by Sandi Lynn
“I’m already starting to show, Dr. Lewis. Is that normal since I’m only eight weeks?” I asked her.
“Your body already has a head start from your first pregnancy and your uterus never truly goes back to the size it was before you were pregnant. So yeah, it’s pretty common to start showing sooner.”
“See. I told you.” Lucas winked at me as he held my hand.
“Let’s see if we can hear a heartbeat today, but I don’t want you to worry if we can’t.”
I lifted up my shirt as she placed the doppler on my belly and moved it around. All I could hear was a bunch of static. I began to panic when I saw the look on her face.
“Is something wrong, Dr. Lewis?” I asked as I looked at Lucas.
“I would like to do an ultrasound.”
“Why?” Lucas asked.
“I just need to check something. I’ll be right back.
“Oh God, Lucas. Something is wrong,” I spoke in a panic.
“Calm down, babe.” He brought my hand up to his lips. But I could tell he was just as nervous.
A few moments later, Dr. Lewis walked in with an ultrasound machine. After squeezing the gel on my belly, she pressed the transducer down and began scanning my belly as Lucas and I intently watched on the monitor.
“Oh boy.” She smiled. “Just as I thought.”
“Thought what?” Lucas asked.
“See this right here? This is your baby. And see this one? This is also your baby.”
“What?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Thorne. You’re having twins.”
“No I’m not.”
“Yes, you are, Jenna. This is Baby A, and this is Baby B.”
“Oh shit,” Lucas said as he laid his forehead down on my arm.
“I’ll give you two some time to process this, and I want to see you back here in three weeks.”
Lucas helped me up from the table, and I just sat there staring at the wall.
“Jenna, are you okay?”
“Do I look okay? We’re having twins, Lucas. Not one, but two babies at the same time! Two! We can barely handle Scarlett and now we’re having two more!”
“Well, at least you can’t blame this one on me.”
“Oh my God. Did you just really say that?”
“What? It’s the truth. Twins run on the mother’s side.”
“I didn’t know you were such an expert on twins!”
“Calm down, babe. We have months to prepare for this. We’ve already been through it once and we’ll get through it again.” He gripped my shoulders.
We went over to my parents’ house to pick up Scarlett and tell them news. I had no idea twins ran in my family and I hated my mother for not telling me. The moment she opened the door, I pushed past her.
“Why didn’t you tell me twins run in our family?” I spat.
“Twins? You’re having twins?” she asked in shock.
“Yes, mother. I’m having twins. Who in our family is a twin?”
“Jenna, I have no clue. In fact, I had no idea that twins ran in our family. I’ll have to do some investigating, and I’ll let you know.”
It turned out that my mother’s great grandmother was pregnant with twins and when they were born, she gave them up for adoption because they were born out of wedlock. The family was so ashamed, they kept it a secret. The only way my mother found out was because she did some digging into the family history and stumbled upon the twin’s birth certificates.
Three Months Later
Lucas
Jenna was now five months pregnant, and I knew we would soon be outgrowing the penthouse.
“Scarlett is finally asleep,” I said as I walked into the bedroom and took off my shirt.
“I hate you. I hope you know that,” Jenna said as she stared at my body.
“You love this body and what it does for you.” I smirked as I crawled on the bed next to her. “In all seriousness, we need to have a discussion.”
“About how much I hate you and your sexy body?” A small smile framed her face.
I grabbed her chin, pinched her lips together and gave her a big kiss.
“No. About the penthouse.”
“What about it?”
“We’re outgrowing it and I think it’s time we moved. It’s only a three bedroom and what if we have another baby?”
“Excellent point, Mr. Thorne.” She reached over on her nightstand and handed me a piece of paper.
“What’s this?”
“Your appointment with Dr. Sherman.”
“What appointment? And who’s Dr. Sherman?”
“He’s the doctor who will be performing your vasectomy.”
“Excuse me?” I arched my brow at her. “There’s no way I’m—”
“Yes, you are.”
“So let me get this straight. Because you can’t remember to take your birth control on time, you want me to make sure we don’t get pregnant again?”
“Yep.” She nodded her head.
“Don’t you think we should have discussed this first?”
“Nope. If you want to keep having sex, you’ll get it done.”
“I have four more months to fuck you freely, Mrs. Thorne.”
“But wouldn’t you rather get it done now so after the babies are born, we don’t have to worry about it? You’re going to have to heal and stuff.”
I let out a sigh because she did have a point.
“Do you really want another baby after we have the twins?” she asked. “I mean, we’ll have three children. That’s kind of one more than I planned on having.”
“True. Three kids are going to be a lot. Especially if these two are geniuses like Scarlett. Okay. I’ll go and get it done. You’ve pleaded your case.” I leaned over and brushed my lips against hers. “Now, back to the penthouse. I think we really need to move.”
“A bigger penthouse?” she asked.
“I was thinking more of a townhome.”
A wide smile crossed her face. “I love that idea.”
“I knew you would. I’ll call the realtor first thing tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I’m going to take as much advantage of you as I can before my procedure. Will that be a problem for you?”
