Page 49 of Final Chance At Love (Chance At Love Duet 2)

As I sat in the exam room, dressed in nothing but a hospital gown and my socks, I had to wonder about life’s funny ways. It took me years to get pregnant with Saoirse, and took three years to get pregnant with Sierra. But four months with Kristoff and I was already fucking pregnant!

With deep breaths, I tried to calm my beating heart. I was embarrassed and sad to find myself getting ready to have my first exam of this pregnancy all alone. I stared at the picture of a woman’s uterus, mentally and physically exhausted. Just as I exhaled, the familiar face of Dr. Packard entered the room, all smiles and a twinkle in his eyes.

“Gemma, how good to see you.” His voice was warm and beaming. “Is it true? Are we having a baby?”

I couldn’t quite muster the energy to be all chipper. “Ah, yes. So it seems.”

“Not planned?” he asked, suddenly seriously. “Are you not happy?”

“To tell you the truth, Dr. Packard, I think I am still in shock. Definitely not planned,” I answered him exasperated. “I thought you told me after Sierra I couldn’t have any more kids? You said one in a billion!”

He smiled. “Yes, I remember that,” he commented. “But these kinds of things are usually the best surprises, Gemma.” He glanced at me pensively. “Do you want to keep the baby?”

“Yes, absolutely!” I was surprised how fast I answered, without a moment of hesitation. I guessed I knew where I stood there.

“Let’s make sure the baby and you are healthy. All the rest is secondary and not our priority now.” He smiled and patted my hand.

I nodded and lay down so he could start his examination. Probing and prying, taking blood tests, and I was bearing it all like I was in a trance. And then the sonogram, and just like with all my previous pregnancies, successful and unsuccessful ones, seeing the little peanut of a beginning life, I was in love.

“Hmmm,” Dr. Packard’s voice interrupted me.

I glanced at him and worry swarmed my thoughts. “Is everything ok?”

“So far so good,” he answered. “I imagine you’ve been feeling rather nauseous?”

“Yes, pretty bad… it hits me at weird times. Not just in the morning.”

“Could be because you are carrying twins.” He had that mischievous look in his eyes again. I’m pretty sure my eyeballs popped out of my sockets as I stared at the screen and then him, back and forth.

“I don’t believe it!” I exclaimed in shock. “Are you joking with me?”

“No, I am dead serious.” He leaned closer to the screen and pointed. “See here… and here. Two babies… two heartbeats.”

“Oh my God!”

“They are sharing the same embryo, and everything looks just perfect. We’ll have to make sure we put you on vitamins and prenatal supplements. I’ll send a prescription today so it would be best if you can pick it up today. I should have your blood results within the next forty-eight hours.”

I kept staring at the screen and just nodded. Twins! This week was certainly not going according to any plan I imagined.

“Do you remember when your last period was, Gemma?”

“Ah, no.To tell you the truth, my periods have been so irregular lately. ”

“It looks like you are about eight weeks.”

I guess Kristoff managed to knock me up on the first night we slept together.

By the time I got home, the shock had somewhat worn off. Each time I thought of Kristoff, I felt a pang and I wanted to share today’s events from the OB/GYN with him. It was heartbreaking to think I never will. I called Betty and poured my heart out to her explaining what had happened.

“Rick is going to kill that man!” Betty was furious.

“No, Betty… please don’t tell Rick anything yet.”

“I haven’t told him anything, but he would like to know.”

“Please promise you won’t say anything till I’m ok with it,” I plead with her.

“I promise, Gemma. I won’t say anything,” she answered. “But what will you do? It is not like you’ll be able to hide it for long…” she trailed off only to giggle before exclaiming with excitement. “Holy shit, you are having twins!”

---