Chapter 68: Chapter 68

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“Morning.” Jessi put on a smile as she watched the sweater-clad guy carrying the snoring little boy with remarkable ease.

It didn't look like it was his first time holding a baby. “Morning,” Jenson greeted back with an ear-to-ear grin, almost whispering like her. While holding their sleeping son in his arms, he cautiously approached the front door, slightly swaying as if he was rocking the baby to sleep.

Her smile grew wider. Her heart swelled. She almost got teary-eyed just looking at the two. First time seeing them together, but everything about it just felt innate. Just heartwarming.

Reign didn't even budge when Jenson picked him up from the couch. The child was such a heavy-sleeper like her. His sister was the total opposite, though.

Jenson stepped forward. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah.” With Emerie in her arms, Jessi stepped closer to the father-and-son duo, keeping her voice down and her movements minimal, like Jenson.

It was only nine in the morning. Reign fell asleep again minutes ago after having some milk, and now it was his sister's turn.

“She fell asleep, too?” Jenson leaned in so they could keep talking in whispers. When Emerie stirred under the shawl, his broad shoulders tensed up. His eyes widened. “Sorry.”

“It's fine. She's not sleeping. Just busy.” Jessi pressed her lips together to hide a giggle.

He just looked so cute, cuddling their baby boy like he'd been doing it every day. Like last night, Jenson wasn't wearing anything fancy—just a plain white sweatshirt, dark pants, and black sneakers. His hair looked thicker than she remembered, and he was almost clean-shaven today. He certainly didn't look older than 35.

“She's a little sleepy, but still hungry,” she muttered while he watched their daughter. A thin shawl covered up Emerie's head, neck and chest.

Emerie stayed quiet in her arms, half-asleep and concentrating on her breakfast. Her pale and tiny fingers clasped the front of her dress while she drank more milk, too busy to be bothered by anything.

“Ow!” Jessi wheezed. “Baby, no. No biting Mama.” The stinging around her nipple lingered, thanks to the small but hard teeth almost scraping her skin. “Second time today. Ow...”

Jenson held Reign to his chest while chuckling at her and Emerie, looking thoroughly amused.

“It's not funny. It's painful,” she muttered with a frown. Strange how the cutest baby teeth she'd ever seen could easily inflict so much pain on an adult's body.

“Sorry.”

“I'm not exaggerating. She likes to bite down like it's a teether.”

“Sorry, babe. Didn't mean to laugh.” He got rid of his smirk and looked at Emerie now. “Baby, say sorry...” Jenson cooed. “Say 'Sorry, Mama'.”

Jessi smiled and stayed beside him so he could watch the twins closely. She had been breastfeeding them for almost two years now. So far, it didn't feel like her body would stop lactating anytime soon.

“We'll grab breakfast on the way,” he murmured to her cheek.

“Yeah. Okay.”

After kissing her temple, Jenson wore his mask and locked the front door before they walked out of the property.

The weather looked pleasant, the sky somewhat cloudy but not gloomy. The morning breeze felt nippy. They should be here by tomorrow lunchtime.

The diagnostic clinic wasn't that far, and he promised he would drive them straight home before her parents got back from the charity event. A momentary pinch of guilt crept into her thoughts again.

She didn't tell her mom and dad about her itinerary today. She wasn't ready to introduce Jenson yet. She even lied.

Her parents believed she'd get a babysitter. She brought it up just so they wouldn't hesitate to leave her alone with the kids for two days. They had no idea the "babysitter" she called up was actually the dad. She just didn't want them to worry.

Jenson being here in Raleigh would have to stay a secret for now.

"Mama." Emerie stopped drinking milk and budged in her arms, then swiftly turned away from her chest to look at Jenson. "Dada."

"Yes." Jessi laughed when he gawked at them. They stood beside the SUV, right next to the baby seats where Reign was sleeping soundly. "Good job, Eri."

"Did she just say 'Dada'?" Jenson blinked at her and their toddler.

"Yeah." She chortled, surprised as well. "I showed them some pictures of you, and us, when I was still in LA."

"Our selfies?" Jenson chuckled when she nodded. "Hi, baby." His smile narrowed his eyes while he stared at Emerie. "You good? All done with milk?"

"Yeth." Emerie yawned and rubbed her eyes. Her high-pitched voice sounded quite nasal, but she didn't look sleepy anymore. Her hazel-green eyes were perusing his overall appearance, with her cute thumb and index finger now pointing to his face. "Mama? Dada."

Jenson laughed again.

"Yes, my love." Jessi couldn't help giggling while wiping off the drop of milk beside Emerie's pinkish lips. "That's Dada. Say hi."

"Dada heew."

"Yeah. He's here now." Jessi muffled another laugh when Emerie sat up in her arms to get a better look at their guest. Her face warmed up while Emerie stared and smiled at her dad, blushing and baring her little front teeth. "Dada really wanted to see you and your brother. Say hi. Hi, Daddy Joss."

"Hi. Dada."

