I turned to the door to find a stunning woman there that I've never seen before, but there was something familiar looking about her. She looked flawless in the black and gold dress that she had on, and I was silent as she walked into the room.
"You are pregnant right? And you're Rose?" she asked.
"Yes, and yes, but you have me at a disadvantage," I replied.
She smiled. "You are everything he described and so much more. I'm Kristaline, Olivier's twin sister."
That's why she looked a little familiar.
"It's great to finally meet you," I smiled.
"Ditto hon. Does he know that you're pregnant?" she asked.
I shook my head. "I only found out this morning. I'm nervous to tell him."
"Don't be. Even though he has Grace and Ethan, I'm certain that he's going to love the thought of having a biological child," she comforted.
"Twins," I corrected.
She beamed. "Even better!"
I laughed. "Happy birthday by the way."
"You know, you're the first person to wish me a happy birthday and I've been here for almost an hour now. It's like everyone just forgot that Oli and I share a birthday," she complained, making me laugh some more.
"I would've gotten you something, but I only found out this morning that you were flying in, and I was stuck in the kitchen the whole day," I said.
She smiled. "Oh no, it's ok hon. You scored brownie points just for saying it to me. Besides, I wouldn't want my brother killing me for making you go through all that effort. Anyway, I volunteered to come up here and do your hair and make-up. We'd better get to that before Phyllis comes to check on us. She scares me when she's in party planner mode."
I giggled. "You too huh?
"In fact, she's just a naturally scary woman so let's not test her," she suggested, making me laugh some more.
I learnt a little more about her as she did my hair and make-up, and by the time she was done, I received a text from Olivier saying that he'd been unexpectedly delayed, but that he was on his way home.
I guess the coffee spill ruse worked.
Everyone was ready as I got downstairs and Phyllis and Grace made a comment about the baby bump that they were also only paying attention to for the first time. The guests were still arriving and we agreed that news of my pregnancy would stay in our small circle. By the time Olivier arrived, Gail and his best friend Michael, were the only two people who hadn't arrived.
John arrived alone because my best friend was apparently even madder at me.
"Surprise!"
"What's going on?" Olivier asked, confused.
"You've never had a surprise party before?" Phyllis teased.
"Well I have, but I didn't expect one today," he admitted.
"That's the whole point of a surprise bonehead," Kristaline said, making us laugh.
"Kris!" Olivier beamed before going over to hug her.
"Happy birthday baby sis," he told her.
She smiled. "Thanks big bro. Rose is the only other person who wished me. Happy birthday to you too."
"Oh shoot!" Grace, Richard, Fabio and Phyllis shouted when they realized their blunder.
"How about we head out to the back?" I suggested, saving them temporarily.
We all headed back there while Fabio put some music on. As I suspected, Olivier loved everything and he really couldn't believe the effort we'd made. Phyllis showed everyone where they had to sit, and I was seated at a table with Olivier, Grace and Ethan.
"Mummy, Aunt Phyllis said I look adorable," Ethan told me excitedly.
I smiled, pinching his cheeks as he giggled. "That you do my baby. You look super handsome."
"Does daddy look super handsome?" he asked me. Olivier shot me a curious look.
"Nah. You stole all his handsomeness," I teased.
Ethan gasped, panicked. "I'm sorry daddy! You can have some of it back."
Grace laughed. "You're so evil mom."
I've gotten used to her and Ethan calling me their mom.
"I'm not evil," I defended, making Olivier laugh.
"Don't worry little guy. There's more than enough handsomeness for the both of us," he told our son.
"Good!" Ethan beamed.
People were chatting amongst themselves, and Grace happened to be entertaining Ethan, allowing Olivier to turn to me. "When did you even put all of this together?"
"To be fair, I didn't. I only cooked. Everything else was put together by Fabio, Phyllis and Richard," I replied.
"I really didn't expect anything. I had such a crappy day at work. I was just ready to come home and be with you guys," he informed.
