Ten months later

 

“That’s it! I can’t walk anymore. My sciatic nerve is killing me and no one’s giving out any good candy.” His wife had definitely reached her limit.

“We’ve been to four houses,” Tyson foolishly teased.

Jeremy sighed as Jade shot their friend a look of death. “I will kill you, Tyson.”

Ty held his hands up in surrender. “Come on, Mia. Let’s go knock on that door.”

It was Halloween and Jade insisted they go to Tyson and Kat’s to see the kids in their costumes. Mia was a witch and four-month-old T.J. was a pumpkin.

His wife had been miserable for weeks, sixteen days to be exact. Her mood declined from euphoric, to anxious, to downright angry ever since she’d passed her due date. According to Jade, she was the only woman alive who didn’t go into labor early when carrying twins. Lily told her it was quite common for mothers of twins to go late, just like mothers of single babies, but Jade told Lily she was a liar.

Jeremy tried reasoning with her, but that only sent her on a rant, blaming him for her condition. He could swear she asked for this, but what did he know?

Now, he simply nodded and said a lot of yes dears while trying to make her as comfortable as possible. Being a military man, he was secure enough to admit he was a little scared. He hoped, for everyone’s sake, that his children arrived soon. Either that or he was going to have to move.

“Do you want to go home?” he asked as she wobbled after the group.

She was ridiculously pregnant. Her belly swelled like a beach ball and swallowed her tiny legs. She hadn’t been able to put on her own shoes for months. Her breasts were enormous—not that he was complaining—and her back was always aching. It should be unnatural for a woman to carry that much extra weight in her womb.

“No, I do not want to go home,” she sneered. “I just want to rest for a minute. This has to be the hottest October ever!”

He hid a laugh. This woman, his amazing Jade, his beautiful wife, ensured there was never a dull moment in their lives. After the kidnapping, they had many sessions with Chloe, who now came to their home for events that had more to do with friendship than anything else. Jade had made remarkable progress and was slowly coming to terms with the prior year. He envied her recovery because he still struggled to accept all that had happened.

She survived what should’ve broken even the strongest person. She was his rock and she would be an unstoppable momma bear once she gave birth to their cubs.

Her determination to live life to the fullest and chase down her dreams made her unlike any other. No matter how much she complained about the pregnancy, she was happier than she’d ever been. Happy and scared. And when she was scared she got feisty. That’s all this was.

The closer the babies came to being born, the more hopeful she became, but it also meant she had more to lose. He understood her fear, which was why he endured her moods.

She was a fighter. She would always be a fighter. Jeremy had no doubt she would have prevailed the night Philips had her if Trent hadn’t arrived in time. The issue was, Jade sometimes put herself at risk to conquer her demons. If he could, he’d slay every obstacle in her way from this day forward. But his wife liked to do things for herself and hated being told something was out of reach. So, they continued to trick or treat.

They paused as the group walked to another house to knock for candy. “We can go back to Kat’s and wait for everyone there,” he offered, knowing she’d reject that idea. “There’s ice cream.”

“What’s the fun in that? I don’t want ice cream. I want to see my stepdaughter trick or treat. Is it too much to ask for everyone to just slow the hell down? I’m nine and a half months pregnant! My feet are swollen, my back is—”

She paused mid-sentence and Jeremy followed her gaze to the ground.

“Oh shit,” she whispered, her hand grasping her protruding stomach. Her stare locked with his and her expression softened from irate pregnant banshee to terrified first-time mom.

He smiled. “Is it time?”

She nodded, her brow pinched and her lips pressed tight.

He turned and shouted, “It’s time!”

“Thank God!” Ty barked as Kat clapped her hands, quickly ushering them back toward the house.

Jade’s expression contorted and her breathing grew labored. Jeremy passed Jade’s hand to Kat. “Stay with her. I’m going to get the car.”

 

 

Jade gave a royal wave as she was wheeled into the maternity ward at Parkside Memorial and the nurses cheered. Her bitchiness over the past few weeks had earned such a welcome from her co-workers. No doubt they were glad to see her at the finish line.

She was scared to death of the pain and wanted everything to be over as soon as possible. Then she would have her babies and everything would be perfect—as perfect as life could be with twin newborns.

“Is my epidural ready?” she asked as Debra, one of the maternity nurses, escorted them to a delivery room.

“Dr. Bishop’s already spoken to the anesthesiologist and he’s on his way up.”

Once she changed and had her epidural in place her mood was marginally better. Lily came in and checked her progress and informed her it would be very soon.

Whatever the hell that meant.

Her contractions decreased from sharp spasms to dull throbs. When everyone finally cleared out and gave her and Jeremy privacy, she reached for his hand. “I’m scared.”

He tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled. “I’m scared, too. I hate seeing you in any kind of pain, but everything will be fine. The last miles always the hardest, but it leads to a lifetime of happiness. By the end of the night, we’ll have our babies.”

His promise came true just before midnight. She held a bundle of blue in her left arm and a bundle of pink in her right. Jason and Julia, the two most precious gifts she was ever given.

They gazed at their children, both fighting tears of joy and remarking how perfect they each were. With matching tufts of blond hair and tiny little features, they were a combination of both her and Jeremy.

She breathed a sigh of absolute satisfaction and bliss. “Everything I’ve ever fought for was for this very moment.” Her gaze found her husband’s and she smiled. “Thank you. Thank you for loving me through the good and the bad. Thank you for believing this sort of happiness was possible.”

He kissed her temple. “Life’s long, Jade, and it’s far from over. But even when we’re old and gray, I promise to always catch you when you fall.”

With all she’d been through, she understood that more than anything. Jeremy was never letting go. He was hers and she was his, forever, a family. “I’ll catch you, too.”

Holding her children in her arms, staring into her husband’s eyes, she felt the happiness of her life sink in. It warmed her heart and she knew, without a doubt, the bad times would never matter as much as the good. These were the moments of living that truly healed the soul.

 

 

THE END

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t miss Trenton Cole’s story

SOMETHING BORROWED

By Bestselling Romance Author Lydia Michaels!