Page 89 of Amor Prohibido

I agreed, itwasperfecto. Right up until I saw the golden bun of our battle-axe nurse heading our way. “Mierda, batten down the hatches. Here comes nurse badass.”

Jace snapped to attention and squared his shoulders. This was a man about to stand up for his familia.

My man.

Our familia.

And I knew he would do absolutely anything for us.

* * *

I sensed them before I heard them, and I heard them before I saw them.

Visiting hours started precisely thirty seconds ago and there were already two pairs of heels and two pairs of squeaky shoes echoing down the corridor. The four musketeers would be arriving at any moment, having been informed two hours prior that their G-cherries had finally been popped.

For the second time this morning, I gave Jace a heads up. He looked up with our son in his arms and grinned proudly, dimple popping and all. Valentina was currently getting her nappy changed and voicing her displeasure over it.

When our parents arrived at the door, there was a flurry of commotion like a fox in a henhouse.

“¡Oh, mis nietos tan bellos! [Oh, my beautiful grandchildren!],” Mama gasped before she even set eyes on one of them.

Kath went straight for Jace, immediately lifting Romeo from his arms. Mama came to the bed where Valentina fussed and began cooing lovingly to her. In true father fashion, Papi and Kip strolled in a short while later, both with beaming smiles.

Mama and Kath huddled together with Romeo and Valentina, gushing over them, and talking to them in high-pitched voices that only dogs should be able to hear. Papi and Kip gave me and Jace a huge hug, then I settled back in bed, already drained.

“So, have you two decided on names for our beautiful grandbabies yet?” Kath asked, her eyes round and shining with moisture.

Jace and I exchanged a look, and I let him do the honours. “As a matter of fact, we have. Mum, you’re holding big brother, Romeo, and Miri, you’re holding little sister, Valentina.”

They gasped at each name, then were reduced to a pile of tears and mumblings about how beautiful they were and how perfect their names were. I couldn’t help my own prickle of emotion as our papis formed a huddle around our mamas and babies. Seeing them all like that—the babies nurtured by the women and the women protected by the men—had another core memory firmly locking into place.

It symbolised the unity of our familias and the unbreakable bonds of unconditional love we all shared for each other. Bonds that had grown inevitably stronger, all because of me and Jace’s irresponsible actions.

TWENTY-NINE

JACE

We’d been home a week. It felt like ten. Sleep deprived and barely functioning as a human being, let alone an adult, Jax and I bounced through the first few days with a whole lot of being busy but achieving fuck-all aside from feeding, burping, and changing the twins.

At the end of another gruelling day, I handed Valentina to J, then Romeo, then crawled into bed beside her. A tired yet proud smile pulled at my mouth while watching her feed them both simultaneously.

J glanced sideways at me. “What’s the smile for?” she murmured.

“Just having a ‘pinch me’ moment.”

She hummed and returned her focus to where they were latched to her breast.

“How does feeding them like this work when they’re bigger?” I asked.

Her eyes stayed trained on Romeo. “I honestly don’t know. They’re heavy enough as it is, and they’re still tiny.”

I stroked Valentina’s little head with my forefinger while trying to weigh and measure the love that continuously welled from my soul. It grew greater each day and I feared it would never stop until it consumed me.

Valentina was the first to pop off. Being the little pig, she’d scoffed herself while Romeo savoured his last meal before Jax and I snagged a few hours of sleep.

Cradling Val’s little face in my large hand, I chuckled at her plump wee cheeks and pouted lips while running my hand up her back, coaxing a burp free.

“Look how drunk she looks.” I snickered. “It’s so damn cute.”

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