“What happened, Keenan?” Rory asks as he walks down to meet him in the waiting room. “Is Varisha okay? Where is she?”

Keenan is pacing around aimlessly when he sees Rory close by. He goes over and wraps his arms around him in a tight hug. Rory puts his arms around Keenan for strength and support and pats his shoulder gently.

Keenan pulls away and sits down and Rory bends down beside him, “You sounded so worried on the phone.” He begins, sounding concerned about his friend.

More tears roll down Keenan’s eyes, and he buries his face in his hands. “Vary had an accident and the doctor told me I would have to choose because so far they can only save one. I told them to do all they can, but also to save my wife.”

“What happened?” He asks, not expecting that. When Keenan called him and told him he was at the general hospital, Rory didn’t think it was a serious issue because Keenan said little, and now he understands why he is so torn and devastated. “We were all together celebrating her birthday four hours ago. How could this have happened?”

Two months earlier...

Keenan’s POV

“No, you can not change your mind about this. I won the game, and according to the rules, I get to ask you to do anything and you are going to do it. You made the rules yourself.” I point out to her as we enter the bedroom together.

She had convinced me to play the chess game and although I was not willing to at first; she laid out the rules and convinced me it was a winner take all game and that seems to have gotten me excited and so I agreed.

“Okay, I guess you are right,” Vary sighed in defeat and nodded, “but you know I’m getting heavy, so I might not do a lot.”

She’s six months pregnant, and it was getting hard to do things she could do before. The doctor said it was expected seeing it is her first pregnancy, so he advised us to go slow even while having sex and to not put too much pressure on her.

“Oh, don’t worry what I want would not work you out,” I smirked and pecked her lips before walking to the bed and ordering her to come closer. She did without hesitation and I pulled her to himself. “I’m so horny, love.” I purr.

Vary bites her lips nodding, “Okay.”

“We’ll get you out of these first,” I said, pulling off her neon gold woollen jacket, “and then this.” I pushed down her leggings, and she was only in her white panties and bra.

I felt part of my body get excited and greedy for its needs, and I felt my trousers get tighter. I hush the urges running wild in me to be quiet.

“Come,” I beckoned, pulling her slowly into bed, “I want you so much love, I want to be naughty with you.” I kiss her neck, wanting to turn her on before proceeding to what I have in mind.

I ran a faint hand over her visible bump as she climbed into bed and she shivered into my hand and I kissed her lips as I slid down her panties, not for once breaking the kiss.

I unhooked her bra, and it fell away, leaving her in nothing and her naked body called to me, but I pulled back, smiling greedily at her.

“What?” she asked, sceptical of my action and her face displayed her uneasiness.

“You are beautiful,” I replied, still smiling, pulling closer to kiss her one last time before pulling away. I got up and pulled off my shirt and trouser and my boxer. I was completely naked and I climbed into bed. I took her lips in mine and I pulled off both her bra and panties and slowly I took her into the world of ecstasy.

I watched Vary sleep peacefully and although she slept longer than usual; I didn’t mind because I’d always loved watching her sleep, even though she told me not to. She purred out and her eyes opened up to display her beautiful brown orbs.

“Good morning, love,” I greeted and placed a quick kiss on her forehead.

“Morning,” she mumbled, her eyes closing slowly, but she forced them open and kept them focused on me.

“Did you sleep well?” I asked, trailing my fingers down her body and lacing them in hers.

She nodded and bit her lips. “Yeah, I did, did you?”

I nodded and smile at her, “We should go take a bath. Bethany and the kids will come over today.” I informed her, and remembering how right I was, she got up. “No, no. I’ll carry you,” I told her, walking over to her side and sweeping her into my arms.

She chuckled shyly and buried her face in my chest as I led her into the bathroom.

After bathing, I helped her dress up, and we both climbed down the stairs to get breakfast. 

“You said you had a twin brother last night?” I popped up on the conversation.

She had mumbled something about her twin brother named Andrew while we were playing the game of chess and although Andrew teaching her how to play chess was all she said about him; I want to know more about him and, if possible, the rest of her family.

She took the tea mug to her lips and sips a little before placing it down on the table. She nodded slowly, “Yeah, I do.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, curious, and a little confused. Information like that should be shared with someone you love and want to spend the rest of your life with, right? Right?

“I did yesterday, right?” She asked, tension audible in her voice. I could feel the walls she was trying to build up with her voice, and I knew she didn’t want to talk about it.

“Yeah, but it was because of the game. Is there something I need to know?”

She glanced at me, her eyes wiped off any calm and normal expression it had on a moment ago. “Something like what?”

“Your family. Your dad, brother mom... I don’t know, anything......”

“No, not really, there’s nothing really to know.” She casually shrugs and took a bite of her toasted bread and I couldn’t help but notice that the tension in her voice still hadn’t dropped.

“It’s okay if there is, Vary, I’ll listen, I’ll understand.” I tried to assure her, that if she was holding out because of what she thought I’ll do or say, then she should be completely I got her back.

She dropped the mug, which she was about to sip on the table in annoyance, and the tea slashed out. “I don’t want to talk about it now.”

I wished I understand what she was afraid of, so I prodded, “Vary, you can tell me. I won’t judge you for any reason.”

“I said I don’t want to!” She exclaimed, the tension in her voice going to a scary point, and got up.

I raised my hands in surrender and got up after her. “Okay, it’s okay, you don’t have to.” I walked over to her and slowly turned her to look at me. “And I’m sorry if I pushed you too far.” I shouldn’t have pushed too far and I don’t want to ruin a perfect morning for both of us.

