When I woke up one morning in late April, it took me a few moments to realize that it wasn't the ceiling of my room in the palace that I was looking at. Lucy stirred at the sound of my alarm, groaning. I brushed a hand up and down her bare back, kissing her once between her shoulder blades before heaving myself out of bed. I stepped carefully over the cardboard boxes stacked against the walls of our new bedroom, being sure to make as little noise as possible. Maxon had offered to hire some maids and butlers on our behalf to help us move but this felt like one of those things that Lucy and I had to do ourselves.
I showered quickly and donned my uniform, dreading the days ahead. Since the peace treaty with New Asia had been put into place and the last few pockets of Southern rebels vanquished, being a guard at the palace had been somewhat dull. Things would pick up once the twins were born but we were in a holding pattern. Our plans for their security details had been set, new protocols for visitors on the third floor were written up and signed off on by Maxon. It was all on America and those babies now.
When I emerged from our bathroom, Lucy was nowhere to be seen. Though it had been a couple years since the massacre, my heart still pinched with fear when she disappeared. "Luce?" I called into the bedroom.
"In the kitchen," she answered sweetly. I worked on fastening my watch as I walked down the small hallway to find her sifting through different boxes. We had moved into our house over the weekend and hadn't had much time to settle in yet. It took months for us to find the right house for us. Finally, we settled on one in the suburbs of Angeles. It was a small rancher that was just the right amount of space for us and a couple guests. In time, it would be a cozy home for us and a couple of kids.
"What are you looking for?" I asked, trying not to laugh at her befuddled gaze as she took in the boxes.
"The coffee maker. I thought for sure that it was in the box with the waffle maker and egg poacher."
My eyebrows rose. "We have an egg poacher?"
"I think that's what America called it. I don't know. She went a little overboard with her shopping for us."
"She's on maternity leave. What would you expect from her?"
Lucy's smile softened at the thought of our rebellious friend. "Nothing less." The phone rang then. It was probably the only thing that was working in the house at the moment but if I wasn't living in the palace, a phone was necessary to reach me. "Whoever's calling you at this hour, tell them that you'll be at the palace in a half hour," she said, going back to her search.
I shook my head at her and checked the ID. "It's Maxon's private line," I told Lucy. She straightened, her face concerned. I lifted the phone to my ear. "Commander Leger," I answered, bracing myself for whatever it was that Maxon was calling us about.
"Hey," said a feminine voice. "It's Marlee. Maxon gave me his phone to use because we can't risk a leak in what I'm about to tell you."
"Marlee, is everything okay?"
Lucy frowned in confusion when she heard me say Marlee's name. "More than okay, Aspen," Marlee quickly said. "America went into labor yesterday afternoon. The twins are here."
It took a few moments for my brain to process that thoroughly. "You're serious? And no one told me?"
"They wanted to keep it a secret. They're weird, I know. But America's family is coming to visit at ten and she wants Lucy to come meet the twins so desperately, so if you want to get some time with them…"
"Come before Magda. Got it. How is she?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Why don't you come see for yourself?"
"We'll be right there." I hung up the phone, putting it back on the receiver. "Lucy, get dressed." I took the coffee maker from her hands and put it on the counter.
"What? Why? What's happening?"
I smiled, feeling more elated than I had in months. "The twins are here," I told her.
Her jaw fell open as a smile engulfed her petite face. "Really? Oh my gosh, I need to get dressed. I need...I need to find proper clothes!" She dashed into the bedroom and I heard her opening and closing drawers in her dresser.
"Just put on anything, Luce. I don't think Maxon and America will care how you're dressed."
"No, but I care." She emerged from the bedroom with pants that were half-buttoned and a blouse hanging slightly askew on her shoulders. Her hair was haphazard as she had obviously just pulled it from the braid she wore it in to bed. "How do I look?" she asked, hopping on one foot as she put her shoes on.
"Beautiful."
She rolled her eyes. "Liar."
As she grabbed her palace ID and the keys to the house to put in her small purse, I grabbed her elbow and kissed her. "I love you."
"I love you, too. We need to get going. The heirs are waiting!" She practically ran out the door then, purse swinging from her hands behind her.
