Dream Love

XV

After stopping in the village for dinner, they were headed home. Ragnar had had about six hours to get everything ready. All of the maids and his housekeeper had been pressed into service. The walls had been painted a soft peach and the furniture was all white. The only thing was that the reclining rocker and ottoman were white with a grey pattern. The floors were left to the natural wood and polished to a high shine. There was even a sheepskin throw rug for nights when it got cold.

As Haldor pulled the car up to the entrance of their new home, Erika stared in wonder. It was exactly the style that she had wanted. She knew that the wood exterior would be difficult to keep up with in this climate, but it was beautiful. She felt something tug at her hand and turned to find Haldor holding her hand in his, smiling gently at her.

"Like it, Little Wolf?" 

"Like it! I love it! It's beautiful. I can't wait to see the inside. It appears bigger than the other house." Erika was so excited she wanted to jump up and down.

Tugging on her hand once more, he led her through the front door and proceeded to give her a very thorough tour except for one place. "Haldor, why didn't we go it that room next to our suite? Is it not finished?"

"No, it's finished. I just wanted to save it for last. It's a very special room, and I think we will be needing it in about eight months." He replied with a large grin on his face.

Erika was confused. What was he talking about. Stretching her hand out she reached and turned the knob and opened the door. What she saw caused her to gasp. Haldor quickly stepped behind her when her face went white as a sheet. Pulling her into his body he whispered into her ear.

"Have you put two and two together yet, love?"

Erika briefly wondered what he was talking about. Then she realized. The fatigue, the "bloating", her missed period, her constant hunger, and her emotional state over the last two or three weeks.

"Oh God! I'm pregnant! I'm pregnant! Haldor, I'm pregnant! We're going to have a baby!" Then it hit her. Her legs folded and she would have fallen had he not been holding her. Swinging her up in his arms, he cradled her like a child and watched the happy tears wash down her face.

"That's right, love. We're going to be parents. I know you will be a wonderful mom. I can't wait. I hope it's the first of many." He walked into their room and sat in one of the two wing-back chairs and just held her while she cried out her joy.

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3 months later

"What do you mean there's two heartbeats? Twins?" Erika and Haldor both were too stunned to speak.

"Yes ma'am. Twins. Maybe triplets." The nurse just looked at the couple grinning at each other. She had never seen such a reaction. You would think that they had won the lottery. "Now, if you'll give me a minute, we'll get a look at the little rascals."

They watched as the nurse squirted some cold gel onto Erika's tummy and began to move the handheld device over her belly. Just as suddenly, an image appeared on the screen. Two, no three babies showed up on the screen. The nurse turned to look at the parents. Now there was a look that she never got tired of. They both had enraptured expressions on their faces and grins. To say that these were happy parents was putting it lightly.

"Three Haldor. Three. After years of not being able to have any, a little hormone tablet and boom! Three little ones. I think we are going to have to knock out the wall and increase the size of the nursery, love." She said as she laughed.