Chapter Fourteen Where We Begin #5
Naomi burst out laughing.
“That is generally what pregnant means.”
He crossed the space between them.
Then stopped just before touching her.
His hands hovered awkwardly.
“Can I hug you?”
Naomi's heart melted.
“Of course.”
Lucas wrapped his arms around her.
Naomi felt his body shake.
She realized he was crying.
Her own tears came immediately.
He pulled back.
His hands framed her face.
“You're pregnant.”
“I am.”
“We're having a baby.”
Naomi smiled.
“About that.”
Lucas froze.
“What?”
She pointed toward the box.
“Look again.”
He frowned.
Lucas returned to the table.
He stared into the box.
Then picked up the second pair of socks.
His expression went blank.
He looked at the first pair.
Then the second.
Then at Naomi.
“No.”
Naomi started laughing.
“Yes.”
“No.”
“That was my reaction too.”
Lucas stared.
“Twins?”
“Twins.”
He sat down.
Naomi laughed harder.
Lucas stared straight ahead.
“Twins.”
“Yes.”
“Two babies.”
“That is how twins work.”
“Two.”
“Lucas.”
“Two babies at the same time.”
Naomi walked around the table.
He looked up at her.
She expected panic.
Instead his face crumpled.
Lucas pressed both hands over his eyes.
Naomi's laughter vanished.
“Baby.”
He reached for her and pulled her between his knees.
His arms wrapped around her waist.
He pressed his face gently against her stomach.
Naomi touched his hair.
“Lucas?”
He looked up.
His eyes were wet.
“I am so happy.”
Naomi's throat closed.
He stood and kissed her.
Once.
Twice.
Then again, longer.
When they separated, he immediately looked at her stomach.
“Can they hear us?”
“Lucas, they're tiny.”
“When will they hear?”
“I don't know.”
“We need books.”
Naomi laughed.
“Of course you would say that.”
“Two cots.”
“Cribs.”
“Right.”
“Two car seats.”
“Yes.”
“Do we need two changing tables?”
“I have no idea.”
“We should redesign the guest wing.”
Naomi stared at him.
“Lucas.”
“What?”
“You've known for three minutes.”
“I’m processing.”
“By renovating?”
“I’m an architect.”
She laughed.
Then her smile faded slightly.
Lucas noticed immediately.
“What?”
Naomi looked down.
“I’m scared.”
He became still.
She sat beside him.
“Not unhappy.”
“I know.”
“I want them.”
“I know that too.”
Naomi took a breath.
“But two, Lucas?”
He reached for her hand.
“I was barely prepared for one.”
“Neither was I.”
“What if I don't know what I'm doing?”
“You won't.”
She stared.
Lucas smiled gently.
“Neither will I.”
Naomi's eyes filled.
“And they'll survive our incompetence together.”
She laughed through her tears.
Lucas kissed her forehead.
“You don't have to become some perfect version of yourself because you're going to be their mother.”
Naomi rested against him.
“I keep thinking about me and Adrian.”
Lucas understood without explanation.
“They won't have your childhood.”
“No.”
“They'll have theirs.”
Naomi looked at him.
Lucas placed his palm carefully over her stomach.
“And whatever theirs becomes, they'll have us.”
Naomi covered his hand with hers.
The fear did not disappear.
But it made room for excitement again.
Two babies.
Their babies.
She smiled.
“Your mother is going to lose her mind.”
Lucas groaned.
“Oh Goodness.”
They told the family Sunday afternoon.
Naomi and Lucas invited everyone to lunch at their home without explaining why.
This immediately made everyone suspicious.
Evelyn arrived first.
Amara came eleven minutes later.
Hudson and Olivia arrived together.
Anthony and Catherine were invited because Anthony had threatened never to forgive Lucas if he was excluded from “major family announcements.”
Adrian arrived last.
He wasn't alone.
Naomi opened the door and stared at the woman beside him.
Adrian looked uncomfortable.
“Naomi, this is Amelia Laurent.”
Amelia smiled.
She was beautiful, with warm brown skin, intelligent dark eyes, and thick curls falling around her shoulders.
Naomi looked at Adrian.
Then Amelia.
Then Adrian again.
Her smile grew.
“Amelia.”
Adrian immediately pointed at her.
“Don't.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“Your face did.”
Lucas appeared behind Naomi.
He looked at Adrian.
Then Amelia.
Then smiled.
Adrian groaned.
“You too?”
Lucas shook Amelia's hand.
“Welcome. I'm Lucas.”
“I know.”
Anthony called from the living room, “Is this the woman?”
Adrian closed his eyes.
Naomi whispered, “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
Amelia laughed.
Adrian looked betrayed.
“You said you could handle my family.”
“I didn't say I wouldn't enjoy them.”
Naomi immediately liked her.
Lunch was chaotic.
Evelyn questioned Amelia without technically admitting it was an interrogation.
Amara rescued her twice.
Hudson tried pretending he wasn't listening.
Olivia asked normal questions.
Anthony asked inappropriate ones until Catherine kicked him beneath the table.
Adrian looked as if he regretted every decision that had led him there.
Finally Lucas stood.
“Before my family traumatizes Adrian's guest completely, Naomi and I have something to tell you.”
Everyone became quiet.
Naomi stood beside him.
Suddenly she was nervous.
Lucas reached for her hand.
Evelyn frowned.
“What?”
