Page 35 of Tiny Precious Secrets (The Brothers of Calloway Creek The Montanas #4)

Allie

“This is so stupid,” Bug says from the back seat when we’re almost there. “Why can’t you just show me the pictures after?”

Asher looks at her in the rearview mirror. “We want you to be a part of this, Bug. The anatomy scan is a big deal. Plus, it’s pretty cool.”

“Whatever.” She huffs. “It’s still stupid. Who takes their kid?”

“We do,” I say.

“I was asking my father.”

Asher reaches over and squeezes my hand.

He knows to pick his battles, and I’ve asked him more than a few times not to interfere when it comes to my interactions with Darla.

For the most part, he’s been accommodating.

He’s gotten to the point where he’ll allow the typical teenage attitude, but he doesn’t hesitate to step in when it crosses the line into blatant disrespect.

And Darla, well, let’s just say she’s pretty darn good at straddling that line when he’s around. When he’s not—the gloves usually come off. But that’s for me to know and deal with on my own.

Inside the waiting room, Asher sits and peruses the baby magazines like the expectant father he is.

Bug plays on her phone. When a few more women come in and wait in the chairs across from us, she says, “It’s embarrassing.

People probably think I’m pregnant or have an STI or something.

There’s no other reason I’d be here with you. ”

I clear my throat and say way louder than I need to, “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited for my ultrasound. Aren’t you excited to see the babies, Darla?”

She rolls her eyes overdramatically and goes back to her phone.

Asher cracks a smile as he turns a page.

I’m called back so a nurse can take my vitals, then Asher and Bug meet me in the exam room. We don’t have to wait too long for Hudson to join us.

“You’re doing the ultrasound?” I ask. “Don’t you have techs to do them?”

“Sometimes.” He rolls the machine over. “I like to do the high risk and twin pregnancies myself.” He notices Bug. “I see you’ve brought an audience.”

“This is my daughter, Darla,” Asher says. “Everyone calls her Bug.”

Hudson nods. “You excited to be a big sister, Bug?”

“I guess. Whatever.”

I guess? I look over at Asher. He heard it too. It’s the closest she’s ever gotten to admitting it out loud.

“Allie, go ahead and lie back and pull your waistband down and your top up so I can measure you.” He gets a measuring tape out of his pocket. “Have you been feeling okay?”

“I’ve been feeling great.”

“Taking your prenatal vitamins?”

“Every day.”

“Any vaginal bleeding or discharge?” He notes the measurement on his iPad.

“Nope.”

“Pelvic pain? Headaches? Swelling?”

“No.”

“Have you felt movement yet?”

My cheeks flame. I look over at Asher and we share a smile. The babies move a lot. Especially when we’re being intimate. Which we are. A lot . “Yes.”

Hudson raises a brow but doesn’t dig in further. “Any concerns?”

I shrug. “Not really.”

“Well, then, let’s get started.” He squirts gel onto my abdomen and works the transducer around.

“What are you looking for exactly?” Asher asks.

“At twenty weeks, we look for proper development of organs and limbs and assess the placenta and amniotic fluid. I’ll measure the size and shape of their heads, look at the four chambers of their hearts, assess the spine, abdomen, and facial features. Even the fingers and toes.”

I rise up on my elbows, suddenly gripped by anxiety. In my head, I’m hearing all the things he’s not saying. That he’s looking for abnormalities. Defects. Horrible things that could affect one or both babies. My heart begins racing and I feel nauseous.

Hudson looks up. “Allie, are you okay?”

I shake my head repeatedly, suddenly feeling panicked. There are still so many things that could be wrong.

Asher slides his arm under my head and around my shoulders, cradling me. He leans close to my ear and softly says, “Hey, it’s okay. Breathe, Allie.”

“What’s happening?” Bug asks.

“She’s experiencing a little anxiety over the ultrasound,” Hudson tells her.

“It’s perfectly normal. Allie, lie back and relax.

Your pregnancy has been going well. There’s no reason to believe it won’t continue to go well.

Just give me a few minutes. They’re awake and moving around which makes this a bit more difficult. Okay, here we go.”

A fast heartbeat thumps and echoes through the room, calming me momentarily.

“Is that one of the babies?” Bug asks, taking a step closer for a better view.

