by Holly Rayner
“Six? Are you serious?”
“I am. Apparently you’re more virile than you could have ever imagined,” she quipped.
Darian laughed, and it was music to her ears. He pulled her into his arms then, wrapping himself gently around her.
“You are just as wonderful as I remember. I can’t believe this is happening! How did you find me?”
Rachelle inhaled the scent of him, breathing him in deeply. She didn’t want to say anything for a moment. She just wanted to relish the feeling of having him close.
“But what am I doing? Here I am, forcing you to stand here on the porch when you’re carrying six children! Please, let’s sit down. Mani, can you please get us some lemonade, something cool to drink?”
The squat man nodded, looking grumpy as he mumbled something to himself on his way to the kitchen. Darian grinned.
“Mani is my guard. He’s had to take on a few other roles as well that he hasn’t been particularly happy about, like occasionally fetching a drink here and there. I think he misses the adventure of life in the palace, and certainly having other staff to manage such menial tasks.”
“What, you can’t get yourself a glass of water?”
“Sometimes I have guests from the embassy, and it’s nice to continue our conversation while drinks are gathered. Or, sometimes, I just like driving Mani nuts. It’s mostly just been the two of us out here all this time. A man needs some form of entertainment.”
“And you’ve been in hiding here since we were parted?” she asked.
There was so much between them that needed to be shared. She had so many questions, so many things she needed to say. She told herself they would have time and held tightly to his hand as he helped her take a seat on his plush, brown sofa.
“I have. Once we were evacuated from the palace, a private car drove us out of the country immediately, where we were put on different planes and taken to various locations around the United States, given aliases and false identities. The government has been most accommodating as we work to take our country back from the rebels.”
“Did you really not see this coming? How could you have this level of unrest and not know this would happen?”
It was something Rachelle had pondered over many sleepless nights, among other things. Darian sighed, leaning back against the sofa as he sat next to her. He reached out for her hand once more, and she happily placed hers in his, remembering just how much she loved holding it.
It felt like she was in a dream; she had thought about this for so long. Seeing Darian alive and well, dressed in red plaid and jeans…well. It was certainly a new look for him, though no less handsome.
“From the intelligence I had been given, I was led to believe that the threat wasn’t that serious. All of us were misled, I believe. My cousin has resided elsewhere, away from the rest of us, and he has been working in secret to establish our rule once again. Thinking of our people suffering under such a regime breaks my heart. The sooner we can get back into Zaradi, the better.”
Rachelle stared at their interlocked hands, thoroughly enjoying the feel of his skin against hers. The babies chose that moment to wake up, and they began doing flips and somersaults like a group of gymnasts.
“Oh,” she said, pressing their joined hands against her belly.
“Whoa!” Darian exclaimed, releasing her grasp so he could place the palm of his hand against the kicking of the babies.
“You really have six babies in there. Six!”
He ran a hand over his eyes in disbelief before putting them both on her stomach, laughing as he felt a big kick every few seconds.
“How do you get through the day with this level of activity?” He laughed.
Rachelle smiled, watching the jiggling of her stomach as their babies played together.
“It can be a bit of a challenge. I actually just started my maternity leave, simply because getting through the day with this many babies in my stomach is nearly impossible. I could barely last through a marketing meeting without having to go to the bathroom three or four times.”
Darian watched her belly, his expression melting from joy to sadness.
“You’ve had to go through this all by yourself, with no one there to help you. I should have been there. I should have tried harder to reach out to you.”
“Did you try?” she asked.
He gazed into her eyes, running his fingers along her cheek and allowing his palm to rest against the base of her neck.
“Of course I did. We parted in such a terrible way, and I wanted to tell you about everything that had gone on, everything I was sorry for. For my safety, my phone was removed, and we don’t have access to a landline up here. It’s been a very quiet existence, where I had to resort to writing letters, though it would appear none of them made it to you.”
Rachelle thought about all the sleepless nights she had lain awake, thinking about where he was and what he was doing. At that same time, he had been writing letters to her, trying to tell her what she desperately needed to hear.
“How did you find me?” he whispered.
She leaned her head on the back of the couch, tilting her face toward him as she relived her tale, from calling the embassy over and over, calling his cell phone over and over, then finally driving out to New York and stumbling upon his handwriting.
“If I hadn’t memorized your writing, I might have missed it. Luckily, you have a very interesting script, and it caught my eye as I was having a total breakdown.”
Darian reached for her hand again then, squeezing it tight.
“I’m so sorry, Rachelle. If only I had known, I could have found a way to get to you.”
“There’s no way you could have known. As wonderful as this is, it certainly was an accident.”
“It is unexpected, to say the least.”
Mani cleared his throat as he entered the room, a tray with two light purple-colored ice drinks in tow. He set it down on the wooden coffee table in front of them, and Darian smirked at his guard.
“Took you long enough.”
“Lavender lemonade takes time, Your Highness. It is an art.”
