Chapter 25

Emma's POV:

September 12th, for some, may not seem like a significant day, but in our household, it is. Today was the twins' birthday. As much as I didn't want to leave the lab last night, Mila insisted I be there when the kids woke up to wish them a happy birthday. At least I was able to fall asleep with Mila on FaceTime last night. I am so thankful for modern technology.

I walk into the kitchen to find Anita almost done with breakfast. Waffles, the kids' favorite. It gave me a sad smile as I thought back to when Mila was still human and obsessed with waffles too. If I hadn't turned her, none of this would be happening right now. The kids would for sure be human, she would be human, and they would all be safe.

"Hey, cheer up or at least fake it. The kids should be down soon, and it is their birthday. I know you are focused on being a wife right now, but you have more than one role. You're also a mother." I sucked in a deep breath as I heard the kids' footsteps approaching. Okay, Emma, you've got this.

"Happy birthday, you two!" I brought them both into a group hug, and I made sure that a grin was plastered on my face. It may not have been very genuine, but I was still smiling. I was happy that my kids were happy, but I couldn't help the tug on my heart and soul to be next to Mila.

"Thanks, mommy." Alyx then sniffed the air, and her eyes got wide. She and Aleksey exchanged a look and then peeked around my frame. "Waffles!" They both shouted out at the same time. This elicited a genuine laugh out of me, just like Mila.

"Once you both are done eating, we are going to head over to see momma and open presents, okay?" They both looked at each other than basically started inhaling their food. Their cheeks are completely puffed out like a chipmunk from all the waffles they've just shoved in their mouths.

They both gave me a closed-lipped smile, which is a good thing; I am honestly afraid of what I would have seen if they would have smiled with their teeth.

We were finally on our way to see Mila. I can't even begin to express how much I can't wait to see her. I always wanted to be by her side, but with what's going on, I want to be basically superglued to her side. When I am away from her, I feel like I can't breathe or function right. I feel so incomplete when I'm not next to her.

It was different before when I would go to work. Yeah, I would miss her like crazy, but I knew as soon as I got home, she would be right there, waiting to greet me with a kiss. Now, though, I may never get to come home and see her there waiting for me again. This was always my biggest fear, losing her. That's one of the biggest reasons why I let her talk me into turning her. That way, she would be immortal, and I wouldn't have to worry about her dying. That obviously came back to bite me in the ass because her being supernatural has now put her life in jeopardy. My biggest fear was teetering on the balances, and I had to wait to see which way it would tip. I just hoped it tipped in my favor and that soon she will be perfectly happy and healthy.

We were just now stepping off the elevator and making our way over to where Mila is. The kids took off running, and who was I to stop them? It's their birthday, and they want to see their mom. Hell, I would be running over there with them, too, if there weren't so many other people. This place is filled with my employees, or as the council would say, subordinates; what would they think if they saw me frolicking with glee throughout the building? They probably would never take me seriously again.

As I got closer, I noticed that Mila was nowhere to be found, and her bed was stripped of its sheets and blankets.

"Where's momma?" I was frantically looking over every inch of that room for her.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." With that, I zipped through the halls till I made it to where the entrance of the quarantine part of the building began.

"Where is my wife? Her name is Mila. She has the bed right next to the plexiglass bubble-type wall." They snapped their head up at me because of the tone of my voice, but their sour face was soon replaced with fear, as soon as they realized who I was.

"I'll check right now." With that, they hurriedly punched in the passcode to the double doors and made their way to find out where my wife was.

"Emma, my love, can you hear me?" I heard her voice in my head. I hoped that this was because she was alive and using the mind link and not her ghost.

"Yes, where are you? Your bed." I couldn't hide the panic that was rising within me. Even the voice in my head gave it away.

"I am about to head out there. I had to grab new sheets for my bed. It's laundry day." I sighed in relief. "You remembered to invite everyone here, right?" I nodded my head as if she could see me doing it.

"Yes, they'll be here soon. The twins have no clue still so that It will be a surprise. They already have a table set up out there for all of us to sit." I could feel her smiling.

"I'm so excited. I know it isn't ideal, but I hope they love it anyway." The person made their way back, and I told them I already know where she is and pointed to my head. They gave me a bit of a weird look, so it might be safe to say that they think I'm crazy.

"They will love it no matter what. I'm going back over there now. I'll see you soon, my love."

I zipped all the way back to where everyone is. I almost started skipping because I was becoming very giddy thinking about seeing Mila. All this time, and she still makes me feel this way. When I saw her come into view, my heart was melting. She was smiling and laughing with the kids. Her smile always took my breath away, and her laugh was always music to my ears. I waited back for a second and took a picture of the moment unfolding in front of me. I didn't want ever to forget this moment of watching her, and the kids still find a way to genuinely laugh and smile together even though she was separated from us by a see-through wall and infected with a deadly virus.

