The Best Friend Problem

by Mariah Ankenman

  “You’re pregnant, Pru. You can’t ride a motorcycle.”

  Only because she didn’t know how to drive one. But if she did, she assumed it would be perfectly acceptable to ride one until her belly got too big. She didn’t actually know. It wasn’t one of the areas she researched.

  They drove the ten minutes to her doctor’s office and sat in the waiting room. It was filled with a variety of women and some men, looking everything from excited to bored to terrified. Finn sat by her side, holding her hand in comfort, but his leg nervously bounced up and down, jiggling their chairs with the frantic motion.

  At least she wasn’t the only one freaking out a little. Hopefully after today’s appointment, things would be clearer for them.

  “Prudence C.? The doctor will see you now.”

  She rose from her seat, Finn standing with her. The nurse led them back, taking her weight, a urine sample, and her blood pressure and then instructing her to disrobe and put on a paper gown before she left the room.

  “All right, turn around.”

  One dark blond eyebrow rose. “Seriously?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s not like I’ve forgotten what you look like naked. You can make me turn around all you want, but that image is branded into my—”

  She smashed a hand over his mouth, her cheeks warmed, and a small giggle escaped her lips. “Shut up, you perv. Just because you’ve seen it once doesn’t give you a free pass for all future viewings.”

  Something wet and smooth caressed her palm. She quickly pulled her hand away. “Ew! Did you just lick my hand?”

  He chuckled. The stupid, sexy jerk.

  “Just reminding you what else this tongue has touched.”

  Was he seriously flirting with her now? Here? And if he was, why was she enjoying it so much?

  “Finn!”

  “Okay, okay. I’ll turn around. But it seems weird.”

  “This whole situation is weird,” she grumbled as she started to shimmy out of her clothes the moment his back was turned.

  Once she’d settled on the cold, crinkly paper on top of the exam table, paper gown securely covering all the important bits, she cleared her throat. “You can turn around now.”

  Finn turned, his teasing smile going soft. His hand reached out to grasp hers. “Hey, you know everything’s going to be okay. Right?”

  She didn’t know that, but she hoped. Hoped that, somehow, they could navigate this tricky situation they’d gotten themselves into. Hoped that she could still have what she wanted without taking anything away from her best friend. Hoped that she’d still be able to fit into her favorite pair of jeans after she popped this kid out.

  A soft tap on the door prevented her from answering.

  “Hello,” Dr. Richardson called out as she entered the room. “Hello, Prudence. How are you feeling lately?”

  “A little nauseous, but otherwise fine.”

  “Good, good. And is this the father?” The doctor glanced at Finn.

  “Yeah, um, yes, this is my…this is Finn.”

  “A pleasure to meet you, Finn.”

  Finn stuck out his free hand, accepting the shake her doctor offered. “Nice to meet you, too.”

  “Okay, let’s get started and get a look at your baby. What do you say?”

  She said ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

  But only in her head. Outside she simply smiled as Dr. Richardson scrubbed her hands in the sink before donning gloves and instructing her to lie back. Finn stayed near her head, never letting go of her hand as the doctor wheeled over a machine with a video screen and a wand that looked like something Mo might keep in her bedside drawer.

  The doctor rolled something that looked suspiciously like a condom onto the wand thing and squirted some liquid over it.

  “Okay, this might feel a bit uncomfortable, but it’s going to give us a great view of your baby.”

  She winced in discomfort, but honestly, it wasn’t too terrible.

  “Okay, you hear that?”

  If the doc meant the weird wooshing, whirring sound, then yeah, she heard it, but she had no idea what it meant.

  “Oh, well, that’s something.”

  What? What was something? Was there something wrong with her baby? Her pulse raced, a million horrible scenarios running through her mind, her dreams of motherhood crashing around her, wrenching her heart as she cursed herself and her body for being a failure.

  She squeezed Finn’s hand, grateful when he bent down and kissed her temple, whispering in her ear.

