Chapter 137 Shared Secrets (Extended)

Chapter 137 Shared Secrets (Extended)


The laughter came before the words.

It floated through the house in soft, careless bursts, the kind of laughter that didn’t announce trouble or tension, but still made Naomi pause mid-step as she came down the stairs. It wasn’t loud, but it was… strange. Too light. Too conspiratorial.

She stopped at the last step and listened.

Amelia’s laugh carried first. Then Thompson’s. Then Amelia again this time sharper, like she was trying to suppress it and failing.

Naomi frowned.

She walked into the living room and immediately spotted it.

Amelia was sitting on the couch, back straight, hands folded neatly in her lap like a schoolgirl waiting to be called on. Thompson stood beside her, rocking slightly on his heels, looking like a man who had rehearsed something a hundred times and still didn’t know how to say it.

Lucas sat at the dining table nearby, reading through some documents, oblivious.

Naomi crossed her arms slowly.

“Okay,” she said. “Why do you both look like you swallowed secrets and forgot how to digest them?”

Amelia’s smile froze.

Thompson cleared his throat. “Good afternoon to you too.”

Naomi ignored him. Her eyes stayed on Amelia. “You’re glowing.”

Amelia blinked. “I am not.”

“You are,” Naomi insisted. “And not the expensive-skincare kind. The suspicious kind.”

Lucas glanced up. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Thompson said quickly.

Naomi shot him a look. “You just made it worse.”

Amelia laughed nervously. “Okay, can everyone just relax for one minute?”

Naomi tilted her head. “Why?”

“Because” Amelia stopped herself, inhaled deeply, then exhaled with a groan. “This is harder than I thought.”

Thompson rubbed his hands together. “Told you.”

Naomi’s heart gave a small, unexpected thump. She stepped closer, her voice gentler now. “Amelia… what is it?”

Amelia looked up at her, eyes shining, cheeks flushed. Her hand drifted unconsciously to her stomach, rested there for just a second too long, then dropped.

Naomi saw it.

Her breath caught.

“Oh,” she whispered.

Lucas straightened in his chair. “Oh what?”

Naomi didn’t answer him immediately. Her gaze stayed locked on Amelia’s face, her smile slowly widening as understanding settled in.

“You’re pregnant,” Naomi said softly.

The room went dead quiet.

Amelia’s mouth fell open. “What?”

Thompson stared at Naomi like she’d just performed magic. “How did you”

Amelia shrieked. “HOW DID YOU KNOW?”

Naomi laughed, a surprised, breathless sound. “You didn’t argue with me once since you arrived. That alone is alarming.”

Amelia covered her face. “I was trying so hard.”

Lucas stood abruptly. “Wait what is happening?”

Amelia jumped to her feet. “I’m pregnant!”

Lucas blinked. “You’re what?”

“We are,” Thompson corrected, grinning now that the secret was out. “We’re pregnant.”

Naomi laughed and rushed forward, pulling Amelia into a tight hug. “Oh my God. Amelia.”

Amelia’s voice shook against her shoulder. “I wanted it to be special. I wanted to plan something dramatic. But I’ve been nauseous all day and my patience is gone.”

Naomi pulled back, holding her at arm’s length. “How far along?”

“Just a few weeks,” Amelia said. “Still early.”

Lucas stepped closer, his shock melting into a warm smile. “Congratulations.”

Thompson exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for days. “Thank you. I feel like my heart has been racing since we found out.”

Naomi squeezed Amelia’s hands. “I’m so happy for you.”

Amelia laughed, then suddenly frowned. “Wait.”

She studied Naomi closely, eyes narrowing.

“Why did you guess so fast?” she asked slowly. “You didn’t even hesitate.”

Naomi’s smile faltered.

Lucas noticed immediately. “Naomi?”

She looked between them, then sighed, pressing a hand lightly to her own stomach.

“Because,” she said quietly, “I am too.”

Silence.

Then

“What?!” Amelia screamed.

Thompson’s jaw dropped. “You’re pregnant too?”

Lucas stared at his wife, stunned. “You’re telling them now?”

Naomi shrugged, laughing nervously. “It felt like the right moment.”

Amelia grabbed Naomi’s hands and bounced on her toes. “No way. No way. How far along?”

“About a month,” Naomi replied. “We just confirmed it.”

Amelia’s eyes filled with tears. “We’re doing this together?”

Naomi nodded, her own eyes glossy. “Looks like it.”

They both laughed and cried at once, collapsing onto the couch in a tangle of limbs and emotions.

Lucas sank into the chair opposite them, shaking his head with a smile he couldn’t hide. “This house is about to get very loud.”

Thompson dropped onto the couch beside him. “Two babies. At the same time.”

Lucas glanced sideways. “Terrified?”

Thompson laughed. “Completely.”

“Good,” Lucas said. “That’s how you know it matters.”

Amelia wiped her cheeks. “I was scared to tell you,” she admitted to Naomi. “I didn’t want to overshadow your moment.”

Naomi squeezed her hand. “You didn’t. You multiplied it.”

A small voice interrupted them.

“Why is everyone crying?”

They all turned.

Charles stood at the doorway, backpack still slung over one shoulder, brows knitted in concern.

Lucas smiled. “Come here, champ.”

Charles walked in slowly, eyes darting between faces. “Did something bad happen?”

“No,” Naomi said gently, opening her arms. “Something very good.”

Charles eyed her suspiciously. “You say that when something confusing is coming.”

Amelia laughed. “He’s smart.”

Naomi pulled Charles onto her lap. “Remember when we told you Mama has a baby in her belly?”

He nodded. “The baby baby.”

“Yes,” she said. “Well… Aunt Amelia has one too.”

Charles’s eyes widened. “Two babies?”

“Yes,” Thompson said proudly.

Charles sat very still, thinking hard. “That’s… a lot of babies.”

Everyone laughed.

Later that evening, after Amelia and Thompson left, the house settled into a peaceful quiet. Naomi stood in the kitchen with a mug of tea, staring out the window, her thoughts drifting.

Lucas leaned against the counter, watching her. “You okay?”

She nodded. “I feel… full. In every way.”

He smiled. “I like that we’re not alone in this.”

She reached for his hand. “We never were.”

Upstairs, Charles lay awake longer than usual, staring at the ceiling.

Two babies.

It was strange. Big. A little scary.

But as sleep finally crept in, one thought made him smile.

He wouldn’t be alone either.

And somehow, that made everything feel just right.