My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus)

Peter arrived home, and as soon as everyone heard the engine of his truck, they rushed outside to meet him. He helped Celeste out, and she looked radiant and happy. Peter then took Flora out of the car seat and handed her to Celeste, while he carried Martina in his arms. He held Celeste's hand tightly, feeling proud-like the luckiest man in the world.

The whole drive home, he had been thinking about how these little girls were now his responsibility. For a brief moment, panic had crept in, but he quickly pushed those thoughts away. He had taken care of Ethan before this would be the same, just doubled. Back then, Ethan's parents had been young and immature. In this case, he was a grown man who understood that his daughters and his wife needed his full attention.

As they climbed the stairs, Celeste took her time, moving carefully. When she reached the last step, she let out a relieved sigh. Serenity and Diana were the first to rush over, their excitement evident. Everyone was eager to meet the babies.

"Come on! Let's go inside! The little ones shouldn't be out in the open for too long," Emma said, noticing that no one was moving toward the door.

Ethan was bouncing with excitement, eager to meet his new "aunts." It sounded strange, but from now on, that's how things would be.

"Ethan..." Celeste called as she sat down on the couch. "Come here, come meet Flora."

"Flora?" Ethan repeated with a big smile.

"Yes, that's the name we chose for this little doll," Peter said, his voice filled with pride.

He sat beside Celeste and pulled back the blanket covering Martina's tiny face.

"And this is Martina," he said with a nostalgic tone. "She's named after my mother."

"They're beautiful, Grandpa! But they're so tiny... How can you even hold them? I'd be scared-they might break!" Ethan said, worried.

"No, sweetheart! That's why we have to be very careful with them. But don't worry, little by little, they'll grow," Celeste explained gently.

"Can we hold them?" Serenity and Diana asked in unison.

Celeste got comfortable and handed Flora to Serenity, who took her into her arms, inhaling her scent and admiring her along with Alden. Peter hesitated for a moment before handing over Martina. He had a hard time letting go of his daughters, not wanting to be apart from them for even a second. He could stay up all night watching over them without a problem.

"Come here, little one, come to your aunt's arms," Diana cooed as she carefully cradled the tiny baby.

Laura stood beside her, both of them admiring Martina. But as soon as she was out of Peter's arms, the baby started to fuss. Diana gently rocked her, whispering soothing words, telling her she needed to be a good girl and that they would take care of her. Her parents needed to rest, and she and Laura would make sure the twins had full bellies, dry diapers, and stayed warm.

Maximus observed the scene, and as he watched Diana with Martina, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. By having surgery to prevent himself from having more children, he had taken away her chance of becoming a mother. It was a topic he needed to revisit with her. Diana had always said she wasn't interested in having kids right now, but what if one day she changed her mind?

"Maximus, what's wrong? Haven't seen a baby in a while?" Diana teased, noticing how he was staring but not moving closer. "Look how tiny she is! Adele is already such a big girl compared to them—she's got at least six months on them."

Maximus snapped out of his thoughts and stepped forward, watching as Diana and Laura completely melted over Martina's tiny features.

"Dad, look at Flora! She's much calmer, she's such a little sweetheart," Serenity said, while Emma and Alden made funny faces at the baby.

"Brother... Your daughters are beautiful. They definitely inherited that wild hair of yours," Maximus said, first looking at Peter, then at Celeste.

"Yeah! And it's already obvious one of them got Celeste's personality, and the other... well, she definitely got mine," Peter added, his voice full of pride.

His heart felt like it might burst from his chest. He had never experienced anything like this before. Silently, without anyone noticing, he sent up a grateful prayer. Even with his missing memories, even if they came and went, this moment made everything worth it.

"Alright, alright... Peter, Celeste, you must be exhausted. I'll get the bath ready so you two can relax and rest for a bit. Don't worry about the little ones—we'll take care of them. We're not just here to visit," Emma declared, stepping into her usual motherly role.

Peter was surprised but genuinely grateful. He and Celeste had spent long, exhausting days at the hospital, and he had to admit they did need some sleep.

"Thank you, Emma! We'll take you up on that," Peter said, reaching for Celeste's hand to help her stand.

Emma went off to prepare the bath and then headed to the kitchen to start cooking. The family understood that having newborn twins at home was overwhelming, and even though there was household staff, Emma wanted the couple to feel at ease, knowing the babies were in good hands.

Meanwhile, Diana, Serenity, and Laura stayed with the twins, watching as Peter and Celeste disappeared down the hallway.

"Uncle... You seem distracted. Is something on your mind? Are you worried about my dad?" Alden asked, noticing how distant Maximus had been.

"No, it's not that. I have to leave early tomorrow-I was just going over my

schedule in my head," Maximus replied, trying to sound convincing.

"Oh, I see. For a second, I thought you were worried about my dad and everything that's happened," Alden said honestly.

"No, son. Your father is a strong

man-I know he can handle this andnoveldrama

much more. You saw what he was like back then. You know how tough he is. The version of him you see now? think it's the best one yet. He looks relaxed, he looks happy, and I can see it in his eyes... Imagine what he's like when he's in action," Maximus said, full of pride for his brother.

Peter and Celeste stepped into the bathroom, where Emma had drawn a hot bath with soothing herbs. They climbed into the tub together, and Peter began

massaging her shoulders, making her nearly fall asleep in the warm water.

"Thank you..." Peter murmured as he gently lathered soap over her neck and back.

"For what?" Celeste asked, confused.

"For giving me the chance to be a father. I know must have done a lot of things in the past that made you doubt me... But I want you to know something. I want you to know that there won't be a single day where I don't work to be better-for ou, for me, and most importantly, for our daughters. You and they are my world.

"I don't know how to explain it, but ever since I felt them inside you, something inside me filled with peace. I know it must sound strange, since I don't remember anything from our past... but having you lose makes me happy. I feel at home. I feel like I don't need anything-or anyone else," he said, cupping her face and pressing a deep, passionate kiss to her lips.