  “It’s okay, Pru. Everything is fine.”

  How did he know? He wasn’t a doctor!

  One large hand held hers, the other stroking her hair, calming her racing heart as the doctor moved the wand thing around. What the woman was looking for, she had no idea. Everything on the screen just looked like a black and white blob to her. How did people know what they were looking for on these things?

  “Hmm, let’s just take a look and—oh yes, just as I thought.”

  Dr. Richardson smiled, pointing to the screen. “See, there’s one healthy heartbeat.”

  Oh, thank heavens. A strong, healthy heartbeat. Everything was fine.

  “And there’s another healthy heartbeat.”

  Say what now?

  “Congratulations, you two,” the doc said with a smile. “It’s twins.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Twins? Twins!

  The word buzzed in her brain like a bee at a barbeque, consuming her every thought even if she couldn’t quite get a grasp on it.

  “Twins?” the question whooshed out of her on a choked gasp.

  “Yes. The fertility medication I put you on can increase the possibility of releasing multiple eggs, resulting in twins. Remember when we discussed that?”

  Somewhere in her muddled brain, she vaguely remembered them discussing that when she started this journey.

  “Now,” the doctor continued. “Because this is a high-risk pregnancy, we’ll need to monitor you more closely—”

  “Is something wrong with the babies?”

  Her heart pounded, threatening to beat right out of her chest. She gripped Finn’s hand tighter, or maybe he clutched hers, she couldn’t tell. All she knew was the only thing keeping her from losing her mind right now was the firm grasp he had on her. He anchored her, keeping her in the moment instead of a million miles ahead, worrying about every eventuality that might befall their babies. She might be Practical Pru, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t overreact when faced with extenuating circumstances.

  “Oh no, nothing is wrong, but any pregnancy involving multiples is considered high risk because of the strain on the mother and babies. We simply want to track your progress carefully to make sure everyone is growing healthily. Okay?”

  “That sounds great, doc. Thank you.”

  She nodded along with Finn’s words, suddenly extremely grateful he’d asked to come along. She needed someone to lean on right now, while she processed the huge curveball that came after the pile of bricks that was this situation.

  “Here’s a copy of photos for you two.”

  She reached out and grabbed the glossy strip of photos from the doctor. Honestly, it still just looked like a black and white blur to her. There were two outlined circled with tiny blobs in them and small typeface claiming Baby 1 and Baby 2 above each circle.

  “Wow.”

  She turned her head slightly at Finn’s softly uttered exclamation. The left corner of his mouth ticked up in that lopsided smile. He stared at the images as if he could actually see babies. All she saw was her carefully laid plans being blown to hell and back.

  Two! Two babies! At the same time. How would she handle this? She hadn’t planned for twins.

  Hadn’t planned on Finn being the father, either, but here we are.

  True. She’d rolled with the first surprise; she could damn well roll with the second. All she had to do was adjust her plan, move some numbers around, double her baby shopping list, plan for t
wo of everything instead of one… Yeah, no problem.

  Dr. Richardson grabbed the chart again from the counter, pen poised to take notes as she asked, “Now are you having any issues you’d like to talk about today?”

  Still reeling from the news and making mental lists to hold back the panic, Pru shook her head, content to get out of there and have her freak-out in private instead of in a doctor’s office covered by nothing but a stiff, scratchy paper gown.

  “Actually, doctor, she’s been having a lot of nausea. And not just in the mornings—it’s pretty constant.”

  She narrowed her eyes, glaring at Finn. He didn’t need to take over completely—she could tell the doctor about her own symptoms.

  But you didn’t because you’re having a tiny breakdown, and he knows it because he’s your best friend. Your best friend whose TWINS you’re carrying.

  Could you be a bitch to yourself? Because Pru was pretty sure that was happening right now.

  “Nausea is common in pregnancy, even more so with multiples. I can prescribe an anti-nausea medication for you.”

  “Is that safe for the babies?”

