Page 47 of Healing Bonds

“Well, you’re both right. Here’s your son.” He showed us the tiny, moving form, and then, he switched to the other baby. “And here is your daughter. Congratulations on the best of both worlds!”

The room faded away as I looked up at Ryan. Tears glimmered in his blue eyes, making them shine. My husbandsquatted to get down to my level as I heard the doctor quietly leave the room, giving us this moment together.

“Are you happy?” he asked, leaning his forehead against mine.

I nodded. “Are you?” I croaked, reaching up to cup his cheek.

He nudged his nose against mine in a quick Eskimo kiss before claiming my lips with his. His tongue softly glided against my bottom lip, and I submitted to him like I always did when he kissed me like this. He never even had to ask—I was his completely.

I sucked on his bottom lip just as he nibbled on mine.

“Now, can we start decorating?” he breathlessly asked a moment later.

“Yes, baby.” I laughed, relishing in this moment, in this utter happiness. I had yearned for it forso long.

FIVE MONTHS LATER

Ryan rushed me into the hospital. I screamed in agony, my hands clutching at my swollen belly. My water had broken over an hour ago, but Ryan wouldn’t let me drive myself to the hospital, insisting on rushing home from work to get me and bring me himself. My anger had exceeded normal levels of sanity.

“I’m going to fucking kill you, Ryan!” I hollered as he ran down the hallway, pushing me in a wheelchair.

“I’m sorry, spitfire,” he quickly apologized. “Think of the babies. Soon, we can hold our little beans,” he whispered near my ear once he stopped in front of the information desk. “Maternity ward?” he asked the elderly woman behind thecounter. She took one look at me and pointed down another long hallway.

“I’ll have a nurse meet you there.” She was already dialing a number on her landline as Ryan turned and rushed down the hallway she’d pointed at. I groaned, trying to remember to breathe as another contraction tightened my abdomen.

“You justhadto promise me babies, and then, God gave me two, Ryan!” I snapped once it’d passed.

“I thought that’s what you wanted!” he exclaimed, sounding a bit panicked.

“Fuck you!” I shouted, making everyone near us turn to me with wide, shocked eyes. “I didn’t want to push two babies out on the same day!” I yelled.

“Think about it this way—it’s one less time to be pregnant.” He laughed, earning him a hard slap. I felt the next contraction about to hit, and I gripped the handles of the wheelchair, biting down hard on my lip.

I didn’t want to be fucking pregnantever again.

Epilogue

AMBER

SIX YEARS LATER

I was way too fucking young to be having a mid-life crisis. As I stared at the grinning doctor congratulating me on my third pregnancy, I wanted to cry.

Ryan was going to kill me.

We had decided two years ago after the birth of our second son that our hearts were full and so was our home. We had been safe… except on Valentine’s Day. Fuck! They said all it took was one time, and I wasquicklyfinding out that was true.

One fucking time.

“The chances are low for twins, right?” I asked the older woman, who laughed. She’d been my doctor for over six years now, helping me and Ryan with our first set of twins, Mason and Madeline, and then our next son, Nicolas. She knew our little family well.

“Once you’ve had one set of twins, anything is possible.” That was not what I wanted to hear. We would have to move into a bigger house. As it was, the boys were already getting rowdywhile having to share a room. We weren’t financially prepared for another child, and God help me if it wastwins.

“Take a deep breath, my dear. Stress isn’t good for the little one. Remember, God always has a plan for us. Don’t fret.” She placed her weathered hand on top of mine, and instantly, I calmed down.

Over the years, I had learned how to control my anxiety, to breathe when told, and to understand that I didn’t have control over everything as much as I wanted, to stop worrying about how to make sure everything was perfect. This was out of my hands.

“Can we check today?” The woman checked her watch and then looked at the computer screen.

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