“Rom, my love, we have twins!” cried Tanya into the phone, her voice trembling with emotion. “Theyre so tiny, just over five pounds each, but theyre healthyeverythings fine!”
“I knew from the ultrasound itd be twins,” Roman muttered under his breath. “Boys?”
“Yes, boys! Theyre absolutely beautiful!” Tears of pure joy streamed down the young mothers face. At long last, she held her babies in her arms
Pregnancy had been anything but easy for Tanya. First, the father of her children, Roman, had been against their arrival from the start. They worked togethershe as an accountant, he as a driver for a small business. Their relationship wasnt born of some grand passion; they were young, saw each other often, and one thing led to another. Especially since Roman had just called off his wedding after catching his fiancée, Lydia, kissing his best mate in the car. Humiliated and heartbroken, hed thrown himself into the first distraction he could findTanya, a naive 20-year-old fresh out of college.
Tanya had never been the type to turn headsher wild auburn hair, freckled face, and curvy figure made her look more like a storybook character than a romantic lead. Roman was her first proper boyfriend, and shed fallen head over heels, convinced his flattery and attention meant true love.
At first, Roman kept their relationship quiet, meeting her after work in secluded spotsby the river or tucked away in the park. But in their small village, gossip spread fast. Soon, everyone knew. Roman, still bitter over Lydias betrayal, played it up, boasting about his love for Tanya to spite his ex. Tanya, desperate to believe it, swallowed every word.
She lived with her elderly aunt, a stern woman who tolerated her nieces presence only because Tanya did all the cooking. When the aunt found a positive pregnancy test and noticed Tanyas morning sickness, she wasted no time digging into Romans backgrounddiscovering she actually knew his mother, Martha, from school. One visit later, Martha confronted her son.
“Since when do you have a fiancée?” she demanded. “I thought you were still moping over Lydia!”
“Fiancée? Were just seeing each othernothing serious!” Roman scoffed.
“Nothing serious? The whole village knows! And her aunt came asking about wedding plans!”
“Wedding? We never talked about that!”
“Well, *she* has. Shes pregnant, Roman. Time you introduced me to your future wife.”
Thats how Roman found out he was going to be a father.
“Why didnt you tell me?” he snapped when they next met.
“I was scared,” Tanya admitted, eyes downcast. “What if you didnt want the baby? What would I have done?”
By then, it was too late to back outhis family already knew.
They married quietly, just a registry office and a modest dinner in his parents garden. No grand celebration. They moved into his parents spacious two-story home, where Romans older sister, Kate, eyed Tanya with open disdain.
“Honestly, Roman,” Kate hissed, pulling him aside, “how could you trade Lydia for *her*?”
“Lydia cheated on me!”
“She swears it meant nothingthat she still loves you. Have you even spoken to her?”
“Whats there to say? I *saw* her with Alex!”
“Well, now youre the fool,” Kate shot back.
But Tanya? She was floating. She ignored Kates glares, Romans sullennessshe was married to the man she loved, carrying his child. Nothing else mattered.
Martha, however, saw the truth. Roman had married out of spite, not love. He barely touched Tanya, never asked about the pregnancy, and came home later each nightespecially once Tanya went on maternity leave.
Then came the day Tanya ran into Lydia at the shops.
“Now I see why Romans in no rush home,” Lydia sneered, eyeing Tanyas swollen figure, faded dress, and the freckles splashed across her pale face.
“Whats that supposed to mean?”
“It means hes still *mine*,” Lydia smirked. “You think he married you because he wanted to? Please.”
Tanya barely made it home before collapsing in pain. The ambulance took her straight to hospital
“Roman, come see the boys tomorrow,” Tanya begged over the phone weeks later. “They look just like you!”
He mumbled something noncommittal before hanging up. Tanya clung to hopehe wouldnt abandon his children.
But Roman barely acknowledged his sons, Kyril and Yefim, leaving Tanya exhausted between their relentless crying. Only Marthas help kept her sane. Meanwhile, Romanwhen he wasnt workingwas with Lydia, living in her tiny flat.
“Youve lost weight,” Martha noted one evening as Roman picked at his food.
“Works been busy,” he lied, not mentioning how Lydia couldnt be bothered to cook.
Then Tanya walked inand Roman barely recognized her. Slimmer, her auburn hair in a thick braid, freckles softer now, her grey eyes luminous.
“Youve changed,” he managed. “For the better.”
She smiled. And for the first time in months, so did he.
That night, Roman didnt go home. He told Lydia he was “away for work” and stayed with Tanya.
Lydias jealousy exploded. “If you miss them so much, go back!” she screamed after weeks of his absences.
“Maybe I will,” Roman said lightly.
And one day, he did.
Lydia, left fuming, ran straight into Alexs armsthis time, for good.
“Love isnt everything,” she shrugged, accepting his diamond ring on a beach in Spain.
But Tanya? Wrapped in Romans arms, she knew different. *Love had saved them.*
And in the end, both women got what they wanted.