  Dr. Richardson smiled at Finn. “Completely safe. We want the mother to keep all those healthy nutrients in her belly so the babies can grow big and strong.”

  She listened as her doctor and best friend, aka the father of her unborn babies, talked about her pregnancy and symptoms, contributing nothing to the conversation herself.

  Get it together, Pru. This was supposed to be your thing. Your journey. Stop freaking out about minor details and take control of the situation.

  Finding out she was having twins could hardly be called a minor detail, but her inner diva was right. She needed to get her head back in the game and regain her power.

  “Thank you, Dr. Richardson. I’d appreciate that.”

  The doctor wrote something on the pad in her hands and passed the paper to Pru. “This should keep the nausea down to a minimum, but if you find yourself not being able to eat or keep anything down, please call the office right away. We’d need to check you for hyperemesis gravidarum to make sure you’re not losing important nutrients for you and the babies.”

  In her research, she’d come across the condition, but her morning sickness was nowhere near that bad. Good thing, because she could barely handle the news the doc had laid on her today. One crisis at a time, please.

  Not that having twins was a crisis in any way. In fact, the thought of two little babies to love and care for made her heart soar. All she’d asked for was one baby, and here she was, being blessed with two.

  Stressful? Sure. Amazing? No doubt.

  “In the meantime, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water, eating a healthy diet, and see Annette on the way out. She’ll help you schedule your next few appointments.” The older woman nodded to both of them. “Congratulations, Mom and Dad.”

  With that, Dr. Richardson smiled and exited the room, leaving Pru alone with Finn and the exciting/terrifying news.

  …

  At that moment, a strong breeze could have knocked Finn over. Which was saying something, considering he stayed upright while wielding a fire hose on a regular basis. Those things could spit out pressure of up to 300psi. But, apparently, all it took to shake Finn was two babies who barely weighed a few ounces at this point.

  Twins.

  He’d been having a bit of a mental freak-out since they arrived at the doctor’s office. He’d never imagined himself visiting a place like this, but here he was, to support Pru. But the moment the doctor handed over those glossy, black and white pictures, the freak-out went into full-blown panic. The news of two babies slammed into the last bit of calm he’d been holding on to, threatening to send his carefully constructed demeanor right down the drain.

  But something else happened, too. The second he saw those two little blurry images, his chest filled with awe.

  I made those.

  Or at least helped, anyway.

  Bewilderment blocked out everything else for just a moment. Sure, he was still scared shitless and confused as to what the hell they were going to do about this whole situation. But look what they’d done. They’d created two little lives. Two tiny humans who might have Pru’s smile and his eyes. Her headstrong attitude and his sense of humor.

  He glanced over at Pru, who looked as shocked as he felt. Sympathetic humor tilted his lips as he stared at his poor best friend. She lived by her plans. This must be throwing her for quite the loop. First her idea of solo mommy-hood got waylaid by their night of…exploration. Then she found out it wasn’t one baby she’d be expecting, but two.

  But like the champ she was, Pru was already working things out. He could see the calculation in her dark brown eyes. She may be panicking, but she was also strategizing. Practical Pru. Nothing could keep her down for long.

  “You ready to go?”

  “Huh? Oh, yeah.”

  She slid off the table, gaze unfocused as she started to disrobe. Okaaaay, maybe she wasn’t as together as he’d thought. Twenty minutes ago, she just about blew a brain cell at the thought of undressing in front of him. Now she was tossing off the paper gown, mindlessly grabbing for her clothes, as naked as the day she was born, seemingly unaware or uncaring of his presence.

  She’s not okay.

  Her mind might be grinding behind those beautiful eyes, but it wasn’t planning. Or it was, but it was also freaking out. Big time. He needed to do something. Help her. And it started with grabbing her discarded clothing and helping her into it without ogling her body like the perv she’d earlier accused him of being.

  Even if he was a bit pervy.

