Finn took Aoife to the hospital for a prenatal check-up, and the results were unexpected – Aoife was actually carrying a set of twins.
While this was good news, it also brought along pressure. Carrying twins was more risky than a single pregnancy, and he worried that Aoife wouldn’t be able to handle it.
The doctor reassured him to relax, as long as Aoife took good care of herself, ate well, and came in for regular check-ups, everything would generally be fine.
With low progesterone levels and an unstable fetal position, she not only had to take medicine but also injections of progesterone and heparin.
The needle looked so thin, piercing into her belly, causing spasms of pain throughout her body. Aoife was already afraid of pain, and for the sake of the babies, she had to endure the injections. Every time she saw the needle about to be injected, she cried, clinging to Finn, refusing to take the shot.
She couldn’t understand why she had to have injections in her belly when she wasn’t even sick. It was too painful, and this kind of pain was impossible to get used to.
“Can I not take the shot? Ethan, I’m scared of the pain. Why do I have to take the shot?”
Although the doctor was gentle when giving the injections, bruises still appeared on her belly. With two injections a day, the needle marks increased over time, leaving tiny red dots all over her abdomen.
“Because there are little babies in your belly, for the health of the babies, you have to take the shot. Don’t be afraid, I’ll be with you.”
Each time he accompanied Aoife for her injections, Finn would prick himself with a needle as well, despite the doctor’s advice against it. But Finn persisted in his unconventional behavior, and the doctor eventually stopped trying to convince him.
“Do I really have babies in my belly?”
“Yes, Aoife is pregnant.” Finn patiently explained, pointing to the ultrasound image, showing her the two shadows that were their children.
“It’s just like the mother rabbit at home having baby rabbits.”
Curious, Aoife asked, “Will they have a whole litter?”
“No, we only have two babies.”
At home, the two rabbits, one male and one female, were expecting, with the female’s belly growing visibly larger. When Aoife had free time, she would gently touch the rabbit’s belly, observing it attentively.
Linda said that the mother rabbit was pregnant, judging by the size of her belly, she might be expecting a large litter. The news of the household rabbits’ pregnancy surprised Aoife, and she found the experience of pregnancy fascinating, having gained a bit of insight from observing the rabbits.
Aoife gazed at the shadows on the image, wondering if they were her and Ethan’s babies.
As spring approached, the staff cleared a space in the courtyard for planting flowers. The butler inquired about Finn’s preferences for flowers.
Finn turned to Aoife, who was playing with the rabbits. By that time, she was already three months pregnant, and her belly had a noticeable curve.
“Aoife, what kind of flowers do you want to plant?”
Aoife shook her head, not being very knowledgeable about flowers. In their daily lives, Linda usually prepared fresh flowers, such as roses, sunflowers, and tulips… She found all the flowers beautiful, but upon careful consideration, she still couldn’t decide.
“I want to plant those white little flowers.”
“What white flowers?”
Finn thought she meant white roses, but Aoife stood up and pointed to a vase on the dining table.
It was Baby’s Breath. In flower arrangements, Baby’s Breath was always used as a complement rather than the focal point, as few people planted them in their gardens. The flowers’ appearance during the blooming season was not as impressive as other flowers, and their fragrance was faint. From a distance, they looked like a carpet of grass, lacking in aesthetic appeal.
“Alright, then we’ll plant Baby’s Breath.”
The butler instructed someone to buy Baby’s Breath seeds, so they could sow them in spring and expect flowers by June or August. By that time, Aoife would be close to giving birth and could enjoy the sight of the Baby’s Breath blossoming.
Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.
Rabbits typically gave birth to baby rabbits within a month of pregnancy. As the mother rabbit’s belly grew larger, indicating she was nearing delivery, she began to vomit early in the morning. With foam at the corners of her mouth, when the veterinarian was finally summoned, the mother rabbit had already collapsed and stopped moving, her body gradually becoming cold and stiff.
The mother rabbit didn’t live to see her baby rabbits born. Aoife held the lifeless rabbit in her arms, tears streaming down her face, no one’s comfort could console her.
This was the first time she cried so sorrowfully since becoming detached. Her tears caused her stomach to ache. Eventually, Aoife calmed down, fearing she might harm the babies in her belly.
Two days after the mother rabbit’s death, the male rabbit also passed away. Aoife buried both rabbits in the midst of the Baby’s Breath garden, carefully placing a brick there as a tombstone.
She knelt quietly on the ground, shedding tears. Despite her devoted care for the rabbits, they still perished. Despite enduring the coldest winter and waiting for the baby rabbits to arrive in a few days.
Seeing Aoife in distress, Finn approached and hugged her. “I’ll buy you another pair of rabbits, identical to them.”
But Aoife shook her head. Wiping her tears away, she said, “No, even if they were identical, they wouldn’t be the same. I don’t want to raise rabbits anymore.”
She actually loved rabbits, but she was more afraid of death and separation. To avoid facing such pain, she preferred not to raise rabbits ever again.
At five months pregnant, Aoife’s belly had grown so large that it hindered her movements. She frequently visited the hospital for check-ups. The news of Aoife’s pregnancy couldn’t be kept secret and soon spread to Old Burns’ ears.
After hearing the latest news from Finn, Old Burns sat in his wheelchair, lost in thought. He held onto the wheelchair handle for a while before finally speaking, “The Burns family has not hosted a banquet in a long time. Find a suitable time for Finn to bring people over for a visit and let everyone have a look.”
Did they think everything would be fine as long as they kept it hidden? If Finn could protect Aoife in the eyes of everyone and ensure her safety for the rest of her life, then he would turn a blind eye, but could he really do that?
…
Finn received two invitations from the Burns family, one of which was addressed to Aoife.
Growing up by Old Burns’ side, how could Finn not understand his intentions? Old Burns was making a concession.
It made sense as he was nearly on his deathbed, the Burns family had no heir. If Hamish didn’t want it, then it could only be given to Finn, who might even see his great-grandchild.
Finn carefully kept the invitations and took Aoife to choose a gown. Aoife rarely attended such formal occasions, and most of her clothes after becoming pregnant were loose-fitting.
When the designer took out his “masterpiece” and dressed Aoife in it, Finn could not take his eyes off her.
It was a scene that might dazzle him for the rest of his life. Aoife’s skin was like white porcelain, the gown slightly cinched at the waist with a fluffy skirt design that hid her baby bump. Layers of light chiffon, shimmering with a transparent glow. When she walked out and stood under the light, it was like she was standing in a mist, creating a soft halo around her, like the Tyndall effect, radiating a soft light.
Even Finn himself didn’t realize how focused he was at that moment.