Page 5

???

My life was a dream come true. With 66 countries offering digital nomad visas, I was able to travel with ease to many European countries. I planned to start close to my home base and span out into the rest of the world. My one great joy was watching video bloggers who went to many countries that weren’t bombarded with tourists. Those countries were my ultimate goal. Only three months into my great escape plan, I hit a snag. I was pregnant with the Russian’s baby.

I stared at the pregnancy test, holding it with both hands to try and stop the trembling, but the two pink lines glared back at me like a cruel twist of fate. The one time I chose to be reckless, to escape from my suffocating family member's countless expectations and enjoy a taste of freedom, I was hit with consequences. Now, in a quiet Budapest apartment, the weight of my freedom collided with the reality growing inside me.

I sat on the toilet, processing my new circumstances. I fled England to avoid a life dictated by others, but this—this was different. The thought of a child, a tiny life I could nurture and protect, stirred something deep within me.

For the first time, the idea of sharing my life with someone didn’t feel like a cage. It felt like hope, but more than hope, my baby would be my family. With a deep breath, I placed a hand on my tiny bulge and made my decision. My baby would be showered with love. It would never feel unloved.

I would keep the baby. This was my choice, my future, and no one—not my family, not society—would take it from me. This child was mine. And I had the next six months to plan its arrival. My mind flitted to its father, but I had no clue who he was or how to contact him.

???

“Twins?” I asked the Irish nurse because it must have been her accent, and I didn’t understand her. I decided to speak slowly to her so she could understand me. “No, I’m havingonebaby.”

I even stuck my finger up so she knew that I was having one baby. She narrowed her eyes at my finger and violently stuck two fingers up at me before wiggling them around in my face.

Rude.

“Two. Yer havin’ two bairns. I mean babies.Two,” she said before her eyes softened, and she stopped sticking her fingers at me. “Ah, know it’s a shock, but yer going to be a Mam. The more, the merrier. They will grow up together, fight together, play together and if yer lucky, love one another rather than trying to do one another in.”

“Two? Two babies?” I asked, giving her both sets of my fingers.

“Yer pushing yer luck, get thay fingers doon,” she cackled as her accent thickened. “Let me show you. Do you want me to see if I can find a wee willie or no?”

“Oh, my god. If it is anything like its father’s, it will look like a third leg,” I said, focusing on the screen. “If you find a penis, can you point it out to me?”

She chuckled. “Ah, surely will.”

I ended up in Northern Ireland to remain hidden but be in Britain long enough to have the baby—babies. Now that I knew it was twins, I might settle down here or move further south. Moving south meant I would be out of the British system in case Owen was still looking for me.

I left the hospital in shock. A boy and a girl. A son and a daughter.Myson and daughter. My life had irrevocably changed. I was terrified and excited, but a strange sense of calm came over me. I would be the best mother I could be to both of my children and when they were old enough, they would see the world with me.

I thought of the Russian and his large specimen that beat the odds against the condoms. Another statistic I learned was that 1 in 5 women get pregnant when using condoms as the only method of contraception. His two fastest swimmers managed to infiltrate not one but two of my eggs. He would never know he had children, but perhaps this was how it was always meant to be.

In four months, I would give birth to my babies and start a new life as a mother. I rubbed my large belly, gently caressing my son and daughter with an overwhelming love blossoming for both of my children. The nurse was right. The twins would always have one another. My family life would be full of love andlaughter. My early years of securing my future finances would allow me to be a full-time mother only working when needed.

The fear slipped away as if it was never there, and the bubbling excitement took over as I thought of a new plan.

Fuck fate, I made my own.

Part II

Chapter 4

Rurik

Ireland would be a nice change of pace for me. I loved travelling worldwide for work and met some tremendous people. Our latest expansion was in the fast-growing economy of the African continent. The mutual benefit was set under strict anti-corruption policies, which would see certain countries’ infrastructure strengthen. This was the part of my job that I loved.

It helped that my younger brother was far more involved in the business, and I could share the burden, which is why I was able to attend Dublin’s Tech Summit. My hacker associate recommended to me there was a piece of kit that I would pay a lot of money to get my hands on. It hadn’t been announced yet, but my hacker came through for me, providing me with all the information that I required.

“Straight to the hotel,” I said to Maksim. Before tomorrow's event, I needed a massage and a good night's sleep.

The street was alive with noise—cars honking, people laughing, the hum of a city. I barely noticed any of it. My focus narrowed to the woman across the road, her blond hair, longer now, catching the pale sunlight like silk. She turned, and my heart stopped.

Itwasher.

My body moved before my mind could catch up, my long strides carting me towards her with a desperation I hadn't felt in years. Then I saw them. Two small figures in a double stroller, their dark hair a mirror of mine. The girl had her mother’s darker shade of blue eyes, but the boy had mine. Their eyes were wide and curious as they took in the world. My steps faltered as I processed what I was seeing. My chest tightened, and I felt sick.