Sophia awoke to the scent of warm butter.

Stretching, she stepped out of bed and opened her door, heading in the direction of the delectable smell. When she reached the kitchen, she nearly laughed.

Jed was standing over the stove, wearing an apron, while Emma and Jaden sat at the table coloring. When she entered, he looked up, and grinned at her skeptical expression.

“What? I manage a company of over ten thousand people. You don’t think I can manage a pair of youngsters?”

“I…” Sophia began, but couldn’t think of what to say.

Jed had managed to surprise her in every way over the past week, and she admitted to herself that there might be a path for them after all. He flipped the last of his pancakes before sliding piles onto several plates, and together they enjoyed a boisterous breakfast full of very silly jokes and laughter. Sophia watched Jed from the corner of her eye, relishing in this paternal side of him she had never thought could exist.

They spent the day bouncing around the city, climbing to the top of the Empire State Building and taking a cruise to see the Statue of Liberty. Afterwards, Jed bought everyone hotdogs and ice cream, though they had to eat them inside, with the weather turned cold.

“Can we do this every day?” Emma asked Jed, and he laughed.

“I’m afraid not. I have to get back to work, and your aunt has a building in process.”

“How did you know that?” Sophia asked.

Jed shrugged.

“I read the paper. It’s kind of my job to know what’s going on in the world.”

Sophia nodded, secretly pleased that while he had pretended not to care about her or their child, he clearly had still been keeping tabs behind the scenes. A warm glow blossomed in her belly at the thought, and she took another bite of ice cream, pensive.

They realized quite soon that the day had gotten away from them, and the little group rushed back to Genevieve’s apartment just as their parents were arriving. Emma and Jaden rushed into their parents’ arms, and Genevieve looked up at Sophia and Jed from behind Emma’s shoulders.

“Thank you so much for looking after them! It looks like it was quite the treat.”

Jed smiled, and Sophia wondered if he would bring up all the nasty little comments they had heard from Emma the night before.

“It was certainly a one-of-a-kind experience. You have some great kids here.”

Genevieve’s eyes widened in surprise, and her gaze darted to Sophia for an instant before she held out a hand for Jed to shake, which he did.

“Any time you want to take them on, they’re yours,” she teased.

After a few more farewells for the children, Jed and Sophia grabbed their bags and headed back toward the garage, where they settled into his car.

“I feel exhausted,” Sophia said, resting her hand on her belly.

“We did a lot today. You should get some good rest tonight.”

“I plan to,” she said, casting a sideways glance at him as he drove the car out of the garage and onto the city streets.

He looked so much handsomer somehow, and the silence between them no longer felt tense as they enjoyed one another’s quiet company after a boisterous couple of days. Before she knew it, they were pulling up to her building, and Jed turned to look at her.

“Well, thank you for that unique experience. I imagine it will help us as we prepare for whatever comes next.”

Sophia wondered what exactly that meant. What kind of future did Jed Shields envision when it came to her and the baby? As though sensing her thoughts, the baby chose that moment to kick—hard.

“Oof!” she said, her hand darting to her belly.

She looked at Jed apologetically as the baby tumbled around.

“I’m sorry, the baby’s decided to wake up. Do you mind if I just sit for a minute?”

“Not at all,” he said, his eyes on her stomach. “Would you mind if I…”

He held out a tentative hand towards her belly. It was the first show of interest he had ever made. With her eyes locked on his, she guided his hand towards where the movement was and placed it there, the two of them feeling their child tumble around together. Her whole body tingled with the sensation of that touch. It was something she had longed for, ached for even, for ages.

As they stared in wonder at her protruding belly, Sophia finally glanced up to find Jed staring at her, his eyes misted with unshed tears. His face was so close that she could feel his warm breath, his eyes darting to her lips as he leaned forward, as though he couldn’t help himself. He captured her mouth in a delicate, cherishing kiss that set her entire body on fire. The baby went quiet as Jed broke off the kiss, leaving a void that Sophia desperately wanted to fill.

