CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Finally back at Belle Fleur, Daphne felt more at home than ever before. She'd always have fond memories of England and her father, but being here was where she belonged. Being with her husband, his family, her family now. That's what she needed.

"Gabi, Hazel? Are you able to help me with the nursery?" she asked the two women.

"Honey, we will have that nursery ready long before Brix gets home. Let's get you to the clinic so I can do a sonogram and few other tests."

Taking the ATV to the clinic, the three women stepped inside only to be greeted by Kelsey, Ally, and Wilson. They hugged the young woman, congratulating her, and then led her to an exam room to be prepped.

Wilson drew several vials of blood while Ally brought in the sonogram equipment. Pulling up the gown covering Daphne's belly, she applied the lubricant to the ball and then rolled it over the area.

"Is everything okay?" asked Daphne.

"Hold on, honey," she laughed. "I'm just getting started here. We've got a good fetus and heartbeat, and… Oh."

"Oh? Oh, what?" demanded Daphne. Gray and Gabi walked in, staring at the screen.

"Oh," they said in unison.

"Please, for God's sake, tell me what ‘oh' means," she pleads.

"Oh means there are two perfectly beautiful fetuses with perfectly healthy heartbeats."

"Twins?"

"Sweetie, I had twins," said Gabi. "Hazel just had Brix, but he might as well have been a twin. They look great. Aren't you excited?"

"Yes. I mean, I guess. No. Yes. Yes, I'm excited. It's just that I went from believing I might never have children a few weeks ago to being pregnant with twins. It all seems so unbelievable."

"It seems very Belle Fleur to me," smiled Gray. "Lie back, sweetie. Let me do a pelvic exam, and then we'll be done."

Twenty minutes later, they were seated at the lunch table in the cafeteria celebrating the two new additions about to grace Belle Fleur.

"In a few weeks, we'll be able to identify the sex, and you can really begin preparing," smiled Gray.

"I'd like to just do a neutral palette in the nursery and start now. I'm someone who likes to prepare well in advance."

"My kind of girl," smiled Hazel. Daphne was quiet for a long moment, then looked at the other women.

"Does this feel too soon? I mean, it's only been a few months since we met, and now we're married, expecting twins, and I just want to be sure it's all real."

"Honey, it's all real," said the sweet voice coming from behind her. Claudette smiled at the young woman, hugging her and kissing both cheeks. "The girls here have some great advice when we're feeling a bit overwhelmed by these men. It's my favorite because it's about love, and if you ask Mama and Pops, love always wins."

"What's the advice?" asked Daphne.

"Well, Erin used to say these men, these men protect so fiercely, so devoutly it's all-consuming. And they love the same way. All-consuming. It's remarkable to watch and a blessing to be a part of it. If you want my advice, don't question anything. Just let yourself feel. These are special men, and if you don't mind me saying so, it will sound a bit conceited on my, on our part, but it takes special women to be with them."

"I like that," she smiled. "So, we're all special women?"

"Damn right we are," said Hazel. "But I also love the advice that Ajei, Kate, and the others came up with."

"I'm listening," smiled Daphne.

"They said, love is so very hard to find that when you do, recognize it as the gift it is. You should hold it gently. Don't squeeze too hard, but don't let it go. These men are different in every way. Their lives have been entirely about protecting others, with no thought as to who would protect them.

"Expect that they'll be overbearing, alpha in every way. But recognize how unbelievably special that is and that they've chosen us to be by their sides. He will protect you, but you will protect him as well. He will drive you mad with his overprotection, but he will soothe you with his love and adoration of you. And there is nothing like the love of one of these men."

"I think I've already experienced the overbearing part," she laughed.

"Honey, it will only get worse," smiled Gabi. "You just have to let them know your limits but also understand that they will always protect you, even if it feels like you don't need it. Trust them. They know what they're doing."

"It's funny," said Daphne. "I trusted Brix from the moment I met him. Partly because Elena spoke so highly of them all and partly because he was so genuine and open. I immediately felt protected, secure. Loved."

"That's my son," smiled Hazel. "He loves you, Daphne, and you are the perfect choice for him and for our family. We're a tight-knit group here. Despite the fact that I'm a former Marine, my husband forgets that on occasion, and I get left behind."

"That's not fair," frowned Daphne.

"Not fair, but it's who they are, honey. It's all about love. Always remember that. Everything they do stems from love and the need to protect all of us. The wives, all of us, young, old, and in between, we stick together. Always. We support one another, talk to one another, grieve, celebrate, and worry with one another. Always."

"I'm so very fortunate to be a part of all of this," she smiled.

"Well, I know you have a nursery to prep for," smiled Mags, "but I have a wedding to prep for. The minute Walker is off that flight, we're getting married."

"Did I hear weddin'?"