Carmen came flying into his tech cave with her hands flapping like wings, surprising Alex so badly he jumped and knocked over a monitor. She was harping in English and Spanish as a torrent of words flew at his head.

His first instinct was that something terrible had happened until he realized Carmen was having a bitch fit—something she never did—so his attention was assured.

Oh, god. What now?

“Alexander,” she snapped. “I love the meesus, but you have to get her out of my kitchen.”

“Uh, okay. What’s she doing?”

Her hands flew up in the air and landed on her hips. “She’s making you lunch.”

“She’s what?”

“Making you lunch!” She snapped her fingers near his nose. “Hello? Are you listening?”

“It’s lunch. How bad could it be?”

She crossed her arms, and he swore to god, she actually tapped her foot. The woman’s body language suggested she was completely rattled. When she frowned so hard that her whole face wrinkled with furrows, he thought, Yikes. Then she pointed at the doorway and challenged him with her eyes.

“Okay, okay,” he grumbled. Tossing aside the stylus in his hand, he stood and stretched out some kinks.

“This had better be good,” he mumbled when he passed her outstretched arm.

She shadowed him down the long corridor and into the hallway leading to the great room. When he came around the corner and had his first overall view of the enormous kitchen, he didn’t see anything that warranted Carmen’s freak-out.

And then he saw Meghan and realized she was at it again. Ever since Teo was born, his wife was in serious nesting mode. Yesterday, he woke up and found her cleaning out one side of their wardrobe. It didn’t need cleaning out or arranging but that hadn’t stopped her.

Her hair was haphazardly gathered in some sort of messy jumble—mostly up but lots of loose ends. She had smudges of several things on her face and chest. An apron tied above her belly, resembling a bib—and she was happy as a pig in shit.

“I made salad!” she declared with an enthusiastic wave of a knife.

He looked at the old wooden bowl. There wasn’t enough lettuce in it to be called a salad. To him, it looked like the majority of what she chopped was on the counter or in the sink.

Alex looked at Carmen, mouthed, “Sorry,” and shrugged.

“Do you want tomatoes in yours? I can cut some.”

Carmen blocked the vegetable bin with her body and carefully removed the knife from Meghan’s hand. “I’ll take that, Meesus M. You sit with your husband.” The menacing look the housekeeper shot his way shrank his balls.

“Oh,” Meghan chirped. “Okay.” And then la-de-dahed to the table and started to untie the apron. It was like watching a dinosaur trying to scratch its belly.

He rescued the apron and laughed at her jolly, unworried behavior.

In a silly, singsong voice, she exclaimed, “I want to go for a walk. Shall we go for a walk?” She wrapped her arm through his and gave Alex a dazzling smile.

She was like a jumping bean going from one thing to the next.

He was about to remind her that they were having lunch when she froze and looked at him strangely. Her head cocked to one side like she was thinking real hard.

Her drawn-out gasp hung for a second in the air and then she looked down.

“Meghan, what’s wrong?”

Her eyes swung to his, and she just looked stunned. He looked at Carmen for help. She was also trying to figure out what they were seeing.

“I think my water just broke.”

Alex froze. “What?”

Carmen dashed around the counter and shoved a chair behind his wife. Meghan dropped like a stone. Fluid ran down her legs and puddled on the floor.

He ran to the security station on the wall and smacked a button. “Ben, hurry. The twins,” he barked and then smacked another button. “Duke, I need security. My wife is in labor.”

He looked at his watch. The clock was ticking. Dr. Sterner had warned him about this. If her water broke early, they were to fast track it to the hospital. They didn’t have much time. Chances are, he’d be a father before dinnertime.

They had a plan—sort of—but they thought there was still time, so nothing was written in stone. Hell, she hadn’t even packed a bag. As the reality of the situation sank in, he realized that when it wasn’t a simulation, he had no fucking idea what to do.

Alex took his wife’s hand and held on tight. She looked lost and confused. The whole thing was surreal.

He heard a vehicle pull right up to the kitchen side door followed by a door slam. At the same moment, two people burst in through the front door. The cavalry was arriving.

Parker and Drae rushed toward them. “We were in Duke’s office when you called.”

He nodded blindly at Drae and kept his focus on Meghan.

Ben crashed through the side door. “Security will clear the road ahead of us. You ready?”

