RENEE Robert said I did it. But honestly? We did it. I didn't push our babies out alone. He was right there. With me. From the moment we finished fucking, and my water broke ... to this messy, exhausting, but beautiful moment, we somehow survived together. I could barely keep my eyes open. Couldn’t feel my legs as the midwife worked quietly between them. I couldn't feel much of anything, really, except the overwhelming body ache and sting of happy tears streaming down my cheeks. I was still crying when the nurses brought our babies to us. I didn't want to get tears all over their tender skin, so I wiped my eyes quickly before taking one of the twins in my arms. I wondered if she'd latch on if I tried to feed her. Well, that could wait because I just wanted to look at her. “Congratulations again, Mrs. Clarke,” the nurse said, and I smiled, thanking her. Beside me, Robert held our second baby, staring into her eyes as if she was the only thing in the world and completely ignoring the nurses congratulating us. I said “thank you” on his behalf. “Um, a Mrs. Micheal and another lady are waiting outside the room,” a nurse informed us. Mom. The other lady had to be Nicole. Robert must’ve called them on our way to the hospital. “You’re all cleaned up now,” the nurse continued. “Should I let them in?” “Of course,” I said, smiling. I couldn't wait for them to see the perfect little bundles Robert and I created. I could already picture my mama’s smile as she cradled her grandbabies ... and Nicole’s reaction to being an auntie. It was going to be funny as hell. “She’s all right now, yeah?” Robert asked, his eyes peeking up finally. They darted to the IVs, beeping monitors, and back to me. “No problem letting them in?” “Absolutely,” the nurse confirmed, sensing his worries about my health. “She’s fine. Everything is. We only have to keep the transfusions going to make up for the blood loss. But otherwise, there are no issues.” Robert nodded. I shuddered with relief when I remembered that brief moment when it felt like I was going to pass out. Thankfully, it was all behind me. The doors burst open. A grinning Nicole walked in with an entourage I wasn't expecting. Robert looked at the nurse, his brows raised and the same questions I wanted to ask danced on his face. Didn’t the nurse say only my mom and best friend were outside? What were Sally, Mrs. Andrews, Harry, and even his girlfriend—a lovely petite young lady I met a few months back—doing here? “I’m an auntie!” Nicole squeaked, hopping to my bed. “I can’t believe it!” “Nicole!” I rolled my eyes. “Take it easy,” She didn't. She jumped and clapped, her curls bouncing wildly with every move, swallowing the noise in the room. The clapping stopped when she laid eyes on the twins. “Oh, Renee!” she whispered shakily. “Oh, my God! They are …” She looked at my baby in Robert’s arms when he came closer. “Gorgeous. Beautiful. They have your hair and Robert's blue eyes.” “They do.” “They're so small …” she said in awe and gently took the baby from me. “And perfect. I swear I've never seen anything so beautiful.” Making a squishy face, the baby cooed, and Nicole laughed. “Hi, sweetheart, I’m your auntie.” The baby cooed again. “She knows.” Nicole beamed. “Oh, I’m going to spoil you and your sister silly.” I rolled my eyes again. “And I’m going to be the best auntie in the whole wide world.” “Without a doubt.”“You have no idea, bestie.” “My baby.” My mom came forward. Her eyes shining with tears, she placed a kiss on my cheek and gripped my hands tightly. “You did well,” she said. “Thank you, Mom.” “How’re you feeling?” “Like shit, but it was worth it.” She kissed my cheek again, then turned to Robert. She squeezed his hand and said something in his ear that made him smile. “Now, where are my grandbabies?” she demanded, her hands already out to receive them as she settled beside me on the bed. Nicole was forced to stop her cooing. Robert handed the baby over. A fresh round of congratulations came from Sally, Mrs. Andrews, Harry, and his girlfriend. They brought gifts and flowers, dropped them off, and doted on the twins before settling into the small seating area by the window. I thought that was the last of the well-wishes, but once again the door burst open, and someone walked in. Dylan. He stopped at the door, eyes sweeping over the room before landing on Robert. And my heart ... it just swelled. Before coming to me, he went to his father, congratulated him quietly, and then turned to me. “Hi.” Hi. That was our thing now. Since we reconciled and things got better between us, whenever we met, whatever we wanted to say, other greetings and conversations followed after we said a mutual “hi.” “Hi,” I said back, watching him. Earlier, his eyes swept the room. Now ... they swept over me, taking in everything. A hand covered his mouth. And yeah ... I saw the proud smile that curved his lips as he stepped forward. “You're gonna be a great mom, Renee.”Tears stung my eyes. “Thank you.” “Congratulations.” He planted a kiss on both my cheeks. “I didn't think you would come.” “Huh?” He pulled back, chuckling. “I couldn't miss the birth of my sisters, now, could I?” His eyes drifted to my mother and the babies in her arms. “They are so beautiful,” he mumbled, tears stinging his eyes. “Look, they have your eyes, Dad,” he said as Robert moved to stand beside him. “And their mama's hair.” “Yeah, the perfect mix,” Robert quipped with a grin. “Any names yet?” Robert and I exchanged a look. Since we didn't find out the babies' genders beforehand, we hadn't thought of names either. We decided to name them on the spot, according to the moment or whenever it struck us. “Well, we haven't—” Robert started, but I cut in before he could finish, and before I could second-guess myself. “Dylan ... would you like to name them?” “I'm sorry?” He stilled, the question catching him off guard. Judging by the stunned silence in the room, he wasn't the only