<Shina>

New Years Eve had come and gone so quickly, me and Eli spending the night looking up at the stars long after the children had fallen asleep and been tucked into bed by Anthony while we stayed outside together. We really were blessed to have him with us. Even if he usually was so quiet that it became easy to forget he was there.

But we hadn't forgotten him on Christmas, having given him a fully paid trip to visit his family. He'd only just come back yesterday, a large smile on his face as he walked through the door.

We had promised to give him more time off again soon, so he could go visit his friends at the manor, something he hadn't done in a few months.

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<Elijah>

I woke up early, quietly getting out of bed and heading downstairs after making sure I had not woken Shina up. I had to be careful since, although she usually was a somewhat heavy sleeper, I didn't want to take the chance of waking her up.

After all, I didn't want to get caught today.

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<Leon>

I'd gone back to town during the night and emptied my apartment of everything I considered valuable before taking it back to the abandoned house in the woods. It had been untouched for so long that I felt comfortable claiming it as my own, since I refused to bring my poor sweet Shina into the tiny apartment I had been calling home for the past several months.

I just needed to make the place more livable first. I spent several days cleaning the mess up and making the place feel like home. On New Years Eve, I spent the day bringing new sheets and pillows home for the bedroom me and Shina would share once I had her back. Everything was ready and perfect, until a sudden thought hit me.

I didn't have a room ready for our child.

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<Shina>

I woke up to find myself alone in bed. Not the first time it had happened, but I had not expected it today of all days. Climbing out of bed, I grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the connected bathroom, setting the clothing on the shelf above the towels.

Grabbing a new bar of scented soap, I climbed into the shower to begin my morning routine.

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<Elijah>

I sighed in relief when I heard the shower start running. I'd been afraid she would come downstairs when she saw the empty space beside her in bed. She was usually far too curious and keen eyed for me to be able to hide anything from her for long, be it something as small as a new book on the shelves to as large as a new tree in the garden.

I had no idea how I had hidden this from her for so long, but I was currently counting my blessings.

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<Leon>

Driving into town, I carefully pulled in the parking lot of the local furniture store. I would need a bed, dresser and desk, all sized for a child that was most likely between 3 and 5 years old. I couldn't be sure, since I wasn't positive if Shina had given birth before or after I had been in the accident which lost me so much of my memories.

Walking in I began looking around at the soft pastel twin sized beds, counting my blessings for having been able to recall as much as I could of my past with Shina. I really would have been lost forever if I had never gained them back. Stepping through a small arch that divided the rooms of different furniture, I froze at what I saw, feeling my heart wrench for a moment. The room was filled with bunk beds.

She'd been pregnant with twins.

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<Shina>

I walked downstairs, a towel still wrapped around my wet hair, ready to go start breakfast. I wonder if the twins would prefer pancakes with bacon today or cheesy scrambled eggs with sausages? Turning in the hallway to enter the kitchen, I froze at the sight that was before me, my breath caught in my throat as tears began streaming down my face.

How had he kept this a secret from me?

And for how long?

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<Elijah>

Looking into her crying face, I opened my mouth and said only thing I had been wanting to tell her since I woke up that morning.

.

.

.

"Happy Birthday, My Precious Shina!!!"