Chapter 354

Olivia

A few days passed without incident. Nathan kept his promise to bring Edward to the Council building with him every day, and it seemed to be working so far. In fact, I even started to get a little more used to Edward being in the house in the mornings and the evenings, and I found relief in the fact that he would be gone in just another few days.

However, there was still something about him that made me uneasy. I couldn’t explain it, couldn’t even fathom it, but there was just… something in his eyes. Like a distant point in front of me that I couldn’t reach, like a ghost of someone I used to know.

But that was silly, and I was beginning to realize that. Edward was nothing but polite, even keeping his distance. Maybe I was just being harsh.

Wednesday morning, however, had already been a roller coaster, and it wasn’t even 10 AM yet. After a sleepless night thanks to Aurora’s newfound ability to cry at a volume that could shatter glass, I was now rushing to make it to my first prenatal doctor’s appointment. I thought taking care of twins was hard, but doing it while pregnant? That was like an entirely new league.

Nathan was swamped at work, something about an urgent council meeting he couldn’t postpone. Angela and Clint were both tied up too, leaving me on solo duty. I would have to take Elliot and Aurora with me to the appointment, which would normally be fine, but it seemed that they chose today to be their fussiest selves.

“Elliot, sweetheart, can you please stop squirming?” I pleaded as I tried to fasten his little shoes. His baby-blue eyes looked up at me as if he knew exactly what he was doing.

I had already managed to get Aurora in her onesie after three attempts—she kept trying to roll over. Now, she was sitting in her highchair, flinging spoonfuls of applesauce across the kitchen like a tiny catapult.

The clock on the microwave blinked 9:32 AM. My appointment was at 10:00 AM, and the doctor’s office was a twenty-minute drive on a good day. I was running out of time.

“Mommy’s going to be late, isn’t she?” I muttered to myself, finally securing Elliot’s shoes and placing him beside his sister in the adjacent high chair. The plan was to get them both ready, then get myself ready, but plans seemed to be a laughable concept today.

A glance in the mirror showed me I was still in my pajamas, my hair resembling a rat’s nest. Rescheduling my appointment started to look like my only option. But that also meant waiting another week to get my prenatal checkup, and I couldn’t afford to push it off; not when the pregnancy had begun with that strange vomiting episode.

I ran my fingers through my hair, taking a deep breath. “Okay, new plan,” I told the twins, who seemed more interested in trying to pull each other’s socks off than listening to me. “We’ll get in the car, and Mommy will change in the parking lot or something. Sound good?”

Elliot let out a bubbly giggle that almost made me forget I was running late. Almost.

I moved toward the kitchen counter, my hands searching for my phone to call the clinic to let them know I would be late, when the front door swung open. I turned around, half-expecting to see Nathan sprinting in to save the day.

But it wasn’t Nathan.

Edward stood in the doorway, a slightly puzzled expression on his face. There was a moment of shocked silence, followed by utter embarrassment on my part. Both myself and the house looked like a disaster.

“Need some help?” he asked, his eyes darting between me and the twins.

“Hey, Edward,” I said, turning away to face the twins again. “I’m good, but thanks. What are you doing here? I thought you were at the Council building with Nathan.”

He closed the door behind him, hanging his keys on the hook. “I forgot some papers I need for a meeting later, so I ran back to pick them up. What’s going on here, though? You seem a little… busy.”

“Busy would be a light way of putting it,” I sighed, looking at the mess of toys, baby clothes, and discarded applesauce in my usually-neat kitchen. “I have a prenatal appointment, and getting these two ready has been like…”

“Wrestling baby animals?” he asked.

I almost chuckled. Almost. I glanced at him, a little surprised. “Did you ever have kids, Edward?”

Edward shook his head and scratched his chin. “No, none of my own. But I have spent plenty of time babysitting. Are you sure I can’t help?”

“I…” I hesitated, scanning his face for any signs of that look that always made me uncomfortable. But right now, it didn’t seem to be there. “I don’t know. I don’t want to impose if you’re in a rush of your own.”

“It’s not an imposition if I offered,” he said with a shrug,already walking toward the high chairs. “Hey there, troublemakers,” he cooed, picking up Elliot who seemed fascinated by Edward’s wristwatch.

To my surprise, Edward was a natural. He held Elliot securely, making goofy faces that made my son laugh. Then he gracefully set Elliot down and scooped Aurora up, who immediately ceased her attempts to dismantle her brother’s outfit and instead clung to Edward, examining his face with curiosity.

“Go on,” Edward said, jerking his head toward the stairs. “I’ve got the little ones. You can get changed.”

I paused for a moment, considering whether it was safe or not. But nothing in me was setting off any alarms right now, and if anything, I was just grateful to see the twins calming down. Finally, biting my lip nervously, I jogged up the stairs and retrieved a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from the closet.

When I arrived back downstairs after a few minutes, Edward was now balancing Elliot on his hip and making funny faces at Aurora while he wiped the applesauce off of the counter. I stopped for a moment, taking it all in, before I entered the kitchen.

“Wow, you’re good at this,” I admitted. “You’re sure you never had kids of your own?”

Edward chuckled, placing Elliot in the car seat I had placed down on the kitchen floor. “None of my own, no. Although, sometimes I wish I did. Oh well.”

“Why didn’t you?” I asked, cocking my head.

Edward shrugged. “It just never happened. But, ah, that’s life, isn’t it?”

I watched him for a moment, taking in the way he gazed down at Elliot and Aurora. His eyes looked so soft and even a little sad. Maybe that was why I suddenly blurted out the next words.

“Well, you can always come to visit the twins,” I said softly.

Edward’s eyes almost seemed to light up. “Really?”

I nodded. “Yes. Really.”

We made our way to the car, and Edward handed me the bags before expertly helping me secure Elliot into his car seat. He did the same with Aurora, fastening her little straps like he had done it a thousand times before.

“If you ever need a babysitter, you know where to find me,” he said as he stepped back, allowing me to double-check their buckles.

“I’ll keep it in mind,” I replied, still a bit hesitant but slightly less so now. “Thank you, Edward. Really. Today was turning into a disaster.”

He smiled, closing the car door gently. “Anytime, Olivia.”

I got into the driver's seat, taking a moment to catch my breath. As I started the car, I glanced back at Elliot and Aurora, who looked content and secure in their car seats. Then I looked at Edward, who gave me a small wave before heading back into the house.

As I drove away, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had been too harsh in my initial judgments of him. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t as bad as I thought.

And maybe, just maybe… I could see myself welcoming him into our lives.