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She heard her name and slowly turned her head. Diaz was sitting on a chair beside her.
She had to swallow to croak, ‘Hi.’
‘Hi yourself.’
Exhaustion made her sigh. ‘Have you seen them?’ When she’d first come round from the anaesthetic, the nurse had been quick to assure her the babies had made it safely into the world.
He smiled. Even through the blurriness of her vision, she could see the awe in his eyes. ‘They’re beautiful, Rose. Just perfect.’
Her heart swelled. She longed to see them and hold them. Part of her wish was answered when Diaz brought pictures of them up on his phone for her.
‘I’ve forwarded them to you and I’ve got one of my team printing them off so you can hold them until you can hold our girls for real.’
Tears filled her eyes. ‘Thank you. That’s a really thoughtful thing to do.’
‘It is the least I can do. I’m afraid they’re not up to your standard of photography, but you can rectify that when you’re better.’
She blinked back the tears and tried to smile, but the anaesthetic and pain relief were still working their magic in her. ‘Will you kiss them for me?’ Her eyes were getting heavy again. ‘And tell them I love them and will be with them as soon as I can?’
‘I promise.’
‘Thank you.’ It was becoming a struggle to speak. ‘And, Diaz?’
‘Yes?’
‘Can we call them Amelia and Josephine?’
His shoulders rose and the strangest smile curved his cheeks. ‘I guessed you’d…’ He gave a low laugh and admitted, ‘Those are the names I’ve been calling them in my head.’
Her eyes closed and she fell back into sleep with a contentment in her heart and a soft smile on her lips.
Amelia and Josephine were her mother’s and Diaz’s grandmother’s respective names.
She didn’t register the lingering brush of warm lips on her forehead.
Five months later
* * *
Diaz let himself in through the front door. ‘Rose?’
No answer.
After checking all the rooms downstairs, he headed up to her bedroom. She was sprawled face down on the bed, fast asleep, one hand dangling in the cot, which had been pushed against the bed so she could comfort the twins through the night when needed. But this wasn’t night time. It was three in the afternoon.
Amelia was asleep too, but Josephine—Josie as they both called her—was awake and kicking her legs. He scooped her up. Immediately she went for his nose. If ever he was confused over which twin was which, all he had to do was bring them to his face. If she tried to suck his nose then it was Josie.
His almost noiseless movement woke Rose, and she lifted her head. When she saw Diaz, she blinked in confusion.
‘Go back to sleep,’ he mouthed.
Another confused owl-like blink and then she put her head back on the pillow.
Carrying Josie downstairs, he took her into the kitchen and, holding her securely with one arm, made himself a cup of instant coffee. He disliked instant but there were no fresh coffee beans. Other than half a loaf of bread, some teabags, an empty box of cereal and some dried pasta, the cupboards were bare.
He sighed.
Rose thought she was a superwoman who could do it all. The only person she permitted to share the childcare load was Diaz, who she let come and go as he pleased. He limited his travels as much as he could but he had an international business to run. When he wasn’t around, she was alone with the girls. He always knew when she’d had no sleep at all because he’d walk through the door and she’d mumble the time for the girls’ next feed before zonking out. When she was awake around him, it was as if he faded into the background for her, a presence that blended into the walls.