I followed behind her, making sure all of the lights were off and doors were locked. I drove as fast as I could, not necessarily abiding by speed limits but also making sure we were safe. If I got pulled over, I had a pretty good excuse for speeding. The sun was just rising over the roofline of the palace when I pulled into the staff parking lot.
We went through the kitchens entrance. The kitchens were quiet for it being close to the breakfast hour. Delilah was there, quietly humming to herself. She was setting a bowl of steaming scrambled eggs on a silver platter. Beside it was a tall glass of milk, a bowl of fruit, several pieces of toast, and roasted breakfast veggies.
"That looks delicious, Delilah," I told her. I resisted the urge to swipe a piece of bacon from the small plate in front of me.
"You don't see anything, Leger," she said.
Lucy cocked her head curiously. "What do you mean?"
Delilah went to the fridge and removed a plate with a single strawberry tart resting on it and placed it on the silver tray, giving me a meaningful look. We all knew who had a pension for strawberry tarts in the palace.
"Understood," I said. I took Lucy's hand and we left the kitchens then, walking toward the hospital wing. It was a route we knew well from the countless visits to the doctor I made after the massacre.
The hospital wing was quiet as well. It wasn't like there would be a line of people waiting to meet the newest members of the royal family anyway. As we approached the doors to the hospital, Marlee and Carter emerged, Marlee giving Carter instructions for Kile from the sound of it.
"He'll probably sleep for another hour or so. I'm going to stay here so once he's awake and fed, you can bring him here to meet them. Oh, Aspen, Lucy, you're here." Marlee looked relieved.
"Good morning," I greeted, shaking Carter's hand and then giving Marlee a light hug. "How's she doing?"
Carter laughed. "She's fine. It's Maxon that's freaking out."
"Of course," Lucy said.
"Like you were any different," Marlee said, elbowing Carter. "You can go ahead inside. Third door on the right."
"Thanks," I said. I opened the door for Lucy and she ducked under my arm to go inside. From down the hall, I could hear Maxon saying something, followed by America's laugh. I braced myself slightly. It felt strange to be meeting America's children when for so long, I imagined that her children would be mine as well. Still, I couldn't wait to see my best friends' latest blessing.
Sitting up in her bed, baby in one arm, pen in the other, America was signing a document that Stavros was holding out to her. "Of course you would give birth to twins and go right back to work, Mer," I teased when I saw her.
She finished her signature with a flourish and started at the sound of my voice. "Aspen, you're here," she said, her voice coming out raspy.
I was there but I was stuck in place as I got a full view of her with a baby in her arms. It didn't seem possible that she was a mother. This woman I had known for what felt like my whole life. She was suddenly responsible for these two small lives wrapped up in the arms of her and Maxon. Her hair was in a disheveled knot atop her head and her eyes were masked by dark circles. She was slightly pale but still looked full of life. Maxon was right next to her, rocking another baby. He too looked a little worse for wear, especially dressed in jeans and a cotton button-down, the most casual clothes he owned.
"Congratulations," Lucy squealed, skipping to the side of America's bed and taking a peek at the baby. Now that I'd had time to really process everything in front of me, I noticed that the baby America held had a blue cap on. Maxon's baby had a pink hat.
"A boy and a girl?" I asked, stepping toward Maxon. I offered him my hand but he wrapped his free arm around me.
"Aspen, I'd like to introduce you to Her Royal Highness Princess Eadlyn Helena Margarete Schreave," he said, angling himself so that I could see her face. Her little face was scrunched up, making it difficult to decipher specific facial features but from underneath her cap poked little bits of hair.
"Brown hair? Where'd that come from?"
"My mom," Maxon whispered in an awed voice. "Her complexion, hair, even her little lips...she is all Mom."
"I love the name," I began, "but isn't it a mouthful?"
"Ah, but you haven't met Ahren yet," America said in a teasing voice. "Ahren Harmonium Schreave."
"Harmonium?" Lucy repeated, her eyebrows raised.
America rolled her eyes. "I know. That was all him." She nodded to her husband.
"It's a Singer family name," he said defensively.
"For one person, because they realized what a weird name it is."
