Page 106 of Single Mom's Undoing

“We could always go with a soft green or a delicate yellow, instead of pink or blue,” I tell them.

“True, but if it’s a boy, we could play a bit more with the design themes,” Jace says.

“My Lord, you’re so excited about this. Perhaps even more excited than Matty.”

I can’t help but laugh. There’s no point in telling them that I’ve already got the nursery design ready in my head. I’ll just sell them on it when the time is right because I love watching my men fawn over my belly and the prospect of welcoming another child.

Dr. Hartman smiles broadly as he places the device on my belly and starts moving it around. “How is the little tyke, by the way?”

“Already running around, free of his inhaler. No shortness of breath,” I say. “Dr. Radner did one hell of a job.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I suppose he’s building up his cardiovascular resistance. Oh,” he pauses, eyebrows raised as he looks at the screen. “Oh, he’s going to need it, for sure, running after his siblings.”

“Well, Shiloh isn’t as hyperactive as he is,” I reply. “Maybe this little guy or gal will give Matty a run for his money.”

Dr. Hartman looks at me, a smile creeping across his face. “Little guyandgal. Or guys and gals since you don’t want to know.”

“Wait, what?” Jace croaks, his eyes wide.

“Twins,” Dr. Hartman says. “Look here,” he points to the screen. “See those two sets of feet?”

The four of us stare at the shapes on the grainy black background, gradually recognizing precisely what he’s describing.

“Oh, wow,” I manage, my heart skipping several beats.

“How did the other ultrasound not catch that?” Jace asks.

Dr. Hartman smiles. “Twins can be tricky in the earlier stages of pregnancy. One can sometimes hide behind the other so it’s harder to see them until they get bigger. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s not actually all that uncommon either.”

“That’s double trouble, right there,” Damon manages.

“Holy smokes,” I whisper. “We’re having twins.”

Carter immediately picks up on my anxiety and gently caresses my shoulder. “Clara, you’re not alone in this. You’ve got us right here, by your side. You’ve got Jodie and Margot, too. We’ll handle it; I promise.”

The nerves quickly subside, and a new kind of joy takes over. It will be difficult, but it will be wonderful too. That’s what life is mostly about anyway, isn’t it? The ups, the downs, the glorious in between.

“We’ve got you, babe,” Jace reassures me.

“You’ve got quite a heavy third trimester ahead, Miss Barnes,” Dr. Hartman says. “I’ll need you to come in on a weekly basis for careful monitoring, just to make sure the kids are on track. Twins can be notoriously difficult, even for second-time mothers, and they often come early.”

“Should I be worried?”

“No, not at all. From what I’m seeing, they’re both healthy and strong. I just want to make sure everything goes well. But I do recommend a C-section when the time comes.”

“You know Matty’s going to be over the moon, right?” Carter tells me.

Damon laughs. “Shiloh has always wanted a little brother or sister. They might just make the perfect sitters when they get older.”

“Hah! Problem solved for future date nights,” Jace concludes.

Outside, Jodie and Margot are waiting with the kids. I’m excited to go out and give them the news. I can already see my sweet boy’s face light up when he hears about it. After everything Matty has been through, to be able to give him so many reasons to smile…

It’s all I could ever wish for.

EPILOGUE II

CLARA