Sweet CEO’s First Love - Chapter 76

Min opened her eyes in bed and let out a long sigh. She could feel Tee’s sleeping body beside her, the rise and fall along with his soft snores felt comforting. Tee had his own place, but since Heart had stayed over at Kit’s house a few days ago, she hadn’t seen him, and being alone in this place was hard.

She hadn’t told Heart, but she had been planning to move out.

When Tee had first learned of the news of the babies, they had agreed that it was time to move out of this old run-down apartment. It wasn’t because he was worried about safety but because he wanted to be there for her and he didn’t want her to be alone.

Heart was always either off working, at school, or with his friends, which was exactly what he should be off doing at twenty-two years old. Min was already in her thirties, and it was time to start making a home and living and loving in it. Now that Heart was grown and really didn’t need her anymore.

‘Not that he ever had.’

But still, it was a sad thought to think about. The idea that the loving time they had spent taking care of each other equally, was finally over.

It felt heart wrenching.

She knew it a couple of weeks ago, but after seeing what happened a few days ago in the Vet clinic, she knew it for sure in her heart.

That what they both needed now was a step forward.

And honestly, if it hadn’t been such a hard time with Num passing, and Heart leaving for a few days like this wouldn’t even have fazed her. She was used to him just popping back in to see her face and chat over some yummy food at dinner. Or not seeing him at all but only hearing the funny little mews and noises he would make in his sleep.

But it didn’t change the fact that she missed him, lots right now. Because she knew he was going through stuff and she wished she could help him. They had talked every day since he left, but he still hadn’t been back to set foot in the house.

She knew that it was because here everything was still raw, everything would still remind him of Num. There was no way around it, the moment he stepped back inside was the moment he would be flooded with a million wonderful memories.

A part of her said she never should have let them adopt her off the street. That they never should have given Num a home because then Heart wouldn’t be hurting right now.

Yet, she knew that was wrong because they had so many happy times together, and if they hadn’t, and she had been found, at some point, she probably would have died.

Street cats’ lives were always exponentially shorter than a cat that had a family and a home filled with love.

Min groaned as she tried to sit up, this was only her fourth month, but already every time she sat up, she got intense burning in her stomach as everything sloshed and moved.

She knew she was already starting to show, and at first, she had been concerned until she and Tee had gone to get an ultrasound and found out there were two heartbeats, not one.

She stepped into her slippers with a sigh, sitting and staring at her feet. Her sparkly pink toenails, she stared mesmerized by how the light streaming through the window over the bed made them sparkle in every hue of the rainbow from the flecks of holo glitter dust inside it. Her toes peeked out from underneath her lilac-colored polka dot pajamas. They were her favorite because they were custom fit, something that she had splurged on because she was tired of her pants always being almost three inches higher than her ankles. It was awkward walking around the house like that and she was pretty tired of having to pretend it was a fashion choice when things fell to that length on her.

She liked the feeling of being able to hide her toes in the extra length of the pant leg as if she were playing peekaboo with herself. It was her other favorite thing to do on days when it suddenly got cold and she wasn’t wearing socks. It was both fun and handy to tuck her toes inside and grab the edge of the fabric to warm them up underneath it.

Min stood up and shuffled over to the door, too lazy to pick up her feet. She opened the door to her bedroom in time to see the door handle for the front door turn.

She sucked in a happy breath and the door opened carefully. She cocked her head to the side and watched Heart enter very quietly then turn around and freeze like a university student coming back after staying out way past their curfew.

She couldn’t help it, she chuckled.

Heart froze startled before he calmed down and let out the breath he was holding in.

“Shhhiia, you scared me Min.”

Min smiled. “So I gathered.”

“Hey Heart, welcome back. Have you eaten?” Tee asked walking past Min while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with one hand and scratching his belly with the other.

Heart shook his head no.

“Okay, you both go relax I will whip us all up something to eat.” Tee ordered.