“That’s Twin A,” Hudson says.

“How do you decide which is A and which is B?” Asher asks.

“Twin A is the one closest to the cervix. At twenty weeks, there’s still room for them to reposition, so they may flip-flop a bit, but with boy-girl twins, it’s easier to keep track of which is which.

” He concentrates on the screen while moving the wand.

“Right now, Twin A is the girl.” He types on the keyboard with his other hand.

“Does she look okay?” I ask, still trying to slow my heartbeat.

“So far so good,” he says, taking more measurements. “There.” He points. “See her feet?” He presses a button that freezes the screen and types some more. “Ten toes.”

Asher squeezes my shoulder.

“Femur is measuring perfectly,” he mumbles more to himself than to us. “Spine looks good. There’s a hand. Wait, that’s not hers. Looks like we’ve got a little sibling rivalry going on in there.”

I release a drawn-in breath, relaxing a bit at his playful manner.

The more time he spends pointing out parts of their anatomy, the closer Darla comes, until she’s standing right next to Asher, her eyes glued to the ultrasound screen.

We hear Twin B’s heartbeat and then get to see all his fingers and toes.

“Looks like you’re carrying two healthy babies, Allie.”

I smile when Asher leans down and plants a quick kiss on my lips.

“Can you show me their faces again?” Bug asks.

“Sure.” Hudson moves the wand around until the profile of one comes into view.

“Which one is that?” she asks.

“This is Twin B. The boy.”

“There’s his hand,” she says in amusement. “He’s not sucking his thumb, is he?”

“Could be,” Hudson says. “Another fun fact: it’s not uncommon for them to use their placentas as play toys.” He prints out a photo and hands it to her, somehow knowing she may want one for herself. Then he finds the other one. “And here’s Twin A, your little sister.”

It’s hard to keep my face from breaking into a massive grin.

He prints that one as well. She stares from photo to photo, then looks up at Asher. “Twin A and Twin B sound like Dr. Seuss names. I think you should name them for real.”

“Oh, you do?” Asher says, loving her sudden interest.

“Why don’t you?” I say on a whim. “I mean, I really want your dad to name the boy, but Darla, how about you name the girl?”

“Hold on there.” Asher flashes me a look of concern. “Maybe we should talk about this.”

Hudson clears his throat, wipes the gel from my stomach and hands me several ultrasound photos. “I’ll see you back in four weeks.”

“Okay, thanks, Hudson.”

When he leaves, I pull up my waistband and Asher helps me sit. “Asher, I’m just so happy to be having two healthy babies, I couldn’t care less what we call them.” I spare a glance at Bug. “You know, within reason. And I think a father should name his son. I just have one request.”

“Which is?” Asher asks.

“His middle name. I want to choose it.”

His face is full of compassion. “Christopher?”

I nod.

“After your dad,” Bug says. “I guess that’s cool.”

Asher and I share a sad smile.

Bug stares at the photos. “You really want me to name her?”

“I really do.”

She doesn’t even hesitate. “Nobara Kugishaki Anderson.”

My head snaps to the side, as does Asher’s.

“Well that’s… specific,” I say, trying not to show my shock, which I’m sure is what she’s going for. “You think she should have an Asian name?”

“Nobara is a first-year sorcerer alongside Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro in Jujutsu Kaisen . Hmm, maybe I should pick one of those.” She rubs her thumb and forefinger across the tip of her chin. “There are just so many to choose from.”

“She’s a first year what?” I look at Asher to clarify. “In Jujutsu who?”

“Bug is going through an anime phase.”

“Oh, okay.” I turn back to Bug. “You think about it. You don’t have to decide today. It’s a big responsibility, you know, choosing the name someone will have for their entire life.”

She belts out unhinged laughter. “You’re actually going to let me choose. Like for real?”

“She’s going to be your sister, so yes.”

Bug looks at Asher. Asher looks at me. “We have veto power, right?”

“I don’t think so. I want her to make the decision. Whatever name she picks will go on the birth certificate.”

He takes my elbow and says in a low voice full of unease, “Allie, I’m not sure this is the right way to handle this.”

I head for the door. “I’m sure they need the room. Bug” —I realize my blunder— “uh… Darla. You have seventeen weeks.” I nudge Asher. “So do you.”