Naomi looked around the table.
At both her mothers.
Her brother.
Lucas's parents.
Their strange, sprawling family.
She smiled.
“We're having a baby.”
For one second, no one moved.
Then Olivia screamed.
Actually screamed.
She jumped from her chair and grabbed Lucas.
Hudson stood so fast he knocked his napkin onto the floor.
Evelyn burst into tears.
Amara covered her mouth.
Adrian stared at Naomi.
“Wait.”
He pointed toward her stomach.
“There's a person in there?”
Naomi laughed.
“Yes.”
Adrian's face transformed.
“I'm going to be an uncle?”
“You are.”
He rushed around the table and hugged her.
“Careful!” three people shouted.
Adrian froze.
Naomi laughed into his chest.
“I'm pregnant, not made of glass.”
“Right.”
He released her.
Then hugged her again more gently.
“I’m going to be an uncle.”
His excitement was so pure that Naomi nearly cried.
Then Lucas cleared his throat.
“Actually…”
Everyone looked at him.
Naomi smiled.
“There's one more thing.”
Hudson went pale.
“Please don't say triplets.”
Naomi laughed.
“No.”
Lucas held up two ultrasound photographs.
“Twins.”
The room exploded.
“TWINS?” Evelyn shouted.
Olivia started crying harder.
Hudson sank back into his chair.
Amara simply stared at Naomi.
Adrian's mouth fell open.
“No.”
Naomi pointed at him.
“That was exactly what I said.”
“Twins?”
“Yes.”
Adrian looked at Amara.
“Again?”
Amara laughed through tears.
“Apparently.”
Adrian looked back at Naomi's stomach.
His expression softened.
Something deeper moved through him.
“They'll grow up together.”
Naomi's smile trembled.
“Yes.”
Adrian nodded.
“They better.”
He bent and spoke toward her stomach.
“Listen, both of you. Uncle Adrian has rules.”
Naomi pushed his head away.
“They can't hear you.”
“I’m establishing authority early.”
“You have no authority.”
“I'm their uncle.”
“Exactly.”
Amelia laughed beside him.
Adrian looked at her.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Naomi caught the way they looked at each other.
Oh.
That was definitely something.
She filed it away for later.
Much later.
After the announcement settled, Hudson approached Naomi.
For a man who had once intimidated boardrooms, he suddenly seemed unsure what to do with his hands.
“May I?”
Naomi smiled.
She knew what he meant.
She took his hand and placed it against her still-flat stomach.
Hudson's eyes filled immediately.
“My grandchildren.”
“Both of them.”
He laughed softly.
“Lucas as a father.”
Lucas frowned.
“Why does everyone say that like it's shocking?”
Hudson looked at his son.
“No.”
His expression became tender.
“Not shocking.”
He pulled Lucas into one arm while keeping the other around Naomi.
“Extraordinary.”
Olivia joined them.
Then she touched Naomi's face.
“You have no idea how long I've wanted this.”
Lucas raised a finger.
“No pressure.”
Olivia waved him away.
“I didn't pressure anyone.”
Hudson looked at Naomi.
“She bought children's books six months ago.”
Olivia gasped.
“Traitor.”
“She has a box labeled future grandchildren,” Hudson continued.
“Hudson!”
Naomi laughed.
Lucas stared at his mother.
“You do?”
Olivia lifted her chin.
“I was optimistic.”
Evelyn and Amara made their announcement two weeks later.
Naomi stared at them across her living room.
“You're doing what?”
“Moving,” Evelyn said.
“To London,” Amara added.
Naomi blinked.
“Both of you?”
They looked at each other.
Then nodded.
Naomi immediately became suspicious.
“Together?”
“Not in the same house,” Evelyn said quickly.
Amara laughed.
“Definitely not.”
Evelyn pointed toward her.
“You leave fabric everywhere.”
“You reorganize kitchens that don't belong to you.”
“Your spice cabinet was chaos.”
“It was alphabetical.”
“By French names!”
Naomi covered her face.
“Oh Lord.”
Evelyn sat beside her.
“Baby.”
Naomi looked up.
“We missed enough.”
Amara's expression softened.
Evelyn continued.
“I don't want to be a grandmother through video calls and holiday visits.”
Amara nodded.
“Neither do I.”
Naomi's eyes filled.
“You're really moving here?”
“We're looking at places within twenty minutes,” Amara said.
“Fifteen,” Evelyn corrected.
Naomi laughed through her tears.
“You know you're going to drive me crazy.”
“Absolutely,” Evelyn said.
Amara smiled.
“That's what mothers are for.”
Naomi reached for them.
They hugged her from both sides.
For one brief moment, Naomi imagined her children growing up with what she and Adrian never had.
Grandmothers nearby.
Sunday dinners.
Birthday parties.
Too many opinions.
Stories.
Arguments.
Laughter.
A family that showed up openly.
She closed her eyes.
Her babies would never understand how extraordinary that was.
Naomi hoped they never had to.
By the time Naomi reached her second trimester, the twins had become the center of the Taylor universe.
Hudson had ordered two custom rocking horses from a craftsman in Scotland.
Naomi sent them back.
Hudson ordered smaller ones.
She kept those.
Olivia had begun knitting.
Badly.
One blanket had accidentally become triangular.
No one mentioned it.
Lucas had redesigned the nursery six times.
Naomi rejected four versions for being “too architectural.”