"You just signed the birth certificate - there's no going back now." Even through their bickering, they were both beaming with pride, their eyes locked in a gaze so intimate that I felt like an intruder.
A butler arrived then with the silver tray Delilah had been preparing, now with even more plates of food on it. "I'll take it," Lucy said, when it became clear that the butler didn't know where to place it. She put the tray on a small side table and pushed it toward Mer's bed.
"Good lord, Maxon, you ordered all of that food?" America said in disbelief.
"You haven't eaten in twelve hours, and you just gave birth to two babies," he said, matching her disbelief.
She shook her head. "Believe me, I know." She looked up at Lucy and shifted Ahren slightly. "Would you like to hold him?"
"Really?"
"Yeah." I watched America gently pass Lucy the baby, quietly instructing her in how to hold the baby properly. Lucy cradled the baby close, rocking him. "You're a natural, Luce."
"It's easier if he's asleep."
"You can give him back once he does wake up. They'll both need to be fed soon anyway," America said.
Marlee breezed in then, a cup of coffee grasped tightly in one of her hands. "Oh good, you've gotten food. Even if you're not hungry America, you need to eat. You," she said to Maxon, pointing to him. "Give her to Aspen and eat with your wife. You both need your energy."
"That bacon does smell good," Maxon relented.
"Maybe you want to try something a little lighter on the grease? You don't want to upset your stomach again," America recommended.
I laughed. "What's that?"
"Nothing," Maxon said.
At the same time, America answered, "He puked." Maxon let out an exasperated sigh. "Not even when we reached the messy part. It was before I even got the epidural."
"You should be flattered that the sight of you in pain sickens me so," Maxon said, perching on the side of her bed. She giggled, leaning her forehead against his shoulder. Maxon looked at me then. "Would you like to take her for a bit?"
"Yeah," I choked out, my heart starting to pound in fear. It had been years since I had held a baby so small. Not since Ivy was born. He remembered his mother telling him that babies weren't nearly as fragile as they looked but he was having his doubts, staring at the hours-old babe. Still, as Maxon handed her to me, it was a feeling completely familiar yet foreign. It was one thing to hold my baby sister when I was a teenager. It was different as an adult, holding my ex-girlfriend's baby. Not to mention the fact that the baby happened to be the next queen of Illéa. The thought made me gasp, thinking that someday, this little girl would be the most powerful woman in the world.
Maxon stroked her cheek with his index finger. "I know. It's amazing."
"Hey!" Marlee barked at the king of Illéa. "Eat."
America put her hands under her to slide over but grunted in pain, a small squeal escaping her pursed lips. Maxon, without missing a beat, slid his arms under her legs and slid her a few inches closer to the edge of the bed so that they could sit beside each other on the bed. She offered him a grateful smile. "I'm fine," she insisted.
"I know." He was still staring at her. "I'll feel better once you've eaten that entire strawberry tart though."
"Please, give me a challenge," she teased.
Marlee sat at the end of the bed, taking a sip of her coffee. "Silvia is outside, having a conniption about the announcement."
"Yeah, why hasn't there been an announcement yet?" Lucy asked, lifting her eyes from Ahren's little face.
Maxon and America exchanged a look. "Well," Maxon began, "during our last check-up with the obstetrician and the midwife, they warned us that the chances of complications during labor with twins were higher than they would be if it were just one baby. To be on the safe side, we decided that we wanted it to be just us for the birth but we also didn't want to announce that she was in labor in case something happened. So yesterday, the palace went on lockdown when we came here. And this morning, after the babies were born safely, we announced that America's in labor."
"You look great for being in labor, Ames," Marlee said, giggling.
"Thanks," America said around a mouthful of strawberry tart.
"And you'll announce the birth of the babies tonight?"
Maxon nodded. "The staff have been sworn to secrecy. Most of them were gone for the day by the time we moved down here."
"It feels like forever ago," America mumbled, leaning her head back against her pillow. Maxon patted her knee. "That seven minutes felt like a lifetime."
"Seven minutes?" Marlee repeated, her head cocked to the side.
"The time between her and Ahren," Maxon supplied.
"Seven minutes? That's impressive!"
"You're amazing," he agreed, putting an arm around his wife.
"Just keep eating your bacon."
