Page 67 of Dark Truths

Tears fill my eyes at the comforting sound.

“Oh, wait,” the doctor says and the panic returns to steal my breath.

“What is it?” Rose snaps.

“No way,” Lily comments in awe, her eyes on the screen.

“There’s two heartbeats.”

“What?” Rose and I say at the same time.

The doctor takes a screenshot of the first black bubble and then shifts the wand to find another bubble nestled close by. “There’s the other one. Again, a nice strong and healthy heartbeat. Congratulations Ms. DiAngelo, it looks like twins.”

I sit in quiet shock as Rose punches the air in excitement and Lily talks with the doctor while she takes a few more measurements. After she removes the wand from between my legs, she hits a button and a string of ultrasound photos print out the side of the machine.

When she hands them to me, I stare down at the two little black bubbles with tiny grains of rice inside them. The first pictures of my little miracles. I wonder what they'll look like. Will they have my dark hair and hazel eyes or Dimitri’s steely blues? Will they be boys, girls, or one of each? There’s so much to think about, but for now they rest deep inside me, warm and safe, and I plan on keeping them that way.

“Your doctor will give you a better due date with your next ultrasound, but based on your last period and the babies measurements, I’d say you’re about five weeks pregnant, making your due date mid-August.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll put in an order for prenatal vitamins to be included in your discharge paperwork. Do you have any questions for me?”

My eyes shift to Rose, who is peering down at the black and white photos in my hands. She doesn’t know about the miscarriage. But I need to know.

“Will a previous miscarriage be a risk to these babies?”

Rose gasps and from the corner of my eye, I feel her and Lily stare at me in surprise, but I can’t look at them. Not yet.

“When was the miscarriage?”

“July. I wasn't far along.”

The doctor nods sympathetically. “I see. Well, hundreds of women have gone on to have several healthy pregnancies after a miscarriage. Of course, there’s a higher risk of miscarriage in the first trimester and that risk is slightly elevated with twins. However, stressing about it will do you no good. Let your body do all the work. Your only job is enjoying the pregnancy and loving those babies when they’re born.”

When the doctor leaves us, Lily pulls a chair up and sits down while Rose shifts to the edge of the bed. I finally meet her sad expression.

“You were pregnant before?”

I nod. "It was a surprise."

"Dimitri's?" Rose asks.

"Yes, but after the miscarriage, I ended things with him."

“Why? Did he not want the baby?”

“No. I think he would have. It’s just that at the time he couldn’t be there with me when I needed him the most and I don’t know, it was just all too much."

"And now?"

"We started things up again after he saved Enzo and I from your dad’s guys.”

"So, what's wrong?"

"Everytthing." Fucking tears. They return and fall mercilessly down my cheeks, revealing how emotional I am by it all.

“I don’t understand. He was here, waiting for you to wake up tonight.”

---