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“Lan.” My eyes welled with tears as I peered at him over my shoulder. “They are moving. Our babies are moving inside my belly.”

Lan blinked like it was the last thing he expected I’d say.

“Now?” He swallowed in a shocked whisper.

“Yes, now,” I blubbered, laughing. I gently took his hand that was woven around my breasts, and lowered it. His big hand splayed on the little bulge on my lower tummy.

For a minute, nothing happened, and Lan softly ran his thumb back and forth. Suddenly, the flutter of activity returned once again, poking and jabbing me.

I never felt more pregnant than I did right at this moment. Something stung, knowing I had already missed half of this pregnancy in ignorance, and now, I only had four months left. I wondered if I was ever going to show. The doctor assured me everything was perfectly fine, but even then, I was with twins, so I must be big by now, right? Are they growing properly? Do I need to eat more?

Lan eyed my belly with a look of wonderment. “Is this for real?” he asked. “I’ve never felt anything like this before. Looks like there are aliens inside you.”

I elbowed his ribs. “Don’t call my boys aliens.”

“Boys, huh?” Lan grinned.

“Maybe.”

I had no clue why I called them boys. Maybe in my head, whenever I imagined them, they were mini versions of Lan. We still had no idea what sex the babies were, and we honestly didn’t care as long as they were healthy and happy.

Lan cuddled closer to me, our hands intertwined protectively over my belly. Soon, our breathing slowed as we slipped into a deep slumber.

I’d never felt more free or more myself in his arms.Ever.It was like I’d conquered every adversary and was finally back home where I belonged.

With my Lan.

CHAPTER 29

KATY

It’d officially been three weeks since Luka came to live with us. I could see some of the light returning to his precious brown eyes. He was happy with his school, his new friends, and didn’t have any trouble easing into being a member of our family.

And since things were going pretty smoothly, Lan and I decided it was time for us to announce to him that the house would soon get a bit more crowded.

We both have bonded with Luka instantly, but I knew it was still going to take time and patience for him to build that kind of trust you did with your parents. But we didn’t want to keep him in the dark any longer.

Somewhere in the past couple of days, my stomach popped like I had swallowed a watermelon. And I knew it would only grow to a size that Luka might start contemplating bizarre scenarios.

His mind was so active now; he was already fighting invisible monsters and playing pretend as a superpowered T-rex that breathed fire.

“Is your chocolate milkshake good, buddy?” Lan asked Luka, who was sitting opposite us on the couch.

Luka gave Lan a nod of acknowledgment but continued slurping up his drink.

It felt like a very serious family discussion, only with a six-year-old boy who had no idea what was going on and was happily drinking his shake.

I slid my nervous eyes toward Lan, but he offered a reassuring smile, squeezing my hand.

We both waited as slow minutes ticked by.

“Finshwed,” Luka announced proudly, licking the remnants of chocolate from his lips.

“Good boy,” Lan praised. “Now wipe your mouth like I taught you.”

Luka nodded with a determined frown. He carefully set the mug aside on the coffee table and grabbed a tissue that Lan had left for him earlier. In the most adorable possible way, he cleaned himself up. After Lan’s approval, he returned to his seat.

“Luka, buddy,” Lan started in a gentle tone. “We called you here to talk about something important, okay?”