Lucy settled in the chair next to me. "Want to see Ahren?" She leaned forward so that I could see him better. His skin was slightly paler than Eadlyn's and I could see blonde hair poking out from under his blue cap. "He looks like his daddy, doesn't he?"
"He does." Eadlyn shifted in my arms, as if she was perturbed that we were talking about her brother and not her. A small squeak came out as she stretched. "Hey, Eadlyn," I whispered down to her, rocking her to try to get her back to sleep. She was determined though and her eyes cracked open just slightly. They were dark, similar to a stormy sky. "Eyes get lighter, right?" I asked Maxon.
"Typically."
"I think she has your eye, Mer," I told them.
America sucked in a quick breath. I walked over to her side of the bed to pass Eadlyn back to her mother. She was definitely awake and beginning to cry now. Maxon moved the plate out of America's lap, only a couple bites of strawberry tart left. America was overcome with another wave of emotion as she started comforting Eadlyn, whispering to her slightly. "My eyes and your eyes," she said to Maxon.
"No red hair though."
"That's fine. She looks like your mom."
Maxon beamed. "Yes, she does."
Ahren started to squirm then and Eadlyn's cries grew louder. America sighed. "They're hungry right?" she asked, looking to Maxon for confirmation.
"You ask me like I've done this before!"
"You guys are going to do great," Marlee said, rising from her seat. "I'm going to try to catch Carter and Kile for breakfast. Make sure you keep eating and resting. Don't socialize with your guests all day."
"Yes, let's get some sleep before your mother gets here," Maxon agreed.
Marlee kissed America's forehead. "Congratulations, Mom." She squeezed Maxon's hand and then left, taking her coffee with her.
Lucy passed Ahren off to Maxon and she gave me a look that said that we should get going as well. America was figuring out how to undo her gown so that she could feed Eadlyn, which seemed to be as good a time as any for us to leave. "Thanks for telling us to come over and meet them," I said as Lucy collected her jacket and purse. I shook Maxon's free hand again.
"Of course. Just remember to return the favor when the time is right."
Lucy was quiet as she hugged Mer goodbye. "We'll try our best," I offered.
I gave America a quick peck on the cheek before leading Lucy out into the hallway. She was pensive, and I had a pretty good idea of where her thoughts were. "I'll drive you home? I have time before work."
She shook her head. "I was thinking of hanging out here for the day. It'll give me the chance to see America's family and spend time with Mary. I don't think she'll have much to do today, seeing as how attentive Maxon is being."
"Then maybe I can meet you for lunch?"
"Sounds good." Her voice sounded distant, like she was only half-agreeing.
I pulled her to a stop. "What's wrong?"
"You're not going to have baby fever now, are you?" she asked me.
"What do you mean?"
She pursed her lips, avoiding eye contact by all means. "Between Kile, Marid, Eadlyn and Ahren, I feel like everyone is expecting us to be next. Maxon even said so."
"We don't have to be next. We can still wait a few years."
"What if things aren't resolved in a few years?" she asked, the crux of the issue finally coming out. Lucy's cycles had been irregular at best, even with birth control leveling out her hormones. The gynecologist told her that her ovulations were sporadic, making conception incredibly difficult and sometimes dangerous.
"Hey," I whispered, leaning down so that I was more on her level. I put my hands on her shoulders, hating the hurt that I could see in her eyes. I felt the same thing she did. That joy of seeing our friends start to expand their families, but the despair of the reminder that we may never get that chance. "A lot can change in a few years. And even if we can't have our own baby, there are other options, okay?" She nodded. "You're my family, Lucy. I could happily live my days out with only you at my side. You're all I need."
She smiled sadly. "I love you, Aspen." She leaned into me for an embrace. I held her for several moments, suppressing the urge to think about how Maxon and America were comparing their twins' features and realizing that I might never get to do that.
"I love you too, Luce."
She squeezed my hand and we stayed linked until we entered the foyer where we would need to part ways if she was going to the Women's Room.
"I'll come find you when I'm ready to eat, okay?"
"Don't forget," she said, jabbing her pointer finger into my sternum.
"I would never forget about you," I swore, and I watched her walk down the hallway until she rounded a corner and disappeared from sight.