Page 55 of Risk

I let out a nervous laugh. “Wait, I’m sorry. I think I might have misheard you because I thought for a moment that you said I’m having…twins.”

“You are.”

She’s still smiling, and I’m feeling a tightening happening in my chest.

Twins.

I was just coming to terms with one baby, but two?

Two.

TWO.

Jesus Harold Christ.

My chest is getting tighter and tighter. I’m either having a panic attack or a heart attack. Quite likely the latter.

This is how I’m going to die. Killed by my own children, before they’re even born.

“No, I can’t.” Another laugh, this one more panicked-sounding than the last. “I can’t, um…no, that’s not right.” I start to sit up, my eyes swinging to Kaden’s, who’s looking a little shell-shocked. “That’s—no. Nope! I’m sorry, but I can’t have two babies. I’m a twin! But it’s not happening. Sorry. One will have to go back or something because there is no way I can have two—”

“Beautiful, it’s okay.”

Kaden touches my hand, and I snatch it away.

“This is definitely not okay!” My voice is getting a little screechy. “I cannot have two babies! I’m doing my PhD, and one baby was going to be hard enough to handle! But now, she”—I point a finger at the doctor like it’s somehow her fault, which is totally irrational, but I’m not feeling any part of rational right now—“tells me I’m having twins! Nuh-uh. Not happening!” I slide off the bed, and my top drops and sticks to my stomach. “Crapping crap! Now, I’ve got gunk all over my top!”

I yank it back up, just as Kaden stands and approaches me, hands out, like he’s dealing with a caged animal.

“Try and calm down.”

Doesn’t he know that’s the worst thing you can say to a woman anytime? It’s a thousand times worse when said woman is having a full-blown meltdown.

“You calm down!” I yell at him.

“Okay. We’ll both calm down. I’m calm now. Are you?”

“Of course I’m not calm!” I bunch my hair into my fist, tugging.

“Beautiful…you have to relax. This isn’t good for the…babies. I know this is a little scary, but remember how scared you werewhen you found out you were pregnant, and you dealt with that like the strong woman that you are.”

“I know what you’re doing, and compliments will not work. Because two babies, Kaden. TWO FUCKING BABIES!”

He glances back at the doctor, as if looking for help, and then back to me. “Surely, you knew this was a possibility?”

“Why would I?”

Kaden looks at me like I’m mental. Maybe I am.

“Because you are a twin. Remember your brother Lo? Shared a womb with him?”

“So not the time to be snarky! And twins skip a generation?” I give him a duh look.

“Actually,” Dr. Adams finally chimes in, “that’s an old wives’ tale. There is no concrete scientific evidence that suggests twins skip a generation.”

“What?” I practically screech. “But why would people say that if it’s not true?! Goddamn old wives! They need to learn to shut their mouths!”

“Beautiful…” Kaden wraps his hands around my upper arms. “We’re having twins,” he says softly. “And I know it’s scary. I nearly shit myself when she first said it, but then I thought about it, and it’s pretty fucking amazing. We get to have two babies, Missy.”

---