The twins were born just before noon the following day, and though labor was long and plenty painful, all went well.

Exhausted and thrilled, Eloise cradled her newborn son and daughter in her arms and tried to figure out who they most resembled. They had Masoud’s dark skin and wide eyes, but Eloise thought their face shapes and lips looked more like her own. She was captivated. She spent ages staring at the boy, memorizing his features and making eye contact with him, and then turned her focus to the girl.

Beside her, Masoud had fallen asleep on the guest couch. Eloise didn’t blame him—they had been awake for almost thirty-six hours, and they had been some of the most rewarding, but exhausting, of Eloise’s life. Now, a few hours after giving birth, Eloise felt as if she might fall asleep herself at any minute, but she couldn’t bear to close her eyes and stop looking at her two beautiful babies.

She couldn’t believe they were here. After all this time, after all the worry and anticipation, here they were, two tiny new people ready to step into the life she had been building for them. Her children. Masoud’s children. Their family was complete.

He blinked awake. “Hi.”

“Hi,” she said softly, smiling.

“How are they?”

“They’re beautiful.”

Masoud sat up, shaking off sleep. “I’ve been thinking about names.”

“Yeah?” Eloise sat forward and handed off their daughter, who yawned adorably as she was passed into her father’s arms. “What are you thinking?”

Masoud bounced the little girl gently. “Munira.”

“Munira,” Eloise said, trying it out. “Munira Kate.”

“I like it.”

“And for this little guy?” She looked down at her son.

“Yusuf.”

“Yusuf Alexander?”

“Perfect.”

“Munira and Yusuf.” Eloise sighed. They were perfect. She had been so worried when she’d learned they were coming early; when they’d arrived in perfect health, Eloise had felt more relieved than she ever had in her life.

Masoud climbed off the couch, balancing Munira carefully in one arm, and slid into the bed beside Eloise.

“You’re looking beautiful, by the way.”

“I feel like a mess,” she grinned.

Her hair was sweaty and unkempt, and she had completely lost track of what she was wearing. She looked down to check. Still the hospital gown. Of course. It was a lucky thing for her that she already felt so sure of Masoud’s affections. It was easy to imagine someone being scared off by her present disheveled state.

He pulled her to him and kissed her. Somehow, it was still easy, even though each of them held a baby in one arm. The family managed to fit together as well as Eloise and Masoud had when it was just the two of them.

“You look gorgeous to me,” he said.

“Love you.”

“I love you, too,” he murmured, seeming to get lost for a moment before he regained his train of thought. “So, everyone’s here,” he told her. “Auntie Salma told me they’d be coming by this afternoon, which I’m sure means they showed up around nine a.m. and have been in the waiting room ever since.”

Eloise laughed. “That does sound like them.”

“Are you up for visitors?” he asked. “It’s okay if you aren’t. I can take the twins out to say hi, and you can stay here and rest.”

Eloise sat up a little, and Masoud adjusted the pillows behind her. “I can see people,” she said. “I’d like to see them.”

Masoud nodded. “There’s a restriction on visitors, so only two can come in at a time besides me. That way, you won’t be overwhelmed.”

“I don’t think I could possibly be any more overwhelmed than I already am,” Eloise confessed. “Will you just look at these two? What could possibly make this moment any bigger than it already is?”

Masoud smiled. “You might be surprised.”

“What do you mean?”

“Eloise, what if I had a…proposition for you?”

“I think we’ve had enough of business propositions for one lifetime, don’t you?”

“Yes,” he agreed, “but I think you might feel differently about this one.”

Eloise angled Yusuf away from her own body and toward Masoud. “Should we hear what Daddy has to say?”

Yusuf let out a gurgling noise that made both his parents laugh.

“Eloise,” Masoud said, “From the moment I met you, I knew there was something special about you. I knew as soon as you walked into my office that morning that I wanted to spend more time with you. At first, the only solution I could come up with was to give you a tour of the town. But as that day went on, I realized nothing we could do together in a single day could possibly be enough.”

Eloise nodded. “I felt the same way.”

“When I learned you were pregnant, it felt like a second chance,” he continued. “My one wish was that you would welcome my involvement in your life, and in the lives of our children. When I thought that wasn’t something you wanted, it broke my heart. But when I learned the truth, it felt like coming back to life.”

Eloise couldn’t speak. She squeezed his hand and tried not to cry.

“Having you here these past few months has been like a dream,” Masoud said. “I never thought I could wake up in the morning so excited about each new day. I never thought I could feel such enthusiasm for the future. And there’s only one thing I can think of that could make it any more perfect.”

As he dropped to one knee, Eloise realized what was about to happen.

“Masoud. Oh my God.”

“Eloise Lang, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”

Eloise stared at the ring in the box he held. It was absolutely huge, a princess-cut diamond set in a white gold band that twisted around in a fine, intricate pattern. Several smaller diamonds were inlaid around the perimeter of the large center one.

Eloise had never seen any piece of jewelry so beautiful.

“Say something,” Masoud pressed, and she realized he was nervous. It was unbelievably touching. He was anxious about her response.

She took his hand. “Of course I will!”

Masoud slipped the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit, as though he’d somehow managed to take her measurements before going shopping, and just like everything else that had happened since she’d met Masoud, it felt like the perfect ending to a fairy tale, even though their story was really only just beginning.

Eloise held out her hand and admired the ring. “It’s beautiful, Masoud.”

The door to her room opened. Ahmad and Nijah had been standing outside, and now they came bustling in, talking excitedly. Masoud caught Eloise’s hand in his own and showed it off to his cousins, who immediately set about hugging her and exclaiming over the beauty of the ring.

As congratulations and celebrations erupted around her, Eloise leaned into Masoud’s warmth and wrapped her arms around both of her babies, content to be with her family, happier than she ever had been in her life.