  He tried his hardest not to look, but he remembered how magnificent Pru was in all her naked glory, and it was hard not to sneak a peek. By the tightening in his pants, that wasn’t the only hard thing.

  Once she was dressed, he wrapped an arm around her waist and led her out of the exam room, heading to the front desk. Luckily, Pru had enough wherewithal to schedule her next few appointments. Finn made a note in his calendar app to make sure he got his shifts rearranged so he could be there for each one.

  He was just being a good friend, making sure he was there if she needed him. That was all.

  They left the doctor’s office, Pru still allowing him to guide her, which really had him worried. Pru was never this zombie-like.

  When they got to his car, he opened her door, helping her sit and pulling the seat belt around her. She allowed all of it. Very not Pru-like. She had to snap out of it.

  “Pru?” He gently cupped her face between his hands. “Talk to me.”

  Her gaze finally focused on him, her brown eyes blinking until recognition lit in their dark depths.

  “Twins, Finn. Twins!”

  He couldn’t stop the small smile from curling his lips. “I know, Precious. But everything will be okay. I promise.”

  She snorted. “So like a man to promise something you can in no way be sure of delivering.”

  Ah, there she was. His feisty Pru was back.

  “I know. Men, ugh! Right?”

  She laughed, lightly pushing his shoulder. “Shut up and let’s go.”

  Fear receding—now that she seemed to be back to her old self—he shut the door and made his way around to the driver’s side. He knew he was supposed to bring her straight back to work, but he found himself going left instead of right when they pulled out of the office parking lot.

  “Finn, where are we going? This isn’t the way home.”

  “No,” he agreed. “It isn’t, but we’ve both just had a big shock, and you need food.”

  “I had lunch before we left.”

  “Pregnant women need extra calories. Think of it as a reward for your overachieving uterus.”

  She snorted out a half laugh, half groan. “It’s like my body heard about my fertility issues and my uterus said, ‘hold my beer.’ Silly womb.” Her right hand rubbed over her stomach. “You didn’t have to prove yourself this much.”r />
  Yes, there was that sass! He’d been worried in the doctor’s office when she’d been so docile and spaced out. Not Pru at all. He much preferred her like this, fierce and feisty.

  She sighed. “I really should get back to work, Finn.”

  “I know, but do you have to go back before enjoying some delicious chili cheese fries?”

  From the corner of his eye, he saw her straighten.

  “Chili cheese fries?”

  “But if you’re not hungry, I can just take you back home—”

  “Keep driving, Jamison.”

  He chuckled, never once veering from his path. When he pulled into an empty space at the retro carhop drive-in, he ordered two lemonades, two cheeseburgers for himself, and an extra-large chili cheese fry for Pru.

  “Extra-large?” she asked with a raised brow.

  “You’re eating for three.”

  At the reminder, her smile slipped.

  “Twins,” she said softly. “I can’t believe it. How am I going to handle twins?”

  He didn’t think the words were directed at him, but he answered anyway. “You can handle anything. You’re Prudence goddamn Carlson.”

  “That’s not my middle name.”

  “No, it’s Mabel, but you get mad at me every time I use it.”

  “Because it’s a stupid name!”

  “Not as dumb as Shakespeare.” In addition to a love of art, his mother also had a thing for old, dead wordsmiths. Thank God his father convinced her that the greatest playwright of all time might not be the best first name for a kid born in the twentieth century.

  “Touché.”

  She glanced up at him, naked worry etched in her gaze. Worry he knew she would only let a handful of people ever see. He considered himself honored and humbled to be included in that minuscule number.

  “Finn, what am I going to do? I didn’t plan for two babies.”

  “Plans change, Pru. You know that better than anyone.”

  It wasn’t like her parents planned to die in that car crash. Aunt Rose hadn’t planned on suffering and eventually succumbing to complications from dementia. Life rarely worked out like people planned. It just existed, and everyone was along for the ride.

  “If anyone can handle this, it’s you.”