Page 93 of Happenstance
“I’m right here, baby, open your eyes.”
I felt myself floating up, pulled by his voice. Drawn into a world more substantial than the one I was trapped in. Cool air tickled my arms as the soft beep of something mechanical filled my ears. My eyes fluttered open, clearing the haze fogging my mind. The first thing I saw was a pair of grey eyes staring down at me. Parker’s eyes!
Wait…
I twisted my head, looking around the room. White walls, beeping machines, along with a clean floor. I was in a hospital room! Laying on a soft bed with an IV in my arm. But where was Noah? And Riley.
“But…” I turned back to Parker, “How?”
“Don’t worry about that.” He smiled down at me and pressed his lips to my forehead. “Would you like to meet our children?”
Oh my god! The babies!
My heart picked up it’s pace, thundering in my chest. “They’re okay?”
“They’re perfect,” Parker beamed down at me. “Just like their momma.”
Relief unlike I’d ever felt washed over me. It felt like I was taking my first breath, but I needed to see them. I wouldn’t be able to relax until I held them and kissed their tiny heads. “Where are they?”
“In the nursery,” Parker strode across the room to grab a wheelchair. “Come on, I’ll take you to see them. There is something you should know.”
Chapter 32
Lana
One week later:
Parker was right, our babies were perfect. He had me worried when he said there was something I should know, and when I found out our daughter was blind, I couldn’t help but blame myself. But it turned out to be genetic. Something my child had inherited from my father’s side. A father who happened to be alive, and the head of the Russian mob! It was a lot to take in.
After I talked to Nan and met Nikolai, I realized that my father knew as much about me as I did of him. I didn’t blame him for it. Nan thought she was protecting me by hiding me. I didn’t blame her, either. No one could use me against Nikolai if they didn’t know I existed. Nan did what she had to, to keep me safe. Just like I was doing for my children, by accepting Nikolai’s men into my house. No mother should have to worry about armed protection for their son. Unless that son was the heir to the bratva throne.
“Nan, stop hogging the babies.”
She scrunched her nose at me. She had our son, Weston, in one arm and our daughter, Winslow, in the other. Meanwhile, poor Ava was bouncing back and forth, waiting for her turn.
“They’re my grandchildren,” Nan argued.
“They’re my niece and nephew,” Ava challenged back. “Come on, give me one.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle as Nan hesitantly handed Weston to his aunt.
Our babies were so beautiful, I couldn’t stop looking at them. They were so different for twins, yet so similar. Weston Sampson Whitley – Sampson was our way of combining Silas and Mason, as they did help rescue Riley and I – had my dark hair, with his father’s grey eyes. His complexion was darker as well, but more olive looking than caramel, like me. His sister, Winslow Greta Whitley, was the opposite. She had my eyes with a light dusting of her father’s sandy-blonde hair, and a creamy light complexion. Lillianna would be proud of her.
A lot had happened in the past week. Too much love for my son and daughter was a good problem to have. Though I couldn’t blame Nan and Ava for fighting over them.
Parker assured me that I wouldn’t have to worry about his mother anymore. I didn’t ask why, or what happened to her, because I didn’t want to know. Nor did I want to know about the man who’d beaten me. Riley was fine, my babies were fine, and that was all that mattered. It was time to move on to the next phase of our lives.
“Is my sister hogging the kids again?” Parker chuckled and strutted into the room with a big bouquet of orchids and lilies.
I had six others just like it. One for every day I’d been here.
“No,” I smiled at him and happily accepted his kiss, “It was Nan this time.”
Nan curled her lip at me as she softly cradled Winslow.
Everybody had come to see the babies. I think the first time I’d seen Micha smile was when Winslow grabbed his finger. He promptly wiped it off his face when he saw me gawking. Logan had started to instruct my son on proper pick-up lines. Which, according to him, Weston was never to use on Logan’s new baby sister Tristan, or else. Riley agreed. Shelby was all about the babies right now. I think it terrified Logan, because anytime she’d mention their future kids, he’d pull her out of the room.
Silas and Mason had been by a couple of times. Silas brought his cousin, Finn, who asked me a million questions, and Mason brought Shelby’s sister and set up a tea party to have with Winslow. And then there was Preston…