“Thank you for coming this weekend. It meant a lot,” she breathed.

“You’re welcome,” he replied.

A brief silence passed between them, and, not wanting to ruin the perfection of the moment, Sophia stepped from the car and waved a farewell before turning toward her building, not looking back. When she entered her apartment, she tossed her bag on the floor and made quick work of changing into pajamas. Her feet were swollen and sore, and she carefully settled into bed, feeling a slight twitch in her stomach.

Too tired to think about it, wondering more about her own feelings for Jed, and her reaction to his kiss, she fell asleep thinking about what it would be like to have his arms around her, cradling her and their unborn child. With that image, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Pain shot through her core like a knife.

Sophia woke with a start, her hands darting to her stomach. Looking at the clock, she saw it was six in the morning, though it was still dark out. Another jolt of pain shot through her, and she picked up her phone, dialing Jed.

“Sophia? What’s going on?” he asked, his voice slurring with sleep.

“Something’s wrong. There’s a sharp pain, and I don’t know what to do.”

Her voice rose with panic, and she could hear footsteps as Jed launched from his bed.

“I’ll be there in a minute. If you can get downstairs, try.”

“Okay,” she breathed.

Rising, she made her way slowly to the door, sliding into a pair of shoes and grabbing her purse before she headed towards the lobby. By the time she reached the street, Jed was already stepping out of his car and opening the passenger side.

“Take it easy now,” he said, helping her into the car.

Another jolt of pain went through her, and Sophia hissed through her teeth, biting her cheek to distract from the pain. Jed flew into the driver’s seat and took off towards the hospital.

“We did too much yesterday. We should have taken it easier,” he said, his voice terse.

Sophia couldn’t talk. She was focusing all her energy on not panicking. Before she knew it, Jed had managed to get her to the hospital and up to the maternity ward. He pulled a chair up next to her while a doctor came in, performing a few tests.

“Let me just check on these, Sophia, and I’ll be back.”

He closed the door behind him, and Jed and Sophia looked at one another, fear echoing between them. Jed reached out a tentative hand, and Sophia took it gratefully.

“Do you think that the baby will be okay?” she whispered.

“Of course. That baby comes from some tough stock,” Jed said, his tone a sad attempt at reassuring.

They sat together in anxious silence before the doctor opened the door and returned with a small smile on his face.

“Everything looks great,” he declared.

A rush of air poured from the couple as relief washed over them.

“I would guess it’s simply some late-term cramping. Still, let’s do an ultrasound to be sure.”

He whipped out some gel and revealed Sophia’s belly, pressing the wand against her skin. They watched on as a tiny face or hand or heartbeat would appear on the screen, everything looking perfectly sound. The doctor turned toward Sophia.

“See? Both babies are doing perfectly fine.”

Sophia blanched.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?”

“I said both of your children are healthy. Why?”

Sophia and Jed stared at each other before she looked back at the doctor.

“They told me I was only having one.”

“Ah, yes that happens from time to time. The technician might have missed the other one. I see from your records you haven’t opted for many of these.”

Looking at Jed, she was surprised to see joy in his eyes.

“Twins? Can you believe it?” he breathed.

She grinned, happy to see that he wasn’t taken aback by the news.

“I guess practicing with two kids was a better test for us after all,” she said.

“I suppose so,” he agreed.

The doctor wiped the gel from her belly, letting them know that they could leave as soon as the paperwork was cleared. He bid them a kind farewell before leaving the door cracked open.

Jed turned to Sophia, but before he could speak, his phone rang. When he glanced at the number, his expression was apologetic.

“I’m sorry, I have to take this.”

Sophia nodded, watching him step outside the door. He moved to close it, but it remained cracked, and she listened in as little bits of his conversation floated in through the doorway.

