During Natalie’s second trimester, everyone took care of her, and she was even allowed to go to the office under the conditions Justin had set.
She was spending the happiest days of her life, surrounded by everyone—from family to friends. Their talks, banter, teasing, and the endless fun with so much gossip among the women.
Her belly had started to show, finally making her feel that her babies were growing well. The doctors had only good things to say about the babies but still advised her to be cautious with her actions and not to exhaust herself.
After staying for more than a month at the home built by Alexander, Aaron brought Serena and Marina back to Imperial City. Everyone was happy to hear they were coming.
Serena had improved a lot and had started to recognize Aaron as her son, instead of calling him Alex. Aaron and Marina used to show her pictures of others, and she had started to recognize Aiden and Natalie. They had video calls often to help her get used to it.
They all arrived at Justin’s home, where a side house had been prepared for them. It had a similar view of the mountains and sky that Serena preferred.
Once they had rested, all the family members went to visit them.
The moment Justin came in front of Serena—who was enjoying the mild breeze and sunlight outside with Marina—there was a change in her expression. She looked at peace; her lips had a gentle smile, and her eyes held warmth.
"Aiden?" a weak and soft voice was heard.
Justin nodded as he knelt in front of her and held her hand. "Yes, Aiden."
She didn’t mistake him for Aaron. Even now, she could tell the difference between her sons.
He then introduced her to Natalie once more. "My wife, Natalie. She talked with you on a video call."
"Caryn... she looks..."
"She is Caryn’s daughter," Justin said. "You will meet her as well."
"Caryn?" Serena looked around, and Justin said, "She will be here in a while. Don’t worry."
Serena understood. Though she couldn’t talk much, she understood everything.
Just then, Marina said, "Natalie is pregnant, Serena. Soon you will be a grandmother, and I’ll be a great-grandmother."
As Marina spoke, Serena finally moved her gaze slowly towards Natalie’s belly. "Babies?"
Natalie hummed and went closer to her. Serena moved her hand and placed it on Natalie’s belly.
"They are twins," Natalie informed her, letting Serena touch her belly.
"Twins?" Her eyes turned moist.
Marina said, "Yes, twins. Now you have to start thinking about their names."
"Names..." Serena smiled, as if she was happy to do it.
"We didn’t check the gender, as we wanted it to be a surprise," Natalie said. "So you all have to think about two names for boys and two for girls."
Caryn arrived then. The two long-lost friends were happy to meet each other, and it was an emotional moment. Marina met Julia and Catherine.
As the air was filled with a sense of family reunion and joy, the mother and daughter who had once been distant—Caryn and Natalie—had started to grow closer as well.
They often spent time together, with Natalie asking Caryn about her experience during pregnancy. Caryn would answer honestly, and once in a while, Natalie could see her mother actually smiling.
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