I reached out to caress his cheek. "What's going on?"
"Castro closed a deal that I worked five months on. It's been a while since I was as pissed off as I was today," he admitted.
"I have something important to tell you," I said suddenly.
He scowled. "What is it?"
I was freaking out, but my eyes managed to find Kristaline and she sent me an encouraging nod and smile. "Let's head inside first."
"You're worrying me Rose," he said as we stood up. We caught the attention of Phyllis, Fabio and my brother, and they all sent me the same reassuring smiles.
"Trust me, I'm the one who's more worried," I said as I pulled him inside.
There were still people coming into the house, so I didn't think it was appropriate to break the news to him just anywhere. I instead led him to our room and shut the door behind us. He looked really apprehensive, which made me even more so. The words disappeared from my brain altogether.
So I settled for the next best thing.
I took his hand and placed it on my stomach. He looked briefly confused, looking down at it first, before his eyes widened, shooting up to meet mine. I was already teary eyed, on the verge of a panic attack, especially when he wasn't saying anything.
"Say something," I whispered when minutes went by.
A tear rolled down my cheek and that seemed to snap him out of things as he reached out to wipe it away with his other hand. I couldn't stop the tears after that and he pulled me into a hug. I didn't sob or anything like that.
I just needed him to hold me.
"Are we pregnant?" he asked after a while. He was still holding me, his hand running through my hair.
I internally swooned at the fact that he said 'we'.
"Twins," I said lowly, pulling back to look at him.
"Are you serious?" he asked, disbelief clear in both his tone and facial expression.
I nodded. "I already went to the doctor this morning. Phyllis and Grace went with me and the doctor gave Phyllis all the information since I was panicking. I'm still slightly panicked. Hell, I'm terrified. It's so scary for me to not know what my future holds, especially since I'm also unemployed now. I thoug-"
"Back up, what? You're unemployed?" he asked.
I sighed, taking his hand in mine and leading him over to sit on the bed. "I've made my decision Olivier. Please don't do anything about it."
"I don't even know what the decision is," he argued.
"I went to school after my doctor's appointment, and my first stop was obviously your sister's office. Long story short, I ended up telling her that I'm pregnant. She asked if the twins are yours and I confirmed that bit, also adding that we're in a relationship. She then proceeded to inform me that our relationship and the fact that I'm pregnant with our kids will make some parents feel uncomfortable, and the whole thing would eventually result in her having to get rid of me. With the morning I'd had, I figured I might as well spare her the trouble and quit. She didn't seem too keen to have me around after I told her about us in any case. She seemed upset that I entertained you back on that day when you went all out to ask me to dinner. I just wasn't willing to fight the whole thing simply because giving you up isn't an option, as terrified as I am right now."
He sat, biting his bottom lip as his finger stroked his chin. I wasn't sure what he was thinking about, especially given how his forehead creased. I couldn't tell if he was upset or if he was just really deep in thought.
I was surprised when he took my hand and led me out of the room. It was the abruptness of his action that had me curious about why he seemed so anxious to get downstairs. People were still mingling, but the air changed when they saw us approaching. I spotted Gail amongst the guests, and I didn't miss the look Olivier shot her.
I also didn't miss the fact that Valerie was here.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?" Olivier suddenly shouted, still not letting go of my hand.
Everyone quieted down before waiting for him expectantly. "Firstly, I'd like to thank you all for being here. Judging from the faces I see, I can tell that my party planners are people who know me well because everyone who is important to me is here. It also means that everyone who knows my true story is here. You all know that Grace is my baby girl, and I've also let you all know about my son Ethan. You know all about my marriage to Daisy and how that ended. You know all about what is said about me in the media, but because of who you all are to me, you also know what the truth is and what isn't. However, what you don't know is what I want to address. I want to address this woman right here."
