Unexpected Fight

by Kaylee Ryan

  “Oh, no. I hope everything is okay.”

  “We’re keeping a close eye on both mom and baby.”

  I send up a silent prayer for the family.

  “You’re still measuring larger than you should.” She glances at Tyler. “We’ll be able to determine the actual size of the baby on the ultrasound today. It could be that you’re further along than we thought.”

  I glance at Ty, and we both know that’s not possible. Not unless the condoms we used failed. We would have noticed if that was the case, right? He must see the worry in my eyes as he bends to kiss my forehead. “It’s all good, baby.” He’s trying to ease my fears.

  There’s a knock at the door. “Jeanine is ready,” the nurse tells the doctor.

  “Perfect. Let’s go take a look at your baby.” She smiles widely. She doesn’t seem concerned that I’m measuring big, so I take a deep breath and slowly exhale. “Go ahead and get dressed, and open the door when you’re ready. I’ll have one of the nurses take you to the ultrasound room. Then after, we can meet again if you have any questions.”

  “Thank you,” Ty and I say at the same time.

  The ultrasound room is dark. Jeanine, the tech, tells me to take a seat on the table, pull up my shirt and pull down my pants, just below my belly. Ty is right next to me, holding my hand.

  “Let’s take a look at your little one, shall we?” she asks. She places a huge glob of warm gel on my belly then proceeds to take the ultrasound wand and move it around. “I’m just getting some measurements.” She clicks the screen while rolling the wand around.

  She glances at me then back to the screen. “Is something wrong?” I ask her.

  “No, not at all. However, I’m glad you’re sitting down. Dad, you might want to pull up a chair,” she tells Ty.

  “I’m good. What is it? Is the baby okay?” he asks, his panic evident in his voice.

  “Everything is fine.” She turns the screen so we can see it. “Mom and Dad, meet your babies. This is Baby A, and this—” She moves the wand to the other side of my belly. “—is Baby B. Congratulations, you’re having twins.”

  “Twins?” I look up at Ty, and he’s grinning from ear to ear.

  “Twins, Reags,” he says happily. Leaning down, he kisses me softly. “We’re having two babies,” he says, his voice filled with adoration.

  “I have endometriosis,” I say, still trying to process what I’m hearing. “We only heard one heartbeat.”

  “Many women with endometriosis have viable, healthy pregnancies,” Jeanine tells us. “Looks like you are in that percentile. As far as one heartbeat. The babies’ heartbeats were in sync, hence us only hearing one on the doppler. It happens quite often.”

  “It’s us, babe. You and me. It’s the magic we make together,” he whispers so only I can hear him.

  “We’re having twins,” I say, testing the words on my tongue.

  “Definitely. They both have strong heartbeats, all the measurements are on target for sixteen weeks. Twins tend to be on the smaller size, but you’ll measure big since there are two.”

  “I am. I mean, I have been. I was worried something might be wrong.”

  “Nope, just an extra baby.” She grins. “Now, let’s see if we can’t get these two to cooperate. You do want to know the gender, correct?” she asks.

  “Yes,” Ty and I reply in sync.

  “Perfect, let’s start with Baby A. Oh, and I’m recording this, so you’ll have still pictures and the video to keep.” She moves the wand around and clicks on the screen. I have a strong grip on Ty’s hand. “Ah, there we are, see there.” She points to the screen. “Baby A is a boy.”

  “A little boy,” I repeat, feeling the tears threatening to spill over. I never knew if this day would be possible for me. I always wanted to be a mom but was fearful of my early diagnosis and comment from my then physician that it would be unlikely that I would be able to experience it, and now… now I’m having two babies. At once.