“Not at all. But first stand up and take down your pants. Let me show you how much I hate you and your sexy body.”
“Damn, Jenna,” I said as I quickly unbuttoned my pants and stood up.
We brought Scarlett with us to the ultrasound appointment so see could see the babies. We were preparing her the best way we could for her sibling’s arrival.
“Are we finding out the sex of the babies?” Dr. Lewis asked.
“Yes. Definitely.” Jenna smiled.
“Babies,” Scarlett said to Dr. Lewis.
“That’s right, Scarlett. You’re going to see your brothers or sisters.”
Dr. Lewis squirted some gel on Jenna and pressed the transducer down on her belly. Tears sprung to my eyes when I saw my two precious babies snuggled together.
“They’re so incredible,” I said.
“Babies.” Scarlett pointed to the monitor.
“That’s right, princess. Those are your brothers or sisters in mommy’s belly.”
“The babies are doing excellent, Jenna. Let’s see if I can tell what sex Baby A is. Baby A is a girl.” She smiled at us.
Please let baby B be a boy. Please. Please. Please. I silently thought.
“And Baby B is—no doubt about this one. It’s a boy.”
“YES!” I shouted as I leaned over and kissed Jenna.
“Both babies are healthy and growing on schedule. I’m going to do a few more ultrasounds over the next few months to keep an eye on their positions. There may be a possibility we’ll need to do a c-section, and I just want you to be prepared.”
I helped Jenna from the table, and we stopped to get some lunch before our appointment to look at a couple townhomes. I was ecstatic we were having another girl, but secret
ly I was happier we were having a boy.
Chapter 37
Jenna
The moment I stepped inside the home located at 12 East 80th Street, I felt something. An overwhelming feeling that this was the home we were meant to live in. I got that feeling just by standing in the foyer. I hadn’t even seen the rest of the house, but somehow, I just knew.
“This is the one, Lucas,” I said.
“Babe, we haven’t even seen the rest of it yet.”
“I know. But I can’t explain it. This is where we are meant to raise our children.”
“Well, let’s take a look around first.” He kissed the side of my head.
“How many bedrooms does this home have?” I asked the realtor.
“Eight bedrooms and ten bathrooms. So, after you have that baby, you’ll have plenty room for more children.”
“We aren’t having any more children,” I said. “I’m pregnant with twins.”
“Oh my. Congratulations to you both. Well, then, you’ll have plenty of rooms for house guests.”
I fell in love with the entire house. From the gray colored walls, the beautiful oak flooring and the newly remodeled kitchen with custom white cabinets, Italian marble countertops and a stunning backsplash.
“The home hasn’t been lived in for over two years. The couple that lived here passed away a couple years ago and their children had the place completely remodeled. It is turnkey ready as you can see. All you have to do is move your furniture in.”
“May I ask how the previous owners passed away?”
“Jenna,” Lucas whispered.
“What? That’s important. I don’t want to be living here if they died in this house.”
“Unfortunately, they were killed in a boating accident in the Caribbean. They were on vacation and a storm hit while they were sailing.”
“Oh no. That’s so sad,” I said.
“Yes. It was a tragedy. They raised their three children in this home and still lived here even when the children grew up and moved away. It’s an excellent area and they were very happy here.”
“And it’s very close to my office.”
“We’ll take it,” I said. “We’d like to make an offer.”
“Excellent. Mr. Thorne, your thoughts?”
“You heard my wife. Let’s make an offer and make this place our new home.”
“I have one quick question. Why is the piano still here?” I asked.
“The sellers are leaving it as an option. If you don’t want it, they will remove it.”
“No. I want it,” I said.
“What? Why?” Lucas asked.
“Because I play the piano and I think our children might like it too.”
“And why have I never known this about you?” His brow raised.
“I don’t know. I guess I never thought about it. If you had a piano when we first met, you would have known.” I smirked.
“I guess the piano is staying,” he said to the realtor.
“Are you okay?” I asked Lucas as I hooked my arm around him when he walked out of the room at the doctor’s office.
“Just dandy, babe. Just dandy.”
“You’ll be fine as long as you follow the doctor’s instructions.”
“I just want to get home and lay down.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of time to rest. My parents are taking Scarlett for a couple days.”
“Sounds good. I just want you to know I hate you.” He took in a sharp breathe.
“Aw. That makes me feel so much better now that we hate each other.” I reached up and kissed his cheek.
He shot me a look and I let out a snicker.
The moment we got home, he reclined back in the recliner in the living room while I went and grabbed an ice pack from the freezer.
“Here’s your ice pack. I also brought you some Motrin.”
“It hurts really bad, Jenna.”
“Yeah. Well. Until you’ve experienced labor pains and pushed a 7lb 10 oz human out of your hole, I really can’t sympathize with you. Not to mention the fact that I may be pushing out two humans from my vagina or having my stomach cut open to deliver them.”
“Fine. You win.”
I gave him a smile and kissed his lips.
“Take your Motrin like a good boy, and I’ll make you a sandwich.”
