Page 68 of A Moment for Us
“Nothing,” Josh replies. “I apologize, this is all new to me.”
The doctor bows his head graciously. “I understand. It’s a lot of information and very overwhelming.” He opens the chart. “I see that you are already confirmed, which is great, and you’re pretty clear on the conception date based on the situation. Your urine tested positive again, which we do each visit,” he explains. “I see everything else looks good. Today we’ll do an ultrasound, take a look at the progress, determine your due date, and hopefully, we’ll hear the heartbeat.”
I exhale deeply, looking to Josh with tears in my eyes. He moves toward me, taking my hand. I could pretend, for just a moment, that we’re a couple and this is a joyous moment. That the two of us are a unit, bonded by love and happiness.
I could, but I won’t.
Josh is a friend, a protector, and someone who is here because of duty, not love.
Don’t fool yourself, Delia.
The doctor sets everything up and then explains what he’ll do. “We’ll try to do the ultrasound external first, and if we can’t see clearly, we’ll do transvaginal.”
I nod, and Josh lets out a loud sigh of relief.
He’s such a baby.
The cold gel goes around my lower belly, and then there’s this sound. At first, it doesn’t really sound like anything specific, but after the doctor moves the wand around a bit more, I hear it. This rapid whooshing sound.
Josh and I look to each other, and tears fill my eyes. “Oh my God,” I say as it grows louder.
“It’s so fast. Is this normal?” he asks.
The doctor looks at the screen, concentrating and almost ignoring us. Then his eyes meet ours. He smiles reassuringly. “The heartbeat is normal, plus, well, there is . . .”
“There’s what?” I ask, feeling nervous that there’s something wrong.
“Do you see this?” He points to something on the screen. “This is an amniotic sac, the placenta is here.”
At first, I can’t tell what the hell any of it is, but then he shifts the wand just a bit and there’s no mistaking the shape on the screen. I blink a few times. “Are there supposed to be . . . two of each?”
Josh’s hand falls away, and he shifts to get a closer look. “Two?”
The doctor nods, clicking a few buttons, and then smiles at us. “Based on the measurements here, you’re about eleven weeks pregnant.”
I shake my head. “That’s great, but . . . that’s two, right? There’s an extra of everything in there.”
Dr. Willbanks prints out the photo. “Yes. Congratulations. You’re having twins.”
Chapter 20
Joshua
Two. Twins. Two.
That goes around and around. I didn’t even want one, and now I’m getting two.
“Josh?” Delia calls my attention as I’m walking in circles in the living room.
“Twins?”
“It would seem so. I mean, they do run in your family, don’t they? Ugh. And they run in mine. Jesus!”
Right. Stella and Oliver are twins, so, yeah, I mean, it’s possible. And now her family as well. I . . . two.
I run my fingers through my hair, wondering what the hell I’m supposed to say. Delia hasn’t said much. We left the appointment in a daze. She took the photos from the doctor, who is probably still in training, nodded aimlessly as he asked if we were okay, and then drove back, not speaking.
Twins.
