Chapter 132
**ADAM**
The door clicked shut behind Austin and me, the warmth of the apartment wrapping around us after hours of sparring. My arms ached pleasantly, and there was a faint tang of sweat clinging to me that made me think a shower was long overdue. Austin stretched, rolling his shoulders, still buzzing with the restless energy of training.
And then we both froze.
Aria was stretched out on the sofa, her sweatshirt hitched up, her rounded belly bare to the light streaming in from the windows. She wasn’t asleep. Her eyes were wide, intent, staring at her stomach as though it might reveal a secret.
Austin shot me a look, brows raised. I gave him one right back, silently asking What the hell is she doing?
She didn’t even glance up, just said, “Come here. Both of you.”
Her tone left no room for argument. We exchanged another glance—Austin’s held amusement, mine curiosity—and walked toward her.
I leaned down first, scanning her belly for whatever had captured her so completely. Nothing. Smooth skin, pale and warm in the afternoon light. I was about to straighten when a
sudden bump rose beneath the surface, a small, rounded swell pushing out, then sliding away.
Aria laughed, a sound of relief and awe all at once. “See? They’ve been doing this all afternoon. They won’t stop moving.”
Austin sat on the edge of the sofa, eyes wide. “They’re already sparring in there, huh? Figures they’d inherit that.”
I lowered myself onto the cushions on her other side, and for once, words failed me. I placed my hand carefully where I’d seen the movement, and after a heartbeat—kick. A firm little nudge against my palm.
My throat tightened. They were real. Not just ideas or futures or fears—they were here, alive, announcing themselves.
Austin touched the other side, leaning forward, and a moment later he grinned as wide as I’d ever seen him. “They kicked me too.”
It was ridiculous—three grown adults sitting in silence, staring at Aria’s belly like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. And maybe it was.
Aria tilted her head back against the cushions, her smile soft but mischievous. “Well, now that they’ve introduced themselves, I think we should give them names. Don’t you?”
I blinked at her. “Already?”
“Why not?” she countered. “They’re not going to stop reminding me they exist. Might as well stop calling them ‘the boys’ and start calling them by their names.”
Austin chuckled. “You’ve got a point. Alright then. I’ll start.”
Of course he would. Austin leaned back, thoughtful for a moment before blurting, “How about Hunter? Strong, straightforward. Or maybe Logan. That’s got a good sound to it.”
I gave him a sidelong look. “You want to name our son after a profession and the other after a surname.”
“Better than your taste,” he shot back with a grin. “I’ve seen the way you cling to old classics. You’ll probably suggest Alessandro.”
Aria perked up. “Actually, I like Alessandro.”
I gave Austin a smug look. “Told you.”
He groaned. “Of course you’d pick something Italian. What’s next, Giovanni? Marco?”
“Those are good names,” I said, dead serious.
Aria laughed so hard she had to clutch her belly. “You two are impossible.”
She reached for my hand, still resting lightly against her stomach, then Austin’s. “Alright, my turn. I want names that mean something. Something they can grow into. Something that connects them to both of you, and to me.”
Her expression turned thoughtful, almost wistful. “I’ve always liked Matteo. It means gift of God. After everything we lost… and everything we’re fighting for… it feels right.”
Silence stretched, reverent. I swallowed, feeling the weight of her words settle in my chest. Matteo. A gift. A miracle.
Austin nodded slowly, the grin gone, replaced by something gentler. “Yeah. That’s perfect. Matteo stays.”
I exhaled, then looked at her belly again. One name down. One more to go.
“I have a suggestion,” I said, voice quieter than I meant. “Leon.”
Aria tilted her head. “Leon?”
“It means lion,” I explained. “Strength. Courage. Protection. Everything I hope they’ll carry with them. Everything I want them to be.”
Austin’s lips quirked. “Of course you’d go for something symbolic.”
I shrugged. “Symbols matter.”
Aria’s eyes softened. She turned the name over on her tongue, whispering it as though testing its weight. “Matteo and Leon.”
The babies kicked again, almost as if in response, and all three of us burst into laughter.
“I think they approve,” Austin said, still grinning.
“They’d better,” Aria teased, resting both her hands over her belly. “Because that’s who they are now. Matteo and Leon.”
The names hung in the air, powerful, more than just words. They were promises, anchors. For a moment, I forgot about Alaric, about betrayal and danger. All I saw were futures—two boys running across green fields, laughing, safe, loved.
I leaned down, pressing a kiss to Aria’s temple. “Matteo and Leon,” I whispered again, sealing it.
Austin wrapped an arm around both of us, pulling us into one of his bear hugs. “Our sons.”
Aria laughed into his chest, and I closed my eyes, letting myself believe—for this moment, at least—that everything we were fighting for would be worth it.
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