Chapter 111

• The air was filled with the soft hum of life as I lay in the hospital bed, atmosphere smelled like vinegar and antiseptic, I was cradling two tiny bundles in my arms. Their weight felt both light and heavy, like they were made of pure love, delicate and yet the center of my world. I looked down at them—two perfect little girls with tufts of dark hair and tiny pink fingers that curled around mine. The moment felt surreal, like I was living in a dream, but the warmth of their skin against mine made it real.
• Leo stood by the bedside, his face lit with a kind of joy I had never seen before. His eyes were soft, misted with tears, as he gently stroked one of the girls' heads. "They're beautiful," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Just like their mother."
• I smiled, though exhaustion pulled at my body. "I still can’t believe it. Two of them. I wasn’t ready for that."