𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 - 𝙳𝚎𝚌𝚔𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚠

Just Peacefully

Isabella's POV

The rest of the year passed peacefully, and my pregnancy was surprisingly easy, for the most part. There were regular doctor visits, endless ultrasounds, and those little daily reminders that life was growing inside me. Some days were better than others. My feet were always swollen, and I could barely see them over the bump anymore. But the nausea had eased up compared to the first few months, which felt like a blessing.

We had family dinners every week. Of course, chaos was a permanent guest at the table, but in a strange way, it was comforting. Loud, messy, real—it reminded me I had a family. I got letters from Dom and Letty now and then. They'd moved somewhere with zero Wi-Fi, but they still managed to send handwritten notes. It was old-fashioned, but it meant something. I didn't speak to Mia after 

Deckard got assignments here and there, but Hattie always checked in first. She had this way of being protective without saying it outright. Deck wasn't thrilled that she felt the need to question me and told his sister to either respect our magic or she won't be around. In the end, Hattie apologized, and I told her it was all in my past. We moved past it eventually.

That morning, I got dressed slowly—because moving too fast these days was not an option. My back ached, and I had heartburn from just breathing air. I finished the smoothie. Deckard insisted I drink every morning. It tasted like blended grass, but he swore it helped with the iron and vitamins, and honestly, he was probably right. He was more cautious than I expected. He took my cravings, moods, and swollen ankles like a pro.

Just as I sat down to catch my breath, my phone buzzed—a message from Jakob.

I drove to the meeting spot, my heart beating just a little faster. I hadn't seen Jakob in months, and I hadn't told him the news. Not over the phone. Not in a message. I wanted to see his face when he found out.

When I parked, I saw him waiting, leaning casually against his car like no time had passed. As I stepped out, he straightened and walked toward me—faster than I expected—and pulled me into a hug. Strong. Familiar. Safe.

I wrapped my arms around him, squeezing tighter than I probably should've with this belly between us, blinking away the sudden sting in my eyes.

He stepped back and looked down. His eyes widened the moment he saw my bump.

"You're pregnant," he said softly, almost breathless.

I smirked, feeling a little emotional. "Yep. You're going to be an uncle."

Jakob just stared at me for a second like he was trying to process everything. Then, his whole face lit up—one of those rare, full-smile moments that warmed the room. He rubbed a hand over his face, clearly stunned. "Wow... Izzy. You're going to be a mum."

I laughed, rubbing my belly as one of the babies gave a firm kick. "Yeah. Crazy, right?"

"No," he said, stepping forward again, eyes locked on mine. "Not crazy. You're going to be an amazing mother."

My throat tightened with emotion. I hadn't realized how much I needed to hear that until he said it. "Thanks, Jak."

We sat down together on a nearby bench, talking for a while about life, work, everything in between. I told him about the nursery, how Deckard had painted it even though he pretended he hated the colour I picked. We joked, laughed, and for the first time in months, it felt like everything was in its place.

After a while, I checked the time and stood with a groan, pressing a hand to my aching lower back. "I have to get going—Deck's cooking dinner tonight."

Jakob stood, too. "I've got something to take care of anyway."

We looked at each other for a moment, that unspoken twin thing passing between us.

"Be safe," I said softly.

Jakob smiled and nodded. "I will. And I'll be back to see you and the baby."

I paused, smiling as I rubbed my bump. "Babies. It's twins—both boys."

Jakob's mouth dropped open. "You're kidding."

"Nope," I said, popping the 'p' with a grin.

He groaned and shook his head. "You better name one after me and not Dom."

I laughed. "Don't worry. I'm not naming them after Dom. Just you and Owen—Deckard's brother. Even though Dom and I are on okay terms, he won't be getting name rights to any of my kids."

Jakob smiled, nodding in approval. He gave me one more hug before walking away, and I headed back to my car, one hand constantly on my belly. The twins were kicking like mad—either they missed their uncle already, or they were protesting all the moving around.

When I walked through the front door, I called out, "Decks, I'm home!"

His voice came from the kitchen. "Hey, darling. I'm in here."

I waddled up the stairs—because at this point, there was no other way to describe how I walked—and found him in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, already halfway through making dinner. The smell of something buttery and rich filled the air.

I sat down at the table with a sigh. "How's it going?"

He glanced over his shoulder and smirked. "How's your brother?"

"He's good," I said, smiling.

Deckard walked over, leaned down, and kissed my head. "Well, good. He's the only family member of yours I actually like."

I laughed. "Same here. The rest... let's just say it's complicated."

Deckard raised a brow. "What happened?"

I looked down at my belly for a moment before speaking. "It's kind of a long story. But the short version? My dad died in a race. We were left drowning in debt—Jakob and I were scrambling to fix everything while Dom had no idea. He was Dad's favourite, even more than Jakob or me. Mia was too young to understand. Then Dom got into a fight and beat someone nearly to death. He went to jail, and Jakob and I were left behind to clean up the mess. You already know my mum died of cancer..."

Deckard's expression darkened slightly, listening closely.

"Eventually, Dom came back. He dared Jakob to race—Jakob lost, and Dom made sure he got kicked out. And... well, you know the rest."

Deckard didn't say anything at first. He just wrapped his arms around me and held me close, pressing a soft kiss to the top of my head.

I closed my eyes, letting myself melt into the warmth of him. The babies kicked again, as if they sensed the peace.

"I love you, Deckard Shaw," I whispered. I sniffed the air and said, "Are you making Beef Wellington and trifle?

He pulled back slightly and smiled. "I love you, too. And yes, I'm making Beef Wellington and trifle."

My eyes lit up. "You spoil me."

He chuckled. "I have to. You've been peeing every five minutes, barely sleeping, and carrying two Shaw boys like a damn warrior."

I grinned. "They're doing well. Kicking a lot today... Maybe they're excited about dinner too."

He kissed my cheek. "They've got good taste already."

The rest of the year flew by as we got everything ready for the babies. I finished my second trimester and entered the last one, which meant more doctor's visits and a lot more back pain. 

It was getting harder to move around, and sleep had become a rare luxury. Luckily, I had Deck, and he was great, and everything was calm in our lives. No bad guys, no Eteon, just us.