Chapter 50 The World Shifts For Two
1194 Words
The moment the truth settled between them—that two new lives were growing inside her—something in the room changed. Marnie felt it first, like the air had thickened around them, charged with something heavy and beautiful. Michael felt it too; she could see it in the way he looked at her, eyes bright and shaken, as if he were seeing her for the first time and all over again.
He held her against his chest for a long time without speaking. His breaths were uneven, not like the controlled, steady rhythm of Dr. Michael Co, cardiologist, problem-solver, always composed. This was Michael, the husband, the man who loved her, trembling under the weight of overwhelming happiness and fear.
Marnie rested her ear against his heartbeat. It was racing.
Almost faster than hers.
“Love…” she whispered, her words muffled against his shirt. “You’re shaking.”
“So are you,” he murmured into her hair.
“I wasn’t expecting this,” she whispered. “I thought… maybe one. Or maybe none. But twins?”
He pulled back slightly so he could see her face. His palm cradled her cheek, thumb brushing away a tear she didn’t even realize had fallen.
“I know,” he whispered. “But we’ll… breathe through it. Together.”
Another tear escaped, and this time his thumb caught it before it fell.
“But Michael… two babies. That’s twice the risk. Twice the responsibility. Twice the—”
“Twice the love,” he finished softly.
She flinched, her breath stuttering.
He kissed her forehead. It wasn’t a desperate kiss; it was grounding, gentle, warm, filled with a kind of tenderness he rarely showed so openly.
“I know you’re scared,” he said. “I am too. And I won’t pretend I’m not. But whatever comes next… you won’t face even one second of it alone. Not as long as I’m alive.”
His voice cracked on the word “alive,” barely noticeable but enough to slice through her chest. Marnie reached up and cupped his jaw, her thumb tracing the faint stubble he hadn’t bothered to shave that morning.
“You’ve been worrying about me for weeks,” she said quietly. “Haven’t you?”
His silence was enough of an answer.
“Michael…”
“I didn’t want to push you,” he said, eyes shifting away for a moment. “You weren’t ready. And forcing this test would’ve broken your trust. I didn’t want that. But not knowing… it was torture.”
The confession hit her like warm water—soft, but undeniable.
“You should’ve told me,” she whispered.
“I didn’t want you to feel pressured.”
Then, softer, “I needed you to take the test because you wanted to, not because I did.”
Her chest tightened.
“And now that we know?” she whispered.
He exhaled shakily and leaned his forehead against hers again.
“Now… I can finally breathe.”
Marnie let out a weak, watery laugh.
“But I can’t.”
He smiled and pulled her onto his lap, his arms wrapping securely around her waist. Instinctively, protectively, his hands shifted down—one flattening against her lower back, the other sliding over her stomach as if shielding the tiny lives inside her.
The touch nearly undid her.
“Michael…”
He looked up at her slowly.
“Do you regret it?” he asked, almost afraid of the answer.
“No,” she breathed.
Then again, firmer, shaking her head.
“No. I’m overwhelmed… but I don’t regret this.”
The relief that washed over his face was raw and real. He closed his eyes for a moment, pulling her even closer.
“You don’t know how badly I needed to hear that,” he whispered.
Marnie shifted slightly, sitting sideways on his lap, her cheek resting against his temple. His arms tightened instinctively, like he was afraid she would disappear if he loosened his grip even an inch.
A soft silence stretched between them.
It wasn’t empty.
It was full—heavy with understanding, fear, joy, love, and something warmer humming beneath the surface.
“Michael?” she murmured.
“Mm?”
She hesitated.
“Are you happy?”
He turned her face gently toward his, his eyes intense but soft.
“Happier than I’ve ever been in my life,” he said without hesitation. Then his voice dropped, low and honest.
“And more terrified than I’ve ever been.”
She laughed shakily. “Same.”
His thumb stroked her cheek, slow and affectionate. “We’ll figure everything out. Appointments, checkups, diet, rest. I’ll handle all the logistics. You just focus on staying healthy.”
She arched an eyebrow. “So I’m on strict doctor’s orders now?”
His lips twitched in a half-smile, tinged with a familiar, protective heat.
“You’re carrying my children,” he said softly. “That means I get to be a little overprotective.”
“A little?”
He chuckled under his breath and kissed her jaw, lingering there for a moment longer than necessary. His warmth seeped into her skin, slow and steady.
“Fine,” he whispered against her. “Maybe more than a little.”
The brush of his lips sent a shiver down her spine.
“Marnie.”
“Yes?”
His voice softened into something deep and intimate.
“You have no idea how much I adore you.”
Her breath caught.
The way he said it—
low, reverent, almost worshipping—
made her feel like the ground beneath her feet wasn’t steady.
She leaned in, her forehead touching his, her voice trembling.
“I adore you too.”
His hand slipped up her back slowly, deliberately, sending a warm tremor through her body.
And then his lips met hers.
It was not rushed.
Not desperate.
But deliberate.
Slow.
Deep.
A kiss filled with fear, relief, gratitude, awe—every emotion he had been holding in for weeks.
The kind of kiss that said:
We’re in this together now.
All four of us.
She melted into him, fingers curling into his shirt. His arms tightened, pulling her against him gently, protectively, as though he needed to reassure himself she was still there.
When they finally parted for breath, his forehead rested against hers again.
“I’m going to take care of you,” he whispered.
“Both of you.”
He paused.
“…all three of you.”
Tears pricked her eyes again.
“I know,” she whispered.
“And when the ultrasound confirms it… when we see two heartbeats—”
Her breath hitched at the thought.
Michael smiled softly.
“I think everything will finally feel real.”
She nodded against him, voice barely audible.
“I’m ready for that.”
He kissed her again—gentle this time, tender, filled with the promise of the future they would build together.
The future that had doubled in a single moment.
And for the first time since the fear began…
Marnie didn’t feel overwhelmed.
She felt held.
Supported.
Loved.
And no longer alone.
- Writer