"Hey there, gorgeous. Do you come here often?" Mila rolled her eyes at me but was still smiling.

"I do now." I felt a tug on my shirt and looked down to find the twins pointing in the opposite direction with huge grins on their faces.

"Look, it's the rest of our family." When I tell you my heart melted, it really did. Alyx is right, and they are our family. Chloe, Julian, and Julian immediately made their way over to Mila and me while the kids all got together and were being watched after by Anita.

"Hey there, Mila. How are you feeling?" Chloe had a sad tinge in her tone. Mila looked down at her arm, and so did everyone else. The virus had unfortunately started to make its way further up her arm.

"I'm fine." Mila covered her arm where the dark veins were. "How are all of you doing?" Julian forced a smile instead of showing his sadness. I'm sure if I was picking up on it, so was Mila.

"We're doing just fine. This one's cravings are getting out of hand, though." Julian said in a joking tone while he signaled over to Chloe.

"Oh, whatever." Chloe rolled her eyes and smacked his arm. "He acts like eating peanut butter with syrup is weird." She then looked over to Julian. "Which it isn't." She shot him a glare while saying this. Julian just put his hands up, surrendering.

"Not as bad as Melissa when she was pregnant with Asha. She craved pickles and big red constantly." Okay, now that is a little weird.

"Umm, that is definitely a unique combination." Mila did her best not to give a disgusted look. I wanted to laugh at her reaction so bad, but I refrained.

"What about you, Mila?" I scoffed at this.

"Hot sauce! Oh my god, so much hot sauce." She huffed and crossed her arms.

"It wasn't that extreme." She had the cutest pout, but I still looked at her like she was crazy.

"You averaged at least four bottles of hot sauce a day. The grocery store right down the road from us was sold out of hot sauce for a week because of your cravings." She got really quiet at that moment.

"Whatever." She mumbled out, and immediately, her pouting mood changed once she started laughing. "Okay, maybe it was a little extreme." I raised my hands, putting a big distance between them.

"Yeah, just a little bit." Julian nudged me with his arm and leaned closer to me.

"I get it. I have to drive 30 minutes out of pack territory now just to get peanut butter." He whispered this very quietly but obviously not quite enough.

"I heard that." Chloe smacked him for the second time today. Well, the second time that I've seen today.

"What?" He raised his hands in front of him, surrendering, and acted like he didn't say anything.

"You know what." Chloe shot him a glare. "I'm watching you." She pointed to her eyes, then back to him. He let out a nervous laugh. I don't blame him one bit for being nervous. I remember how hormonal Mila was when she was pregnant.

"Can we open our presents now? And have cake and ice cream?" I looked over toward Mila, and she nodded with a grin.

"Alright, let's get started then." With that, they raced to the table and started ripping open their presents one by one.

Their favorite presents, at least based on their reactions, were the ones they got from Mila. She was always great at picking out presents. Of course, she got them toys and clothes, as did I, but it seemed the more sentimental presents that had them smiling the most. She had made them both a personalized photo album that she had been working on since they were born, and she made sure to leave blank pages so they could add whatever they wanted in their own time as they grew older. The last two presents she got the twins' were lockets. They both had a picture of all of us as a family in it, and it was engraved with their name. It even had the saying that Mila tells them the most, "I love you to the end of the universe and back." It's a pun she made up because the universe never ends, so therefore her love for them is endless.

Also, I know some people think that locket necklace are only meant for women, but that's a toxic way of thinking. It's honestly a shitty societal normal that pressures boys and girls to live in these tiny boxes. If a boy wants to cry, it shouldn't be frowned upon; if a girl wants to wear boy clothes, she shouldn't get weird looks. There is no this is only meant for boys, and this is only meant for girls; at least there shouldn't be. But, that's just my opinion. What do I know, right? Sorry for going off on a tangent. I shall step off my soapbox now.

"I hope they like what I got from them." I just leaned a little closer to the wall.

"Of course they do, my love. Look at them. Their eyes are sparkling as bright as stars." I whispered out to her. I wish I could give her a reassuring kiss right now.

"I wish I could kiss you right now." It was as if she could read my thoughts.

"I wish I could kiss you too." I turned to look at her. "I love you to the end of the universe and back." She gave me a sad smile, and I could see the tears glossing her eyes over.

"I love you to the end of the universe and back too." We both put our hands up to the wall at the same time. I know I can't feel her skin on mine, but it's almost like I could feel her warmth still. I could still feel her love and affection.

What we felt for each other was powerful and invincible. Our love is one that people would write about in plays and books. Our love is everything any hopeless romantic dreams about... And I knew that no matter what the outcome was, it would last forever.