Heart obeyed immediately passing past Min and plopping down on the couch. Min plopped down beside him too. And Min wondered what to do or say first when Heart wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her belly. She was wearing a big fluffy light pink sweater over top of her lilac polka dot pants and Heart’s arms sunk into the fluff like they were being eaten. And Min just sat content, revealing in the feeling of cuddling her baby brother close to her again.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come and see you sooner. I am sorry I didn’t treat you right. I.. I.” Heart started, stuttering and Min could hear him tripping over the lump in his throat.

Min sighed.

“Shush you silly nut. Like I don’t already know how hard it is for you to come back here. For you to just sleep in the same room without her.”

“I understand it all even if you don’t say it,” Min stated firmly.

“I know you might think I am not hurting because I was never head over heels in love with Num. But she was still our cat. I still liked her, and even if I am not one for pets. You loved her so much, you loved her with all your heart and soul. And while I might not be aching desperately for her, I am aching desperately for your pain. Because it still hurts me intensely when someone I love is hurting so badly inside, and there is very little I can do to take away that ache. Because the only thing that would truly fix a scar like this is for it to have never happened, but you can’t stop something like this from happening. So there is no fix for this pain. There is nothing someone like me can do but feel an intense sense of helplessness because someone we love is hurting.”

Heart sniffled.

“True. I suppose you are right. You are still hurting just as badly.” Heart agreed.

“Is that okay?”

“Hmm? Is what okay?” Min asked.

“I mean, this is stressful and you have two babies inside you is this kind of grief okay for you? Should I go?” Heart elaborated.

“You nut, don’t be crazy. I will hunt you down if you think of leaving me before I say you can. I am pregnant not made of porcelain.”

“But I do need to talk to you about something.”

“I know this is a bunch of changes all at once. But…” Min paused and looked over at Tee, who looked up from cutting the chives and caught her gaze. He nodded slowly, giving her a delicate smile of reassurance.

“Tee and I met his family about a month ago, you were so busy running around everywhere. And I mean everywhere, so I couldn’t bring you.”

“But basically, Tee proposed to me and I freaked out and told him I was pregnant.”

“Which I was rather happy with. If I do say so myself.” Tee added. and Heart looked up at Min and Min blushed, but Heart snickered, before turning and cuddling his head back into her stomach.

“You can hear so many heartbeats in here it sounds like a party.” Heart commented fascinated.

“Shush, you are interrupting,” Min said.

Heart stayed silent and she took that as her okay to go on.

“Since he had already set up a celebratory meeting with his parents for us. Since we don’t have anyone to have a meet the parents dinner we decided that this was a good way to announce the pregnancy.”

Heart sucked in a breath. “Brave… you had no idea how they were going to react. They could have been really angry, this was supposed to be a wedding ceremony dinner.”

“Heart, stop interrupting” Min snapped, then felt guilty.

“Sorry, my dang hormones have been everywhere lately, this week has been hell.”

“Sorry, Min.” Heart said squeezing Min for a moment before letting go and sitting up like a respectable behaved student.

He stared at her from across the couch and Min chuckled, tucked her feet under her, grabbed a pillow, and pulled it to her chest then cleared her throat before continuing on.

“We were worried too, to be honest.”

“But everything turned out alright. When we told them they were very happy and excited and when we told them it was twins they were even happier. But they insisted that we move. Not to Tee’s little apartment, they insisted that was too small and that we shouldn’t stay here because growing children up in this neighborhood isn’t the greatest. To be honest, Heart they are right. If I had more money I never would have let you grow up here either.”

“I regret it.”

“No, no Min. It’s okay I have been working hard creating a little nest egg because I wanted to be able to help pay for your wedding and to help you get enough to get a house with Tee where you guys could start a family.”

“Heart that’s not your job,” Min said with tears in her eyes, completely overwhelmed and touched by his thoughtfulness

“Yes, it is I am the man of the house, and if dad or mom were around they would be pitching in for your future.”

Min chuckled.

“That is such old fashioned thinking” Tee said, chuckling.

“But for sure something you would think of.”