Chapter Seventy Evan Sterling's POV (Present Time)

It was a few weeks before Christmas and the weather in New York was chilly. The nurses came out to help wheel Mary Antoinette inside the hospital my mother walked with the nurse pushing the wheelchair, talking about her appointment with Dr. Foster. I was right behind them. Mary Antoinette kept looking back to see if I was still following, and each time our gazes meet, I tried to flash a reassuring smile at her. I felt somewhat like a fraud and extremely awkward to be playing the role of the attentive husband and even though I knew she knew where I stood with her—thanks to Edward for making me angry enough to be brutally honest—it still made me feel weird.
The nurse made a right turn, strolling down a wide pristine corridor to the left of the hallway leading away from the reception area. A movement by a door in a hallway to the right caught my attention, and I looked in that direction. Perhaps it was because I knew she worked there and was on a look out for her, but my eyes settled on the familiar rich curls and then lowered to the back frame of a woman trying to push a tandem stroller through the door.
The tag over the door read ‘hospital personnel only’, my heart lunged
My eyes lowered to the double stroller: the rear seat was raised well enough and I could see a child, peering up at the woman and his face animated with a mischievous smile. The small face was framed with rich blond curls. The woman must have done something because he suddenly burst out in a peal of laughter, his eyes shone with glee. "Naughty Rolland, I said no playing ‘Houdini’ with the belt. What am I going to do with you!" she admonished in a warm, loving tone. Then added, “You are too cute for your own good, mommy loves you even if you are driving me bonkers.”
That voice, with so much love, instilled in it, made blood rush through me with vengeance. My heart beat accelerated and I could hear the sound in my ears. For the life of me, I couldn’t take my eyes off of the boy. His eye color was too familiar, something I see every fucking day when I looked into the mirror. And his blonde hair was the same shade as my mother's. 'Jesus!' the word rang in my head, ‘could it be?!’
The door the nurses took us through opened from behind me and because I knew Anastasia and Antony Dallas – Mary Antoinette's parents' car was right on our tail earlier on, I wheeled around, saw Antony, holding the door open for his wife, and I turned away, rushed forward towards Estera.
Using one hand to grab the stroller handle, I used the other to push the heavy glass door open, enveloping Estera and the stroller, I forcefully but carefully push through, making sure the door shut behind me. I pulled the stroller and Estera to the side of the door, away from the door view, breathing hard. Then I heard Estera gasp and when I looked down, both her and Rolland were looking into my eyes.
"E - Evan!" she called. My chest heaved as I returned her shocked gaze and Rolland’s curious scrutiny, he cocked his little head, as if he was trying to recall who I was. My heart shook in my chest. The feel of Estera in my arms paralyzed me for a bit, and then I pushed back from her, avoiding meeting her gaze.
"Where is your car?" I asked in a voice that sounded detached and cold. I couldn’t help it. There was a volcano eruption of emotions inside me at that very minute. I lowered my gaze and saw there was another baby sleeping in the other seat of the stroller. And even though he was well covered, I could see he was identical to Rolland. I released a shaky breath.
"T - there…" Estera stammered, pointing at a black Jeep packed in between some other cars. I realized the parking lot was at the side of the building and not the one we parked in up front. I nodded, reached for her hand and pushed the stroller forward. Rolland tried to get off the strap holding him to the seat and I said, "Stop it, son."
He arched an eyebrow at me and it was so familiar my eyes welled with tears.
"Ro, please, baby, stay still," Estera said in a shaky tone. I couldn't speak. My emotions were in turmoil. When we got to the Jeep, I continued to push the stroller to the rear until we were well hidden from the door view only then did I stop. I leaned against it and shut my eyes for a bit, running my fingers through my hair. I couldn’t believe how fucked I was.
"Evan?" Estera called.
"You got pregnant…" I breathed with effort. When she hesitated, feeling really raw, I shook my head at her and added, “Don’t lie to me.”
"Yes, I did," she whispered. I nodded and swallowed. Taking a deep breath, I went to crouch by the strollers and reached forward to run my fingers through Rolland’s curls, and stroked the back of my hand against the sleeping boy’s cheek, then directed my gaze at Rolland.
"Let me guess… you are the trouble maker," I rasped to the little devil, giving me thorough scrutiny.
"No," the boy replied with an indignant raise of his eyebrows as he scowled at me.
Estera laughed, and then I heard her snivel. I couldn't stop the tears that rolled down my face. My shoulders shook as I cried silently. I was a father to two boys and Estera was their mother. I released a shaky breath, leaned over to press a kiss on Rolland’s forehead, and then straightened my spine. When I turned to face Estera, her face was stained with tears.
"Rolland, huh? And his brother?"
"Adrian--" she replied with a shaky voice, her eyes glued to mine and there was a load of pain in them.
"Last name?" I asked, holding her gaze.