Page 70 of Vendetta Crown

"Yes, Mr. Dragunov. Mrs. Dragunov is carrying twins."

The room spins around me. Two babies. Two heartbeats. Two little lives growing inside me.

"That's why the heartbeat sounded like it was echoing," Dr. Reyes explains. "We were hearing both of them at slightly different rhythms."

"Twins," I repeat, the word feeling strange and wonderful on my tongue. My hand drifts to my belly, barely showing at this stage. "Oh my god, Ruslan. We were just joking about this!"

Dr. Reyes continues to manipulate the wand, her eyes fixed on the screen with professional concentration. She adjusts the angle and presses a little deeper against my belly.

"Would you like to know the sexes of the babies?" she asks.

“You can tell already?"

"It's still early, but the positioning is good. I'm fairly confident." She smiles. "Would you like to know?"

I look at Ruslan, searching his face. "Do we want to know?"

His golden eyes meet mine, warm and intense. "Whatever you want,zarechka."

I nod at Dr. Reyes. "Yes. Please tell us."

She points to the screen, indicating the first baby. "This one here..." She moves the wand slightly, focusing on a specific area. "This is your boy."

A boy. Our son. I can already picture him with Ruslan's strong jaw and golden eyes.

"And this one..." She shifts the wand again, bringing the second baby into clearer focus. "This is your girl."

Tears spring to my eyes again. "One of each?"

"Fraternal twins," Dr. Reyes confirms. "A boy and a girl. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Dragunov."

Ruslan lets out a deep, rumbling laugh beside me. "Well,zarechka, you got exactly what you wished for. Two people inside of you."

"I did, didn't I?" I can't help but laugh through my tears. "I just mentioned twins, one of each, and here they are."

"Care to make any other wishes while your powers are still active?" he teases, pressing his lips against my forehead.

"Twins," I whisper, staring at the screen where our babies float in their separate sacs. A boy with Ruslan's brooding scowl. A girl with my hazel eyes. Both of them already so loved, so fiercely protected.

Dr. Reyes wipes the gel from my belly with careful movements, her professional smile still in place.

"Both babies are developing right on schedule," she says, helping me sit up as the nurses begin powering down the equipment. "I'll want to see you again in four weeks for a follow-up."

She taps a few buttons on the ultrasound machine, and the printer attached to it humming to life. "Would you like some photos?"

"Yes," I breathe, still trying to wrap my head around it all. Twins. A boy and a girl. "That would be lovely."

Ruslan nods in agreement, his hand resting protectively on the small of my back.

"I'll print several copies," Dr. Reyes says. "You'll probably want to share them with family."

The photos slide out one by one, grainy black and white images that somehow contain my entire future. I stare at them, tracing the tiny shapes with my finger. Two little beans floating next to each other, already complete with the beginnings of arms and legs.

"That's our son," I whisper, pointing to the first baby. "And our daughter."

The words echo in my mind like the overlapping heartbeats we heard moments ago.

It's overwhelming. The fear that gripped me when we couldn't hear the heartbeat, the powerful relief when we finally did, and the shock of discovering that I'm pregnant with twins.

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