“Honey? Can you walk?”

Parker and Drae stood on each side of her while he pulled on her hands so she could stand. They steadied her while he brought the leverage.

She’d taken four or five steps toward the door when she clutched at his shirt. “Alex? I think the babies are coming.”

Parker chuckled.

“That’s great, babe. Let’s just keep walking, okay?”

“I will call the family,” Carmen hollered after they were on the path outside.

Right before the end of the walk, Meghan veered off and clucked her tongue at Ben. “My Fairy Duster plant! You ran it over,” she scolded.

All four men stared open-mouthed when she bent over and started to right the plant.

Drae recovered first and roared with laughter. “Red!” he barked. She looked at him. “Remember the part about the babies? I think we need to get you to the hospital.”

“He ran over my plant,” she whined when Alex all but pushed her into the back of an SUV.

“I’ll get you ten more. Now buckle in and behave.”

She pursed her lips. “I need my purse.”

“Jesus Christ,” he growled. “Drae! Get her purse, would you? Follow us. We have to go.”

He slammed the door and pounded on the back of the driver’s seat. “Floor it.”

At his command, they sped off down the road. At the security station, a second black SUV with flashing lights pulled out ahead of them. They got the VIP escort.

Without warning, she started to cry.

“What the hell, Meghan?”

“My mother,” she wailed. “I want my mother.”

Shit. He forgot. Maggie was set to come out next week and stay till the babies arrived. He pulled out his phone and called Sawyer. “I need you to go to Boston ASAP.”

The gods were smiling on them because he was leaving in two hours on a one-way to New York. He’d forgotten that he offered Roman the use of his plane. “I’ll be in touch,” he ground out and ended the call.

He called Paddy and Maggie next. It was afternoon in Boston, so he was sure to catch somebody.

“Dad? It’s Alex. Meghan’s water broke. We’re on our way to the hospital. I can have my plane pick you up but not till tonight—or you can try to catch the first flight out of Logan.”

Meghan rubbed her stomach. He looked at her. Her voice was small when she said, “Something’s happening in there.”

“You know what, Paddy? Fuck it. You and Ma pack a bag and wait for a call from Betty. We’ll charter a plane. Meghan needs you.”

He called Betty next and told her to buy an airline if she had to. Whatever it took to get the O’Briens here in the fastest way possible.

They sped along like a presidential motorcade, taking the turns to the hospital on two wheels. When the car screeched to a halt, a nurse with a wheelchair was waiting for them.

Nerves nearly got the better of him as the process inside the hospital took over. It took him back to a different time when he’d been half-dead on a gurney as a swirl of technology and people worked on him.

He felt somewhat better when Parker and Drae finally appeared. Drae handed him Meghan’s purse. Or what they all assumed was her purse. He’d been raised to treat a lady’s handbag as nearly sacrosanct. Most of the men he knew would rather walk into a hurricane than peek inside their wife’s handbag.

“What’s happening?” Parker sounded more anxious than Alex felt.

“They’re checking her out. When she’s in the system, they’ll come get me.”

Not knowing what to do or where to go, they huddled together in a corner and waited. He handed the purse back to Drae when they came for him. “Hold this,” he said and then followed the nurse.

After he was scrubbed and suited appropriately, they took him to Meghan. Dr. Sterner was coming out of a room holding an iPad device.

“Alex!” she greeted with a broad smile. “Looks like we’ll be delivering some babies here in a little bit.”

“Is she okay? My wife. Is everything okay?”

The doctor smiled. “She’s fine. It’s the mystery of birth, Major Marquez. Sometimes it’s a drama, sometimes a surprise, and sometimes a blip on the radar. Meghan’s done a great job. Those babies look healthy. Try not to worry.”

She patted his back and hurried off while he almost ran into the room. The deluxe birthing suite looked like a high-end hotel. Instead of finding his wife in a hospital bed, he found her on her knees, stretched out over a large gray ball with a woman kneading her lower back.

“That’s your doula, Rosemary,” the nurse at his side told him. “She’s here to help Meghan through the stages of labor.”

Rosemary looked up at him, nodded, and smiled. Relief flooded his system. “I’ve been away this past month. We haven’t done the classes yet.”

“You just concentrate on your wife, Mr. Marquez. Rosemary will handle the details.”

