Sage had chuckled softly with a nod when she mentioned taking all the help they could get. "We're lucky enough to have all the help we do," he mused after a moment or so. "I mean, Lyra is so willing to help, andi don't know what we'd do without your mom and selene here too," he added, shaking his head slightly.

But as jora kept talking, he felt the emotion well up in his chest again, and he just leaned into her with a soft sigh. "I know, I know," he mused softly. "I just....I want to be able to hold them without crying. I can't see them if I'm crying," he noted, a faint twinge of amusement rising into his tone of voice.

He leaned into her kiss slightly, closing his eyes for a moment, just drinking in the touch. Her scent. Her voice. All the little details that made her....her. And they were all so special.

"I wouldn't either," he murmured, wrapping his arm around her snuggly. "Not a single second of it."

He squeezed her hand when she took his own, offering her a small smile when she talked about how much he loved them. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he noted.

Jora smiled softly at his words, her thumb brushing slow, soothing circles over the back of his hand as he leaned into her. “We really are lucky,” she murmured, voice gentle but sure. “Lyra’s got the biggest heart I’ve ever seen… and my mom and Selene—” she shook her head with a quiet breath, “I don’t think I could’ve done any of this without them. Without you.”

When his voice wavered, when he admitted he didn’t want to cry because he wanted to see them, her expression softened even more. She shifted just enough to press her forehead against his temple, grounding him. “Hey,” she whispered. “It’s okay if you cry. They’re not going anywhere. They’ll still be right here when you open your eyes again.” There was no teasing in her tone—only understanding.

She lingered in the way he leaned into her kiss, the way he closed his eyes like he was memorizing her. Like he always did. Her hand slid up to cup his jaw briefly, steady and warm. “I see them the same way you do,” she admitted quietly. “Every time I look at them, it feels unreal. Like my chest might split open if I don’t hold it together.”

When he wrapped his arm around her, she melted into his side without hesitation, fitting there like she always had. Her fingers tightened around his when he squeezed her hand, and she smiled at him—soft, tired, and so full of love it ached.

“I know,” she said simply. “You love them with everything you are. That’s why they’re so safe.” She leaned in again, resting her head against his shoulder. “And that’s why I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else. Not ever.”

Jora watched him as he spoke, the way his voice softened every time his gaze drifted back to the baby in his arms. Her chest ached in that quiet, full way—the kind that came from too much love pressing in all at once.

“They really did,” she agreed softly about her mother and Selene, a small, grateful smile tugging at her lips. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to put into words how much they’ve done for us.” Her hand slid up to rest over his forearm, grounding, steady.

When he spoke about how something so small could cause so much feeling, her eyes warmed. She leaned closer, tilting her head so her temple rested against his shoulder. “It’s not odd,” she murmured. “It’s proof. Proof that you’re exactly the kind of father they need.” Her thumb brushed a slow, soothing line against his skin. “They change your whole world just by existing.”

At his promise, fierce and unwavering, Jora lifted her head to look at him properly. There was no doubt in her eyes—only trust. “I know,” she said quietly. “Because I see how you look at them. How you hold them. Nothing could ever touch them without going through us first.”

She leaned in then, pressing a gentle kiss to his jaw before settling back against him, her arm wrapping around his waist. “They’re safe,” she echoed softly. “They’re loved. And they’re going to grow up knowing exactly how wanted they are.”

Her voice dropped to a whisper, steady and sure. “We’ll make sure of it. Together.”

Jora let his words settle, her gaze following his down to the babies as if she needed to see them again to anchor herself. When she looked back up at him, there was no doubt in her expression—only quiet certainty.

“You already do,” she said softly when he worried about living up to it. Her hand slid from his arm to his chest, palm resting over his heart. “Every day. Just by being here. By worrying about it at all.” A small, fond smile curved her lips. “They don’t need perfection, Sage. They just need you.”

She leaned into the kiss he gave her, slow and warm, her eyes closing for a moment as she returned it. When she pulled back, her forehead rested against his, breath mingling with his.

“They’re going to grow up knowing what safety feels like,” she murmured. “What love looks like. They won’t have to guess or hope for it.” Her thumb brushed along his jaw, gentle and grounding. “Because we’re giving it to them from the very beginning.”

At his chuckle, she smiled wider, a quiet laugh escaping her. “That part I don’t doubt at all,” she teased softly. “They don’t stand a chance. They’re already completely adored.”

She shifted closer, careful of the babies, settling into him with a contented sigh. “And one day,” she added quietly, “when they’re grown and looking back… this is what they’ll remember. This feeling.”

Jora smiled softly at his words, letting her hand linger in his as she leaned closer, resting her head lightly against his shoulder. “I know,” she murmured, her voice gentle. “It’s hard to imagine sometimes… how fast they’ll grow. But that’s okay. We’ll be here for all of it. Every step. Every stumble. Every laugh.”

Her eyes drifted back down to the babies, now nestled between them, tiny and perfect in their slumber. “And even when they’re bigger,” she added, a soft smile tugging at her lips, “they’ll always be our little ones to us. No matter how tall they get, no matter how much they change.”

She tilted her head slightly, glancing up at him, warmth and certainty in her gaze. “We’ll do this together, Sage. Always. And I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be by my side through it all.”

Careful not to disturb the babies, she shifted a little, curling closer into him, letting the quiet comfort of their family wrap around them. Time might move fast, but right now, this—together, with their children—was everything.