My heart was beating really fast as he turned to look down at me. "When I woke up this morning, my first thought was that I was finally thirty, but then I turned over and I immediately forgot that it was my birthday. Instead, I was met by this beautiful woman smiling in her sleep. I don't even know what you were dreaming about, but I knew one thing for sure in that moment- I wanted to wake up to your face for the rest of my life without a doubt."
Everyone gasped, including myself, as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a velvet box. He took a step back from me before kneeling right before me. My hand went to my mouth as he opened the box, revealing the most stunning pink rose shaped ring.
"I went to work thinking about how I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, and as a result, I cancelled my meetings for the day and drove out, looking for the perfect ring. It wasn't until the eighth store that I went to that I finally found this ring. I wasn't going to propose today. Hell, I don't know when I was going to, but after all that's transpired today, the universe couldn't be flashing me a brighter sign than it is. You came into my life through Grace. You gave my daughter attention when the rest of society judged her because of my actions, and I will forever be grateful to you for taking that chance. Rose Kidman, you came into my life and showed me that not only am I capable of truly loving, but that I can be loved. You came into my life and accepted my flaws, very quickly becoming my best friend. You came into my life and accepted my children as your own. You came into my life and have proven to me time and time again that you're not going anywhere. Tonight, on top of everything else, you've made me the happiest man by telling me that not only did you sacrifice a part of who you are for me, but that you're pregnant with our kids. Like I said before, this has to be a sign from the universe because right now, it feels like I can face the world, but I want to do that with you by my side. On that note, Rose Kidman, would you do me the honour of being my wife?"
Silence settled on us all as my tears flowed freely. I could barely see him through them, but I found that after everything he'd said, all my fear washed away. I nodded and people cheered as he put the ring on my finger, before standing to kiss me.
"I love you Rose," he told me, smiling.
"I love you too, so much," I replied before kissing him again.
"Well damn big bro! You definitely take this year," Kristaline said as she came over to hug us.
I shot him a confused look and he laughed. "Every year we compete to see who will enjoy our birthday the most."
"And this year goes to you by miles. I'm so happy for you and I'm so, so very proud of you," she said, hugging him.
"Thanks a lot Kris. I know I can always count on you," he told her, indirectly taking a jab at their older sister who looked pissed off in the distance.
"I know I pretty much already hinted at it, but welcome to the family Rose. I couldn't be happier that my brother has truly found love," she said, this time hugging me.
"He deserves it more than anyone I know," I admitted, smiling at my fiancé.
That's going to take a while to get used to.
"Congratulations mom and dad," Grace shouted, hugging us both. We laughed when Ethan wanted in on the hug, and I smiled at my brother when a flash went off and I realized that he was the one who had snapped the photo.
"Congratulations Mr Black and Miss Kidman," the twins and Nina congratulated before they dragged Grace and Ethan away.
"You didn't even ask for my blessing," Richard told Olivier.
My fiancé raised an eyebrow at him. "Would you have said no?"
"Well no, but that's not the point here," Richard argued, making us laugh.
"Someone does not look happy," Marcos, Phyllis' husband, pointed across to Gail as they joined us.
"I'm so pissed off at her," Olivier mumbled.
"Because of me quitting?" I asked, puzzled.
"It goes way deeper than you quitting Rose," Fabio informed me. I looked to Olivier and I could see the truth in his eyes.
I could also see that it wasn't a conversation that we would be having in that moment.
"Gail's always been a bitch, but you'd think she'd be happy for you," Kristaline commented.
"How can she be happy for me when she made my fiancée not only quit her job, but basically told her that she doesn't approve of us?" he said angrily.
"She did what?" Kristaline shouted, causing some eyes to be cast in our direction.
"Would the two of you please calm down? I've made my decision and while I don't know what the story is with the two of you and your older sister, I know that it's not something you're confronting right now. It's your birthday for heaven sakes. Enjoy it and we'll deal with everything else tomorrow," I scolded.
