The ninth month had officially arrived, and with it, the Black Box had been transformed into a high-security maternity ward. I was no longer a surgeon; I was a monumental achievement of biology, perched atop a mountain of silk pillows.
The house was packed. Keifer had basically moved the entire Section E squad into the guest wing "just in case," meaning the mansion was a constant hum of medical debates, baby gear testing, and the smell of my increasingly bizarre snacks.
I was currently 36 weeks pregnant, which in twin-time meant I was essentially a biological miracle holding on by a thread. I was perched on the throne of silk pillows in the Black Box living room, feeling like a very large, very grumpy empress.
The house was a zoo. Keifer had officially put the mansion on "Delivery Lockdown," meaning the Section E boys were practically living in our guest rooms.
C in Peralta walked into the living room, tossing his car keys onto the marble table. He'd just finished a long shift at the hospital and was clearly feeling a bit too comfortable. He looked at me—wrapped in my oversized brown maternity cardigan, sitting round and stationary—and let out a snicker.
"Damn, Jay," C in joked, grabbing a grape from my snack tray. "I know the twins are heavy, but with that brown sweater and the way you're just... sitting there... you honestly look like a giant, grumpy potato
The room went so silent you could hear a pin drop. Keifer, who was sitting nearby reviewing a merger, slowly lowered his pen. His eyes turned into cold, dark voids of "Monster" energy.
I didn't blink. I just stared at C in. "What did you just call me, C in Peralta?"
"A potato!" C in laughed, clearly not sensing the reaper standing behind him. "You know, round, brown, and currently rooted to the sofa."
David suddenly choked on his coffee. He leaned over and whispered loudly to Rory and Emman, "C in... buddy... you just said the wrong thing, to the wrong person, at the very, very wrong time."
"He's a dead man," Felix whispered, slowly backing away toward the kitchen.
"A POTATO?!" I finally roared, the 9th-month hormones hitting me like a freight train. "I have given up my waistline, my bladder, and my ability to see my own feet for these Watsons, and you compare me to a root vegetable?!"
The Chaos Erupts
"C in, get out before I make you part of the landscaping," Keifer growled, standing up. The air in the room felt heavy. When Keifer used that tone, even the furniture seemed to tremble.
"I was just kidding!" C in shouted, his eyes widening as he realized he'd just insulted a pregnant surgeon and her protective CEO husband.
GET HIM, MUMMA!" Keigan and Keiran yelled from the balcony, tossing a couple of plushie pillows down to arm me.
I didn't wait. I grabbed a decorative velvet pillow and launched it at C in's head with the precision of a baseball pitcher. "I AM A QUEEN, NOT A TUBER!"
"SCATTER!" Eren yelled as C in bolted for the door. Kit was busy trying to save his designer bag from the crossfire, while Mica and Calix grabbed their baby and ran for the nursery to hide. Felix was, of course, filming the whole thing, cackling as C in tripped over a footstool in his haste to escape the "Potato's" wrath.
"EVERYONE OUT!" Keifer's voice boomed, ending the riot. "The show is over! Clear the room!"
The Romantic Movement
Within minutes, the boys had vanished. The mansion was suddenly, blessedly quiet. I was still sitting there, huffing, a single tear of frustration finally leaking out. "I'm not a potato, am I, hubby?"
Keifer didn't say anything at first. He walked over, knelt between my knees, and took my hands in his. The "Monster" was gone, replaced by the man who looked at me like I was the only star in his sky.
"You're not a potato, weify," he whispered, his thumbs tracing circles on my knuckles. "You're the woman who is carrying my entire future. You look like a goddess who's just a little bit tired."
He didn't just leave it at words. He carefully scooped me up—all three of us—and carried me out to the terrace. The Tagaytay breeze was cool, smelling of pine trees and the coming rain. He sat on the large outdoor swing, keeping me tucked against his chest.
"Look at the stars, Jay," he murmured, his chin resting on the top of my head. "In a few weeks, we won't be looking at them alone. We'll be showing them to Alexander and Aurora."
I leaned into him, my anger fading into a soft, tired glow. "I just want them to be here, Keifer. I want to hold them. And I want to eat a steak without feeling like I'm running out of room."
"I know," he smiled, kissing my temple. "But for tonight, just breathe. I've got you. I've always got you."
We sat there for a long time in the moonlight, the silence only broken by the occasional kick from the twins and the sound of the wind. No Section E, no "potato" jokes, just the two of us, waiting for our lives to change forever.