Page 48 of Amor Prohibido

“Twins. You’re expecting twins, and all is looking well. Congratulations!” she beamed, oblivious to me freaking out against the wall.

Jax looked as stricken as I felt. Her mouth hung open, and she emitted choking sounds of disbelief. Her eyes darted between the screen, the doctor, me, and the exit.

“I’ll print these out for you so you can show friends and family the babies’ first pictures. Your next ultrasound will be between twelve and thirteen weeks. That’s organised through your midwife. As for now—” Doctor Westbrook paused, wiping the jelly from Jax’s skin, “—everything is looking on track and you’re free to go home once your paperwork is done. The bleeding should be a one-off, but if it continues or suddenly comes back at any stage, contact your midwife in the first instance.”

She then stood and gave us a genuine smile that reached her pretty blue eyes. After one last opportunity for questions and final congratulations, we were left alone behind a swaying curtain with a strip of three black and white pictures on the bed between us.

Jax summed up every emotion that coursed through me. “What the? I’m relieved beyond belief, but…twins?There was only supposed to be one baby.One.Not two. Two is… Oh no, what have wedone?”

Her hands shook as she reached for the shiny strip of paper. She ran her thumb over the images of the tiny peanuts while chanting, “Twins,” repeatedly, as if it would help reality sink in.

I slammed myself back into the chair where I could see the pictures better. “I’m so relieved they’re okay but, wow. I was not expectingthat.”

The moment I finished speaking, Jax burst into uncontrollable laughter, tears and all, until she was out of breath. She squeaked and wheezed while trying to draw a full inhale, only to start the entire process again. All I could do was stare and patiently wait for the reaction to pass. There was no point in talking to her while she was like this. I had to wait until…

And there it was.

Her hilarity gave way to the next emotional phase: sobbing her eyes out. Getting situated on the bed and angling toward her, I pulled her into my arms and held her while she cried the tears that symbolised everything we stood for: relief for the life we didn’t lose, fear over the unknown and unexpected, and last but not least, unity, because we’re in this together, no matter what.

As soon as Jax’s discharge paperwork was complete, I bundled her into the truck and slowly pulled out of the parking lot. During the drive home, thick and pensive silence bore down as we both lost ourselves in our own thoughts. It was after midnight when I unlocked the front door of her house and followed her down the hallway.

“Any word on a new roommate?” I asked, passing Lozza’s empty room.

J sighed. “Nothing yet. Lozza’s share of the rent is paid for another week, so I’m trying not to stress.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Take what?”

“The room. I’m moving in.”

“Argh,” J exclaimed while massaging her nails along her scalp. “I am so not in the right headspace to talk about this tonight.”

The urge to run my fingers through her hair intensified when she removed the tie and quickly unbraided the long, wavy length. She appeared to be contemplating something by the way she kept glancing at me, so I folded my arms over my chest and quirked an eyebrow.

“What’s up, sweetheart?”

Her voice softened and swam with a mix of resolve and submission. “Do you mind staying tonight? Please? I don’t want to be alone.”

“Of course, J. C’mere.”

Gesturing for her to step into my arms, which she did without hesitation, I hugged her small frame to my large one. A delicious waft of coconut and lime swirled around me as soon as she pressed her head into my jacket. I let the tip of my nose rest on the top of her head, instantly making the edible scent become stronger.

“Go jump in bed and I’ll be back in a sec,” I promised. I nipped to the bathroom and turned off the lights on my return journey.

Jax was in bed with only her head showing above the blankets when I returned. I made my way around to the far side and pulled back the blankets, only to pause mid-fold.

“This side isn’t full of cracker crumbs, is it?”

She giggled tiredly and shook her head. “No. You’re safe from cracker rash tonight. Come morning though, I make no promises.” Her finger snuck out and pointed to the box.

I chuckled and hesitated again, unable to stop my goofy grin. “What are you wearing? I don’t want to be under or overdressed.”

She lifted the blankets so I could see her body, revealing purple PJ pants, a black tank, and a fair amount of cleavage. I also caught a glimpse of something that instantly quashed the potential awkward boner situation before it became an issue. I kicked out of my jeans and jacket, leaving on my boxer briefs, socks, and long-sleeved tee.

Her eyes followed my movements as I climbed into bed, and I glanced up to see an unidentified expression pass over her face. Moving closer, drawn in by her body heat, I hummed when my fingers landed on her belly. I grazed along the little bump until I touched on the scan photos. Extracting them from her loose grasp, I held them up to study them.

I stared at my children, hardly believing my eyes. Both were about the size of a raspberry, if you believed everything you read on the internet, and the shape of peanuts. They looked like they were facing each other and already plotting tiny little schemes against us. Damn, we were going to have our hands full. I moved one hand back under the covers and rested it lightly on J’s stomach, glancing at her to gauge her reaction.

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