  “All right, little one, turn just a little,” she says, moving the wand around. It’s a little tender, but I don’t say a word. Instead, I keep my mist-filled eyes glued to the screen and my hand gripping my husband’s, drawing from his strength. “There we go. This little guy didn’t want to cooperate.” She chuckles to herself. “Baby B is also a boy. Congratulations.” She continues to move the wand while taking pictures and measurements, but I don’t notice. All I can see is the loving eyes of my husband as he smiles down at me in wonder. Two babies! He leans in and presses his lips to mine. No words are needed between us. We say everything we need to with the kiss.

  The technician withdraws the wand and wipes my belly with paper towels. She hands Ty a handful when she’s done, and he finishes cleaning me up.

  “I’ll get this video and the still images ready for you. If you head back down the hall and make a right, you’ll see Dr. Hatfield’s office. I’ll let her know that you’re ready for her.”

  Numbly, I nod as Ty leads us out of the room and down the hall. “Reagan,” he says softly. I turn to look at him. “Baby, talk to me.”

  “Babies,” I say, unable to hide my smile. “Did she really say babies? We’re having two boys?” I need to hear him say it.

  He laughs. “Yeah, twin boys.” He leans in and kisses me. “My boys did good, huh?” he teases.

  “Apparently,” I agree with him.

  “Congratulations, you two,” Dr. Hatfield says, joining us. “Can I answer any questions?”

  “I think we’re still processing,” Ty tells her.

  “I can imagine. This does explain why you are measuring larger. The babies are fraternal, which means they won’t look exactly alike but can be very similar in appearance still. They have their own sac and placenta,” she explains. “Usually with multiples, you won’t reach your forty-week mark for delivery. We’ll keep a close eye on you, and if necessary, will schedule an induction.”

  “Is that safe for them? For the babies?”

  “Perfectly. There are injections and medications that we can give you to help develop and strengthen their lungs. I assure you that you and your babies are in good hands.” She pulls off her glasses and folds her hands in front of her on the desk. The act alone tells me there’s more. “We did discover something else on the ultrasound. It appears that you have a condition called Placenta Previa.”

  “What—what does that mean?” I ask, my voice shaking.

  “It means that your placenta for Baby B is growing at the lower part of the uterus, which means it’s covering all or part of the opening to your cervix. In your case, it’s covering about 50 percent.”

  “What causes this to happen?” Tyler asks. His hand grips mine like a vise. I welcome the comfort that it brings.

  “There are many causes. Likely is a result of your endometriosis, and the procedures you’ve had associated with the diagnosis.”

  “Are the babies—?” I swallow back the lump in my throat. From elation to worry in a matter of minutes. “Are they going to be okay?” I force the words.

  “Yes.” Her voice is certain. “More often than not, the condition resolves itself. You’ve seen no effects such as bleeding, so I’m optimistic that will be the case for you as well. I do want you to take it easy. No exercise or strenuous activity.”

  “Should she be working?” Tyler asks.

  She looks down at my chart. “Says you’re a beautician?”

  “Yes,” I confirm the information in my chart.

  “It’s my suggestion that you rest as much as possible. Standing for long hours isn’t advisable.”

  I nod. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my babies safe and healthy. “Okay. What should I do?”

  “You’re doing it. Rest as much as you can, don’t stand for long periods of time, no heavy lifting, no exercise, and no sex.” She looks between the two of us to make sure we understand.

  “Whatever it takes,” Tyler confirms.

  “I suggest you remain off work until we see where this
goes. I’ll write you a note for your employer.”

  “Not necessary. I own the shop,” I tell her. “Is it okay to still be there, just for ordering and things like that?”

  “No heavy lifting, but if it’s deskwork, I see nothing wrong with that.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Hatfield.” Ty holds out his hand for her to shake. “Four weeks?” he asks.

  “Actually. I’d like to see you in two weeks, and by all means, if you need us before then or have questions, please feel free to reach out. I want to stay on top of this. In some cases, bedrest for the pregnancy is needed.” She must see the worry on our faces. “I have no reason to believe that that will be the results in your case. You are showing no signs of bleeding, which is good. That’s what we want to avoid.”

  “Thank you.” I stand to leave her office.