one. “If you would?” “Renee …” He sighed, and for a brief second, I thought he’d refuse. But then he sighed again. A tear fell down his cheek, and a slow, almost disbelieving grin spread across his face. “Of course! Yes. I’d love to.” He breathed out, shoulders shaking as countless emotions went through him. “Absolutely. It’d be an honor.” I didn't realize I'd been holding my breath until he said that, and for the nth time, I laughed. Then it happened. With a small, heartfelt speech that made my spontaneous idea sound like the most brilliant thing ever, Dylan named his sisters. “If it's alright with you, Dad, I'd love to name one after your late mom, my grandma, Dolores. And maybe the other after Renee's mom ... Ellen.” Dolores and Ellen. Those wouldn't have been my first pick, but they were beautiful. I glanced at Robert for approval. “Well, I can’t promise I won’t come up with some other names,” he huffed, making everyone laugh. “But I approve.” A round of applause broke out, followed by more laughter. It soon died down when, as if they'd been waiting for their moment, the babies started crying. “Oh look, I think they approve, too.” “Or they're just hungry,” Robert countered with a grin, and helped Dylan settle the twins in my arms so I could feed them. Their little mouths instantly found what they needed and leaning back I exhaled, only to catch Robert’s watching me. His eyes dropped. No, lingered, was more like it. Not on the babies, but on me. And the emotions flickering in them were ones I knew well. Seriously? “Stop staring at me like that.” A lazy smile curved his lips. “Stop it.” “Sorry,” he pitched his voice low just to me as he added, “I know I'm not supposed to say this right now ... but …” he trailed off. “Damn baby ... you’ve never looked more beautiful than you do right now, feeding our babies.” He had to be joking. I had a million tubes plugged into me. I was sweaty and looked like a mess. I felt horrible. Yet ... the way he looked at me put my messy state to shame. “Robert—” “Can I steal a kiss?” he cut me off. “Now?” “Hmm hmm…” “No…” “Yes…”I blushed, smiling like an idiot. “Okay,” I whispered. “Just take it …” And take it he did. His lips dropped to mine, kissing me slowly, carefully, so as not to shake the babies. The room faded around me, and I started to close my eyes when— “Ahem!” The loudest, most exaggerated throat clearing I'd ever heard snapped me back to earth. Robert groaned against my lips, and I bit back a snicker. “Why, that’s so cute,” Nicole singsonged. “But maybe save it for the camera, lovebirds. We need to take a picture!” Robert shot her a look that said he was one second from tossing her out. But she didn't care. Typical. “Alright, on your feet, everybody!” she ordered, slipping into bossy mode. “Let's get ready for history right here. Our first family photo with the twins. No one’s missing this.” Groans and chuckles followed, but no one dared disobey her. She started giving directions—telling who to stand where and who to sit, making a grumbling Robert shift twice because his head was blocking the babies—before finally settling herself front and center with her digital camera. “Okay! We have ten seconds to look perfect, so everybody better smile like their lives depend on it.” “Yes, ma’am,” we chorused. Before hitting the timer button, she glanced at me, eyes scanning the twins again. She adjusted them a bit, making sure their tiny faces were showing. “I can’t have the stars of the day hiding.” She winked. “It's their first photo organized by their auntie. We've got to do it right.” I couldn't help but smile. The timer button went off. One, two, three, four beeps and ... “Everyone, say cheese!” “Cheese!” There was a flash. And a click. And in this moment, surrounded by the people I loved, I realized that my life had come full circle.Who would have thought the girl who’d gotten her heart broken in the worst possible way would find this…happy forever? Who would have thought that a trip meant only as a distraction from the mess her life became would lead her to the greatest love she’d ever know? Who would have thought that following a stranger—even though it was fucking creepy and reckless—would turn out to be the best subconscious decision she ever made? Who would have thought? Apparently, no one. Not even the girl herself. And this—this was everything she’d never dared to dream of, and more. This was perfect. This was achingly beautiful. This was her—my—happily ever after. THE END ************* The chapters that follow belong to my other book, and the first 7 chapters are free to read! ~~~ She was his motivation. Madison Connor, the only woman he had ever loved, the woman he had hurt and left. Billionaire Damien Daniels had three things he needed to accomplish in his life. First, he was going to get to the root of his past. Second, he was going to make the Connors pay. The third thing, he didn't even know. But there was a wrong he needed to right and it was staring straight at him. A dark truth that risked breaking him apart. In all these though she was at the center of it all, Madison Connor. She was the one thing he could never have. His enemy's little sister. Eyes like the sea, strawberry blonde curls and dotted freckles atop her nose; she was his obsession. She was the beginning of his downfall, his damnation and motivation. He was the one man she couldn't avoid, the man she couldn't resist. Damien Daniel, her childhood crush and lover. He was her brother's enemy and she was too small for him, not lovely or beautiful enough. Their attraction was unmistakable though, almost beyond control, but as much as she ached to be his, she feared the pressure of his demands. Submitting to each other meant they had to break so many rules. Their love was forbidden. Their intertwining past threatening to tear them apart. A bumpy ride. So many obstacles. It took days, months and years, but what's meant to be will always be!