“Come on over here, Dad,” Rosemary said. He liked her calm, controlled voice. “Grab a stool and come rub Mommy’s shoulders.”

He was glad for something to do.

“Hi, honey,” Meghan moaned. “Oh, that feels good.”

Rosemary murmured quiet instructions that Meghan responded to. It reminded him of a yoga class. She told her to relax her hips and suggested different angles.

Things progressed much faster than he imagined. Within three hours, they were in hard labor, and two teams were in place—one for each baby.

Dr. Sterner was either the coolest, most unflappable person on Earth or the best actor. She breezed in, assured them that everything was, in fact, surprisingly fine, and that they should get ready to welcome their children.

Meghan was a goddamn champ. She showed them all how a badass Boston ball-busting bitch gets shit done. Taking on birthing twins like a boss, she transformed right before his eyes. An awe-inspiring red-haired goddess took the reins, and in a matter of minutes, they were parents.

“Baby A is a boy,” Dr. Sterner cheered.

Meghan beamed from ear to ear. “Is he okay?”

“He’s beautiful,” a nurse said. Dr. Sterner held him up for them to see and then passed the little guy to a nurse.

“Sorry, guys. No time to linger. Give a gentle push, Meghan.”

Their son squealed from the other side of the room. He had a healthy set of lungs and let the nurses know what he thought about what they were doing.

Meghan groaned and then Dr. Sterner laughed. “And looks like big brother has a little sister to watch over. Congratulations! You’re now a family of four.”

He was completely and utterly gobsmacked. Bending down, he kissed his wife and kept his face close to hers. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

She was positively beaming. Her green eyes were bright and filled with wonder. “Go make sure everything’s all right.”

He let her push him away as she pointed across the room. “Bring me my babies.”

Alex glanced at Dr. Sterner who was still attending to Meghan. A second, softer cry rang out. “Sounds like everything’s good. Go ahead, Alex. You need to help the nurses while I take care of Meghan.”

He staggered to the bassinets and stared in astonishment at the ballet-like choreography of postnatal care his children were put through. They were weighed and measured. Ankle tags went on each baby with two corresponding bracelets for him. He checked out what it said.

Alex Marquez – father. He thought he might pass out. Or have a heart attack.

His son weighed an official six pounds two ounces while his little sister was a smaller five pounds five ounces. Not too big and not too small. The little blue and pink caps they put on their heads were goddamn adorable.

Meghan called his name. He looked back at her, gave a thumbs-up, and winked.

When the all-clear was given, they handed him both kids. The nurse showed him how to hold them at the same time and then gently led him to Meghan. He was fucking speechless and having a hard time processing that they were here. They were small and so precious.

He definitely had an emotional meltdown when the nurse helped him slide the boy onto Meghan’s chest.

“Ah!” She gasped. “Look at him! He’s so handsome! Just like his daddy.”

She kissed his little face with such tenderness, he thought he might cry. “Hi, sweetie. Welcome to the world, little man.”

His wife’s eyes said so much when she looked at him. What Alex saw humbled him.

He kissed his girl and slid her onto Meghan’s chest too.

“Oh, my god,” she whispered.

He stroked her hair and took it all in. The nurses bustled around but left them alone for a few minutes.

Dr. Sterner talked to them for a few minutes. They were both relieved to learn that despite an early arrival, everyone was in tiptop shape.

“You both did great. I’m happy for you. Not all twin pregnancies end so easily.”

She drew him aside while a nurse hovered close to Meghan and the babies. He got what he presumed was the standard new dad lecture—with a twin twist. Meghan was to rest and engage in minimal activity for at least two weeks. No wiggle room.

“You’ll need to be ready with names. You can wait, of course, but the minute you step into that waiting room, everyone will want to know.”

He chuckled and thanked her profusely for the outstanding care and concern shown to him and his family.

“We need to make some decisions,” he informed his awestruck wife. “Our first as parents.”

“I’m ready.” She chuckled.

“Names.”

“Oh. Hmm. It makes a difference seeing them for real. I think we should stick to our original plan. Your boy suggestion first, and then I’ll suggest a girl’s name.”

“Fair enough.” He studied his boy for a long minute. “Aiden Patrick Christian Valleja-Marquez.”

“Yesss.” She sighed. “Aiden Patrick Christian.” The look of love she gave him made his heart sing.