  “Reags,” Ty says once we’re in his truck. “You okay over there?”

  Tears of joy mixed with worry flood my cheeks. “More than okay. I went from thinking I would never have a baby, to having two at once. I can’t believe this,” I say, wiping at my tears. He leans down and wraps me in a hug, squeezing me tightly. When he pulls back, we both have a hand on my belly. “I pray they’re okay in there.”

  “You heard her, Reags. It’s going to be fine. You need to take it easy until these two are ready to come into the world. We’ve got this. Everything will be fine.” He leans down and kisses my belly over my shirt. “We need two names, two beds, two of … well, everything.” He laughs.

  “We do. Although we can put them in the same room for at least the first year or two, and more than likely in our room at least the first few months. I can’t imagine not having them close.” I slowly exhale. “I’m scared, Ty.”

  “I know, baby. I’m scared too, but our boys are fighters. We just do what she says, make sure you take it easy, and everything will be fine,” he assures me. His voice is strong. Confident. I’m thankful once again that this man is in my life. I couldn’t go through this without him.

  “You planning on going back to work?” he asks.

  “I’ll man the phones, do the ordering, and sort payroll. Things like that.” I love my shop and my clients. I love what I do. However, I know what it’s like to have a mom who is home every day after school and during the summer. The thought of being there like that for my boys is appealing. Boys. Two babies!

  “What about today?”

  Shit. “I’ll call the shop and tell them I need to cancel my afternoon unless the girls can take over my clients. I don’t know what’s on the books.”

  “We should look at the numbers. Maybe hire another part-time stylist to pick up some of the overflow while you’re off work. Or hell, hire a full-time and you just do the books and ordering. I make enough to support all four of us. That can be your permanent gig. No more late nights or weekends.”

  “Four.” I grin. “We’re having twins!” I squeal. He leans over and cradles my face in his large calloused hands.

  “Four,” he whispers before his lips softly connect with mine.

  “Two babies is a lot,” I confess. “But I’m excited.” I bounce a little in my seat, which pulls a small laugh from him.

  “How should we tell our families?”

  “Well, let’s text everyone and see if they can come over tonight. We’ll order pizza or something. I don’t think I can sit on this news.”

  “Your brother and the guys are going to hound me as soon as I get to the job site.”

  “Yeah, Carol and Brenda are going to do the same,” I say as my phone vibrates in my purse. Pulling it out, I see a message from Kendall.

  * * *

  Kendall: Well? Do I get a niece or nephew?

  * * *

  I read the message aloud to Ty. “I want to tell her,” I say, laughing.

  “Let’s just do a large group message telling them all. We’re the ones who are truly going to suffer holding this news to ourselves until tonight. I don’t know that I have it in me to not spill before then.”

  “I’m on it,” I say, my fingers already typing out a message.

  * * *

  Group Message: Are you sitting down?

  * * *

  Group Message: Twin boys!

  * * *

  My phone proceeds to blow up with replies of congratulations and shocked emojis. I read them off to Ty as he drives us home.

  “So tonight, what do you say we go pick out some paint? We have a nursery to decorate.”

  “Yes.” I have butterflies in my belly, and it’s not the babies. Babies! I can’t believe this is my life. Everything I’ve ever wanted is mine for the taking. My husband and my babies.

  He pulls into the driveway and opens the garage door, so I can enter the house through the garage. “Have a good day, babe. I love you.” He kisses me sweetly before bending and pressing a kiss to my belly. “You boys be good to your momma.” He grins.

  “Be safe,” I counter. “Love you.”

  He waves, climbs in his truck, and drives away. I stand and watch him leave, my hand on my expanding midsection. “Mommy and Daddy love you both so much,” I whisper, climbing into my car. I make a quick call to the shop telling them about my schedule and letting them know I’m on my way to deal with the fallout. Carol and Brenda assure me they’ve got me covered. I couldn’t ask for better employees or friends.

