Tabitha's POV
Seeing me lost in thought, Dad cleared his throat twice, and I immediately looked over.
"Look at me. I was gonna talk about you and Derek, but somehow, we ended up on my stuff. Tabitha, don't worry. Derek's a good guy. He won't be messing around out there. Before you mated with him, I had people check him out. He has always been faithful."
I didn't wanna talk about Derek at all, so I changed the subject.
"Dad, how much do you know about that girl?"
Dad didn't want to dive into this again, but seeing that I seemed to be very interested, he added, "Her name is Lillian Brady. At first, I thought she was a smart and sensible kid. But later, when I learned what she had done, I realized I barely scratched the surface of who she really was. Why do you ask? Do you know her?"
I calmly replied, "No. Just kinda interested in your relationship."
Dad smiled gently, "It's all in the past now. All I want now is to see you happy."
It seemed that Dad still thought Lillian's death was an accident, totally clueless about how Derek took it out on the Silver Moon Pack because of her.
I didn't want him to find out, either.
"I see. Dad, you don't need to worry about me and Derek. I'll handle it just fine. Just like you said, all couples quarrel sometimes. Besides, we haven't been fighting.
"It's just that because of his job, we spend less time together, but it doesn't change anything. So don't worry about us. I've just been feeling unwell recently because of pregnancy. That's why I'm not smiling much."
"Alright then. In that case, I'll be relieved. Let me grab some dessert for you."
Seeing Dad so visibly happy made my heart sink even more.
I could hide what Derek had done for a while but not forever.
What if Dad found out the truth?
Watching him slowly get up to fetch dessert, I quickly caught up with him. "Dad, let me do it. Just sit down and rest. Although you're able to walk with a cane now, you shouldn't push yourself too hard. Just focus on resting here. Everything will turn out alright!"
"Okay. I'll just wait for the birth of my grandkids then. You have no idea how long I've been looking forward to it. Your babies are definitely gonna be super cute. I wonder if they'll look like you or Derek."
Dad's eyes were filled with warmth as he eagerly anticipated my twins' arrival. "Tabitha, during your last pregnancy, you had to take care of me at the hospital all day long. That's why you miscarried. Sorry that I didn't come around sooner. This time, you should care more for yourself and the kids. Got it?"
I parted my lips, still not explaining anything. "Dad, don't worry. Even if it costs me everything, I'll ensure the babies are born safely."
From that day on, Dad stopped stressing over other stuff and poured all his energy into my twins.
He had people set up tools and brought out some precious wood for carving gifts for my kids.
From teething toys to toy planes, from dolls to rocking horses, he was busy as a bee.
"Dad, take a break, and don't tire yourself out. It's not like I'll go into labor tomorrow."
"I'm not as nimble as I used to be, and my movements are slow. So it takes me a lot more time than before. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. This is a small gesture from me as a grandfather. The kids grow fast after being born. So we gotta have clothes and toys ready. And oh, a crib too."
Dad exclaimed with excitement, "Just relax. I'm bored anyway. Doing some crafts is the perfect time-killer."
I touched my flat belly, marveling at how time flew by. Was I supposed to start preparing as well?
Just then, the nursery I'd set up before flashed in my mind. I handpicked every piece of clothing and toy in there.
When I lost my firstborn, however, the joy of preparing them was replaced by agony.
Even an ordinary rattle could bring tears to my eyes.
Crystal whispered, "Let's hope everything goes smoothly this time. We don't wanna experience that kind of pain again."