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"Two babies," Lili whispered, staring at the screen in wonder. "Edward, we're having two babies."
The joy that had filled me at the initial confirmation now exploded into something beyond description.
Two children. Two little souls to love and protect and guide. Two chances to be the Father I'd never had the courage to imagine becoming.
"It's magnificent," I said, my voice gaining strength with each word. "Absolutely magnificent."
Dr. Harrison smiled knowingly as she printed several copies of the ultrasound images. "The babies appear healthy and are developing normally. I'd estimate you're about six weeks along, which would put your due date sometime in early March."
March. Spring babies. New beginnings.
I stood and kissed Lili properly, not caring that Dr. Harrison was watching with benevolent amusement. When we broke apart, we were both crying.
"Two," I murmured against her forehead, still trying to process the magnitude of it.
"Two Grosvenor babies," she agreed, laughing through her tears. "God help us all."
We were back in my penthouse.
I moved around the desk in three quick strides, pulling her into my arms with perhaps more enthusiasm than strictly necessary.
She laughed against my chest, the sound bright and relieved, while I buried my face in her hair and tried to process the magnitude of what the doctor had just told me.
Twins. We were having twins.
"Are you certain?" I asked, pulling back to study her face. "The doctor was absolutely certain?"
"It's real, honey. We're going to be parents. In about seven months, we're going to have two tiny humans depending on us for everything."
The responsibility of it should have terrified me.
Instead, I felt something I could only describe as fierce joy spreading through my chest like wildfire.
"So you're happy?" she asked, her eyes searching mine.
"Happy seems an inadequate word," I said honestly. "I feel as though I've just been handed everything I didn't know I wanted."
She smiled then, brilliant and radiant, and I fell in love with her all over again.
"There's something else," I said, an idea forming with the sort of perfect clarity that usually accompanied my best legal strategies. "Something I've been meaning to discuss with you."
"More surprises?" she asked, but she was still smiling.
"In a manner of speaking." I took her hands in mine, marveling at how small and strong they were. "This merger, this partnership—it's changed everything for me. The way I think about business, about family, about what matters."
"Edward—"
"Let me finish," I said gently. "I've spent my entire life believing that tradition and protocol were paramount. That certain things were done in certain ways because that's how they'd always been done. But you've shown me that the best partnerships aren't about dominance or acquisition. They're about equals choosing to build something together."
I released her hands and moved to my desk, withdrawing a small velvet box from the top drawer. Her eyes widened as I returned to her, dropping to one knee with the sort of theatrical flourish that would have horrified my younger self.
"Lili Anderton," I said, opening the box to reveal the ring I'd commissioned three days after we'd returned from Texas. "Will you do me the extraordinary honor of becoming my wife?"
The ring was perfect—a vintage-inspired design with a central diamond that caught the afternoon light, surrounded by smaller stones arranged like wildflower petals. I could see the delicate engraving on the inner surface that spelled out 'Choose us' in my own handwriting.
Texas wildflowers, to be precise, though I'd never admit to such sentimentality in public.
"Edward," she breathed, her hands flying to her mouth. "It's beautiful."