “Are you being good?”

She straightened up after tickling each boys’ foot. “They look wonderful, Tila,” she announced with an approving nod. “But are you sure they should be out in this sunshine? Babies are so sensitive..”

Tila frowned, looking around. “I just…I thought we could use some fresh air while the cleaning crew is at my house.”

Fatima looked behind Tila, her features turning disapproving when she noticed the cleaning van in her driveway. “Goodness, Tila. You shouldn’t have strangers in your home! What are you thinking? They could be stealing you blind!”

Tila laughed, shaking her head. “If they find something of value in my house, then they are free to take it, as long as the house gets cleaned.” But her insecurities went into high gear. Was she doing something wrong by leaving the cleaning ladies in her house, alone?

“Dear, I know that you felt it was fine to run out and do whatever you wanted when you were single. But you’re a mother now!” Fatima scolded. “You have to think of your babies now.”

Tila sighed. The older woman’s disapproving tone nearly broke her. But then she remembered the last visit to the pediatrician’s office. Her boys were happy and healthy. Both had surpassed the average on the growth charts. That might be due more to their father’s genetics than her mothering skills, but she’d take anything she could get as affirmation for her efforts.

So, instead of giving in to the guilt and insecurities, she straightened her shoulders, and met the older woman’s eyes. “I appreciate your depths of experience, since you have a son, Fatima. But I think that my twins could use a bit of fresh air and sunshine. So, you have a lovely day and I’ll see you later.” With that, she pushed the stroller faster, continuing towards the park. There were a few trees that she could park the stroller under so she and her babies would be in the shade. However, Tila was convinced that something that felt this good couldn’t be bad. Besides, both of her sons were awake now, and neither was crying, demanding food, needed a diaper change, or throwing up.

In her mind, this outing was a monumental success. She should get outside with her babies more often.

“Good morning, Tila!” one of the other mothers at the park with her kids called out, waving to her.

Tila beamed in return. “Good morning!” she replied, eager to be around other mothers who were doing the same thing as herself.

Four mothers rushed over, cooing about Laith and Rafi. “Oh, they’re adorable!” one gushed. “I barely survived one baby. I have no idea how you’re managing with two!” another teased. “How much laundry are you doing every day?” another asked teasingly. And so it went. All four mothers gave her advice, which was reassuring. However, there was one mother who looked sad as she stared down at the twins. Silently, the woman walked away, perching on a bench off to the side of the playground.

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