JAY-JAY POV
************AFTER 4 MONTHS********************
I was nine months pregnant now, and honestly?
It sucked.
I could barely bend down without Mia grabbing my arm like I was about to fall over. She even moved in with me after the whole incident with Keifer. I didn't argue. I was too scared to run into them again, so I quit my job and moved somewhere else.
Everything was supposed to be calm.
Then I felt it.
A sharp pain wrapped around my stomach, so strong it made my knees shake.
"MIA!" I yelled, grabbing the counter with both hands.
She came running instantly. "What happened?!"
"I think… it's time," I said, holding my belly tight because the pain hit again, even worse.
Her eyes went huge. "Oh—okay, okay, okay—breathe, Jay!"
"I am breathing!" I snapped, even though I totally wasn't.
She rushed to my side, helping me stand straight. My whole body was shaking, and I swear my heart was beating faster than the contractions.
"Mia… it hurts," I whispered, trying not to cry.
"I know," she said, wrapping an arm around me. "Come on, we're going to the hospital. Right now."
Another contraction hit, and I leaned into her, breathing hard.
This was it.
The babies were coming.
And everything in my life was about to change again.
Mia drove to the hospital so fast I swear the car was flying. I was gripping the seat with one hand and my stomach with the other, trying not to scream every time a contraction hit.
As soon as we reached the hospital, she didn't even bother parking straight. The car was literally sideways, but she didn't care.
She jumped out immediately.
"Stay here, Jay! Don't move!" she yelled, already running toward the entrance.
Like I could move anyway.
Another contraction hit, and I let out a shaky breath, leaning my head back against the seat. My whole body felt like it was on fire.
A few seconds later, Mia came back with two doctors and a nurse following her like she was their boss.
"There! That's her!" Mia said, pointing at me like I was some emergency mission.
The doctors rushed over.
"Ma'am, can you walk?" one of them asked.
"I don't know," I said honestly, because my legs felt like jelly.
"It's okay, we've got you," the nurse said, helping me out of the car.
Mia held my other arm, her voice shaking even though she was trying to act tough.
"It's okay, Jay. You're okay. You're gonna be okay."
But my heart was racing, my stomach was tightening again, and all I could think was—
This is really happening.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
KEIFER POV
I was sitting on the couch again, scrolling through the same useless posts, the same missing‑person forums, the same dead ends. Still searching for Jay. Still nothing.
There was no lead.
No update.
No sign of her.
Just silence.
Keiran was in his room sleeping
Keigan came back from therapy not long after.
Yeah… therapy.
After what he did to Jay, he finally realized he needed help.
He wanted to change. He wanted to be better. And honestly? I wanted him to be better too.
We talk now, but not like before.
He sat down across from me, quiet, like he didn't know if he should say anything.
"How was therapy?" I asked, not looking up from my phone.
"It was… okay," he said softly. "Hard. But okay."
I nodded. "Good."
Silence again.
The kind that feels heavy.
Keigan looked at me for a second. "You still haven't found her."
It wasn't a question.
"No," I said, my voice tight. "I haven't."
He lowered his head. "I'm sorry."
I sighed. I didn't even know what to say anymore. After that, he just quietly walked to his room and closed the door. The whole house felt heavy again.
Then, of course, Percy barged in like he paid the rent.
"Keifer, did you find my sister yet?" he asked, opening the door without knocking and dropping onto my couch like he owned the place.
I rubbed my forehead. "No, not yet."
Percy clicked his tongue and leaned back. "You and Section E and the Fernandez should be lucky you guys are alive. Otherwise you would've been killed by my handsome hands."
I stared at him.
He wasn't joking.
He said it like it was a normal Tuesday threat.
"Percy, can you not—" I started.
"No," he cut me off. "Because if something happens to Jay, I'm blaming all of you. Every. Single. One."
I swallowed hard.
Because the worst part?
He wasn't wrong.
We did fail her.
And I was the one who hurt her the most.
Percy looked at me, his expression shifting from angry to… tired. Worried. The same way I felt every day.
"You better find her, Keifer," he said quietly. "Before someone else does."
His words hit harder than any punch.
Because deep down, I knew he was right.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
JAY-JAY POV
Everything was happening way too fast.
One second I was in the car, trying not to scream, and the next I was being rushed down a hallway with bright lights and doctors talking way too quickly for my brain to keep up.
