Page 78 of Triplet Babies for Pucking Christmas

I stare at the screen, at the tiny flicker that’s somehow changed everything. My throat tightens, and for a second, I can’t say anything.

“That’s…” I trail off, swallowing hard.

“Perfect,” the doctor finishes, smiling. “Everything looks great. Savannah, you’re doing so well. All three of you are.”

“All three…” My voice trails off as I stare at Savannah, who also looks a little shocked.

The doctor nods. “We’ve got two heartbeats in there. Twins.” She grins at us, and I swallow hard.

Savannah looks over at me, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. “Did you hear that? We’re okay.”

“Yeah,” I whisper, my voice rough. “Yeah, I heard.”

The doctor goes over a few more things—diet, exercise, the usual—and then leaves us alone. Savannah’s still lying there, staring at the screen like she can’t believe it’s real.

“You good?” I ask again, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

“I think so.” She sits up slowly, wiping the gel off her stomach. “Their heartbeats…it made it feel real, you know? Twins. Wow.”

“Yeah,” I say again, because what else is there to say?

***

On the way home, she’s quiet, staring out the window. I glance over at her every now and then, waiting for her to say something, but she doesn’t.

When we pull into the driveway, Jamie’s sitting on the porch with Noah and Pup. The puppy’s gnawing on one of Noah’s toys, and Jamie’s laughing like a kid himself.

Savannah smiles as she gets out of the car, and I swear, it’s like the weight she’s been carrying all day lifts a little.

“You’re back,” Jamie says, standing and handing Pup’s leash to Noah. “How’d it go?”

“Good,” Savannah says, her voice soft. “Really good.”

Jamie grins. “Told you. Little bean is a fighter, just like mom.”

“Beans plural,” I say, coughing a little when my voice comes out all hoarse.

The other two guys blink at us. “What?” they say in unison.

Savannah smiles at them and holds her arms out wide. “It’s twins!” she says excitedly. “I told you that they run in the family.”

We all exchange a look, but then Jamie starts grinning. “More to love,” he says eagerly.

“More diapers to change,” I say gloomily, but Jamie just shakes his head with a smile.

She rolls her eyes but doesn’t argue with me. Instead, she leans into me, her head resting against my shoulder.

Jamie gets up suddenly and says, “I need to make a call,” before stepping outside.

Weird. Jamie’s never secretive about anything, not unless it involves game plays or, like, whatever ridiculous thing he’s planning next for the team. I let it slide, figuring he’s probably scheming some Christmas stunt or something.

Savannah stretches, looking at me. “I’m gonna take a shower,” she says, already walking toward the stairs.

I nod. “Go for it. You’ve earned it after today.”

Once she’s out of sight, curiosity gets the better of me. I head toward the door and find Jamie outside, pacing and whispering into his phone like he’s trying not to get caught.

He glances up, sees me, and quickly mutters, “Yeah, Jared. I’ll talk to you later,” before hanging up.

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