“He has cared about you so passionately since he saw you, and has held onto that for a very long. You don’t just stop caring just because you’ve finally accepted you don’t belong together.” I’d seen that with many people over the years. You will always care, even if it’s just a little bit. I searched Orion’s soul once we came here, and found nothing but the need for redemption in him. He seeks forgiveness from all that has happened because of him. He realizes that now, and wants her to be happy.
“Hmm, that’s true, I guess.” She pondered over what I said, and then started to smile at me, withdrawing her feet from my lap only to climb onto it, placing her legs on either side of mine, facing me.
“Can we talk about the babies? I want to talk about names, and start doing something for them. We don’t have much longer and I need to focus on something.” She fake pleaded, and I placed my hands on both sides of her belly. I would do anything for her.
“What names have you thought of?” I asked her first, because to be honest I hadn’t thought of it at all. So much had been going on. She smiled, and I knew she had definitely been thinking of names and everything else. I chuckled at seeing her face. She was so magnificent.
“I was thinking Callista for the girl. It’s really strong, but yet feminine. Ya know?” She was practically bouncing from her excitement to be discussing names. Callista. It was a strong name. A warrior’s name.
“And for the boy?”
“I hadn’t been able to choose for that one. I kind of like Lucian, but I also like Killian, and Ren.” She was watching my face for reactions to any of those names. I faked gagging to get a reaction from her, for which she smacked my arm lightly. It was enjoyable, playing with her again. So much seriousness had descended over us with everything going on lately.
“Lucian is very Roman. Killian is strange, and Ren is short, but not bad. Callista for a girl is beautiful. Of course you know these children may come out and decide to be another name.” She seemed to think about this for a minute then put our hands together on her belly.
“Lucian?” She said aloud, and paused.
“Killian?”Nothing, although I wasn’t quite sure what she was waiting for.
“Ren?” I started to shake my head, that she was being silly expecting something from the babes, until there was movement going on. Then it stopped.
“Ren?” She tried again and this time I stared at our hands in wonder as a babe moved again. Then something amazing happened, something I would have never believed would happen in all my existence.
Chapter Eleven
Thalia
Tristan’s eyes glazed over and I wondered if he was ok. I was about to ask, but his low whisper broke the silence.
“I feel his soul.” He was staring at my stomach in utter awe. I was stunned by his words. I was speechless. He could feel his soul.
“He likes Ren.” Tears were running down my cheeks. The idea of being a mom was extremely new for me, and I was so in love with these kids already. I would do anything for them, and by the look in Tristan’s eyes, they had wrapped him around their tiny fingers already. And they weren’t even born yet! I still couldn’t speak, it was like all the words were just stuck in my chest.
“Callista?” He leaned down towards my belly and waited. Movement.
“She agrees. Callista and Ren.” There were two different movements happening in my belly, and all I could do was cry, and watch our joined hands move around from their little dance. This was a moment I would never forget, no matter how long I lived. We would have this: our family together, and happy. I couldn’t wait for them to be born so I could hug them close and never let go.
Tristan smile shifted when a chuckle came through his lips.
“What?” I blurted out.
“We have fighters on our hands,” he mused as we continued to feel the babes move around. I nodded. Yeah, they were making me have to go to the bathroom with all their wiggling.
“I have to pee.” I jumped up and ran to the bathroom. The twins settled, and I could have moaned from how good it felt to relieve myself. When I was done and clean, I walked back out to the living room and squealed. My best friends were here! I ran to them and hugged Lacey and Leander in a big hug.
“Holy shit, Thalia! You’re really pregnant!” Lacey pulled back and looked over me. I guess the last time we really saw them was right after the wedding. Not too long ago, but I had grown so much since then.
“Yeah magical children progress differently. The doctor said I was around twenty five weeks, with about a week and a few days left to this pregnancy.” I let go of both of them and watched my words settle in. That there was very little time left. It was a big pill to swallow.
“Wow.” She looked at me in awe. Leander was smiling at me then looked around, scoping out the place then gazed back at me.
“Let’s get this party started.” He clapped his hands together and picked up a bag I hadn’t noticed he had brought with him. He walked over to the TV and started fiddling with some things. I smiled looking at the whole TV set up in this ancient palace. Tristan loved the traditional Egyptian palace, but there were lots of things from the modern world we couldn’t live without and TV was one of them. Lacey rubbed my belly and started cooing to the babies.
“Have you thought of a name for the little bugger?” she asked and I smiled, thinking about what all happened before they arrived.
“Well for the boy, Ren. And for the girl, Callista.” I was a total cheese-face right now with my smile. Lacey’s head whipped around.
“Two?” I nodded. She shrieked and started freaking out, in a good way.
