Page 120 of Isabela
Gael lowers himself to the ground, his eyes drawn to the tests clenched in our hands.
“Please don’t leave me in suspense, ladies,” he growls. Even as sick as I’ve been, I still shiver at his tone.
“Guess who is going to be a dad?” I ask, handing him my test. Gael’s eyes widen as he stares at my test.
“Why are you both crying then?” he rasps, and I can see his eyes starting to glisten.
“Because I’m pregnant too,” Aria says, sniffling as she hands him her test.
Gael shudders, starting to cry as he stares at both tests. “Seriously?” he says gruffly. “Fuck, this is amazing. Come here you two. You’re both so damn incredible.”
Aria and I crawl into his lap, and we cry together even as we laugh at how crazy this is.
“My girls are going to be pregnant together,” Gael says in awe. “Be ready for Harrison and Theodore to spoil you two. God, Theo is going to be a bear, about feeding you every craving you can imagine.”
For some reason the idea of having extended family, I’m not even related to, loving me and this baby makes me cry harder, and Gael simply kisses my forehead as he holds me.
“I love you two so much. God, I thought I knew how this would feel, but it’s so much better,” he rumbles.
“We love you, Daddy,” Aria and I say, snuggling into his arms.
Gael smirks as he kisses us. God, I can’t believe we’re going to be parents! My heart feels so full, I can’t imagine what it’ll be like to hear the baby’s heartbeat, or even see them for the first time.
One thing I do know, these babies are so loved already.
GAEL
One year later
Isabela and Aria are napping in bed as I cuddle the babies next to them. Lorcan and Dalia came into the world three months ago, two days apart. I can’t tell you how insane those days were, as I held their mothers’ hands, coaching them through breathing. Aria and Isabela were incredible in labor.
God, women are just such amazing creatures. Men would cry if we were in charge of having babies.
Aria sighs as she turns in Isabela’s arms, making me smile. We haven’t been sleeping very well, because the babies are always hungry, but that’s okay. I’m more than happy to snuggle these tiny humans while my loves sleep.
A year ago, my heart grew by two babies, and I didn’t realize it would be possible to love two people that I hadn’t met yet. The joke’s on me, because I adore my children, and the women who are the rest of my world.
Isabela is working from home whenever she can, and the company has been flourishing since. Tomorrow is her birthday and she’s turning twenty-four years old. Isa is one year away from taking over her company, and is a natural leader.
While she didn’t plan to be the future CEO of her parents’ company, I think she’s doing an incredible job. Isa has also helped free more people from her uncle’s sex trafficking rings, and the gala Aria helped her with, brought in enough money to set up a rehabilitation program.
Lorcan makes a sucking face as he moves his mouth from side to side, making me smile. He’s going to need to eat soon, and unfortunately neither child likes to take a bottle.
“I had a feeling he’d be hungry soon,” Aria rasps. Smirking, I lean over and let her take her son. Lorcan has her blonde ringlets, dark blue eyes, and her curiosity.
A moment later, Aria has Lorcan latched on her breast, staring in awe at him. It still doesn’t feel real yet. That’s part of what makes it so special that she and Isa were pregnant at roughly the same time. They helped each other through it, and their bond is even stronger now too.
“It figures Dalia would still be sleeping,” Isa murmurs, blinking sleepily.
“Oh, I’m sure she’ll follow suit soon. Try to get a few more minutes, baby,” I murmur. “You have an auction tonight, don’t you?”
Isa nods, wrinkling her nose. “Yeah, I do. I hate them, but this one is for three of the people on my list. I really want to get them out. It’s with a new auction center,” she says softly.
It feels never ending as new skin trade businesses pop up, and this one is in Austria. I can’t believe how fast Isabela was able to find out about this auction, but she has developed eyes and ears everywhere with her persona of building her own human menagerie.
In actuality, she’s growing her rehabilitation program, with on site medical and psychological support. The Society had no idea this is what she’d be able to achieve in so little time.
It’s sometimes difficult and hopeless work. She’s had survivors spit in her face, leave the program only to be picked back up into the skin trade world, or lost auctions because another private buyer won it.