Pulse of the Beat (Unspoken Vows)

CHAPTER 44: When Hearts Arrive Early and Right on Time

Hey babes!! 💕 I know, I know... I disappeared again for like a whole month 😅 I'm really sorry about the delay - life has been chaotic, and my brain took a little vacation without permission. But!! I wasn't totally gone... I was writing. A LOT.

Which brings me to this moment:
Today, I present to you this absolute beast of a chapter - 62,871 words.
Yes. Sixty-two thousand eight hundred seventy-one.
A whole-ass novel in one update 😭✨

Also, quick heads-up! Some parts in this chapter might seem a little medically inaccurate or exaggerated, but I promise they're not - everything is based on real things that actually happened to me or my family. I kept it exactly as it was, even if it sounds wild sometimes 😅🤍

Thank you for being patient with me, for not giving up on this story, and for always cheering me on. I hope this chapter keeps you busy for a good while 😏💖
Enjoy every page and please let me know your thoughts!!

The first rays of sunlight slipped through the curtains, casting a muted glow across the master bedroom. Lucy stirred, shifting slightly as the weight of her belly reminded her she was in the final days of waiting. Thirty-nine weeks of carrying two little lives had stretched her body to its fullest, and yet in the stillness of dawn, she didn't feel burdened-she felt protective, proud, and achingly ready. Her hand instinctively rested over the firm swell of her stomach, fingers tracing slow circles as if she could soothe the restless turns of her unborn son and daughter. Every little kick and roll felt like a reminder that their family was on the edge of another transformation.

She closed her eyes briefly, imagining how tiny their fingers would be, how Tim would look when he first held them, how their older siblings would crowd around the bassinets with wide eyes and eager little hands. Across the hall, she knew Tamara was still asleep, curled under the comforter. At twenty-eight weeks pregnant herself, Tamara had grown into the role of expectant mother with both courage and hesitation. Lucy often heard her shifting in the night, the restless tosses familiar to anyone carrying a growing child. The thought softened Lucy's heart-her little sister in all but blood, the girl she and Tim had welcomed permanently into their family two years ago, now carrying life of her own.

The house wasn't quiet for long. From the kitchen, the faint clink of mugs carried into the bedroom, followed by the low hum of Tim's voice. Lucy turned her head just in time to see him nudging the door open with his shoulder, balancing two steaming cups carefully in his large hands. He gave her a crooked smile, eyes soft with that mixture of affection and amusement he always wore when he caught her awake earlier than she should be.

"You're supposed to be sleeping in," he teased, placing the coffee on her nightstand. "Doctor's orders, remember? No overachieving at nine months pregnant."

Lucy arched an eyebrow, rubbing her belly pointedly. "Tell that to these two. They think sunrise is playtime."

Before Tim could reply, a thundering of little feet echoed down the hallway. Emma and Ethan burst into the room with the unrestrained enthusiasm only four-year-olds could manage. "Mommy! Daddy! Can we have cereal?" Emma shouted, her curls bouncing wildly as she scrambled onto the bed. Ethan followed, his hands full of toy cars, which immediately clattered onto the sheets.

Tim groaned dramatically, but there was no hiding the warmth in his smile. "I see the coffee's going to have to wait."

Lucy laughed, scooping Ethan closer despite the awkwardness of her belly. Across the hall, Lena's soft babbles filtered into the chaos, soon followed by Leo's determined squeals as he pulled himself upright in his crib. Eleven months old and already trying to keep pace with his older siblings, Leo had a will of his own, steadying himself against the rails with that wobbly determination that made Tim both proud and terrified.