"I read somewhere that listening to a pregnant woman is wise. Is this one of those moments?" my brother joked, making us all laugh and simultaneously killing the tension.
"Well, I for one would like to taste the food Rose made. She's never cooked for me before," Fabio commented.
"I still haven't cooked for you. I cooked for the party, so don't start feeling special now," I replied, making everyone else laugh.
"Gee Rose, this pregnancy has sure made you a savage. Wait, does this mean you're going to be twice the savage because you're carrying twins?" he asked.
Phyllis and Kristaline both smacked him upside the head. "Shut up Fabio."
The guests moved to dish up food for themselves while passing by us to congratulate us. Olivier pleaded with me to sit while he organized our food for us, and I saw it fit to comply. Everyone thought he was being adorable, while deep down, I knew that it was the beginning of a very overprotective phase.
I wasn't looking forward to him finding out everything that Dr Martens had told Phyllis.
Nonetheless, the rest of the night went by smoothly. Gail, and to no one's surprise, Valerie, both left while everyone was eating. They both didn't look happy about our engagement, but my happiness trumped the amount of care I should've probably given.
The twins cut their cake as we sang Happy Birthday to them. Kristaline smeared a whole lot of it onto her brother's face, which made for the perfect shot. Everyone stayed until late and the kids even fell asleep.
I got to talk to the guests that I wasn't familiar with, learning about how they knew Olivier. I learnt that my fiancé wasn't kidding when he said he had trust issues and that it took a lot for him to settle on his circle of trusted people.
They all really had to prove that they had his back.
"I'm so tired," I whined as I took off my shoes.
Now that my pregnancy had been revealed to me, a lot of my sudden mannerisms made sense, like how tired I had been in the past month. I don't know why I didn't question a whole lot of these things actually.
"I'm so happy," Olivier said goofily, taking off his suit jacket.
Everyone who wasn't staying behind had left. Nina was sleeping over in Grace's room. Kristaline, Richard, and Phyllis and Marcos were all sleeping in their respective guest rooms, while Fabio was in his room. Ethan was also fast asleep in his room, and everything was quiet.
The cleaning crew would be coming in later in the morning.
"I'm happy too, but the fatigue is greater," I admitted before yawning.
He chuckled. "Can I make a confession?"
"If it's about my weight, I will kick you," I warned.
"I just, I didn't want to say anything. I wasn't even sure how to broach the subject. I noticed last night, but like I said, I didn't know what to say, especially since I'd just gotten you back," he confessed.
"I'm pregnant with twins Oli. How did I not notice any of this?" I whined, trying to unzip my dress.
He came to pull the zipper down for me before kissing my shoulder. "I don't know, but I don't really care. I just care that you're carrying my kids."
I turned to face him in my underwear. "Is there anything else you want for your birthday Mr Black?"
"I'm not having sex with you woman. You look like you'd fall asleep before we even got anywhere," he teased.
"I'm not even going to deny that," I responded, shrugging.
He leaned down and kissed me. "I'm happy Rose. I don't need any more from you than I've already received. This was definitely my most memorable birthday."
I pulled him in for another kiss and I could feel my hormones taking over my fatigue. I unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off of him before he picked me up and carried me over to the bed. He kissed along my neck, and I was in heaven.
"I meant it Rose. I'm not having sex with you tonight," he mumbled onto my skin.
"Except it's morning," I argued, moaning when he lightly bit at my throat.
"Don't be a smartass. I love you and I want you to rest," he commented, pulling away.
I pouted. "So you're just going to leave me all hot and bothered?"
He raised an eyebrow at me before a slow smirk overtook his face. "Fine, but we play by my rules."
'Play by my rules' simply meant that he was only paying attention to me. Once I'd reached my high, he wouldn't let me return the favour, instead insisting that I needed to rest. The fatigue was back, but I needed to know that he wasn't going anywhere. He just told me to close my eyes and sleep, and I eventually followed his orders.