She quickly wrapped her arms around me and she pressed herself against me tightly. “Give me more time, Keenan. I’ll tell you everything, okay?” She asked, peeling herself off me to look into my eyes.

I nodded, “Yeah, I will. And I won’t push you, I’ll wait till you are ready.” I placed a firm kiss on her forehead.

I knew what I asked for had sparked up fear in her, a fear I had never seen before and as much as I wanted to know what that fear was about, I wanted to respect her decision to wait a while.

Although I tried bringing up the topic and talking about it, Vary shut it down and said she still wasn’t ready yet. It kept me up though and I remained worried and I knew there was no way she was going to talk, but I needed her to. I wanted to know more about my wife, the woman I was hoping to spend forever with, the woman I loved with my whole being.

But how can I love her completely if she won’t show herself to me?

What was it she believed I shouldn't have known? What was it that made her want to keep them buried at all costs?

I didn’t want to upset her or make her feel unsafe she was pregnant and her emotions were heightened and I wanted to see this through, but I wanted to be sure her family wasn’t a bad secret and I wanted to be sure her secret wasn’t all-consuming, I wanted to let her know I was in it with her to the end, being true.

....

Third POV

Two months later,

A few hours before the accident,

“Why are we here?” Vary asks, as Keenan walked her through the park.

They have been wandering through the park all evening and Vary could hear her bones cracking from walking so long. She doesn’t understand how Keenan would not let her do anything stressful from the first day of her pregnancy when she was strong and vibrant and now make her walk for ten minutes non-stop, which is very difficult.

“Come, my love, sit,” Keenan says, ushering her onto the bench on the side of the park.

Vary walks over more of drag over and takes a sit on the long bench, “What are you up to Keenan?”

“Nothing,” he immediately replies, but who is he kidding? And sighing, he takes Vary’s hand into his and runs a faint line on it. “I just wanted to have a walk with you. Next week will be your ninth month and we saw it through. I kept my vow, I treated you like my queen.” He remains her of the promise he made to her many months ago when he first found out about her pregnancy.

Vary stares at Keenan for a while wanting to see if there is anything else and when she doesn’t, she smiles, “I’m proud of you,” and places a brief kiss on his lips, but Keenan pulls her even closer as he deepens the kiss, only pulling away when a passer my mumbles get a room at them.

A shy smile plasters on Vary’s face, and she covers her face with her hands. Keenan beamed at her before removing her hands. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Keenan.”

They stay another hour, just staring at the stars before Keenan decided it was time to go back on.

On arriving, Keenan gets down from the car and helps bring Vary out. She groans and hisses and Keenan chuckling asks, “What’s wrong?”

She leans against Keenan as she gets down, and they make their way inside. “Once this is out, I swear I’m not taking in until five years!” She rants angrily, pointing down at her enormous stomach.

“If it’s any consolation, I think you look really beautiful like this.” He says with a wide smile on his face.

She glares at Keenan, wiping the smile off his face in an instant. “Wish you could get pregnant, then we would get to see how handsome you are!” she snaps.

His brow rises at my sudden change of mood. “Are you mad?”

“No, I’m pregnant,” she sighs, her face dropping slowly as she realises she shouldn’t have snapped at him, then she adds, “pregnant people are crazy people, it occurs naturally to us.”

“Well, I don’t care how many sides of you exist because of this pregnancy, I love them all,” Keenan says as he leans in and pecks her lips, but as he pulls back, Vary pulls him back and kisses him deeply and passionately.

It felt almost like forever, but as they pull away, she mumbles, “Don’t peck me until I’m put to bed, you are my husband and you are not late for work, so don’t peck me.”

“Okay, cranky, beautiful wife of mine,” Keenan says, kissing Vary deeply on the lips before pulling her inside.

As they step inside, the lights come on and Vary sees many familiar and unfamiliar faces in the crowd of people. Before she can calculate or ask what they are all doing here, they all yell in unison.

“Happy birthday!”

She gasps and her eyes closes being much more surprised than she was a few seconds ago. Today is her birthday, and she didn’t even remember! But someone did.

She turns to Keenan with a ‘really’ look as she exclaims, “You were planning a surprise birthday party for me and you let me dress like this?!”

He eyes her from head to toe and shakes his head. “There’s nothing wrong, you look sexy.” He says, pecking at her lips quickly.

Don’t fucking peck me, you adorable husband of mine! She wants to tell him, but she keeps quiet.

She rolls her eyes, “Don’t patronise me.”

He snakes his arms around her waist, “You are beautiful no matter what and look, they are coming!” He mumbles to her and Vary’s face loosens and she smiles at the friends and well-wishers approaching her.

The party was long and exhausting for Vary, but with Keenan’s help she could cope with the well-wishers and their gifts and as they leave Vary feels relieved.

“Never surprise me like that again unless you want me to go into premature labour!” She warns as Rory and Taylor take their leave and the door closes.

Keenan nods before giving her a guilty look and saying, “There’s just one person I want you to meet.”

Vary groaned, her eyes going duller and wearier. “Who is it?”

Keenan shakes his head, not willing to spill the surprise before they get there. “It’s a surprise, Vary,” he tells her, still beaming like an idiot.

“Fine!” she growls, “don’t tell me then.”

Keenan takes her hand and guilds her upstairs to the studies and when they get there, he opens the door and ushers her in.

Vary notices a figure standing in the study with his back turned to them and she wonders who it is and why Keenan considers him a big surprise. But as they approach further, her breath shortens in her throat and she can feel the hairs on her body standing up.

“Vary Hilton, meet your father, Tobi Klean.”

He may have as well pulled the trigger on her.