shivian: a forbidden love 🖤🫶🏻

chapter 32: untouchable love

Sorry Kayleigh_May_Roberts.....

Third person pov:

Vivian stood by the window, looking out at the tree-lined street, her mind racing. The twins, Hailey and Harper, had only just turned three months old, and already, the house had become a whirlwind of diapers, bottles, and sleepless nights. Jamie, their five-year-old son, was adjusting to being a big brother, but it was clear he was feeling a bit lost amidst all the chaos.

Vivian sighed, rubbing her temples. Siobhan, her fiancée, had insisted they send the twins and Jamie to Aunt Marjorie and Uncle Reece’s for the night. “It’ll give us a chance to breathe,” Siobhan had said. “We haven’t had time to ourselves in months, Viv. It’ll be good for us.”

Vivian had reluctantly agreed, but now that the house was quiet, she felt a growing unease. The silence wasn’t comforting; it was suffocating.

Siobhan was in the kitchen, cleaning up after dinner. Vivian could hear the clink of dishes and the steady hum of the dishwasher. Normally, they would do these things together, but tonight, there was a strange tension in the air, one that neither of them had acknowledged yet.

Vivian finally turned from the window and made her way into the kitchen. Siobhan was standing at the sink, her back to Vivian, scrubbing furiously at a stubborn spot on a pan. Her dark hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she looked exhausted.

“We need to talk,” Vivian said, her voice softer than she intended.

Siobhan didn’t turn around. “About what?”

“About everything,” Vivian replied, leaning against the counter. “We haven’t been ourselves lately.”

Siobhan paused for a moment, then resumed scrubbing. “Of course we haven’t. We have twin newborns and a five-year-old. Things are bound to be chaotic.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Vivian said, her frustration rising. “I mean us, Siobhan. You’ve been distant, and I feel like we’re barely communicating anymore.”

Siobhan finally set the pan down and turned to face her. Her blue eyes, usually so warm and full of love, were clouded with exhaustion and something else—something Vivian couldn’t quite place.

“What do you expect, Viv?” Siobhan snapped. “I just had twins. I’m running on no sleep. My body feels like it’s been through a war, and I’m trying to juggle everything without losing my mind. And you’re…you’re acting like I’m not doing enough.”

Vivian’s eyes widened. “That’s not fair, Siobhan. I’ve been doing everything I can to help. I’m trying to be there for you and the kids, but you keep shutting me out.”

“Shutting you out?” Siobhan let out a bitter laugh. “I’m not shutting you out. I’m just trying to survive.”

Vivian crossed her arms over her chest, her heart pounding. “I miss you,” she said, her voice breaking. “I miss us. I don’t want us to drift apart because of all of this.”

Siobhan’s eyes softened for a brief moment, but then she shook her head, her frustration returning. “You don’t get it, Viv. You think this is about us drifting apart, but it’s not. It’s about me trying to hold everything together, and you do not understand how overwhelming it is.”

“I do understand,” Vivian shot back, her voice rising. “I’m just as overwhelmed as you are, Siobhan. But instead of talking to me, you’re pushing me away. And I’m tired of feeling like I’m not enough for you anymore.”

Siobhan’s face flushed with anger. “Not enough? That’s not what this is about! This is about me needing space to breathe without feeling like I’m failing you or the kids.”