"Hi, cutie. Yeah. Dada's here." Jenson took off his mask for a moment to give Emerie a big smile, then stroked her head and shoulder-length hair.

"She's less articulate than Reign. But her memory's better." Jessi leaned closer so their curious baby girl could touch his forearm. "She likes to draw and paint, and play with clay."

"What?" Jenson's grin turned into a confused look that wrinkled his dark brows. "Babe, she's not even two."

"She loves it." Jessi shrugged. Something in her gut coiled when he called her "babe" again, like it was their norm, but she tried not to show any surprise. "She scribbles a lot, plays with paint, Sharpies, watercolor, sketch pads... So Mom keeps buying art supplies. The playroom's full of them."

"That's...just awesome." Jenson tucked some of Emerie's wispy hair behind her ear.

She definitely got her dad's eyes and hair, especially the color and texture.

"You cutie." With his mask covering his nose and mouth again, Jenson kissed their daughter's head while his hand touched her back. "What d'you wanna eat?"

"Eat?" Emerie glanced down before staring at his face again. "Eat ayth keemth."

"No. Not yet." Jessi shook her head at the tot. "It's too early for ice cream, loves."

"Wuvth, ayth keem."

"No. Maybe later. Or tonight."

"Eat ayth keemth?" Emerie tittered and squirmed in her arms when Jenson laughed out loud.

"Baby, say 'Emerie loves Mama and Dada'..." He stood closer and waited for their daughter to imitate him.

"Ewi...wuv..."

"Eri loves Mama and Dada." Jenson grinned.

"Wuvth. Mama. Dada."

"Good job." Jessi hugged the smiling baby and laughed at the two just being so adorable. Just bonding in the middle of the sidewalk. Like it wasn't the very first time they met.

"Good job." Jenson chuckled alongside her. "Let's just get her some frozen yogurt." He put his forearm on her right shoulder and gave it a squeeze, obviously urging her to say yes. "Drive-thru?"

She shook her head. "Five minutes in and you're already spoiling her."

"No. Just trying to reward good behavior."

"Please don't be a worse spoiler than Mom and Dad..."

"I'll try," he muttered with a faint shrug. "But I'm not promising anything."

Jessi moved away from him when she noticed the rashes on his palm and fingers. “What happened to your hand?”

“Huh? Nothing.”

“Are those rashes?”

“Just allergies.”

“What? Just this morning?” she asked while strapping Emerie in the baby car seat. “What did you take? Antihistamine?”

“Just my meds. Double dose.” Jenson closed the door quietly after making sure the twins were all snug and buckled up. “I'm fine.”

“What triggered it?”

“It's nothing. I'm good.” He looked away and cleared his throat when she frowned. They stood next to the front passenger seat now. “I touched your hand last night, and your ring.”

“Oh.” She looked at her hand.

Contact dermatitis. He accidentally touched her silver ring a couple of times, then had an allergy attack.

Darn it. She should've been more careful. “Sorry.” Jessi sighed and put away her jewelry, silently praying her ring didn't do much damage. It wasn't even fine silver, but clearly toxic enough to him to irritate his skin. “I totally forgot. Sorry. I wasn't... I forgot you're allergic, like Darren.”

“I'm fine.” Jenson put his arm around her back to give her a quick hug. “You always wear the ring?”

“Yeah. Mom bought it for my birthday last year.”

“So the twins... They're not allergic?” He pulled away to regard her with a squint.

“No.” She backed off to examine his hand. It felt warmer than hers but not swelling, with some redness on his index and middle finger and some pinkish dots on his palm. Thankfully the rashes didn't spread all over his hand. “They're not allergic to anything. So far. Is that a good sign?”

“Yeah.” He caressed her short hair. “A really good sign.”

“Who's the specialist? You know her personally?”

“Dr. Rasmussen.” He slid his hands into his pockets. “She met Magnus a while ago, during a pharma convention,” he mumbled.

“Oh. Okay. How's he doing?”

“Great, I guess.” Jenson looked away and scratched the back of his head. “Still jet-setting with Evie.”

“No kids yet?”

“Nah.” He glanced at her while his brows stayed creased. “He said, he wants to see the twins soon.”

Uh-oh. His uncle wanted to meet them in person? Did "soon" mean this week or this month? She stood still and tried not to make a face. “Why?”

“I dunno...” Jenson sighed. “Curiosity, I guess.” Small lines stayed on his forehead and beside his eyes. His dull tone also denoted some annoyance.

Hmm... Lots to unpack there. But she really didn't want to discuss his uncle today. Just the last thing she wanted to talk about. Next to getting lawyers and the dreadful custody talk, of course.

She glanced at the kids.

Reign looked like he was still snoring with his little mouth hanging open. He just couldn't be bothered. Beside him, Emerie looked busy playing with her butterfly-shaped teether.

"What tests do they need?"

“A blood panel, at least.” Jenson itched his palm. “Then CVS, diagnostic and carrier testing. Mainly to check for genetic abnormalities.”

