Carol Sorenson had what Juliette wanted and never would, but she’d also tragically lost her life and would never see her children grow up. There was already too much heartbreak there for Juliette to focus on her own problem.
So she focused on the babies. While they slept, she found their formula and bottles in the kitchen and set up everything to make feeding time easier. She sat in the rocking chair in their nursery and watched them sleep, noticing the differences in them and the similarities. Perhaps they sensed more tension than she expected, because once they settled down, they slept soundly for a few hours. More than once she rose and put a hand gently on their backs to feel them breathing and assure herself they were fine.
Bonnie popped in once and offered to help feed one when the time came. She combed her short, dark hair back with her fingers and shook her head. “I can’t believe under the circumstances Leanne would just abandon them when they need the help most.”
Juliette only nodded. She didn’t want to say something when she wasn’t sure whether the woman was a gossip or not, but she couldn’t help but agree.
When the twins woke, after diaper changes and a dash to get their bottles, Juliette found she didn’t need Bonnie’s help. She lay the babies on the floor, propped up on pillows, and sat between them, facing them, to hold both bottles so they could eat at the same time. They watched her with wide blue eyes while they ate, and she talked to them softly, smiling. She took turns burping them, and lay them back down to hold their little hands and watch their expressions change as she talked. Their tufted tiny cat ears moved in cadence of the tone of her voice and their little tails that peeked beneath their onesies flicked back and forth. Shifter babies were terminally cute. At three months old, Leah and Thomas were still practically infants. Unlike human babies, shifter cubs were born with their eyes closed, pink and fragile, channeling their spirit animals. After a few weeks of nothing but eating and sleeping, they began opening their eyes and grew active. But once they learned to crawl, they were a handful and needed constant supervision. When human babies learned to walk at the end of their first year, shifter babies already ran, sneaked, pounced, stalked, and mostly got into mischief. Their full transformation wasn’t until their third year when they mastered their human or animal form. Some were species took even longer, like bears for instance. Their cubs didn’t master the change until well into adolescence. In today’s society, one wouldn’t see bear cubs out until they could blend in with the public.
Thomas let out a soft chuff of contentment. He started drifting to sleep, but Leah still had fight in her. She was alert and curious and purred. Juliette found an insane urge to shift and groom the babies like any feline mother did. Her maternal instinct went haywire the moment she laid eyes on them.
No, Juliette. They aren’t yours. Don’t let yourself get too attached or you’ll end up hurting yourself along the way.
Juliette sighed. She had fallen in love with both of them.
And when I go back to making candy in my shop tomorrow, these feelings will pass. I will miss them, but these cubs aren’t mine. She told herself that, but something in her didn’t believe it.
A sliver of ache pricked her heart.
She wiped at her eyes and marveled at how differently the day had turned out than she’d expected.
And that’s when she sensed someone behind her.
She turned to find Wilhelm standing in the nursery doorway, a slightly bemused smile on his face.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said. “I would have assumed you’d heard me long ago.”
“You didn’t startle me. I was just … distracted.”
“I never knew you were so good with babies. One day you’ll be a great mother.”
She turned aw
ay, focusing on the babies again. He couldn’t possibly know how painful it was for her to hear such a thing. “I thought you had business to tend to?”
“I did. The meeting went well, and I found myself unable to get anything else done, so here I am.” He approached and stood next to her, then knelt on one knee, his arms resting on his other. “If you need to leave, I’m sure Bonnie and I will be fine.”
Juliette shook her head. “And let you enjoy the easy part watching them sleep? You weren’t here when Thomas had a diaper mishap.”
“Ugh.” Wilhelm made a face, semi-horrified. “Was it bad?”
“Let’s just say that I narrowly avoided an epic disaster. Thomas is a future troublemaker, so you’d better watch him closely. I’d say you’ve got your work cut out for you.” She looked at him then, and realized that she truly didn’t want to go. Not now. And not just because of the babies. Just for a moment, let me bask in this fantasy, let me pretend that I have a family, a man by my side, and cubs before me. I’m complete and happy.
“I’m not afraid. I love challenges,” he said softly, then with a sigh he reached out and took Leah’s hand, her tiny grip circling his finger. “Juliette, you know what this means?”
“Hmmh?”
“I’ve got to be their father. Imagine me, a single DILF?”
Juliette snorted a laugh. She didn’t know he could joke like that. It was refreshing to see this side of him. So down to earth and humble. He was totally different than the haughty man she knew, a busy exec who ran a multi-million dollar company. “I bet you’ll be popular with the PTA moms.”
“You think? I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. I do know that I’ve got this devastating effect on women.”
Juliette’s eyebrow raised an inch. “Are you bragging?”
“Does it sound like it? I’m just trying to woo you. You know, emphasizing my good points since my efforts have failed so far. Does it work?”
“Keep working on it.”