Contract Marriage: I’ve Always Loved You

I wake up in the hospital bed, shouting, “My babies…”

Relief washes over me as my eyes fall on my little twins sleeping peacefully in a crib kept beside the bed.Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

As I let out a deep breath, my eyes instinctively scan the room for Steve. He’s there, leaning against the door, arms crossed, and his intense gaze fixed on mine. I can see numerous questions and emotions in his eyes, but above all, I sense hurt mixed with anger.

My eyes fill with tears as I realise I may have hurt him again, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

I know I deserve punishment; I know I’m at fault, and I know I deserve his anger. But I don’t deserve to be separated from my babies. I just don’t. I’m their mother, and the mere thought of being separated from them is unbearable.

Parting my lips, I try to beg him not to take my babies away, but words fail to form as emotions overwhelm me.

I take a deep breath, our eyes still locked.

“Steve, please don’t take my baby-” My sentence remains unfinished as tears cascade down my cheeks, my breathing grows laboured, and I cough.

“Relax, Grace. Have this,” Steve says, approaching with a glass of water from the nearby table, while gently patting my back. After regaining my composure, I meet his gaze once more. In his eyes now, I see something I’ve always longed to see: care.

Is it real? Despite how much I’ve hurt him, he still cares for me. How is this possible? Perhaps I’m just seeing what I wish to see. It can’t be true.

“Steve-”

He cut me off.

“I never intended to take them away from you, Grace, because I’m not like you.” He begins, his eyes fixed on me. “I could never separate a mother from their babies. My intention was just to make you feel the same pain I felt.” His words bring more tears to my eyes, making me feel vulnerable.

I always knew he wasn’t cruel, I always knew he couldn’t hurt me like this, but now the relief I’m experiencing is beyond words. It’s like the nightmare has finally come to an end. Now, with my precious babies by my side, I sigh in relief, closing my eyes.

However, I regret hiding my pregnancy from him. It was the worst decision of my life.

“I’m sorry, Steve. I just-”

“I don’t want your explanation, Grace. Nothing can justify why you hid them from me. I just want to let you know that if you want to keep them in your life, you have to stay with me, just as a mother of them.” His words pierce my heart, as I wish to stay with him, not just as the mother of our babies, but as his wife.

I really hope it happens someday: me, Steve, and our little ones, all living together as one happy family. It’s my only dream now.

“Steve, I want to make things right. I know I hurt you, and I can’t change the past, but I promise to be a better person and a wonderful mother to our children.” My voice is laced with honesty as I express.

I want him to trust me. I want him to give me a chance to prove myself, and I want to hold on to this relationship that feels broken, but still beautiful.

He gives me a disdainful look. “I don’t trust you, Grace.” His harsh words sting, but I realise I haven’t done anything to make him believe that I’ve become a better person and how much I love him and missed him.

However, I’m determined to do everything in my power to win his heart and earn his trust.

The soft cry of one of our twins pierces the air, drawing our attention. I look at Steve with a mix of fear and hope in my eyes. Hesitantly, I ask, “Steve, can you give me the baby? She might be hungry.”

He stares at me for a few seconds, but nods, making me sigh in relief. As he steps towards the kids, I stare at my babies with the excitement of holding them for the first time.

He carefully picks up the little one wrapped in the pink blanket. “Hey, princess, stop crying. Mumma is just giving you the milk.” As he comforts her, my eyes moisten, witnessing them together. I never thought that my children would experience their father’s love.

As he hands over the baby girl to me and I cradle her in my arms with excitement, a wave of overwhelming joy washes over me. This marks the first time I’m holding a baby, and the sensation is beyond words. I had yearned for this moment.

Leaning in, I press a gentle kiss to her forehead, tears of joy trickling down my cheeks. Holding this little miracle, I feel incredibly blessed.

“Hey, I’m your mom, little one, and I love you so much.” I sit down, holding her close to my chest, talking to her in a cheerful voice. She’s so small, so delicate, and so beautiful. I can admire her for hours.

Oh, her eyes are such a beautiful shade of blue, just like Steve’s father’s! It really adds to her overall beauty. It’s mesmerising.

As she continues to cry, I open the button of my hospital gown to feed her.

A peaceful smile spreads across my face as I breastfeed my little baby girl. It’s an intimate moment, a connection that I’ve longed for since the first moment I knew they were growing inside me.

However, as my little angel contently feeds, the soft cries of my other little one fill the room.

“Are you hungry as well, little one? But Mumma is busy with your sister. You have to wait.” Steve tries to soothe him, cradling him in his arms and rocking him gently, but his cries only grow louder.

“Steve, let me hold him. I can feed them together.” As I suggest, his eyes glint with surprise.

He enquires in a shocked tone. “How can you handle both of them at once, Grace? It seems difficult.”

A gentle smile plays on my lips as I assure him, “I’ve taken classes on handling twins, Steve. Trust me, I can do this.”

As he passes me the crying baby boy, I notice that his eyes have the same warm brown colour as Steve’s and mine.

