Page 63 of Secret Redemption

“Jace!” Lucy said and went to dig Jace in the ribs, but he caught her hands.

“Babe, stop. I’m only kidding,” he said in her ear. The rest of his words were lost as he kept whispering in her ear and she giggled.

The couples cuddled up on the chairs, and Ava noticed Megan had fallen asleep with her head on Daniel’s shoulder. Ava felt her eyes drift as she listened to the steady heartbeat of the man who held her heart and had offered her all her dreams.

~~~

Ava woke to Zack shaking her. Opening her eyes, she saw Dane walking down the hallway looking haggard and exhausted. He stopped as Lucy ran to him followed by Jace, Daniel, and Megan. She and Zack followed, with Skye and Nate behind them.

“Well?” Lucy demanded. They saw tears well in Danes eyes, and Ava felt her heart drop.

“They’re perfect. All three of them. I have a daughter and a son!” he stated with a beatific if exhausted smile. “Lauren is tired, but she was amazing.”

“Oh Dane,” Lucy said and threw herself at her big brother. He caught her and held tight as emotion and unspoken words swamped them.

“Can we see them?” Lucy asked as Dane received hugs from everyone including the men.

“Yeah, they’re getting her settled and then you can say a very quick hello, but only because Doc Turner pulled some strings.”

Everyone nodded and sat back down as he left to go back to Lauren.

“Um, who is Doc Turner?” Skye asked.

“He is the live-in doctor at the Estate,” Zack replied.

“Oh, I just called him doc.”

“Yeah, we all do,” Lucy laughed.

Ava saw the way Lucy leaned into Jace and the way she also grabbed Megan’s hand and held tight. The emotion was thick and nearly every person in the room was lost in thought. Ava put her head on Zack’s shoulder.

“I don’t want to wait either, Zack.,”

He looked down at her then. “What do you mean?”

“Life is short and so fragile. Why wait to get married or give Riley a brother or sister. I don’t want to wait.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

“I love you,” he stated simply and kissed her hard on the mouth. Ava could feel every emotion he felt poured into the kiss. The feeling of dread wound tighter, and she pushed it away.

Dane walked out, and in his arms, were two tiny bundles. Lucy gasped and rushed to him, stopping as she got close.

“Guys, meet my daughter, Leah Elizabeth,” he said his voice breaking on the words. Lucy sucked in a sob and tears ran down her face. Ava tried valiantly to hold back her own tears at the beautiful tribute to their beloved sister.

“And this is Aaron Colin Bennett, my son.” The pride was evident as Dane fought the smile that would not leave his face.

“Congratulations Dane, you are a lucky man,” Zack said as they all peered at the tiny red-faced bundles.

“I need to get them back, they want to check them over, but so far they seem like they won’t need time in SCBU.”

“Go, we’ll keep in touch.”

Zack clapped Dane on the shoulder gently and smiled. Ava kissed his cheek, and they walked towards the door.

“Let’s go home baby,” she said and held his hand as they took the lift to the carpark.