The Crown

Chapter Sixty Seven

Beatrice and Tobias stared at each other for a while. Beatrice shifted uncomfortably, cradling her son in her arms. She placed him back inside the crib and turned to her husband.

"Do you not like the name?" She asked. She knew it wasn't the name he was so start stricken about - it was her, but she wanted to avoid the pointless conversation.

He, however, didn't. "You're alive."

"I was always alive, I was just not awake."

"You're alive." He repeated before throwing his arms around her.

"Again, I always was," she cupped his face and searched his eyes. "I heard everything. I'm sorry this caused you so much worry."

"What I said was selfish - I just wanted you awake."

"And now I am, and now I can take care of you and the kids," she smiled. "Kids. We have kids now, Tobias."

Tobias smiled and couldn't help but kiss her. "I love the name Nathaniel."

"And I'm guessing you've thought of a name for our daughter?"

"Kristine."

Beatrice gasped. "Oh my god, I love it."

They both looked back at the cribs, smiling. "Nathaniel and Kristine."

"Our babies."

Tobias hooked his arm around her waist as Beatrice leaned her head on his shoulder. They stayed in a comforting embrace all while looking at their kids. Their twins.

Their beautiful twins.

Beatrice stood amazed. She extended her hand in her son's crib, letting him grab and play with her index finger. She smiled, touching his cheek and laughing with him. Beatrice extended her other hand and carried her son in her arms, raising him so they were at eye level.

"Hello Nathaniel. I'm your mommy. Can you say mommy?" She babbled with him.

In response, Nathaniel flapped his arms in excitement and stuck one of his fists in his mouth, letting saliva pour from his mouth. Beatrice laughed and kissed his cheek before placing him back into the crib.

She walked over to the next crib, where Kristine was moving around playfully at the sight of her mother. Beatrice grinned widely as she took her daughter in her arms and she too raising her to eye level. Kristina extended her arms towards her mother's face, trying to catch something invisible on her face.

"They're so beautiful, Tobias." Beatrice gushed.

Kristine laughed loudly, jumping in her mother's hands. Tobias walked over and took her in his arms, coddling her and rubbing their noses together. Beatrice then went back over to Nathaniel and picked him up, who was moving around excitedly.

"We did well, didn't we."

"I mean, it helps that we are fairly attractive."

Tobias chuckled, rolling his eyes. He placed a soft kiss on Kristine's head before rocking her. "That's a little cocky."

"This entire relationship is full of cockiness."

"Why did I fall in love with you again?"

She laughed and looked at him. "You're stuck with me."

He carefully caressed Nathaniel's head before pressing his lips to his wife's. "Couldn't have asked for anything different."

Beatrice rolled her eyes and put down Nathaniel back in the crib. She rubbed his small belly before walking over to Tobias, placing a kiss on Kristine's head, then leaving the nursery. Tobias followed suit, placing Kristine back in her crib and leaving the room.

Tobias went down the stairs and saw Beatrice in the kitchen. She furrowed her brows, staring at the bottles of milk. He opened his mouth to explain, but she didn't seem like she was in the mood to listen.

"Are these Abby's?"

"You remember her?"

Beatrice looked at him. "Have my kids been drinking her milk?"

Tobias furrowed his own brows, crossing his arms. "You can't possibly be upset about this. You were unable to give them milk - you were lucky she was able to. Did you want Nathaniel and Kristine to drink from the cow? They could have gotten sick!"

To have been completely honest, Beatrice didn't know why she was upset - she was grateful Abby was still breastfeeding and that she could give Kristine and Nathaniel what their mother couldn't. She was upset that it wasn't her milk that her kids didn't taste first. That now, they'd have to get used to a new milk, and they probably would fuss over it.

That very idea made her head hurt and her heart clench.

"It's fine. I'll get them used to mine now." Beatrice grabbed the bottles of milk, opened them, and dumped them in the sink. She let the bottles drop as well before brushing past Tobias and retreating back upstairs.

Tobias watched her leave before letting out a sigh. He walked over to the sink and picked up the bottles covered in milk. He turned on the faucet and cleaned them out, and then cleaned out the sink. He scrubbed until all the milk was gone, then set the bottles down to dry.

In the nursery, Beatrice had gone inside and picked up Nathaniel. She cradled him in her arms and sat on the rocking chair with him. She then tried to feed her son naturally, but once he latched he quickly began to cry, pushing her away.

His cry rattled her and made her heart hurt. She picked him up and rocked him to make him stop, and when he did, she put him back in his crib. Reluctantly, she picked up Kristine and tried to do the same thing, but she too refused her mother.

When Tobias had entered the nursery, he found his wife crying with their daughter in her arms. He quickly took Kristine back to her crib then addressed Beatrice, whose head was in her hands and was crying.

Without saying a word - because he knew it wouldn't do any good - Tobias wrapped his arms around Beatrice. She returned the gesture, gripping his clothing and crying in his shoulder.

Unlike what had happened two nights ago, when Tobias had cried on the nursery floor, the twins didn't make a sound when they heard their mother cry. They were silently, rather, like they were patiently waiting for her to stop to commence anything.

"Beatrice, don't cry. It's going to be okay." He whispered, wiping her tears.

"My own children are repelled by me." She cried.

"No, they're not," he ushered, pushing back her hair behind her ears and continuing to wipe the tears. "Listen, why don't we try something else? Kind of...trick them. We'll put your milk in a bottle, and maybe they'll drink it thinking it what they're used to."

"I'm surprised they're even used to it. I was absent for only two days."

"It was the first thing they drank, Beatrice. Can we blame them?"

"They're babies."

Tobias chuckled and stood straight. "Come on, let's go trick our babies."

"What great parents we are."

"That, we are."

Beatrice wiped her tears and smiled, sniffling. "We're going to be great parents."

Tobias kissed her softly, nodding. He took her hand and lifted her to her feet. He wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her close and leaning his head against her shoulder. Beatrice moved her hand up and wrapped it around the back of his head.

They shared an intimate embrace, and before they went down to the kitchen, they headed for their bedroom first.