With a smile on my face, I position him carefully, conversing with him. “Hey, my little prince. Welcome to the world. You’re so precious, you know.”

He latches on, and the room gradually fills with the peaceful sounds of content feeding. As I hold both of my precious babies close, the feeling of completeness washes over me and a contented smile spreads across my face. I feel an incredible bond forming between us.

“You really took classes for this?” Steve asks in amazement, breaking the silence.

I nod, smiling. “I wanted to be prepared for everything. It’s not as hard as it looks.” He just keeps staring at me in disbelief.

I know he must be completely blown away by seeing me like this. But little does he know, this is just the beginning. I’m no longer the same Grace he knew eight months ago. I’ve grown and changed beyond his imagination.

***

Steve’s P. O. V.

After Grace finishes feeding the twins, I gently place them in their cribs. I kiss their forehead before standing up. Grace’s eyes hold a glimmer of remorse as they meet mine, but it’s hard for me to decipher whether it’s genuine or merely a facade.

Can people really change? Has she changed?

It’s hard for me to trust her now.

I thought that when I met her, I would confess how much I love her. However, upon discovering that all these months, she was hiding her pregnancy, wanting to keep my babies away from me, I became enraged.

Grace is still the same-manipulative and a liar.

No matter how much I love her, I’ll never forgive her for hiding the truth about her pregnancy from me. How can I forgive someone who thought to keep my children away from me?

However, I won’t make the same mistake and turn into a wicked person like her. I won’t separate a mother from her babies. I’ll let her be with them and treat her with respect.

Grace breaks the tense silence, her voice tinged with remorse. “Steve-”

“Grace, you take rest,” I interject, my tone firm yet infused with a hint of love. I can’t bear to see her burdened with guilt, even as my own heart wrestles with the pain she’s inflicted.

As I leave the room to talk with the Doctor about their discharge, my heart aches with a mixture of anger, disappointment, and a feeling of love that refuses to be extinguished.

***

When I return to the room, I find Grace marvelling at our babies with a smile on her face, standing beside their crib. Seeing her in this moment, so full of maternal love, softens the edges of my anger. Right now, she looks more beautiful than ever, with her features glowing and a love-filled sparkle in her eyes.

“The doctor said you’ll be discharged tomorrow, so tomorrow you and the babies are going with me,” I instruct her, approaching her.

“Oh my God, Steve, our baby boy is smiling while sleeping.” She exclaims, her voice filled with wonder, and I turn my attention to our son.

A smile appears on my face as well, seeing my baby smiling, and I immediately take out my phone to capture his first smile.

However, as I focus on our son, a soft cry from our daughter draws my attention. It’s as though she knows she’s being left out and demands equal attention.

Chuckling, I turn the camera towards her. “Oh my little angel, Daddy will capture your photos as well.” I click her photo, talking to her while Grace caresses their cheeks with affection.

After taking a few photos of them, as I cradle my little angel in my arm, and Grace carries our little boy, I click our selfie.

As we place the babies in the crib, Grace expresses her gratitude, “Thank you, Steve, for not snatching them from me.”

When I hear her words, memories of taking her babies flood back and my heart aches as Grace’s tear-streaked face appears in my mind.

I couldn’t even express how difficult it was for me to see her begging for her babies. In wanting her to feel the pain that I felt, I ended up hurting myself even more. I just can’t bear to see Grace in pain. Never! Although I’m still angry with her and find it hard to trust her, I promise myself that I will never let her cry again.

I respond, “I never wanted to take them away from you, Grace. They are our children, and I want them to have both their parents around. Despite everything, they deserve our love and care.”

She nods with a hint of emotion in her voice. “I know I messed up, Steve, and I’m glad that you’re giving me a chance to make things right.” She admits, her vulnerability touching something deep within me.

As the soft sounds of our twins fill the room, I lean closer to their cribs. “Tomorrow, we’ll go home, my babies.” As I whisper, looking at our precious creations, they stare at me with their innocent eyes.

They’re so cute. My babies!

“Aww… my babies, Mumma can’t describe in words how adorable you both are looking.” Grace talks to them in a cheerful tone, taping their nose and stroking their cheeks.

We laugh as our little boy sucks our little angel’s forehead.

“Grace, did you think about their names?” I ask her with curiosity.

“Yes, I had, but now you’ll choose their names. I want to give you this right.”

“We’ll together decide their name, Grace. We both have equal rights and it’s important that we make this decision together. So tell me what’s on your mind.” I raise my brows at her, caressing the soft cheeks of the twins.

“Giana and Evan.” She suggests, and I ponder for a moment. They’re beautiful names, and I feel a connection to them.

“Giana and Evan,” I repeat, testing the names on my tongue, my gaze fixed on our little ones. A smile forms on my face as I realise how perfect they sound.

“I love them, Grace. Giana and Evan Grey.” I smile at my babies, clasping their tiny hands.

Giana pouts while sleeping, causing me to chuckle. I lean down and caress my nose against her. I’m so blessed to have them. They both are so precious.