Mary's pov:
As I sat in the nursery room organizing bottles, diapers and wipes mom came in with a bowl of soup and placed it down next to me.
"Wow, this is amazing. You guys really outdid yourself with the room." She gasped as she walked around the room brushing her fingers through everything.
"Maybe it's because his our first baby, we want everything to be perfect." I smiled.
"Soren." She said her voice soft as she looked at the carved name on the wall. She looked back at me and smile, "how do you feel about becoming a mom, now you're gonna have someone calling you mommy." She asked as she took a seat next to me.
"I honestly don't know how to feel, I'm feeling a lot of emotions." I replied.
"Scared of not being a good mother, nervous of not being able to take care of the baby right, happy that I finally get to meet my little boy, and anxious that something bad will happen once I give birth." I explained letting out a soft sigh.
Mom patted my head gently and smiled, "it's normal to feel that sweetheart, when I first found out that I was pregnant with you I was scared. At that time me and your father were already separated and I didn't know what to do, but I knew that you were a blessing the second I held you in my arms."
Her words made me feel a bit better, though the anxiety still lingered. I looked down at my hands, which were fidgeting with a tiny pair of baby socks. "But what if I mess up, Mom? What if I make mistakes?"
Mom reached out, placing a hand over mine, stopping my restless movements. "Mary, every parent makes mistakes. It's part of the journey. But you'll learn, and you'll grow with your baby. The fact that you're worried about being a good mother already shows how much you care. That love will guide you through the tough times."
I nodded, her words sinking in. "I guess I just want to be everything he needs, you know?"
"You already are, sweetheart," she said, her eyes full of warmth. "You've been preparing for this, and you'll have us all here to support you. You're not doing this alone."
I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes, overwhelmed by the mix of emotions. "Thanks, Mom. I needed to hear that."
She leaned in and kissed my forehead, her lips warm and comforting. "Anytime, sweetie. Now, let's finish getting this room ready for little Soren. He's going to love it."
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Felix's house:
As Stephanie was in the kitchen cooking dinner before Felix and Jay got home, she suddenly felt her stomach twist and turn and she quickly rushed to the bathroom throwing up.
Stephanie clutched the edge of the sink, breathing heavily as she tried to steady herself. The nausea was intense, coming in waves that left her weak and trembling. She rinsed her mouth with cold water, splashing some on her face to try and cool down.
"It's getting worse by the day" she whispered to herself, leaning against the bathroom counter. This wasn't the first time she'd felt off in the past few days, but it was the worst episode by far.
As she made her way back to the kitchen, she glanced at the clock. Felix and Jay would be home soon, and she still needed to finish dinner. The thought of food made her stomach churn again, but she forced herself to push through, knowing she didn't want to worry them.
She had just resumed chopping vegetables when she heard the front door open and the familiar sound of Felix and Jay's voices. Her heart lifted at the sound, momentarily pushing away the nausea.
"Mom, we're home!" Jay called out, his voice full of energy.
"In the kitchen!" Stephanie replied, trying to sound as normal as possible. She turned to see Jay bounding into the room, with Felix following close behind, a tired but happy smile on his face.
Felix walked over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Something smells good in here," he said, but then his smile faltered as he looked at her more closely. "Are you okay? You look a little pale."
Stephanie forced a smile. "Just a little tired, that's all. It's been a long day."
Felix frowned, concern etched on his face. "You've been feeling off lately. Maybe you should see a doctor."
Stephanie hesitated, not wanting to worry him, but she knew she couldn't tell him the truth yet. "I saw her yesterday, it's just a common cold."
Felix wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. "Let's get through dinner, and then we can talk about it, okay?"
Stephanie nodded, a nervous smile flashing on her face.
As they sat down for dinner, Stephanie tried her best to eat, but every bite felt like a struggle. Felix kept glancing at her, clearly worried, but he didn't press the issue. Jay, oblivious to the tension, chatted excitedly about his day, filling the silence with stories of school and friends.
Stephanie smiled and nodded at all the right moments, but her mind was elsewhere. She couldn't stop thinking about the secret she was keeping, and the weight of it was starting to feel unbearable.
After dinner, while Felix finished tucking Jay into bed he found Steph in their room hovering over the sink breathing heavily.
I closed the door behind him as he quickly rushed to her side, "I'm fine." She said slightly pushing his arm away.
She wiped her mouth and walked up to the bed, taking a deep breath.
"What's wrong with you Steph, you've been like this for the past few days and I also don't fact that you're lying to me about something." Felix spoke up.
"Like I said, it's nothing." She replied, "just a cold."
Felix let out a big sigh as he run his fingers through his hair, "I thought we were over this, you promised me to let me help you whenever you're not feeling well. But how am I supposed to help with you hiding things from me." He added.
She looked up at him, seeing the concern in his eyes. She knew she couldn't keep this from him any longer, but the fear of how he might react made her hesitate. Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke.
"I'm three weeks pregnant with twins." She looked down at her hands, which were trembling slightly.
The words hung in the air between them, and for a moment, Felix just stared at her, processing what she had said. Then, slowly, a smile began to spread across his face, his eyes lighting up with a mix of surprise and joy.
"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes, I went to the doctor to confirm it," Stephanie admitted.
Felix pulled her into a tight embrace, his excitement palpable. "Steph, this is… this is amazing! I mean, if it's true… wow." He pulled back to look at her, his eyes shining. "Are you okay with this? How do you feel?"
Stephanie felt a rush of emotions—relief, happiness, and a little bit of fear. "I'm scared, Felix," she confessed, "having Jay is enough, having two more is a struggle. I think we should get rid of them." She cried
Felix pushed her back shocked, "how can you say that?" He said in disbelief.
"How could you even think about that Steph, how do you think I would feel?!"
"You don't get it, I had to go through struggles when I was pregnant with Jay. I was alone, no where to care for me or love me!" She bawled.
"You abandoned me once you will do it again, I don't want Jay to hurt more. I don't want him to go from having his mommy and daddy to seeing daddy only on the weekends." She sniffled.
Felix's heart ached at the pain in Stephanie's voice. He could see the fear and vulnerability she was trying to hide beneath her anger. Taking a deep breath, he gently reached out to touch her arm, trying to ground her.
"Steph, I know I made mistakes, and I'll never forgive myself for not being there for you when you needed me the most. But I promise you, I'm not going anywhere this time. I've learned from the past, and I want to be there for you, for Jay, and for these babies." His voice was steady, filled with sincerity.
She looked up at him, her eyes still wet with tears. "How can I trust that? How can I believe that things will be different?"
Felix knelt in front of her, taking her trembling hands in his. "Because I'm not the same person I was back then. I've grown, I've changed. I know I let you down before, but I swear to you, I'm here to stay. We'll face this together, no matter how hard it gets. I won't let you go through this alone again."
Stephanie searched his eyes, looking for any sign of doubt or insincerity, but all she saw was determination and love. It was still hard to believe, but something in his voice, in the way he held her, made her want to believe him.
"You really mean that?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"I do," Felix replied, his eyes never leaving hers. "I love you, Steph. I love our family, and I want to be here for all of it—the good, the bad, and the messy parts too. But I need you to trust me, to let me in. Please, let me prove it to you."
TBC