“I understand. Yes, I’m making steps in that direction as well. Actually, can I get you those numbers in a bit? I’m at the hospital. Nothing wrong, just some complications with the babies.”

Sophia leaned in.

“Yes! It turns out she’s having twins! Do you think that will hurt our chances at the polls?”

She gasped, realizing that he was talking to one of his political advisors.

“Oh, that’s great news! You’re right—I think twins are much more marketable. They’re unique and can really set us apart. I think this is going to be a great development. Thanks, Marc. I’ll be in touch later today, okay? Great. Bye.”

Sophia stared out at the room, counting down from ten. When Jed walked back in, he took one look at her and stopped where he was.

“What is it?” he asked.

“You might want to close the door fully when you consult with your campaign advisors,” she spat.

Glancing back at the door, he turned back to face her.

“Oh that? It’s nothing…”

“I’m sure. And I’m sure that you playing the paternal paragon this past week has had no ulterior motive behind it, either, right? I should have known that you would simply change tactics, trying to get me to fall for you instead of pushing me away. That’s what they say, right? You catch more flies with honey than vinegar? I suppose you realized that your time to woo me was running out, but you’ve been revealed, Jed Shields. I know exactly what your motivation is, and it’s not me or the babies.”

Jed’s shoulders tensed at her words.

“I suppose I won’t be given a chance to defend myself?”

“Why should you? You even admitted to me yourself that all you’ve ever done is lie and manipulate people to get them to do what you want. It may have started working on me, but I see you for what you are: a snake oil salesman. Peddling what I want so that you can reap the benefit. I can’t even stand to look at you right now!”

“Well let me help you with that, then,” Jed replied, turning from the room and closing the door firmly behind him.

Sophia burst into tears. She had thought, just for a moment, that there might actually be something between them. She’d thought, perhaps, the Jed that she had fallen for so quickly all those months ago was a better man than she had imagined.

Obviously not.

A nurse walked in with her papers, a look of concern etched into her face. Sophia signed her forms and got dressed, not answering the woman’s unspoken question. She ordered a ride on her phone and headed downstairs, reminding herself that she now had two children to look out for instead of one, and she felt more scared and alone than ever.

When Sophia walked through the door of her apartment, her phone rang. It was Jed.

She battled with herself for a moment, not sure of what she wanted to do. Realizing that she was no coward that backed down from a fight, she answered the call before it could go to voicemail.

“Yes?” she said.

“I just wanted to make sure you got home okay.”

“Don’t pretend like you care about what happens to me, Jed. I know it’s all a lie.”

“It is not all a lie, contrary to what you wish to believe. Perhaps if you gave me a chance to explain myself, we could get past this.”

“You mean give you a chance to lie to me so that you can go back to playing happy family for the populace? No thanks.”

Jed sighed. He sounded weary and tired, and for a fraction of an instant, Sophia felt a pang of empathy for him. Then she remembered his phone call, and the anger rose up once more.

“I’ve been called on an urgent business trip upstate,” he said.

“And?” She asked, feeling more panic at the thought of him not being close by.

Somehow she managed to hate and long for him all at the same time. It was the most maddening duality of feelings in the world.

“And I wanted you to know. If anything else worrying happens with the babies, I would like to be informed.”

“So that you can cover your bases in case someone asks for the papers?”

“So that I can be sure that you and the children are okay. This is a trip that I have to make, and there is no time to waste. I ask you to inform me of anything, though I may not be able to respond right away.”

“That’s cryptic.”

“Yes, well. Perhaps someday I’ll be willing to tell you things without you jumping down my throat, assuming I’m full of lies.”

His voice was heavy with sorrow, and for the first time, Sophia wondered if she was being too hasty in her judgement. Then she remembered all the times he had let her down over the past several months, and her heart felt cold.

“Enjoy your trip, Jed. I’ll be here, alone.”

“Goodbye, Sophia.”

And with that, any spark of hope she had for them faded to black.