Part 2: All the News that's fit to Tell
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Karsh and Ileana could barely contain their smiles as they approached their former young charges. They had been married for over a year now, and their fingers intermingled as they made their way down the path. The disbelief on the newcomer's faces was enough of a reward for their secrecy.
"Oh my God!" They heard the twins cry.
Ileana leaned over to her husband, "See? Look how happy they are."
"Hey, I wasn't the one who wanted to keep it a secret, you wanted to call them the minute you found out."
"I can keep a secret; I didn't say a thing at the birthday party."
"Oh, but you wanted to. You almost blurted it out the minute they asked you about that puffball costume."
"There you go, raising your voice again."
"I was not raising my voice."
They were interrupted at this point by hugs from the twins. Karsh looked over the shoulder of the two girls as he embraced them. Aron winked at his friend, showing him that he had kept the secret. He saw the king reach for Miranda's hand and squeeze it gently.
After the initial pleasantries were exchanged and the twins offered all the greetings that manners demanded, they couldn't help but size up their friends.
Karsh was still the same, the same blond styled hair, long reddish-brown jacket and upright practiced stance. He was as he always had been, except that maybe he appeared just a little more mature. Of course, there was always that bit of unease in his manner.
Ileana was sporting her signature blondish hair, curled out at the ends, with sparkle eyeliner and rosy cheeks. Her smile was wide and genuine, her eyes soft and loving. She was dressed in her favorite color orange, the long gown flowing down to her feet, the velvet shining in the sunlight.
It wasn't anything normal about the pair that caught the twin's eyes. With her gown fitting her form so well, Ileana was displaying her pregnancy. It was not an early one at that, but one that was nearly at its end, if not already overdue.
True to her form, Camryn gestured wildly with her hands, "How come you didn't tell us?"
"Well, we wanted it to be a surprise. Although I did think you'd be back sooner." She nodded her head in that characteristic way she always did.
Karsh wrapped his arm around his wife's waist, letting his hand rest on the side of her large stomach.
"Wait wait wait!" Alex interjected, "So this is why you wore that huge dress to our birthday?"
"I figured you would notice I was 5 months pregnant."
The twin's shock result in silence for another minute or so before Miranda nudged Camryn in the back with her hand. The girls came back to earth.
"So?" Karsh asked, looking at them.
"This is so great!"
"So great!"
"We're so happy for you guys!"
"Totally happy!"
The girls embraced Karsh and Ileana again, squealing their excitement to the amusement of no one but themselves. Alex had never found Cam's tendency to loud noises appealing, but it was rubbing off on her.
Neither of the twins could resist the urge to touch Ileana's belly, rubbing the rounded stomach.
"So, do you guys know if it's a boy or a girl?"
Karsh sighed, "We don't know, Ileana wants to be a surprise."
"It's supposed to be a surprise."
"Well I know that but we could decorate the nursery early, buy clothes."
"We can still buy clothes in gender neutral colors and it's not like we can't just snap our fingers to rearrange the nursery."
"I still would like to know, my mother would like to know."
"Oh all your mother does is bray about this and bray about that."
"Guys!" The twins intervened.
They turned back to the others, Ileana wearing a smile, Karsh looking exasperated as always.
"Oh, let me show you the nursery!" Ileana clapped her hands in excitement and motioned for the twins to follow her.
Cam and Alex looked to their parents, as if asking to be released from the meeting. Miranda and Aron waved them on, "We have an entire week together girls."
As they walked down the path, Alex and Camryn couldn't resist chatting up the couple on every detail of their lives since the last time they'd met. Karsh, a bit tired, transported them all to the nursery with a snap of his fingers.
Miranda and Aron stared after them, smiling.
"It will be nice to hear the sound of children playing and running through the castle."
Aron looked at her seriously, "Are you interested in having more children?"
His wife grinned, "I think the topic is open for discussion."
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The twins were confused by the nursery, to say the least. Karsh and Ileana's bickering about the sex of the baby had led to a fully decorated space, but one that was devoid of color. Everyone was pure white, down to the wood on the crib legs.
"Guys, where's the color?"
"We're gonna fix it the minute the baby arrives. Zap it a nice pink or blue."
Alex nudged Karsh, "What do you think it is?"
He rubbed the back of his neck, "I really think it's a boy."
Ileana waved her hand, "All men always think it's a boy."
"Well, what do you think it is?" Countered Cam, sitting down on one of the nearby chairs.
"Personally, I think it's a girl."
Karsh echoed her response, "All women always think it's a girl."
She folded her arms and tapped her foot, "I just want a nice healthy baby."
"Dear, that's all I want." The couple kissed until Alex cleared her throat.
Camryn was simply staring at Ileana, "I just can't believe how big you are."
Behind his wife's field of vision, Karsh's eyes grew wide and he waved his hand for Camryn to keep her mouth shut.
Ileana stared down at her stomach, "You think I'm big?"
Jumping up, the twin retracted her statement, "No, no, I was just commenting on how close you are to the end, you know, of the pregnancy."
Pressing the fingers of his right hand to his brow, Karsh sighed.
"I knew I was getting fat!"
"You're not fat!" Alex joined in now, "You're like Cam said, just really pregnant."
Ileana sat down in the rocker Karsh had conjured up for her, "I knew it, I swear I knew it!"
Karsh hugged her and stared a death look at the twins, "Do you two see what you've done?"
"We didn't mean to!"
"She's very hormonal right now!"
"I am not hormonal!"
"Of course you aren't dear." He hugged his wife tightly and gave another look that could kill towards his students.
Alex and Cam stared at each other before Camryn finally snapped her fingers, "I got it!" She knelt down in front of Ileana, "When are you due?"
"My due date is next week."
"How about, tomorrow, you and Alex and I all go out shopping for baby clothes? It'll be a girl's day out, just the three of us! Totally my treat."
Cam's offer really seemed to perk up Ileana's spirits, "I would love a girl's day out. I haven't gotten to spend time with you guys for four months."
The twins each grabbed one of Ileana's hands and walked with her to the main room, "We need to make a list of everything we need."
Following them closely, Karsh simply threw up his hands.
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Later that night, when the castle was sleeping, Karsh and Ileana were still awake.
"Dear, you need your sleep."
"I know, I'm just all happy for tomorrow, finally getting to spend some time with the girls."
"You really adore them, don't you?"
"Oh yes. All those years, we watched over them, I got to feel all maternal."
"We're going to have our own child in a week or so."
"I know, but the twins bring out all those maternal feelings too, I just love it all."
He pulled her into bed next to him, "I love the twins just as much as you do, but I have to admit, I'm happy to be getting a child of our own."
She snuggled up next to him, "One we can actually hold and raise all on our own."
Rubbing her stomach, he was contented for the first time all day.