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I poured myself some decaf tea, bringing the steaming mug over to the living room window. I loved my place—it was just big enough with three bedrooms and a study, and a large living room with a view overlooking the lake and an endless sea of trees. The green was all white, however, a recent snow having blanketed the area.
On the other side of my ultra-modern condo, the view looked out onto downtown Evergreen. The town was impossibly cute, all the buildings designed in that rustic, all-wood style that came to mind when one thought of small-town Colorado. There was nature everywhere, my condo minutes away from hikes and trails and places to explore. And if I wanted the city, Denver was only a thirty-minute drive away.
My phone buzzed in the study. Tea in hand, I slowly waddled over to see who was trying to get in touch. My study was perfect, too—a big room with tall bookshelves lining the walls, a view of the woods and the clear, Colorado sky above with the mountains in the distance the ultimate inspiration.
My phone was next to my computer, and I gave it a quick look. It was a text from Mom.
What’s going on? If you don’t text me back right away, I’m going to assume you’re in labor.
I smiled as I read the text. As soon as my parents found out I was having twins, they decided that the thing to do was to get out of Texas and come join me in Colorado. At first, I’d been hesitant for them to sell the family home and put down roots in a brand-new city, but they’d been quick to let me know that nothing mattered more to them other than being close by and being able to be in the girls’ lives.
They’d been a huge help. After they sold the house, Dad finally retired and put some of his trusted managers in charge of the stores. They bought this adorable house in City Park West, close enough to swing by whenever they wanted to and help out.
Not in labor, just trying to relax and get some work done.
You can’t relaxandwork, Georgie. You ask me, you should be sitting on your butt and taking it easy.
I smiled, typing up my response.
Workingisrelaxing for me. I’d go insane if I was just sitting around watching Netflix and waiting for them to come.
The girls moved again; this time way more than they’d done before. It felt like they were teaming up to smash their way through. I set the phone down, placing my hand on my belly and giving myself a second to get composed.
Well, you’ve got my opinion. Your father and I are home from dinner, so reach out if you need anything this weekend before we come visit on Sunday.
Will do. Thanks.
I slipped my phone into my pocket, turning my attention to the computer and deciding that maybe Mom was right—that I needed to relax, at least a little. A little time out on the heated balcony sounded just right.
Fresh cup of tea in hand, I made my way down the hall, stopping at the nursery and flicking the light on. The room was gorgeous, done up in Greek style with pretty columns painted on the walls, little cartoon renditions of Greek gods here and there. It was only fitting that the nursery be decorated like that, not only was Greek mythology my thing, but the girls were going to be given Greek names. The first was Danae, which was the name of a Greek queen. The second was Daphne, which meant “tree spirit.”And not to mention, their father was Greek, and it ran through their veins.
I couldn’t wait for them to see their new home, and I could only hope they loved it as much as I did.
The bedroom next to the nursery was currently functioning as a guest room for when Mom and Dad or Haley came to visit. When the girls were old enough, it’d work just as well for one of their bedrooms.
I’d been scared as hell when I’d first found out I was pregnant. But over the last few months, the fear had faded and been replaced with total excitement. It was going to be hard to raise them as a single mom, but I couldn’t wait to meet them, to hold my little girls in my arms.
As I reached over to turn off the nursery light, the tightness returned. This time, it was so intense that I had to put down my mug of tea, so I didn’t spill it. I closed my eyes and winced, leaning forward and putting my hand on the dresser.
“Oh… oh-oh-oh…” My words echoed in the nursery. The longer it went on, the more I realized that it wasn’t just simple tightness—there was pain, too.
I took in one deep breath after another, letting the pain pass. It took a little longer this time, more than these sorts of spells had ever taken to pass, but before too long I was back to normal.
Hesitantly, I picked up my mug and went into the living room, grabbing a blanket and stepping out onto the balcony. I turned the heater on, warmth soon pushing back the January chill. The evening was quiet, the white-covered expanse of trees perfectly peaceful. A few roads snaked through the woods, the small lights that dotted them the only sign that there was anyone else around.
Combine that with the smell of the fresh air blending with the towering pines, along with the perfect silence, and I was in total heaven. I sipped my tea before setting it down then wrapping myself in the blanket and having a sit in one of the wooden lounge chairs.
Picking up my mug again, I wrapped my hands around the tea, taking one more long, leisurely sip, a smile spreading across my face.
I was content. That is, until I thought of him. Alex appeared in my mind’s eye as he so often did when I was trying to relax. What I wished was that I could be mad at him, that he could be some worthless loser who’d abandoned me. He wasn’t, however. For all I knew, he’d jump at the chance to be a dad, and that he’d feel terrible if he were to find out that I’d been going through a pregnancy with twins all by myself.
It didn’t matter. He was probably on his yacht somewhere on the Aegean Sea, a glass of whiskey in his hand and a few gorgeous, bikini-clad women lounging around nearby. He had no clue that he’d knocked up the American woman he’d slept with one time nearly eight months ago. As far as he was concerned, it’d been nothing more than a single night of unattached fun.
Mom and Dad had, against my wishes, tried to find him. But with nothing more than a first name and a vague job description to go on, it’d been impossible. It was almost like the guy was trying not to be found.
It was fine. I’d do it without him. There hadn’t been a thing in my life that I hadn’t been able to conquer when I’d put my mind to it, and I was sure that single motherhood would be no exception.
The girls started kicking again, the tension returning to my belly, along with the same pain that had accompanied it before.