One Month Later
Lucas
I had made a full recovery and I was back in action. I really had no right to complain after what Jenna went through and will be going through with the twins, but damn did it hurt. Yesterday was moving day and we couldn’t wait to be fully settled in our new home. We had hired Jimmy and Wes to repaint Scarlett’s room and the twin’s room. We kept Scarlett’s room the same color as in the penthouse, and we painted the twin’s room a light gray with all white furniture. One crib was decorated in pink bedding and the other was decorated with blue. We wanted to make sure we were prepared early just in case.
Scarlett was up the entire night, even when we brought her to bed with us, she wouldn’t sleep. Jenna said it was because her mind was too stimulated from the move. Like I said, I loved having a daughter who was a genius, but it sure as hell was utterly exhausting at times. She wouldn’t let us put her down and she wanted nothing to do with her toys.
Jenna was upstairs trying to organize things while I walked around the house with Scarlett as she continued to cry.
“Maybe this was a bad idea. The penthouse hasn’t sold yet. Let’s just move back there,” I said.
Jenna thought that was hysterical and she couldn’t stop laughing.
“What is wrong with you? She’ll get used to it. Here, let me take her.”
She took Scarlett over to the piano and set her on her lap. Jenna started to play a classical piece and immediately, Scarlett stopped crying.
“You are amazing,” I said as I sat down on the bench next to her.
“Thanks. My parents forced me to start playing when I turned two. But I didn’t mind. I liked it.”
“Scarlett seems to like it too.”
“I have an idea. Go get her booster seat. It’s in the closet off the kitchen.”
I got up, went to the closet, grabbed her seat and set it next to Jenna. She set Scarlett in the seat, buckled her in and got up from the bench, pushing it closer so Scarlett could reach the keys. She started hitting them with her tiny hands and laughed.
“Phew.” I let out a sigh as I hooked my arm around Jenna and placed my hand on her large belly. “The babies seem very active today.” I smiled at her.
“Tell me about it. They’ve been kicking all morning.
Six Weeks Later
Jenna
“Well, Jenna. I’m sorry to say that Baby A has turned herself back around the wrong way. You’re going to need a c-section.”
“I guess she’s a stubborn little girl like her mother.” Lucas smirked and I smacked his chest.
“It happens all the time. I’m going to schedule your c-section for next Thursday since you’ll be thirty-seven weeks. So whatever preparations you need to make, make them now. Of course, if you happen to go into labor before then, we’ll take the babies then.”
“Next Thursday is Lucas’s birthday, so I think they can wait.” I smiled at Lucas.
As the week went by, I started to get scared. Come tomorrow, I would have twin babies. As I lay in bed, Lucas wrapped his arm around me and softly stroked my belly.
“Soon we’ll become a family of five,” he said as he softly kissed my shoulder.
“I know. Who would have thought when we first met, we’d end up like this?”
“I’m happy you spilled your drink on me at the club,” he said.
“And I’m happy you called me.” I turned on my back.
“You know what really makes me happy?” he asked as he stroked my cheek.
“What?”
“That the condom broke, and you screwed up your pills.” The corners of his mouth curved upward.
“I�
��m scared, Lucas. I’m really scared.”
“Scared of what, babe?”
“That I won’t be able to do it and fail my children.”
“I think every parent feels that way. You are an amazing person and an amazing mother to Scarlett, and you will be just as amazing to Serena and Samuel. I love you more and more every day, and I will be by your side forever.”
Bringing my hand up to his face, I softly stroked it as I stared into his eyes. His lips were mere inches from mine until…
“Holy shit!” I placed my hands on my belly.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think I’m in labor.”
“Shit.” I’ll get dressed and grab your bag.
The pain was unreal and worse than what I had with Scarlett. I climbed out of bed and instantly fell to the floor. Lucas came running over and grabbed my arm.
“Babe, are you okay?”
“I was so looking forward to not experiencing this again.”
“I know, babe.” He helped me up.
“I already called a cab, and it’ll be here in five minutes.”
“What about Thaddeus?”
“He won’t get here in time.”
We took the elevator downstairs, so I didn’t have to walk down, and when we stepped out the front door, the cab was waiting for us at the curb. I climbed in the back just as a contraction hit and let out a scream.
“Where to?” the cab driver asked.
“WHERE DO YOU THINK!” I shouted at him.
“Mount Sinai, please. And if you can really step on it, there will be a very big tip for you.”
“Got it,” he said as he pulled away from the curb and took off.
The guy was a total maniac and for a second I forgot about my contractions because I was too busy thinking about how I was going to die, pregnant with twins, in the back of a cab.
“Fast enough for you?” The cab driver asked with a smile as he pulled up to the emergency room.
“Yes. Thank you,” Lucas said as he handed him some cash.
I could tell he was stressed out. The moment we entered the ER, I had to stop because I was in so much pain. Immediately, I was taken up to the Labor & Delivery Unit. I was put in a room and Lucas helped me change out of my clothes and into a gown. A nurse named Ella walked in and hooked me up to the fetal monitor.
