Always Ever After (Always 2.50) - Page 23

Selene wipes the tears from her eyes. “Thanks, Brax. I’m really excited. But enough about us. Have you named them yet?”

“Not yet,” I say. “But I’m thinking Clark Kent and Lois Lane.”

“Good choices,” Ronan says.

Kylie laughs. “Um, no.”

“Come on, it’s perfect,” I say.

“Our wonder twins are not going to be named Lois and Clark,” Kylie says.

“You guys will figure it out,” Selene says. “But we should go. I can’t even fathom how exhausted you are, Ky.”

I look over at my wife. “She was incredible.”

Selene smiles and kisses us both, then softly kisses each baby’s forehead. “Love you guys. Let us know when you’re going home, and we’ll come help.”

“Okay,” Kylie says. “Oh my god, Selene, I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks, babe.”

After another round of hugs from my sister, she and Ronan leave. I had a feeling Selene might be pregnant. When I saw her a few days ago, something seemed different. I couldn’t put my finger on it at the time, but now it makes so much sense.

“Can you believe it?” Kylie asks. “All these babies.”

“Your dad is going to be ecstatic.”

“He really is,” she says.

I adjust myself in the chair a little, careful not to move too much. If I wake the babies, I’ll have to hand at least one of them over to Kylie. I’m enjoying holding them so much, I don’t want to give them up yet.

“You know, we do need to decide on names,” Kylie says. “Because we’re not naming them Clark Kent and Lois Lane.”

“Well, now that we’ve met them, what are you thinking?”

“Middle names are easy,” she says.

“Are they?”

“Of course,” she says. “Dean and Rose.”

I swallow hard against the lump in my throat. Dean and Rose were my parents’ names. “Yeah, that’s perfect, isn’t it? And I already know our little boy’s first name.”

“You do? What is it?”

“Henry, after your dad.”

Kylie smiles, and fresh tears fill her eyes. “Oh my god, Brax.”

“But what about this little lady?” I kiss our daughter’s head again. “What’s her name?”

“Well, I know we had a list, but I have another idea,” she says. “What about London? It’s sweet, and such a special place to us.”

“London Rose,” I say, listening to the sound of it as I gaze at my little girl. “I think it’s perfect.”

“Henry Dean and London Rose,” Kylie says with a hitch in her voice. She covers her mouth and sniffs.

“You okay, baby girl?”

She nods. “Yeah. I feel like my heart is so full I’m going to burst. You gave me these beautiful babies, and I love them so much, and I love you so much.” She pauses and takes a trembling breath. “Is this real?”

I glance down at my two beautiful babies, sleeping on my chest, then at my wife, whom I love more than I could possibly put into words.

My precious family.

I grin at Kylie. “It’s all real, baby girl. Always.”

~~~