One second I was in the car, trying not to scream, and the next I was being rushed down a hallway with bright lights and doctors talking way too quickly for my brain to keep up.
"Ma'am, how far apart are the contractions?" a nurse asked
"I—I don't know! They just keep coming!" I said, gripping the sides of the wheelchair.
"It's okay, Jay, breathe!" Mia said, running beside me like she was in some action movie.
They pushed me into a delivery room, and suddenly there were nurses everywhere — checking my pulse, lifting my legs, adjusting machines, asking questions I could barely hear.
"Jay, you're dilating fast," one doctor said. "We need to prepare for delivery now."
My heart dropped.
Now?
Like… now now?
"Mia," I whispered, my voice shaking. "I'm scared."
She grabbed my hand immediately. "I know. But you're strong. You've been strong this whole time."
Another contraction hit — harder than all the others — and I cried out, squeezing her hand so tight she winced.
"It hurts," I said, tears spilling out.
"I know, Jay. I know. Just breathe with me, okay? In… out… you got this."
The room felt like it was spinning.
My stomach tightened again, sharp and deep, and I felt my whole body tense.
"Triplets," one nurse said. "We need the neonatal team ready."
Triplets.
My babies.
My chest tightened — not from pain, but from fear and love and everything mixed together.
I wasn't ready.
I was ready.
I didn't know.
All I knew was that this was happening.
Right now.
"Mia," I whispered again, my voice breaking. "Please don't let go."
She squeezed my hand even tighter.
"I'm not going anywhere." She said
Another wave of pain hit me so hard my back arched off the bed. I grabbed the sheets with my free hand, breathing fast and shaky.
A doctor leaned over me. "Jay, listen. Your body is moving quickly. We need you to stay focused, okay?"
Focused?
I could barely think.
My whole stomach tightened again, and I let out a sound I didn't even recognize
A nurse checked something between my legs and nodded to the doctor. "She's progressing fast. Baby A is almost there."
Almost there.
Oh my god.
My breathing got louder, faster, like I couldn't get enough air. I felt like crying and screaming and passing out all at once.
"Mia, I can't—" I choked out.
"Yes, you can," she said, squeezing my hand. "Jay, look at me. You've survived worse than this. You can do this."
Another contraction slammed into me, and I cried out again, gripping her hand like it was the only thing keeping me from falling apart.
The doctor's voice cut through everything. "Jay, when I tell you to push, you push, okay?"
I nodded even though my whole body was shaking.
The room felt too bright.
Too loud.
Too fast.
I could hear the machines beeping, nurses moving, Mia whispering that I was doing great, and my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.
Then the doctor said, "Alright, Jay. It's time. Push."
My whole world narrowed down to that one word.
Push.
And I did.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
KEIFER POV
I don't know what hit me first — the panic or the pain.
One second I was sitting on the couch, staring at nothing, and the next my chest tightened so hard I dropped my phone.
It hit the floor with a loud crack, but I didn't even look at it.
My breathing went weird.
Fast. Shaky. Wrong.
"Keifer?" Percy said, sitting up straighter. "What's wrong with you?"
"I… I don't know," I whispered, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees. "I feel—"
I couldn't finish the sentence.
Because I didn't know how to explain it.
It felt like something inside me was tearing open.
Like someone had grabbed my heart and squeezed it.
Like something huge was happening and I wasn't there.
Percy came to me "Bro, breathe. You're freaking me out."
"I'm trying," I said, but my voice cracked. "I don't know what's happening."
"Keifer please sit down" percy said going to kitchen to bring some water
I feel like Jay is in pain right now
What kind of feeling is this
She is in trouble
My chest tightened again, and I grabbed my shirt like I could hold myself together.
"Jay…" I whispered, not even realizing I said her name out loud.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
JAY-JAY POV
"Push, Jay!"
I grabbed the sides of the bed and pushed so hard I thought I was going to break in half.
The pain shot through me like fire, and I screamed without even meaning to.
The doctor leaned forward. "He's right there! Keep going!"
Another contraction slammed into me, and I pushed again, shaking all over.
Then—
A tiny cry filled the room.
"Baby A is out!" a nurse said, lifting a small, crying baby.
My breath caught.
A boy.
My first son.
I didn't even get a second to breathe before another contraction hit me like a punch to the stomach.
"Oh god—" I gasped, grabbing Mia's arm.
"Jay, Baby B is coming fast," the doctor said. "You need to push again."
