Page 124 of Glitterati Omega

“Mm,” Rupert murmured. He happened to glance at the time. As if on cue, the twins wailed from the other room, signaling the end of their nap. “I was just thinking it might be dinnertime,” he murmured, then excused himself from the sitting room.

Lucy peered at him with their large, dark eyes as he entered the room; the babe was standing, having pulled themself up by the railing of their crib. They wobbled a little, dancing on the mattress in excitement, trilling a greeting at him.

“Oh, yes, hello, darling,” he cooed, scooping the babe into his arms. “Was it you squalling about dinner, Lu?”

“Babababa,” Lucy said, leaning their head on his shoulder, then shoving their fist in their mouth and drooling.

“I see,” Rupert said, settling them over his hip and approaching the other crib. “And how about you, Nel?”

Nelson was decidedly the crankier of the two. They glared at Rupert, but said nothing, too busy chewing furiously on their fist and kicking their feet. “Nap was that good, was it?” Rupert reached down and rubbed Nel’s tummy, which made Nel screw up their face in protest. They spat out their fist and started to cry.

Lu whimpered in his ear, then sniffled. “Baba,” they babbled.

“Yes, Nel’s in a foul mood, aren’t they?” Rupert looked at his eldest. “What say you, Lu? Can you wait a little for me?”

At almost a year, it was impossible for him to cradle both of them during feedings. Nel was far too cranky; Lu, too exploratory. Nel tended to kick and fuss, while Lu generally tried to crawl off his lap, at serious risk of landing on their head on the floor.

He grabbed Nel under his other arm and headed for the rocking chair. Nel squawked in indignation. Rupert ignored the child, then settled Lu on the floor at his feet. They instantly reached for one of the wooden blocks scattered there.

He plonked down and sat Nel on his lap. “Now,” he said, “little mx. fussypants, are you hungry?”

Nel screwed up their face again. Rupert sighed, then guided them in, letting the child rest their head against his chest. Nel grumped some more, then slowly settled and, finally, started rooting.

“I thought as much,” Rupert murmured with a smile. Nel was always irritable when they were hungry. Lu was too, of course. And come to think of it, so was Rupert himself.

Nel started tugging on his dress. “Just a second,” Rupert chided, then grabbed the child’s hand and guided it away. “I’ll get it. You be patient.”

“Ah!” Nel squawked at him and gave a mighty tug, tearing the fabric.

Rupert blinked. “Well,” he said, “I’ll just have to tell Auntie Elise what you’ve done now.” He finished wriggling out of the bodice, followed by his bra.

Nel took to him almost at once, and Rupert sighed with the sensation of letdown. Neither twin had been very good at latching at the start, so breastfeeding had been arduous and almost unpleasant. He’d had to supplement early on anyway; he didn’t think he could have kept up with one infant, never mind the two of them.

Still, he’d wanted to keep nursing, knowing he’d never have another opportunity. He’d undergone surgery to remove all his reproductive organs a scant two months after the twins were born. All the hormones slogging through his system during pregnancy had heralded a return of the cancer, this time not just the ovary but the uterus too.

They were lucky. Very lucky, all three of them.

He fluffed Nel’s hair—or what little of it there was, fine platinum blond fuzz—and forced dark thoughts away. Dr. Arendse said they’d got it all. His latest tests had said he was still in remission. He’d likely have to do a course of chemotherapy or radiation once the twins were weaned, as a precaution. He’d delayed it, against medical advice, but the risk had so far paid off.

“Mmph,” Nel said, then pulled away with a little sigh, milk dribbling from their mouth.

“Messy,” Rupert chided, using the corner of the blanket to wipe up the excess. “Are you quite satisfied.”

“Ah,” Nel said, then nestled against him, heaving a big sigh. Rupert patted the babe’s back.

“Are you good to play or must your sibling wait a little longer?” He leaned down and nuzzled noses with Nel, who pushed him away and twisted around, reaching for the floor.

Rupert lowered the babe to the floor, then scooped Lu up. Lu protested loudly, then cried, straining for the blocks.

“Oh!” Rupert cried, then grabbed the green block and handed it to them. “Aren’t you hungry, Lu?”

Lucy was more interested in turning the block over and over, babbling to themself. Rupert clamped up the one side of his bra, then released the other. “Come on, Lu, help Mama even this out.”

“Ba,” Lucy said, looking at him, then jamming their fist in their mouth.

Rupert sighed. “I don’t know how you’re the bigger twin still,” he murmured, slowly folding them into his arms. Lu cooed and snuggled, then started hitting him with the block.

“My dear, sweet child,” Rupert sighed. “When your father gets in here …”