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“That fucker!” she grumbles.

“I’ll explain the full story when you aren’t high, but in short, I got tied to a table in a camper van. He raped me, then drove the van into a lake. I have been wearing an anklet that Carrie gave me that has a tracker, so Oscar ended up getting to me in time. I drowned… but he saved me,” I explain, and her eyes go wide.

“Death buddies,” she says in a loud whispered voice, making me smile.

“Oscar hit him with the truck when he pulled up… and he’s dead,” I tell her. She stares at me as she processes what I have told her, but then smiles. “It’s over, Eliza… He’s gone.”

“Good. The world is better without him in it,” she says.

“You are going to get a scan to make sure your baby is okay… I have to get a scan for the same reason,” I say with a smile. “Want to do them together?”

“Oh my God!” she squeals. “Ow, my belly. That’s great. Bump buddies! Unless the bullet killed it, then I’ll just make them knock me up again when I heal.”

“That’s the spirit,” I laugh.

“Good timing,” the doctor says as a woman wheels a portable ultrasound into the room. “We are doing a ten-week scan for both Eliza Downing and Cassidy Greene.”

“Not a problem,” she says sweetly. “Hey, y’all. My name is Tasha. Let me get set up and we can take a peek at these babies.”

“Where do I go?” I ask the doctor.

“Lay with me. Can she lay with me? Come lay with me,” Eliza says.

“You can lay with her,” he laughs. “If she struggles with the scan, we can do yours in the empty bed.” He points to the other side of the room where an empty bed sits.

“Okay, Ms. Eliza. I am going to be pressing down on your lower belly. If you are in pain, just tell me,” Tasha says. Her tone is chipper, and she is bouncing around as she gets ready. We all huddle around and watch the screen as she moves the wand around. “Oh!”

“What? Is it dead?” Eliza asks quickly.

“No, no. They are fine,” she says. “I see… two very strong heartbeats.”

“Two,” Eliza asks with her eyes wide again. “I’m going to have to pushtwohumans out of my vagina?”

Gunner and Collin are giddy as they bounce in place at the news of twins. “Go, go, go,” Gunner says, shooing me toward the bed.

“Alright, Cassidy. Same thing,” she says when she has everything reset to scan me. “You ready?”

“No,” I sigh and lay on the bed next to Eliza. She lays her head on my shoulder, and I relax.

She presses the wand onto my belly and moves it around. When Jasper chuckles and Gunner shouts, “Twin powers, activate!” As he and Collin high-five again,myeyes go wide.

“Well, Ms. Greene,” Tasha says. “You have two healthy heartbeats as well. You are both measuring for just over ten weeks. You both need to follow up with an OB in a few days considering the situation, but your babies are happy and safe!”

“Thank you,” Oscar says when Eliza and I just stare at her. I turn to look at her, and she smiles.

“I really fucking hope we have girls,” she says, and I laugh heartily.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Liz,” I say. “I kinda panicked when I saw all the blood and got myself kidnapped.”

“At least he has a tiny dick,” she laughs. “Not that rape is cool, but I’d much rather get raped by a chode than a monster cock like Jasper. Could you imagine? God, that would kill someone.”

“You need to take a nap,” I laugh.

“Yeah,” she sighs. “Nap with me, Mommy.”

“Don’t call me that,” I yawn.

“Sorry, Mommy,” she mutters as she starts to fall asleep.

Eliza’s breathing slows beside me, a smile tugging at her lips. I watch her sleep and mirror her position as one hand rests protectively over the life growing inside me. We’re stitched together now, not just by trauma or survival, but by the terrifying hope that maybe we’re finally safe. That maybe this messy, maddening, chaotic love was always waiting on the other side of pain. I used to think survival was silent obedience and complacency. But now, lying here while surrounded by our partners, I realize that the true meaning of surviving is choosing to feel it all and push forward despite the pain. I will willingly walk this road just to live another day again and againuntil I break.