Page 90 of Enemies, Lovers & A Valentine's Baby

His eyes widen comically, growing to the size of saucers as the words sink in.

I laugh, the sound light and full of joy, as his stunned expression quickly shifts into something radiant—a mix of awe, disbelief, and uncontainable happiness.

I’ve finally found my perfect Valentine.

Epilogue

Cole

I sit in the chair beside Lila’s hospital bed, cradling our perfect princess in my arms. She exhales softly in her sleep, her tiny fingers curling tightly around mine as if she never plans to let go.

I’m sure all parents think this, but she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Maybe it’s because I see so much of her mother in her. I haven’t wanted to put her down once since the doctor first laid her in my arms.

My daughter.

My princess.

The perfect gift from the love of my life, Lila.

Just then, her twin brother makes a little noise in his cradle where he’s also sleeping, the sound instantly bringing a grin to my face. It’s just a little coo, but it tugs at my heart like nothing else. I glance over at him, and my chest feels like it’s several sizes too small. There’s so much love, so much gratitude, swelling inside me that I can barely contain it.

A year ago, I was a man who thought he had everything figured out. My life revolved around work, and I believed that was enough. Looking back now, I realize how empty it all was, and how I’d convinced myself I was content because I didn’t know any better. Then Lila came crashing into my life, turning everything upside-down.

Now, here I am, barely a year later, as father to the two most beautiful babies in the world, with the woman I love more than anything in the world sleeping just a few feet away. My wife.

A lone tear escapes, trailing down my cheek as I gaze down at my daughter. Her little face is so peaceful, so perfect, and I can’t help but marvel at the miracle of it all.

Lila stirs softly in her sleep, shifting slightly on the bed as the steady beeping of the monitors fills the room. Her eyes flutter open, first one, then the other, and she lets out a quiet groan as she takes in her surroundings.

Her gaze sweeps over the room before it lands on me. Her eyes soften instantly as she sees our little bundle of joy nestled in my arms, then flicker to the cradle beside her, where our son sleeps soundly.

A small, tired smile makes its way to her face and for the millionth time, I’m awestruck by how stunning she is. Even now, as I stare at her, I can’t help but marvel at how lucky I am. She is always going to be the most beautiful woman in the world to me. Our time together has done nothing to quell my fascination with her. I feel it just as strongly today as I did on the first day I laid eyes on her.

Even more so now, because of the beautiful life and family that she’s given me.

“Hey, baby,” I murmur, pulling my chair closer to her bedside. She stretches out her arms toward me, her eyes glimmering with unspoken emotion, and I gently place our sleeping baby girl in them.

“You did it, sweetheart,” I say softly, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead. “They’re gorgeous, just like their mother.”

Her smile widens, tears of joy slipping slowly down her face as she cradles our daughter, brushing her fingertips lightly against her peaceful, sleeping face.

“They’re really here,” she whispers, her voice thick with awe and joy. “Our babies. After everything…they’re finally here, and they're okay.” Her face lights up as she speaks, the pure happiness radiating from her enough to brighten the entire room.

I glance toward the cradle where our son stirs softly, letting out a little whimper. I walk over and gently lift him into my arms, marveling at the feel of his tiny body against my chest—it’s overwhelming. I’ve never felt anything so tiny, yet so perfect.

Balancing him carefully, I return to my seat beside Lila, cradling our son as I watch her with our daughter. My chest feelsso full it’s almost painful, a mix of love and gratitude so intense it steals my breath.

“I can’t believe they’re ours,” I murmur, my voice breaking slightly as I look between them. “Our children, Lila. You gave me this. You’ve given me everything.”

She looks up at me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, and reaches out to brush her hand against our son’s soft cheek. I drink it in, committing it to memory.

“Sue and Greg are in the waiting room, along with Jo, Hank, and the kids,” I say.

It turns out that Sue and Jo had been conspiring behind the scenes to set us up. While it was true that Sue wanted Lila to get information about Greg from me, they were convinced that once we spent time together we wouldn’t be able to resist each other, and they were right. I’ll never be able to thank them enough.

“Sue’s fluctuating between apologizing to Greg for the millionth time for thinking he would ever cheat on her, and pouting about the fact that the two of you didn’t get to have the babies at the same time. Dr. Vincent keeps reminding her that they’re still technically the same age.”

I smile thinking about the look of pure bliss on Greg’s face every time he holds their son. I now understand the feeling.

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