Rhys
"Hello, Father," I said lazily, letting out a soft yawn as I leaned my head back against the seat headrest and ran a hand over my exhausted face.
"Rhys, I watched the match and saw the news about Kayden," my father’s voice came through the speaker, warm and genuinely concerned. "How is he? How are you doing?"
I shifted in my seat, a quiet sigh of relief escaping my lips at his tone. A year ago, I would have expected a grilling about hockey tactics, but things had changed.
Over the past few months, my father had been doing everything in his power to bridge the distance between us and get closer to Kayden and me.
He frequently stopped by our new mansion to visit Kayden, and the two of them often shared quiet chats over tea. He was genuinely stepping up to be a supportive father.
On the flip side, I hadn’t seen or spoken to my grandfather in months—and that was entirely by choice. Unlike my father, he refused to change, but having him out of our lives was the best thing for our family. He had caused enough damage to last a lifetime, and I had no intention of letting that toxicity anywhere near my husband or our children.
"Is everything alright, son? You suddenly went quiet," my father prompted gently.
I rubbed my eyes, shaking off the sudden weight of those dark memories.
I took a deep breath before replying.
"Yes, Father, everything is fine," I reassured him, a warm smile touching my lips. "Kayden is fine, and the twins are healthy and doing great."
"Oh, goodness! Congratulations, son!" he exclaimed, his voice brimming with raw pride. "What an incredible night! On the very same evening you secure your fourth consecutive championship, you also become a father. The heavens are truly favoring you, Rhys."
I pressed the heel of my palm against my forehead as a fresh wave of exhaustion washed over me. I couldn’t suppress another light yawn, but hearing the sheer joy in my father’s voice made me want to keep listening.
"Thank you so much, Dad," I murmured.
"You sound completely drained, son. You should get some rest after playing back-to-back games. If you’d like, I can head over to the hospital right now and stay with Kayden so you can sleep—"
"It’s fine, Dad," I cut in gently, yawning once more. "I’m on my way home to grab a fresh change of clothes. Leo and Miller are staying with him for now, and Rhoda and Gabrielle should be arriving at the ward within the hour, so everything is under control."
A long sigh of pure relief echoed from his end of the line. "Alright, son. I’ll pay you both a proper visit as soon as you bring the babies home. I just want you to know... I am so extraordinarily proud of you and Kayden."
"Thank you, Father," I said softly, and with a quiet goodbye, the call ended.
I stretched my arms out, letting my head sink back into the leather headrest and closing my eyes as the SUV glided through the quiet midnight streets. We were only a few minutes away from the estate.
The next thing I knew, a soft, rhythmic tapping on the glass woke me from a deep sleep. It was Martins, knocking gently on the rear window.
I raised my head, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I slowly blinked myself awake.
"Sir," Martins said quietly, pulling the car door open for me.
"How long was I out?" I asked, sitting up to stretch my stiff shoulders with a wide yawn.
Martins glanced down at his wristwatch. "About forty minutes, sir—twenty minutes on the drive here, and another twenty idling in the driveway. You looked completely exhausted, so I thought it best to let you rest."
I climbed out of the car, giving his shoulder a grateful pat. "I appreciate that, Martins. Thank you."
Stretching once more, I made my way up the steps and stepped inside.
The moment the heavy wooden front doors closed behind me, an overwhelming sense of warmth and home wrapped around me like a comfortable blanket.
When I was looking for a wedding gift for Kayden, Miller had suggested buying a new home. Sure, Kayden was successful enough to buy ten mansions on his own, but I wanted to give him a sanctuary. More than that, I had personally designed the nursery from scratch, picking out every detail myself. Seeing the breathless, teary-eyed look on Kayden’s face when I first showed it to him was a moment I’d cherish forever.
Now, I couldn’t wait until our babies were sleeping under this roof.
I paused in the grand hallway, my gaze drifting across the wall of framed memories.
There was our majestic wedding portrait, flanked by the hilarious maternity photoshoot we had done months ago—the one where I wore a fake matching pregnant belly while we stood back-to-back, cracking up uncontrollably in front of the camera.
Smiling to myself, I walked up the stairs into our master suite. The moment I stepped into the bathroom, the soothing, delicate scent of Kayden’s orchid pheromones hung softly in the air, instantly easing the tension in my shoulders.
I stepped into a hot shower, letting the water wash away the sweat, hospital smell, and arena grime.
As the water cascaded down my back, I couldn’t stop the wide smile spreading across my face as images of tiny Kayla and Rowan flashed in my mind. We were a real family now.
After drying off and slipping into a soft, comfortable shirt and sweatpants, I walked down the hall to the nursery.
The room was an absolute masterpiece of quiet elegance. Divided seamlessly down the middle, the left half was themed in warm, dusty rose and blush pink for Kayla, complete with a canopy crib and hand-painted floral trim. The right half belonged to Rowan, draped in soothing shades of midnight and slate blue, featuring delicate star-and-moon mobiles hanging over his matching crib.
I walked over to the plush velvet daybed nestled in the corner of the room, sinking heavily into the cushions. Pulling a soft throw blanket over my chest, I closed my eyes in the peaceful silence of the nursery, dropping into a deep, contented sleep.
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