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I nodded tightly, gripping Rhett’s hand. He leaned in closer, the faint scent of his cologne enveloping me. My free hand fisted in the thin fabric of the gown as the wand slid inside me. I couldn’t suppress a sharp intake of breath at the intrusion.
“Easy,” Rhett murmured against my temple. “I’m right here.”
Warmth bloomed in my chest at his words, helping to override the discomfort. I opened my eyes and locked them with his, his rich brown gaze holding me transfixed. In that moment, it was just the two of us, the rest of the world fading away.
The sound of the doctor’s voice pulled me back to reality. “Ah, there we go. Take a look here.”
I looked at the grainy image on the monitor, brow furrowing in confusion. The shapes and shadows didn’t make much sense to me. I squinted, trying to decipher what I was seeing.
“Is that...” I trailed off, feeling Rhett’s fingers tighten around mine.
The doctor gave me a warm smile. “Twins. Yes.”
My breath caught in my throat as the word ricocheted through my mind. Twins. Two babies. Suddenly, the image clicked into focus - there were two distinct forms nestled together on the screen.
“Oh my god,” I whispered, tears pricking my eyes. A fierce swell of joy and terror gripped my heart.
Beside me, Rhett had gone utterly still as he stared at the screen, his face an inscrutable mask. Was he as stunned as I was? Elated? Horrified? I searched his eyes for any flicker of emotion, but they revealed nothing.
The doctor kept speaking, something about due dates and measurements, but her words were just white noise buzzing in my ears. All I could focus on were those two tiny lives taking shape inside me.
Twins. How was I going to handle two babies? The prospect was fucking terrifying. I’d never felt so overwhelmed, so clueless.
Rhett was still silent, his hand almost crushing mine now. Finally, I couldn’t bear the tension anymore.
“Rhett?” I turned to him. “Are you...is this okay?”
For a long moment, he simply stared at me. “I don’t know.”
The doctor cut in with cool professionalism. “I understand this is a big moment for you both and it’s going to take some adjustment. For now, both babies are healthy. Just about eight weeks along, by my estimate. Heartbeats look nice and strong. Here, have a listen.” She reached over and turned a dial on the screen.
I turned back to the monitor as the strange, rapid fluttering sound filled the room. Tears pricked my eyes. So small, so fragile and…mine. Ours.
“I’m just going to grab some quick measurements and then we can wrap this up so you can get dressed and comfy again.”
The doctor was a woman of her word. With a few clicks on the keyboard, she’d got whatever information she needed and then, ever so carefully, withdrew the wand and pulled my gown down to cover me.
“What…what happens now?”
“Well, the first step is to schedule a full prenatal exam so we can get a better picture of how the pregnancy is progressing. At this stage, it’s important that we monitor you and the babies closely to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Given that this is a twin pregnancy, there are a few additional considerations we’ll need to discuss. Twins do come with a slightly higher risk of complications, so we’ll want to be extra vigilant. But the good news is that both babies look strong and healthy so far. Before our next appointment, we’ll get a full family history looking for any genetic markers that might raise some concerns.” She smiled reassuringly. “I know this must feel incredibly overwhelming right now. Discovering you’re pregnant, let alone with twins, is a huge life change. But I want you to know that I’m here to support you every step of the way. We’ll work togetherto create a care plan that addresses all your needs - physical, emotional, and otherwise. So, what I suggest is that we schedule that full exam for you, Scarlett, in the next day or two. That will give us a clearer picture of where things stand and allow us to start mapping out the road ahead.”
“How…how is the full exam different from this?”
“The exam you just had was an initial confirmation of the pregnancy and to get a first look at the babies. That provided us with some baseline information, but the full prenatal exam will be much more comprehensive. During that exam, we’ll do a thorough physical assessment, run additional tests, and get a more detailed ultrasound to closely evaluate development. This will allow us to create a detailed care plan to monitor the pregnancy and ensure the best possible outcomes for you and the babies. As I said, I’d like to get that full exam scheduled as soon as possible, ideally in the next day or two, so we can get started on your prenatal care right away. If that works for you?”
“Sure. Yeah. Okay. That’s fine.”
“Great. Well, I’ll leave you to get dressed. When you’re done with that, go ahead and make your follow up appointment at the front desk.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Shell-shocked. There was no other word for it. I’d barely got my head around the idea of one baby. Two was…Jesus Christ. Twins. The word kept echoing in my mind like a deafening gong. How was I supposed to process this?
Rhett and I walked back to his car in silence. I stole a sidelong glance at him as he slid into the driver’s seat. His jaw was tightly clenched, hands gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles. Was he upset? Angry? Excited? Terrified? I had no clue.
The drive back to my apartment passed in tense silence, the air thick with unspoken questions and uncertainty. I kept sneaking peeks at Rhett, desperate for any hint of what he was feeling, but his face was blank. There was no sign of the joker, the playboy, the never-take-anything seriously guy I knew.
When we finally pulled up outside my building, I made no move to get out of the car right away. I didn’t know what to say or do. This was all so overwhelming.