I woke up well into the morning and the first thing I did was sprint to the bathroom. He followed me in just seconds later before holding my hair for me while I cleared out last night's food. My chest was on fire and I was sweating bullets. By the time I was done, I was disgusted by the taste of vomit on my tongue.
"That is not something I'm going to enjoy going through," I said after brushing my teeth. He hadn't said anything the entire time.
He instead pulled me into a hug, kissing my forehead. "Did the doctor say that that's normal?"
"Yeah, especially because I'm carrying twins. It might actually get worse," I groaned.
"I'm sorry. I wish I could take the bad parts away and leave you with the good parts," he commented.
"It's ok. It's a part of the process. I just have to think about our little ones. I'm curious about why you're here though," I said when I realized that it was late for him to be home still.
"I've taken the rest of the week off. I want to be with the love of my life for a while," he said, smiling.
I raised an eyebrow. "And where's everyone else?"
"They're all staying over at Phyllis' place. I've given Carol and the rest of the staff the rest of the week off as well," he informed.
"And who told you that I want to spend all this time with you?" I taunted.
"Oh, you did before we went to bed," he reminded.
I blushed. "I hate you."
"I love you too Miss Kidman."
He surprised me by carrying me all the way to the kitchen. I learnt that he'd been up for a while, working while I was asleep, but he wouldn't touch his work now that I was awake. He moved around the kitchen making us breakfast, while telling me more about the deal he'd lost out on.
"And now Castro's basically rubbing it in my face," he replied.
"I'm so sorry Oli. I truly wish there was something I could do to help you," I admitted.
"You've already helped me by gifting me not only you, but our kids as well," he replied.
"That's different though. You may be happy with your personal life, but I want you to be happy with your business life as well. I know that you love what you do, and I only want you to stay happy," I argued.
He sighed. "Speaking of doing what you love, what's the plan with you?"
"I don't know. I haven't even really had time to think about it. I just launched myself into your party when I came back and I haven't had a moment to myself," I responded.
"I personally don't want you to give up what you love doing in my name, but I also know that the final decision is yours to make," he said.
"That isn't entirely true. I don't have the final decision since the only reason why I made this decision is because I was given an ultimatum I didn't agree with. Nothing in this world is worth giving you up for, so for as long as that's a part of the ultimatum, then I'm not having it," I replied.
He was quiet for a while, lost in thought, before he looked like he had a light bulb moment. "Let's start our own school."
"What?" I asked, shocked.
"What's stopping us really? I have the perfect land for it, so it's a case of coming up with the best school and then proposing the idea to some investors. Hell, we could end up giving King Francis a run for their money," he pitched.
"Who would run this school? I have no expertise in that department. I just want to teach," I pointed out.
"Then you'll just teach. We'll find someone else who's qualified for the position," he offered.
"I don't know about this," I said warily.
He came around to stand in front of me. "Think about it? This could be the legacy we leave for our children. We can make it a school that starts from kindergarten all the way to high school. Our kids would never have to worry about being isolated ever again."
"That really worries you, doesn't it?" I asked, cupping his cheek.
He nodded. "Ethan has to be enrolled into a school as it is, but I already know that they're going to treat him the very same way that they treated Grace, and I'm not sure if I can handle seeing him go through that. Grace is a lot stronger than he is."
"Let's do it then. I don't know how you're going to get it going, but I'm in the whole way. Also, Ethan can stay home with me. I'll home school him for now like I'm doing with Grace," I smiled.
"I love you even more now," he said before kissing me.
We were interrupted by the doorbell and we were both confused since we weren't expecting anyone. He went to check who it is while I headed over to the fridge for some water. I heard a racket before the noise started coming closer and closer to the kitchen.
"Where is she?" the voice slurred. A chill went down my spine as my horrified fiancé appeared.
"Uh, beautiful, there's someone here to see you."
"Mother?"