The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus)
Chapter 503

Hector could barely focus on Natalia's attempts at comfort. His eyes darted anxiously to the OR door. "It's been ages since they went in there. Why haven't we heard any crying? Natalia, why is it so quiet?" Natalia paused, taken aback. They had only arrived a short while ago; it had hardly been 'ages,' as Hector said. Did he think delivering a baby was like baking a pie? She quickly realized Hector's sense of time was distorted by his anxiety.

"Chill, Hector. Having a baby isn't a quick bake recipe. We've got to be patient," Natalia said, her words as dry as toast.

She knew well enough that her reassurance was as effective as a band-aid on a broken arm.

Hector nodded but continued pacing back and forth restlessly.

The OR light stayed on, tormenting Hector. His heart was jumping like popcorn kernels in a hot pan, never quite settling down.

Natalia knew anything she said right now was likely falling on deaf ears, so she simply stood with him, waiting outside the OR.

Time ticked by, each second stretching like taffy. Hector was sweating bullets, pacing non-stop, when he suddenly turned to Natalia. "It's been, what, three hours?"

Natalia's mouth twitched. "We've been here for half an hour."

"Oh, right. Must be my watch," Hector mumbled, not even glancing at his wristwatch.

Natalia shrugged helplessly, fully understanding Hector's distress.

More time passed.

"Natalia, it's been half a day. Why haven't they come out—"

Natalia showed him her phone, "Look, we haven't been here an hour yet."

"Oh."

"Natalia..."

"Don't stress, Hector. These things take time. It took a whole night when I had my daughter," she said, remembering.

Hector clammed up immediately, knowing any more on that topic would hurt Natalia.

In their silent vigil, time slipped away unnoticed.

Finally, after an eternity of anxiously waiting, the OR light went off.

Hector perked up and rushed to the OR door, waiting for the doctor to emerge.

The door opened, and a weary doctor stepped out, hoarsely congratulating Hector, "It's a boy and a girl. Both healthy."

Before the doctor could finish, Hector was already heading inside. "Thanks, Doc. I need to see my wife, how is she?" The doctor quickly stopped Hector. "Sorry, it's a sterile area. You can't go in like that. She'll be out shortly. Please wait."

Hector reluctantly nodded. "Okay, I'll wait here as long as they're safe. Thanks for everything."

"No problem," the doctor replied casually. "Oh, and I might not have been clear earlier. You've got twins, a boy and a girl. Congratulations!"

"What?"

Hector was dumbstruck.

"Twins? For real?"

They had chosen not to find out the genders beforehand. And now, they were having twins!

The doctor, amused by Hector's reaction, assured him, "Of course, it's true. We don't joke about these things!"

"Right," Hector blurted out. His mind was a happy mess. "Haha, thanks, Doc!"

Overwhelmed with joy, Hector was now a proud father of twins.

"Just make sure to take good care of your wife to prevent any postnatal blues. The nurses will brief you on the rest," the doctor said before walking away. After chuckling to himself, Hector turned to Natalia. "Can you believe it? Twins! I'm the luckiest guy alive!"

"Congrats, Hector. A son and a daughter - you've got it all," Natalia said, genuinely happy for him.

And there they were, the twins - the surprise of a lifetime. Hector was beaming. "I'm over the moon, Natalia. My family's complete!"

Right then, the OR doors swung open, and nurses wheeled out Bianca, looking frail but spirited.

As Hector and Natalia rushed to her side, Bianca said weakly, "Honey, I feel so empty and flabby. It must look awful. You won't stop loving me, will you?"

Hector was amused, took her hand, and kissed her forehead. "Darling, you've given me the best gifts ever. You'll always be the most beautiful woman to me. No one can replace you."

Reassured by his words, Bianca smiled sweetly. The labor pains and worries had been forgotten.

Natalia saw Bianca's pale face and asked softly, "Bee, you okay? Let the doctors know if anything feels off."

Bianca shook her head lightly. "I'm just tired. And I bet I look like a deflated balloon."

Natalia chuckled inwardly. "Don't worry, honey. A little exercise after the babies' first month, and you'll bounce back in no time."

"Why worry about getting back in shape, honey? I don't care about that at all. As long as you're healthy and happy, that's all that matters to me, OK?"

Hector was quick to reassure Bianca, fearing she might be putting too much pressure on herself to regain her pre-pregnancy figure.

Watching the affectionate couple, Natalia stepped back with a smile. "I'll go check on your little munchkin. I'll be back in a jiffy."

It was then that Hector realized he had been so engrossed in comforting Bianca that he'd completely forgotten about their children. Prompted by Natalia's words, he suddenly remembered. "Sure, go ahead and peek in on them for me, will you? I'll just be a moment with Bee."

Natalia nodded, parting ways with Hector as she walked towards the nursery.

Every visit to the hospital tugged at Natalia's heartstrings, and she wouldn't have set foot in the place again if it weren't for tagging along with Hector to support Bianca during her delivery. She hoped this would be her last hospital visit for a very long time.