Project Hybrid

Version 3 | Chapter 7: Lilac

RAYS of light seeped through the window onto the floor.

Faint colors filled the bedroom. Within moments, I could see the lilac hue of the walls come to life. The beautiful pale purple felt calming — the chroma was as soft as the petals of the flower by which it gets its name. 

Only one sound filled the room: my husband's soft snore undulated through the air. And those shallow breaths interweaved with my skin between my shoulder blades. Warmth encompassed me. 

Meanwhile, Rylan kept one hand on my chest. Maybe he sought the sound of my heart against his skin. To wake up and know that a constant existed in life seemed like a good reason to do such a thing. 

I laid on my side, waiting for a sign that the night before turned out a success. Honestly, life felt lonely without the sound of thoughts between my hips. They kept me company in my sleepless nights. Sure, I had my thoughts, but who had conversations with themselves when they couldn't sleep? 

A few moments faded away within a single blink — nothing. Although, something felt familiar yet utterly foreign inside me. There was some extra weight in between my hips, more than when I carried Kylo. It seemed as if the mass doubled. 

Suddenly, two voices stirred in between my hips. 

It's dark in here. The first voice, though unisex, gave off a different vibe than Kylo — they sounded point-blank. 

I think the dark is comforting. The second genderless voice possessed softness. 

Twins.

My lips curled into a smile, and I sat up in the bed. Over my shoulder, I gazed at Rylan as the comforter muffled his frame. He looked so peaceful. 

"Babe, I have news." I dangled the words over his ear. Each syllable was an offering of sugar on an invisible string. 

Slowly, Rylan's eyes opened with gentle blinks. As his irises met mine, a warm smile spread across his face. "Morning, Triz," he said and yawned. "You as if you're in a good mood this early." 

"Yes," I replied and smiled again. Ecstacy laced through my skin, and I began tracing every inch of his shoulder. A bright tune hummed against my pursed lips. 

Sometimes, one's excitement becomes a barrier to getting to the point.  

Rylan chuckled. "You're very chipper this morning." Within seconds, he took my hand. "What's making your day?" 

I glanced down at my stomach then back at my husband, barely able to contain the shape of my lips. "Twins, Rylan," I whispered. "I'm pregnant with twins." 

Rylan began showering my stomach with short kisses. Each one was gentle and kept me smiling. When he finished, his thumb rested on my cheek. His lips hummed against mine. "My beautiful Triz," he breathed my name in the air as beautiful as a sonnet. "My ravishing Triz." 

"Forever?" I asked, feeling his shoulder blades — his warm shoulder blades. The thick blanket piled atop his lap. "Can you promise me forever?" 

"As long as you're in it," Rylan said and smiled against my lips. "I love you, Beatriz." After pausing for a moment, he sighed. "What are we going to tell Zoelle?" He brushed his fingers through his dark hair. 

"What if her pregnancy, while real, is used as a means to trick us?" I added. "She could pull the rug right from under—" 

Rylan cut me off. "Don't jump to conclusions quite yet." He had firm eyes that told me to assume Zoelle was innocent until proven guilty. From the nightstand next to the bed, he grabbed his phone and began to type. The sound from the device was kind of annoying — an annoying, tenor click. "According to the news, Harlowe Young, manager of the former Ocala Estates, pled guilty for the rape of Joy Jones. The rape occurred on the third of June."