“Stop scratching. The redness will get worse.”

“Are they scared of needles?”

“Just Eri.” Jessi grinned at a not-so-distant memory. “Reign's not really bothered by it.”

"Good." He nodded faintly. "Emerie Shay Kinley-Roiz. Reign Jameson Kinley-Roiz."

She snickered. "Just call them Eri and Reign."

"I love their names." Jenson pulled her closer for an embrace.

Her breath hitched at the affectionate gesture. Definitely a step up from their messy arguments last night. Besides, she was too tired to act abrasive towards him all day.

His puffy eyes told her he didn't get much sleep like her, but he seemed to be in a much better mood now. Must be because she finally let him see the twins, and she agreed to his plans to see the pediatric specialist today.

"They both have your eyes."

"Yeah." Jenson kissed the side of her head. His heavy arms tightened around her. "They got your nose and smile, your hair and complexion. I mean, your natural hair."

"Just Reign. Eri's hair looks brown under the sun, like yours."

"Yeah." They kept hugging each other for a while, his body much warmer than hers, almost feverish. "How did you get pregnant if... I thought you took the pills. That morning we went to the pharmacy."

"I did," she muttered. "Two pills, like Kel said."

"No effects? At all?"

"The day after I left LA, I got sick again. It was weird. Flu-like symptoms. I was vomiting every day."

"Plus the rashes again?" Jenson stiffened up.

"Rashes? No. It wasn't the virus."

"No?"

"Got tested four times, during and after the symptoms." She glanced up at him. "I took the vitamins you gave me. The purple pills."

"And?"

"Felt much better after three days."

"Oh. That's...good. Great, actually."

"Kel said once a day for five days was still safe. She checked the pills with Enzo's lab staff. His biotech company in New York is— They're working on better treatment options now, for the viral infection."

"I know. I met him, too."

"So, your vitamins helped? The urinalysis said I had a bacterial infection."

"Yeah. Sorry. It's..." Jenson cleared his throat, mumbling his words again as if racking his brain for the right words to say. "My fault. I mean, my semen's fault."

Oh dear. They were going there...

"So, from now on, no more sex without condoms. Okay?"

She curbed a laugh and slapped his arm, her cheeks and neck just burning up now. "You're still taking your meds every day?"

"Yeah. Good prophylactic against moderate to severe infection. I mean, the data said they work."

"Oh. You never got sick? You and Darren? California's still a hotspot."

"No." His knuckle gingerly tilted her chin. "The trial results say we're pretty much immune. I got vaccinated, too, like I said, and been isolating since I got here."

"How's Darren?"

"Fine. Still in Cali. He asked about you."

"Does he know? About the twins?"

"Yeah. Sorry." Jenson tutted. "He found out after we met Pete. Your uncle's even more chatty than him."

Jessi chuckled. "Like Mom."

"What time are they comin' back tomorrow night? Your mom and dad."

"Not sure." She gripped his forearms. "Hey. Is it true?"

"What is?" He squinted at her.

"That you're... I mean, about your family."

Jenson gawked at her, then dropped his gaze after an awkward silence. "What else did Kel tell you?"

"Not much," Jessi murmured. Her nerves just took over the longer she stared at him. She'd been waiting so long for this day, imagining and anticipating his answers for months and months.

But did he want to talk about it? Right now?

Probably not.  "Just some things, about you guys. And your clan." She glanced down at his hand clasping her wrist.

"Like what?"

"About Magnus. And your bloodline." She bit on the inside of her cheek and focused on his chest. Talking about the whole thing didn't sound like a good icebreaker.

But maybe he wanted to talk to her about it now. Well, he had a lot to explain—about himself and his family's background, especially. "That's what scared you?"

She nodded after hesitating. "A little."

"Sorry." Jenson sighed as his hand partly covered his eyes. "It's not like I didn't trust you. I just couldn't tell you."

"Okay."

"I wanted to. But we can't... We just don't discuss it with other people outside of the clan."

"What does it mean to be the Beta?"

He stared at her now, his gaze both hesitant and attentive. "A lot of things."

Okay. So he wasn't ready to go into detail yet. He probably thought she wasn't prepared for the answers.

Well, it wasn't like she could force him to explain everything now. Maybe he just needed more time?

"Your genes... They're similar to Magnus and Darren's, because of, your pureblood father?"

"Pretty much. Yeah."

"But you're not fully immune?"

"No one is, babe. It's a new virus." Jenson shrugged. "Magnus thinks purebloods and half-bloods are mostly immune. But he said more studies and trials should be done."

"Mostly immune. But, what about the twins?"

"I..." He scratched his eyebrow. "I really don't know yet." He glimpsed the toddlers in the backseat. "They smell too human," he murmured with a sigh.

Too human?  Jessi made a face, her heart thumping louder in her rib cage.  "Is that a good thing? Or not?"

"We'll see." He gently kissed her head and hugged her again. "I'm sure they'll be fine." He stroked her hair. "We'll be fine."

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