Page 86 of Babies for the Christmas Grump

I blink. Once. Twice. My brain tries to catch up with what I’ve just heard, but the room spins.

“Wait…” My voice cracks, barely a whisper. “Did you just…”

Dr. Thompson’s lips twitch, the barest ghost of a smile. But it doesn’t reach her eyes. “It looks like you’re having twins, Sunny. And you’re about four weeks along…”

And just like that, the world around me shatters into fragments of disbelief.Twins?

The words echo in my ears, but they don’t make sense. My brain is still stuck on that first flicker on the screen. This can’t be real.

“No way…” I gasp, shaking my head in denial, my chest tightening. “Twins?”

Behind me, I hear Marjorie’s breath catch. I glance at her and see her eyes wide in shock, her hand instinctively gripping the edge of my chair as if holding on to reality.

Her mouth opens and closes, but no words come out.

“Twins?” she finally breathes.

“Yes, twins,” Dr. Thompson confirms, her fingers pointing at the screen where the two sacs are visible, clearly defined, side by side.

The image might as well be from another world, another life. Not mine. Not this life I’ve been desperately trying to piece together.

I can’t tear my eyes away. The screen is showing two tiny, fragile lives, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe.

I’m not ready for this. I don’t even know what this means.

Marjorie lets out a strangled gasp behind me. She’s still holding onto the chair, her face pale, her hands trembling as if she’s fighting the overwhelming rush of emotions.

“Twins…” she whispers again, thick with surprise. Then, without warning, she moves closer, placing a hand gently on my arm. “Sunny, hey, it’s okay. We’re going to figure this out.”

Her words are a lifeline I hadn’t realized I needed. Her presence, even in the shock of the moment, is like an anchor pulling me back to reality.

I blink, trying to clear the fog in my brain. “I… I don’t know how…” I falter, too many emotions crashing inside me. “This wasn’t… I didn’t expect this.”

Dr. Thompson’s tone softens as she leans closer, her eyes full of understanding. “I know this is a lot to take in, Sunny.But you’re healthy, and the babies look great. There’s a lot to process, but we’ll be with you every step of the way. You’re not alone.”

I want to scream. I want to run. I want everything to stop spinning and make sense again.

But Marjorie’s hand is still on my arm, her grip firm but reassuring. She’s there. She’s always been there, even when I thought I had to carry everything on my own.

“You’re going to be okay,” she says quietly. “And we’ll figure this out. I promise.”

I try to nod, but my head feels too heavy. Two tiny lives are growing inside me, and I don’t know how to handle it.

But I’m going to have to figure it out. I mean, this isn’t just about me anymore.

I have two lives relying on me. It's up to me to make this right, one way or another.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Ryder

December 18th

I’m angry with myself.

Annoyed that I didn’t see this sooner, when Evie was here. I could have gotten more answers from her.

Trying to figure out Vincent Lang is hard.