“You are the expert. Thank you, Mani. Are we able to have some privacy while we talk? I don’t believe that Miss Smith has been followed here, do you?”
Planting the idea into Mani’s head, Rachelle watched as the man’s eyes narrowed.
“That is to be seen. I’ll go check the perimeter, just in case. You’ve got access to the weaponry, if there is a need. I will return shortly.”
“I’ll keep an eye on things while you’re away.”
Mani grunted before exiting out the front door, and Darian grinned at Rachelle.
“I’m going to have to give that poor man a raise when we get back. I have tortured him endlessly since our arrival. Now we can be really alone, though, and that is a gift in and of itself.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she nestled into the warmth of his body as his hand stroked hers. Rachelle almost pinched herself. It was as if she had died and gone to heaven. Darian was alive, and based on his reaction, she guessed he had feelings for her. Whether or not they matched the intensity her own was yet to be seen.
“Do you have any idea what the status is of Zaradi right now?” she asked.
Darian shook his head.
“We get so little information out here. The fact that you were able to find me is nothing short of a miracle. You were just finishing that story, weren’t you? I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No need to apologize. The end of the story is that I tricked the attaché into running for a puke bucket so I could snap a picture of your return address. Once I got that, I drove right up here to see if I could find you.”
“That’s quite ingenious, you know.”
Rachelle smiled into his chest.
“I do. Being pregnant has some perks.”
“I imagine it also has some challenges, especially with so many. Can you believe we’re going to be h
aving six children? I still need to wrap my head around it!”
Rachelle sat back, looking up into his eyes.
“I know this must be quite the shock, finding this out so late. I, at least, have had several months to prepare. You don’t have that luxury. These babies will be born within the month.”
Darian continued to stare at her, as though fearful that she would disappear again if he looked away. She, in turn, drank in the sight of him, memorizing his features once more. He had grown a small beard, which suited his face, but she missed the clean shaven version of him. She supposed that it helped with his disguise, and of course she wanted him to stay safe.
“And yet you took this on all on your own, never knowing if you would have to raise six children by yourself. Oh, Rachelle, what you must have gone through!”
He held her tightly to him again, and she allowed herself to cry with relief. His words solidified to her that Darian would be there, in their lives. If they had to grow up in a small cabin in Vermont, that would be that. As long as they were together, Rachelle couldn’t care less about where they were.
“It hasn’t been my favorite experience in the world, I can say that much. Still, to see you alive and well, and to have found you…”
Darian cradled her face in his hands, wiping away a tear with a thumb as he leaned in to kiss her. In that moment, a lightning bolt of pain shot through Rachelle’s stomach, and she pulled back with a hiss.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
Darian’s eyes were filled with worry as he watched her. Rachelle could feel a telltale pool of warmth beneath her, and with fear in her eyes, she looked up at Darian.
“Not a moment too soon, apparently. My water just broke!”
Darian stood, reaching a hand out to help her up. She slowly stood, watching as Darian rushed toward a side table, where a pair of car keys was sitting.
“We need to find Mani, fast. The hospital is nowhere near close enough for this.”
“They did a great job hiding you, that’s for sure.” Rachelle laughed, wincing as another contraction wracked her body.
Darian frowned, opening the front door and making a strange noise that echoed through the forest. A moment later, Mani appeared. Apparently, they had a secret bird call for when he was out scanning the perimeter.
“Mani, there’s no time to lose. Rachelle’s water has broken, and she needs to get to the hospital now. Are you staying or coming?”
“My job is to protect you from harm, Your Highness. With all due respect, what kind of a stupid question is that?”
Rachelle would have laughed if Darian hadn’t looked so serious. Rather than take offense at his guard’s comment, he simply nodded, helping Rachelle over to their vehicle, which was an inauspicious silver coupe. He handed her into the back seat as another contraction hit, and he held her hand tightly as she breathed her way through it.
“I don’t know how to coach you through this,” he admitted, his eyes wild with concern.
Rachelle squeezed his hand as she reminded herself to breathe.
“It doesn’t matter. We’re together now. We’ll find a way to get through it.”
Darian’s stare was hard as he stroked the top of her hand with his thumb.
“You’ve got that right.”
Mani turned on the engine and pulled the car out onto the main road. As he drove, Darian held fast to Rachelle’s hand, doing his best to soothe her through the contractions.
She hoped that they would get to the hospital in time. The babies were coming, and fast!
Chapter Sixteen
The car pulled up to a little building with a small parking lot outside. Rachelle continued to focus on breathing as she stared at it.
“This is the hospital?” she gasped.
Darian kept his grip firm on her hand, shrugging slightly.
“It’s rural Vermont. They don’t need much more space than this. Now, let’s get you inside.”
He helped her from the vehicle, the two of them walking in slowly as Mani preceded them, alerting the staff of their arrival. A nurse met them at the door with a wheelchair.
