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Chapter 1 - Part II

I strode towards my apartment as I was suddenly aware that it was past six in the morning and I had barely gotten any sleep. I had to report to work in three hours and I had two more little beings to take care of. I also had to go to a doctor as soon as possible because I didn't know if they were fed when they were born or not.

There were so many things to take care of, and I, Alyssa Reynolds, had sworn to take care of the little angels as my own and protect them with my life. I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

Hell, it takes just one baby to get yourself look like a zombie run over by a train in just a week, the two were definitely going to keep me awake all round the clock.

I could as well become a blood sucking insomniac vampire.

Honestly, I didn't mind the thought of staying awake all night and taking care of Raine and Ryan, changing their diapers and feeding them.

Yeah, that's what I named them, Raine and Ryan. They were the first names that came in my mind; there was no deep reasoning behind the names.

As soon as I stepped inside my apartment, somehow managing to juggle my keys and unlock the door, I walked into my bedroom, placed them on the bed and immediately started to search for the baby blankets, the ones my mother had kept safely for their sentimental value. I also found some towels and tissues to clean them up.

As I started wiping them carefully, I rang up my friend Lucy, who was a child specialist, and lived just a block away. She herself was a mother, and we had bonded over the morning runs in the park.

Well, it was more like I was the one jogging as she lazily walked beside me.

She picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, Alyssa! Wassup." Lucy Horne was one of the rarest people who could sound so chirpy this early in the morning.

"Hi Lucy."

"So, what made you call me up seven in the morning? Is everything alright?" She asked, her voice concerned.

"No," I sighed, "Not actually. Hey, do you mind if I come over right now? I desperately need your help."

"It's alright, come over, I'll be waiting. It has been quite sometime since I met you anyways."

"Thanks." I said and hung up. I then started wiping Ryan's backside.

Oh my god! His butt is so cute and soft!

A smile came over my face as I looked as the two sleeping bundles of joy in front of me. They were so innocent and so beautiful. Honestly, they looked like cute little chipmunks, with their eyes closed, small nose and pouty lips.

I wrapped them in the blankets I had found and pulled them closer to me, savouring the moment and the peace that came all over me. I felt like I was on top of the word, overwhelmingly happy and a new wave of emotions struck me.

It was like love, care, protectiveness, happiness, peace, pride, euphoria all combined into one. As they cuddled up to my chest, I couldn't help but feel more responsible and mature, my back straightening with my newly found responsibilities.

If this was how being a mother felt like, then I had no plans of leaving these two anywhere but keep them cherished with me.

I took the the old, rusty baby carrier, that I had somehow found with the blankets. I carefully placed Ryan and Raine inside, and I was sure that once they grew up, I would definitely have to buy a new one.

I stepped outside and locked my apartment, ready to head towards Lucy's house. As I kept walking, I noticed that people has started coming out of the streets and were looking at me quizzically, especially, with me smiling like a lunatic holding a baby carrier.

As I reached Lucy's house, or should I call it a mansion, she opened the door even before I could even ring the doorbell.

Lucy was one of this lucky ones who had a typical cliché high school love story where the rich bad boy fell for the A-class nerd and their love survived the long distance relationship while attending their respective universities and finally married when there was nothing else in between.

Then Lucy and Victor Horne had a gorgeous devil in the disguise of an angel, a son, Xavier.

Lucy smiled back at me, but when her eyes trailed down...

"Oh. My. God!" She breathed as she saw the two babies in my carrier. She immediately ushered me in and I lazily walked towards the couch, slowly placing the kids there. She made an impatient gesture by tapping her foot on the floor. The moment my ass touched the couch, she started pacing around.

I had not been even able to take in a full breath when she started. "Lisa, oh my god! You never told me you were pregnant! Is that why you were not able to meet me in the past five months?"

"Lucy—"

"You know that I am a gynaecologist too, right? You knew that you could come and ask me for help anytime but you never even once mentioned to me that you were pregnant!"

"Lucy lis—"

"And who is their father? I had no idea you had a boyfriend? Or was it a one night stand? Oh god, I told you so many times that you have to always be careful about protection—"

"No Lucy—"

"Your boobs look normal, you know. They were supposed to grow a bit. Oh! Is it why that you are here—"

"Lucy Horne! These babies aren't mine!" I whisper yelled, careful not to wake her little devil and the munchkins too.

"Oh?" Her brows furrowed and then her eyes widened, "Oh! I am sorry," She chuckled nervously, "I just assumed. But then whose are they?" She asked as she looked at them in confusion.

I sighed.

"I don't know." I said and proceeded to tell her the happenings of the night or morning, you could say. Tears pooled in my eyes again and looked at Lucy who looked at the twins sympathetically. Then I told her the dilemma and she immediately understood what I wanted.

"Follow me." She said and I picked up my carrier and followed her. She had her personal little clinic adjoining her house, where she could independently work when not in the hospital. As soon as I walked into the clinic, the fragrance of baby soaps surrounded me as I looked around the various equipments around the room and the cartoon posters on the wall.

