His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 78

SOPHIA

3 days later:

“I know he’s just born, but he looks just like Gabriel,” Alice sighed dreamily, pointing at the glass of the incubator.

Tired as I was after a labor that lasted almost eight hours, I smile Even two days of rest wasn’t enough after that, because I spent every minute worrying about my little ones who were both in the NICU for being born early. The doctor reassured me saying the incubators were just a precaution and they were both going to be just fine, but I worried.

And, I was exhausted already.

As if understanding what Alice was saying, he blinks his brown eyes that he undoubtedly gets from his father. It wasn’t just the eyes, but also the nose, the jaw… two days old, and he looked just like his father already.

“He does, I pouted. I carry him for eight months and he comes out looking just like his father?

Well, at least I had my little girl. I smile at the thought, watching her sleep peacefully. She was the tinier one, the baby whose growth was restricted.

“You can name her Alice after me, you know.” My best-friend teases, “I would absolutely be honoured.”

1 giggle.

“I did think of names when I found out I was pregnant. I tell her “I’m just having doubts now.”

“Take your time.” She talks to me while cooing at the baby inside the incubator. “I can’t wait to hold you. Yes, you! I’m going to spoil you so much all the time. I love you”

1 giggle again. I was so utterly exhausted and I think this was the first time in the past two days that they were both resting. but I didn’t feel like sleeping. I wanted to bask in the quiet moments with them, in the loud moments with them, in everything, every second.

It still felt unreal that I had two little ones.

“I think I’m just going to go with the names I have thought.”

Alice’s eyes twinkle. “Finally, I wouldn’t have to call them baby boy and girl.”

eyeing my

repeats after me, “That’s

deepens. “And

Whitlock.” She smiles, “So

precaution,” My doctor tells me, his wrinkled face displaying a rare smile. “Since it’s been two days and you and your little boy are both doing perfectly fine, we can discharge you. Your little girl, however, we would like to keep her in the NICU for a week

my chest the moment his words register. “Why? Is she not okay?”

and I

1/3

“She’s doing just fine too,” he tells me, “But as you know, her growth was restricted in your womb. I just want to observe her growth for a week before we let her go home with

passing him a half

will stay here, I assume you

head. “Of

you like to be shifted to a room for

wouldn’t have minded sleeping on the little couch in this NICU room for the rest of the week, but Alex needed space too. Once he is

was just two days old

so that Alex can have his little baby bed, me this hospital bed while Aurora stays in the incubator so that I can be

paid for this room and the birth with Gabriel’s card which he had thankfully not blocked yet, but I was sure he would have done

front of me on my hospital bed, and I cross my feet in front

I tell her, my voice

I was your best friend and I promised you I would be by your side pomatter what and you had to go through all this alone. Jim’s

didn’t leave my side these three days. You stayed by the babies all night long when I was too tired

asked in a little

ju a loan or something.” I try playing it off as

called again. This would be his fifteenth call in the last three days, She sighs, “If it were up me, I would cut him off and never speak to him again. But he’s calling for you, so… what do you want me

That Cabriel really asked him to call me and he didn’t because he thought he had

him offering to step up, but to be this conniving? To deprive my children of a father and me of my husband

what he has to say for himself Alice was pissed at Sam, and if

thoughts. “Yes. Just call him tomorrow. The visitation hours are over for

the babies. Aurora was still asleep, but Alex seemed to have gotten cranky. Luna

ter 78

15

back in the incubator that he would come out of