“Your turn.”

Her smile grew enormous. “Stephanie Juliana Margarita Valleja-Marquez. We’ll call her Stevie.”

He had to laugh. “Pandering to my mom again?”

“Maybe a little sucking up but cleverly disguised in an homage to a dear friend, right?”

“I dig it,” he growled.

The nurse came and took both babies. Their doula joined them and took over with Meghan so he could run and tell everyone the good news.

“They’re here!” he proudly crowed to the standing room-only crowd. Everyone except their mailman appeared crammed in the waiting room

His dad and mom pushed to the front. “Well?”

Alex grinned at his dad. “Aiden Patrick Christian made his debut first—weighing in at six pounds two ounces.” His dad’s eyes filled with tears.

Then he looked at his mom whose face was a mask of happy anticipation. “And clocking in at a bouncing five pounds five ounces is Miss Stephanie Juliana Margarita.”

Shrieks of delight and congratulations exploded, and his father pulled him into an emotional hug. “Three grandchildren in five days. We are blessed beyond measure. Thank you, son.” In a whisper, he added, “You make me proud by honoring Meghan’s family as you have.”

“When can we see Meghan? And the babies?”

Alex laughed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. “You know, I didn’t even ask. Everything happened so fast. Her parents aren’t even here yet.”

Uncle Matt raised his hand. “You want me to go to the airport?”

Alex pointed at his trusty business manager. “Check with Betty, okay? She has the flight info.”

Making a circuit through the crowd of well-wishers, Alex’s shoulder hurt from all the happy, congratulatory back slaps.

He grabbed his mom’s hand and gestured to his dad. “Come with me,” he told them. Outside the door to Meghan’s suite, he stopped and grinned at his parents.

“She did so good, you guys. Like seriously. I can’t believe they’re here.”

His mom lit up with happiness and joy. “Alexander,” she said with a hand wrapped around his wrist. “I’ve met some interesting people in my life, but your Meghan is in a category all her own. She’s extraordinary. Isn’t she, Cris?”

“Hell yeah, she is!”

“She gave us back our son and a future we thought was lost. I, for one, say a prayer for her every single day. And now, through her profound love for you, our family is enriched. Don’t ever forget what she gave you, son.”

He was far too overcome with emotion to do more than wipe away a tear and hug both his parents. Then he quietly ushered them into the room.

Meghan looked radiant. She was framed in a pool of light that highlighted her beautiful hair and dazzling smile. Both kids lay in the crook of her arm. Alex rushed to her side and waved his folks over. They approached cautiously—it was cute as shit to see how tentative they were.

His mom stepped up to the side of the bed and clasped her hands over her heart. She murmured, “Oh, Meghan,” when she got a good look at her grandbabies. Then she leaned in and kissed his wife. Meghan beamed. His mom brushed hair from her daughter-in-law’s face and held her chin for a moment.

“Thank you, my dear. Thank you for loving my son enough to put up with our crazy family.”

Meghan did her usual snicker. “Yes, well, I’ve had to overlook a lot,” she teased. “Glenfiddich? Really?”

The joke would never, ever get old. He laughed when it hit him that his kids would be hearing that slur a lot in the years to come.

His dad stepped up behind his mom and put his hands on her shoulders. “Meghan, he’s in it for two push presents. Don’t let him off the hook, okay?” He winked at her, and she made a face. It thrilled him to no end to see the close relationship his father and Meghan had fallen into so easily.

“Can we hold them?” His mom sounded so hopeful. Did she really think they wouldn’t let them?

“Of course.” His wife laughed. “Go right ahead.” She made an adorable sounding sheesh and added, “I’m over it, anyway. Nothing to this motherhood thing.”

Alex nodded and smiled as laughter rang out. It was a sound he wanted his children to hear a lot.

“Pictures, Daddy,” his wife reminded him with a raised brow.

Oh, right! He’d been out to lunch for a minute. They’d take something posed and formal later with Meghan’s fancy camera, but for now, his phone would have to do.

Meghan offered the bundle in blue to his dad. “Cristián, I’d like you to meet Aiden. He squeezed past his little sister and came first.”

An avalanche of feels broke loose inside Alex. His dad. His son. His wife. It was all a whirl. A wonderful, oh-my-god-are-you-fucking-kidding-me whirl. He took as many pictures as he could.