She signaled me to wait for her and came back in a few minutes later, bringing in a carrier and a baby stroller. They belonged to Xavier who was now three years old and didn't need them. Inside the stroller, I found some clothes and milk bottles, and I immediately sent a grateful look towards her.

"Figured you might need them now. And take this," she threw a packet filled with white powder towards me and I caught it.

"That is milk powder, you can mix it in warm water and feed it to them. It isn't as good as breast milk, but they are the best that can be offered right now. I already made you a bottle if they—"

As if on cue, Ryan started crying and I rushed towards him, taking the bottle from Lucy. I didn't need to check the temperature because I knew Lucy had already checked it. By the time I had picked Ryan up, Lucy had disappeared, probably to make another bottle for the little girl.

I held the bottle in front of his mouth and he immediately latched onto it, sucking greedily and soundly as the milk disappeared in a few moments. I smiled and watched as his small hands tried to grab the bottle.

Damn, he was going to be a foodie.

He let out a small adorable yawn and I placed him beside Raine whose blue eyes were now open wide, staring at me intently. In a moment, her features twisted and it looked as if she was about to cry. At the same moment, Lucy entered and held out another bottle which I immediately took and picked Raine up.

What would I have done without her!

Just like her twin, the girl was voracious as she eagerly drank up all of the milk in the bottle. And just like Ryan, she soon fell asleep.

I looked down at the two sleeping angels who looked immensely satisfied as a small smile graced their lips in their sleep, making a smile appear on my face too.

"I think I should check them up. It won't take too long." Lucy said.

"It's fine, take your time."

As Lucy was running the checks, measuring their weights and stuff, a very important thought crossed my mind.

How was I supposed to work? There was no doubt that these two were going to keep me occupied the whole day. How could I work that way? I was sure as hell not going to leave them alone, let alone leave them with someone else in my absence. There wasn't a daycare facility at my workplace so I couldn't take them with me, too.

What if I could work from home, like having someone bring me my day's work from the office or just mail it to me? Come on, technology was far too advanced these days, it wouldn't be that difficult, would it?

My phone buzzed, interrupting me from my reverie. I took my phone out of my pocket.

Allie calling...

I picked it up.

"Hey, Lisa, while you're coming to work, can you please grab some coffee from—"

"Sorry, Allie," I cut her off , "I won't be coming to work today."

"But why? Don't tell me it is because I fell asleep while you were talking! Come on, we are best friends! It is no reason to ditch work! You know how much we need you here, now that that the Head Editor is gone! Please!" She whined.

Something was seriously screwed up with Alexandria.

"It's not about that. I just have a..." I hesitated, "Uh...a situation to sort out. Can you come over when you would be off from work?"

"Is it something serious? Should I be worried?" She said, and I could almost imagine her brows furrowed with concern.

I loved my best friend. She was annoying and a bit weird, yes, but so was I. She was the only one I had had, before the two little additions appeared in my life, who might be temporary even. Allie was the one that kept me going throughout the day, the only person who had seen me in my worst and my best.

She was the only person I could say was permanent in my pathetic, boring life.

"No, everything's fine actually, but something has happened. So will you? Come over, I mean."

"Yes, yes. I will. I will be there by five-thirty." She assured me.

I was in dire need on my best friend's pep talk.

"I'll talk to you later then, gotta work babe. Laters." She said, and hung up the phone.

I sighed.

"So what are you planning? I mean, how are you going to work and take care of them side by side?" Lucy asked as she was checking Raine up, her eyes concentrating on the digits the weighing machine showed.

"I don't know, to be honest. I am going to somehow see if I could work from home, if possible—" I was interrupted by another buzz.

Who was it now?

Whiny Bitch calling...

"Hey Larissa, how's your vacation?" I chirped.

"Fine." She said, clearing her throat. "How's work anyways?"

"It's fine."

"Look, I just called up to tell you that I am not supposed to be bothered by anyone of you for the rest of the year."

Yes! Yes!

"Why?" I tried to keep the excitement out of my voice.

"I'm going to Paris to let off steam." I scoffed inwardly.

What was she doing for the past five months then? I thought she had let off enough steam to fog up her whole mansion.

"Oh. Okay." I paused and then said, "Um...Larissa, I need some help." I asked her hesitantly. "Can I, you know, work from home or something? Actually I have to take care of my...um...niece and nephew since their mother died while giving birth to them." I had decided that only four people were supposed to know their actual story, me, Alexandria, Lucy and Mason.

"And their father?" She asked.

"He...uh...died a couple of years go when he was working in the military."

Shit! That made my bluff so obvious.

"I thought you said you didn't have any relatives?" Oh no. Her voice sounded suspicious and I could see Lucy trying to stifle her laughter.

"She is a distant cousin, actually, I had last met her when I was four, so I didn't remember her." I told her.

"Fine. Can you just go and discuss this with Terrence, I'm kind of busy right now. I'll let him know, he'll figure something out." She hung up immediately.

I looked at my phone in shock.

Rude bitch.

So this woman wasn't going to let off steam in Paris with her husband? I thought she would take Terrence with her too.

Oh, that reminded me. I was officially going to meet the infamous billionaire Terrence Powers for the first time.

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