  Chapter 18

  Tyler

  * * *

  I remember one night several years ago we were at Bottoms Up and there was a man sitting at the bar. He was drunk off his ass and complaining about his wife being pregnant. Again. Apparently, it was baby number six, and he was pissed that she was tired all the time and it was taking forever for her to get the kid cooked. His words, not mine. I remember thinking that guy was an asshole. It’s not like she got pregnant all on her own.

  Now that it’s my reality, I know even more so the man was way off base. Time is flying past at what seems like lightning speed. Sure, Reags is tired but she’s growing tiny humans. My girl is fiercely independent. Taking it easy has been hard on her. She feels fine and hasn’t had any issues with her placenta previa. It’s one of the things I love most about her, and that drives me crazy at the same time. I want to take care of her. I don’t feel obligated to do so. I want to. I also went on the internet to research her condition. Something I know that I shouldn’t do. There were positives and negatives. Some saying if the condition doesn’t resolve, that delivery can be dangerous for all three of them. My mind is in a constant state of worry, but I tamp it down when my wife is near. I’ll do anything to keep them safe, relaxed, and loved.

  She’s my wife.

  She’s carrying my babies.

  Babies.

  It’s been two weeks since we found out we were having twins and I still can’t seem to process it fully. The thought of being a dad for the first time learning the ropes with one is scary, add in baby number two and it’s downright terrifying. I’ve had good role models in my father, as well as Reagan’s, and now Ridge. We have a huge support system and I’m sure we’ll be leaning on them until we find our bearings.

  Yesterday we had a doctor’s appointment. Dr. Hatfield is happy that Reagan and the babies are doing wonderfully. The placenta is now only covering 40 percent of her cervix, which means it’s starting to correct itself. We have another appointment in two weeks. She assured us things were looking great and to call her if we needed her. I’m grateful, and worried. Being born early is never good, at least not from what I’ve read. Then again, I know I’m not supposed to believe everything I read on the internet. Dr. Hatfield scolded me and gave me the name of a couple of books I can read. I plan on buying them today. I’m not much of a reader, unlike Reagan, but I need all the help I can get. The worry is constant. Ridge tells me to get used to it. That it doesn’t lessen when the baby is here.

  “You come here to work or stare off into space?” Kent jabs as he stomps past me with a stack of two by fours hefted o
ver his shoulders.

  “Fuck off.” I laugh. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

  “How is she?” he asks, already knowing Reagan and our boys are the only thing that could distract me this much.

  “She’s good. She’s going crazy with all the resting she has to do. She’s snarky and beautiful,” I say with a smile.

  “The babies?” Mark asks, joining us with his own load of two by fours.

  “They’re doing great. Dr. Hatfield says their heartbeats are strong. The placenta is only covering 40 percent now,” I inform them.

  Seth shakes his head as he reaches for more nails to fill up his belt. “Never thought I’d see the day we went from talking about chasing pussy to placentas.”

  “Hey, it’s close to her pussy.” Kent smirks.

  “Can we please—” I’m cut off by Ridge. “Not talk about anything related to his wife’s pussy.” He shudders. “That’s my little sister.” He seems to almost choke on that last bit.

  “It’s life. It’s natural. Just you wait, my man. I admit I gave Ridge a hard time about Kendall, but I didn’t know,” I confess.

  “Didn’t know what?” Seth asks.

  “What it was like to be the center of her entire world. I didn’t know what it was like to look at a woman and see your heart, and your future in her.”

  “Right.” Mark laughs. “You’ve been looking at Reagan like that for years.”

  I nod. He’s not wrong. “Yeah,” I agree. “But it’s different when you know she sees the same things when she looks at you. Then, when you watch as her body changes when she’s carrying your child….” I close my eyes as I picture my wife, rounded with our babies growing inside her.

  “You can’t explain it,” Ridge chimes in. “I’m telling you that you can’t explain it. It does something to you. Changes you.”

  “Pussy whipped.” Seth coughs into his shoulder.