“And this little nugget,” Meghan said with a grin directed at his mom, “is the newest family princess. Angie can go pound sand. Ashleigh, meet Stevie.”

His mother’s giggling reaction as she held her first granddaughter in her arms got a teary-eyed reaction from his dad. “Stevie Marquez.” She looked at him and then at Meghan. “You know you’ve ruined me forever, right?”

He and Meghan high fived and hooted, “Nailed it!”

A twelve-alarm love fest broke out as his parents went full-tilt gaga for Aiden and Stevie. He held Meghan’s hand when he wasn’t taking pictures. The look on his wife’s face was blissful and serene. She was born for this role. The incredible woman he married would bloom as a mother.

Alex silently nodded. He’d done good. Generations of his proud family smiled down on them. From out of the distant past, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. His children were now part of the line of proud Spaniards who traveled far from their ancestral land to make a stand in the American Southwest. He felt a deep welling of emotion for the two cultures forming the backbone of his family.

A knock on the door sent Alex running. When he stepped into the hallway, Parker was there. “Dad just called. They’re parking and then will be on their way up.”

“Is Finn still here?”

Parker scoffed and gave him a dry look. “Yeah—he’s sniveling into a box of tissues while Remy pats his head. Man needs to ball the fuck up.”

He had to laugh. Poor Finn just never caught a break. He couldn’t even get choked up about the twins without someone waiting to give him shit about it.

What sounded a little bit like a stampede made him and Parker turn and look down the hallway. Meghan’s parents were jogging toward them. Maggie broke into a fast sprint and nearly knocked him over when he she grabbed his arms.

“Alex, tell us. Matt wouldn’t say anything except that everyone’s fine.”

Parker shook hands with Meghan’s dad and kissed Maggie’s cheek. “You two are in for a helluva surprise!”

“Son,” Paddy boomed in his big Irish voice. “What the hell, Alex?”

He laughed and pulled his father-in-law in for a hug. “I know, right?” he drily quipped. “You know Meghan. Always an overachiever. Wanted to show us all how to get’r done.”

Maggie laughed.

“Her water broke and a couple of hours later, twins.”

“Was it a Caesarean?”

Alex made a face at his mom-in-law. “Nope. Your daughter wasn’t having any of that shit! It all happened really fast and was so easy that she didn’t even have an epidural.”

“Are you serious?” Maggie looked dumbfounded.

“Truth,” he assured her with a serious look and nod.

Parker quietly asked, “You want me to get Finn?”

“I think some special grandparents time first,” Alex told him.

“Enough,” Maggie drawled. “I want to see my daughter.”

Alex pushed open the door. “My folks are in there too,” he told them.

Maggie ran to his mom and gave her a huge hug that ended with them holding each other and silently celebrating by jumping up and down.

Paddy shook hands with his dad.

His parents melted into the shadows after that and sat together on a sofa as the O’Briens tiptoed to the bed.

“Ma,” Meghan cried. “Look!”

“What in the St. Patrick hell?” Paddy hooted. “Pink AND blue?”

“Yes,” Meghan cried. “Da! Can you believe it?”

Alex stepped in and did the honors this time. He scooped Aiden up and put him in Paddy’s arms. With a loving back pat, he said, “Gran Da, this little fella is named Aiden Patrick Christian. He’s the big brother.”

Dammit if Paddy didn’t start to cry. Alex wasn’t sure what to do.

Then he kissed his wife’s nose as he leaned in to take Aiden’s sister to her grandmother.

“And Gran Ma, say hello to Stephanie Julianna Margarita. Your daughter says we’re to call her Stevie.”

Maggie gasped and sighed as the tiny pink ball cradled against her chest.

He looked at Meghan who was happily taking pictures.

“Paddy,” Maggie murmured. “Oh, my god.”

The new grandparents stood side by side staring at the babies.

They enjoyed a lovely interlude with both sets of grandparents. At one point, their doula joined them and helped Meghan nurse both babies. She was totally fine with everyone watching. It was an oddly sacred moment that moved him deeply.

He said a silent prayer and shocked himself in the process because it wasn’t something he felt comfortable doing. Until right now.

He and his wild Irish goddess had made a family.

In his mind, the circle rounded; he squished it into a heart shape and in the center an infinity symbol formed.