I shook my head, tears running down my face. "I can't—"
"Yes, you can," Mia said, squeezing my hand. "Jay, you're almost there."
The pain hit again, and I pushed with everything I had left. My whole body felt like it was tearing apart.
"Almost!" the doctor said. "One more!"
I pushed again, screaming into the air.
Another cry.
"Baby B is out!"
I sobbed, shaking, exhausted.
Another boy.
My second son.
But before I could even process it, the worst contraction yet hit me so hard I almost curled forward.
The doctor nodded. "Baby C is in a good position. When the next contraction comes, push hard."
I didn't even get a warning.
The pain hit instantly, and I screamed, pushing with everything left in me.
"Keep going!" the doctor said. "She's almost here!"
She.
My daughter.
I pushed again, tears streaming down my face, my whole body shaking.
Then—
A soft, high‑pitched cry.
"Baby C is out!"
I collapsed back onto the bed, chest heaving, tears pouring down my cheeks.
"It's a girl," the nurse said gently.
Two boys.
One girl.
My triplets.
I let out a shaky laugh, still crying. "Are they okay?"
"They're perfect," the doctor said. "All three of them."
I closed my eyes, letting the relief wash over me.
For the first time in my life…
I felt like everything was worth it.
The room finally slowed down after all the chaos.
The nurses were quieter now, the lights felt softer, and for the first time since everything started…
I could actually breathe.
A nurse walked over with a tiny bundle wrapped in a blue blanket.
"Mom, here's Baby A," she said gently.
My heart jumped so hard it hurt.
She placed him in my arms, and the second I felt his warm little body, everything inside me just… melted.
He was so tiny.
His eyes were closed, his lips were pouty, and he made this soft little squeak that almost broke me.
"Oh my god…" I whispered, brushing my thumb over his cheek. "Hi, baby."
I smiled through tears. "His name is… Mark Kevin Mariano."
The nurse nodded and wrote it down.
Another nurse came over with the second baby, also wrapped in blue.
"And here's Baby B."
He was a little louder, crying like he was already annoyed at the world.
I laughed weakly as they placed him next to his brother.
"He's got attitude already," Mia said, wiping her eyes.
I kissed his forehead. "Your name is… Markus Kade Mariano."
He stopped crying the second I said it, like he recognized me.
Then the nurse brought the last bundle — a tiny pink blanket this time.
"And here's Baby C."
My daughter.
My breath caught when they placed her in my arms.
She was the smallest of the three, her little fingers curling around the blanket.
Her cry was soft, almost like she was trying not to bother anyone.
I felt my chest tighten in the best way.
"She's beautiful," Mia whispered.
I nodded, tears falling again. "Yeah… she really is."
The nurse smiled. "Do you have a name for her?"
I looked down at her tiny face — her soft cheeks, her tiny nose, her little fists.
"Her name is… Mira Keira Mariano."
The nurse wrote everything down, her pen moving fast across the clipboard. Then she looked up at me.
"What about the father?" she asked gently.
My whole body tensed.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I didn't even know what to say. I didn't want to say his name. I didn't want to think about him. Not right now. Not when my babies were finally here.
So Mia stepped in before the silence got awkward.
"Mark Keifer Watson," she said calmly. "But we want the triplets to have the last name Mariano."
The nurse nodded like it made perfect sense. "Alright. I'll put that down."
She gave me a small smile before walking out of the room, leaving me and Mia alone with the babies.
The door clicked shut.
And suddenly the room felt quiet.
Warm.
Safe.
Mia let out a breath she'd been holding. "Jay… you okay?"
I nodded again, too tired to even speak.
My whole body felt heavy, like every muscle had finally given up after holding on for so long.
"Rest," Mia whispered
I let my eyes close.
The room was warm, the lights were dim, and the soft little breaths of my babies were the last thing
I heard before sleep pulled me under.
++++++++++++++++++++++
💙🔥 Author's Note 🔥💙
Sooo how was the chapter 🤭✨
Please comment and tell me how it was — I need to know if you guys caught everything 😭💬💙
AND ONE MORE THING…
Did you notice how Keifer could literally sense Jay was in pain even from a distance 👀💭
Like that's called LOVE, be serious 😭🔥
And Jay naming the kids with Keifer's initials — M & K — yeahhh she's not slick at all 😌💙
The foreshadowing is foreshadowing so hard right now.