“Having a little issue, are we?” she asked.
“If you consider going into labor a little issue, then yes, we could use some help!”
The nurse suppressed a smile at Rachelle’s tart comment as she gestured for her to take a seat. Darian insisted on being in control of the chair, and after a moment of hesitation, seeing his muscular physique and the determination in his eyes, she relented. They made their way to the maternity ward, where Rachelle was given a bed as a doctor walked in.
He glanced at the group with a curious expression.
“I’ve never seen you all in town before. Are you visiting?”
“Yes,” Rachelle said. “We were driving through the state when my water broke.”
She glanced up at Darian, who looked grateful for her cover. She was the last person to give up any hints about their true identities, though as the doctor began to inspect her status, she wondered just what last name the children would have. She had prepared to make them all Smiths, but with Darian alive and well with her, it appeared that her decision could change.
Something beeped in the room, and Rachelle glanced up as Mani slipped out silently.
The doctor’s eyebrows lifted all the way up to his hairline as he watched the babies on the ultrasound.
“Sextuplets! I’ve barely delivered that many babies in my entire career!”
“Great. Can you get someone else?” Rachelle said through gritted teeth.
The doctor chuckled, clearly used to pregnant women in extreme pain.
“I think I can handle it, my dear. Looking at this, though, you’re not going to be able to get through labor without a C-section. I’ll grab some scrubs for your husband to dress in before we start. Nothing to worry about, everyone looks healthy.”
Rachelle blushed at his assumption that she and Darian were married. Darian seemed entirely unfazed, his stern expression a clear front for the nerves and panic hiding just behind his eyes. A nurse came in and gave him a pair of scrubs, which he slid on over his clothing, gazing back at Rachelle once he was dressed.
“It’s going to be all right. Everything’s going to be just fine.”
Rachelle smiled, then winced as a contraction convulsed her body.
“Who are you trying to convince here?”
Darian’s returning smile was sheepish.
“Anyone’s guess, really.”
The doctor walked back in.
“Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” Rachelle replied.
She had imagined this day so many times, wondering how it would go and what she would do. She had always pictured Darian there, because she had never wanted to give up the hope that he would be. She would be forever grateful that her instincts were right. As he walked alongside her bed, they wheeled her into the operating room to perform the procedure.
As each of her children was born, a tiny scream erupted into the room, signaling new life. A sheet covered the view, and she had Darian right by her side as each baby was cleaned up by the nurses. Once their sixth baby was finally brought into the world, she was stitched back up and wheeled into her room while the babies were tended to.
“I’ll stay with them,” Darian assured her, and she released a breath.
“Thank you,” she said, watching the image of Darian leaning over their children as she was taken from the room.
Not long after, Darian and the children made their way in with a procession of nurses, each one holding two babies. Seeing Darian’s face glowing with love as he cradled two of their children, Rachelle’s eyes welled with tears, her dreams realized in every possible way. He leaned carefully against the bed, presenting two tiny faces to her.
“I suppose you’ll have to meet them two at a time,” Darian said with a chuckle.
Rachelle reached out her arms, taking the two babies he had been holding. He quickly accepted another
pair from one of the nurses.
“I think we can manage holding three,” Rachelle said, eager for all of her children to feel their love.
The nurses gave them each one more baby, and together they sat with their six newborns, all of them wriggling as they fought to find comfort once again.
“It must be nice to have at least a little more space,” Rachelle said, running her hand along each of her children’s fingertips, counting fingers and toes—sixty of each!
As the couple snuggled with their babies, Rachelle sneaking glances at Darian as he stared adoringly at them, Mani entered the room, his expression unreadable.
“Where did you go?” Darian asked, finally looking up. “I heard a beep and then you were gone.”
Mani pulled something from his belt—a beeper.
“Man, I haven’t seen one of those in decades,” Rachelle said with a whistle.
Mani nodded.
“It was the safest way to obtain information without having traceable cell phones on us. I’ve been waiting for it to signal ever since we left Zaradi. Your Highness, the call has come in that the rebel army has been defeated. It is once again safe for you to return home.”
Darian’s eyes widened at the news, and he looked over to Rachelle, who smiled up at him.
“Your country is safe,” she said, wishing she could reach over and grab his hand.
As it was, both of their arms were a bit full at the moment. A nurse arrived with some wheeled cribs.
“Would you like us to take the babies so you can get some rest, now?” she asked.
Feeling overwhelmed after the birth and the news that Darian was free to return to Zaradi and live his life, Rachelle nodded, and the two of them handed their children over to the nurse’s care.
“Goodnight, my loves,” Rachelle whispered as they left the room.
“You should get some rest, too. I’m afraid this news pulls me away from you when you need me the most,” Darian said.
His eyebrows were narrowed in concern, and she finally reached back out to him, taking his hand with a reassuring squeeze.
“Go. You have important things to take care of, and I need to sleep.”