“Please, Rory. Please forgive me. I can’t bear to lose you or my children. I need you,” I sobbed as I placed my hands in front of me on the floor.

Rory

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I walked over and put my arm around him.

“Ian, stop,” I whispered.

He turned his head and looked at me. I’d never seen him like this before. His eyes were soaked with tears.

“It’s okay,” I said as I kissed his head.

“No, it’s not okay, Rory,” he continued to cry.

We both stood up as he picked me up and carried me up the stairs. He stopped in the hallway and leaned me up against the wall, burying his head into my neck and sobbing like a baby. The only thing I could do was comfort him. I hugged him tightly as we both fell to the ground. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I began to cry with him as he poured his feelings into me.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I know I’ve overused that in our relationship, but I am. I need you to forgive me for everything. I was scared to be a father because my father wasn’t exactly a good role model and I didn’t want my child to turn out like me. I was so scared that I would fuck him up and his life and I couldn’t bear the thought of that. I’m so scared that I’m going to be a bad father and that’s why I pushed you away. Just like I did before you went off to Paris. I was so scared of loving you. I’m not a man, Rory, I’m a coward. And you’re right, I don’t deserve a woman like you. I don’t blame you for hating me. I hate me.”

My heart broke, hearing his words. “I don’t hate you, Ian. I could never hate you. I was angry, so angry.”

“I know you were and I’m so sorry. I would give anything to go back in time and start over. I need your love, sweetheart. I’m nothing without it.”

The tears poured from my eyes. “You have my love, Ian. I love you so much,” I said as I cupped his face in my hands.

“I can’t live without you. I want our family. Please say you’ll stay with me and not move to Paris. I love you so much, Rory, and I love our babies,” he said as he put his hands on my stomach. “I need all three of you.”

“We need you too, baby,” I cried.

Ian hugged me and we both stood up. He picked me up and carried me to the bedroom, kissing me the whole way down the hall. He laid me down on the bed and hovered over me, kissing me passionately.

“I want to make love to you so bad, but I know we have to wait. I miss you, sweetheart,” he said as he lay next to me and I curled up into him. “This is good enough. I just want to hold you forever. No more stress, sweetheart. I promise you there will be no more stress.”

I looked up at him and softly kissed his lips. “Twins, really?” I laughed.

A large smile grew across his face. “Two beautiful gifts from God is what they are.”

Ian

“When I saw them on the monitor, they became so real to me. Little human beings are growing inside you, Rory. I’m sorry it had to come to this for me to realize what a bastard I am,” I said as I tightened my grip around her. “Adalynn told me off. She hates me now.”

“She doesn’t hate you, Ian. She’s probably upset with you, and you know we say things we don’t mean when we’re angry.”

I sighed. She was right and I was going to spend the rest of my life making everything right for Rory and my family. She got up from the bed and I grabbed her hand.

“Hey, you aren’t allowed out of bed.”

“I’m only changing into my nightshirt. I’m really uncomfortable in these pants.”

I watched her as she changed out of her clothes and slipped into her nightshirt. She was so beautiful and I missed her amazing body more than I’d ever thought I could. I sat up so my back was against the headboard of our bed and I spread my legs, inviting her to lie between them.

“Come here, sweetheart.” I smiled as I held out my hand.

She smiled as she took my hand and nestled herself between my legs, lying her back against my chest. She looked up at me and I softly brushed my lips against hers. My fingers drifted down to the bottom of her nightshirt and slowly lifted it above her stomach.

“What are you doing?” She laughed lightly.

“I want to feel my babies,” I said as I gently placed my hands on her expanding stomach and slowly rubbed back and forth.

She placed her hands on mine and looked up at me. “I love you.”

“I love you more, sweetheart. When are we going to start telling people that you’re pregnant?”

“I think we should wait a little while longer to make sure everything is okay,” she replied.

“Okay, but you’re not going to be able to hide it too much longer. I don’t want you to worry because everything will be okay. Think positive, sweetheart.”

Rory

I stayed on complete bed rest for the next couple of days. Ian made sure I didn’t move except to go to the bathroom and when he wanted me to cuddle with him. The love of my life was back and more attentive than before. Maybe a little too attentive. He worked from home and refused to leave the house. In fact, he brought all of his work to the bedroom because he wouldn’t let me out of his sight. I sent Adalynn a text message, telling her that Ian and I were perfectly fine. I didn’t go into details because I wanted to tell her about the twins in person. She was due back sometime today and she said that she was coming right over as soon as she landed.

I was in the kitchen, taking my pre-natal vitamin, when I heard Adalynn’s voice.

“Where is she?” she asked Ian.

“It’s great to see you too, Adalynn,” Ian spoke in an irritated tone.

“I’ll deal with you later. I need to see Rory.”

She walked into the kitchen and immediately hugged me. “How are you?” she asked as she cupped my face in her hands.

“I’m good. How was your honeymoon? I want to hear all about it.”

“We can talk about that another time. Wow, look at you. You’re already starting to show,” she said with a twisted face.

I smiled at her as Ian walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “We’re having twins,” I said.

Adalynn’s jaw dropped and Ian chuckled. “What?! Oh my God! Two babies. I’m so happy for you, Rory!”

“Excuse me! What about me?” Ian said.

“I’m still pissed at you. You couldn’t deal with one baby and now you’re happy there’s two?” she asked.

“Yes, Adalynn. I’m very happy, and I saw my babies on the ultrasound at the hospital. You should’ve seen them. They were tiny humans and they were next to each other. I heard their heartbeats. It was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen.”

“Wow, look at you, Braxton, getting all choked up over your kids. Is he treating you good?” she asked me.

“Yes, he’s perfect.” I smiled.

“Okay, then. Come here, you big idiot,” Adalynn said as she held out her arms to Ian.

They hugged and Adalynn congratulated him. It was great to see that they were good again.

“I’m going to let the two of you visit. I need to run to the office for a bit. Adalynn, will you keep an eye on her for me?”

“I sure will. By the way, how’s my company? You didn’t let it go under while I was gone, did you?” she asked hesitantly.

“Prim is doing great. Nothing came up that I couldn’t handle. In fact, we need to have a meeting. I want to run a few things by you that I believe will put Prim at the top.” He winked.

She smiled at him as he left the kitchen. “So, it took him to see the babies to finally realize what an ass he was being?”

“Yeah. You should’ve seen him when he got home from the hospital. He broke down the minute we walked through the door.”

“What do you mean, he broke down?” she asked with concern.

“He fell to his knees and started sobbing and apologizing to me. It broke my heart to see him like that.”

“Wait…wait…wait. You’re telling me that Ian Braxton fell to his knees sobbing? Our Ian?”

I laughed lightly as I answered her. “Yes, our Ian did that. And then he carried me upstairs and broke down again in the hallway. God, Adalynn, he was so emotional and broken. He was begging me for forgiveness. He went on about being scared and ruining our children’s lives.”