Page 13 of The Doctor's Twins

I thought about the conversation I’d had with Alyssa when I discovered that I was pregnant. Nothing was ever real until I shared it with her. My older sister, Madison, and I were never really close as sisters. We were very different people. Not that we didn’t get along, but somehow, I found myself sharing more intimate things with Alyssa.

Besides, Madison had two children already and sometimes, when I was feeling particularly sensitive, it seemed like my older sister lorded that over me. I was probably being ridiculous, but who knew the psyche behind sibling relationships? Especially those of the same gender.

Alyssa was thrilled about the news. She loved kids and planned on having dozens of them once she’d found Mr. Right. I, on the other hand, had always hoped to be at least a few years into my own practice before having a kid. The baby inside me had been a complete fluke. Not planned at all. In fact, I was shocked when I found out I was pregnant.

I’d been on the pill since I left high school. I guess I was one of the nine percentiles of women whose bodies didn’t care to follow the rules as set out for them by science.

“Mateo must be so excited,” Alyssa gushed.

“Uh, yeah. He is,” I had lied, glad that my best friend couldn’t see my eyes.

Next, I called my parents. They were over the moon with joy. I pretty much lied through my teeth to them too. It seemed that I was becoming a consummate liar.

“Dr. Garcia. Dr. Mendes is ready to see you now.”

I looked up to find a nurse standing in front of me. She led me to a room where she took my blood pressure and asked me if I’d be able to give them a urine sample. That was no problem at all.

I sat down at the desk after that and waited for the doctor to see me. A Beautiful woman with jet-black hair and dark eyes entered the room.

“Hello, Dr. Garcia,” she greeted me with a friendly smile, “I’m Dr. Mendes.”

“Good to meet you, Doctor.”

“You’re American,” she said with a smile.

“Yes. I married a local,” I answered.

“And how do you like our beautiful city?”

“It’s lovely,” I said.

Your men, however, are a different kettle of fish.

“I’m doing my residency at the local hospital.”

“They have a wonderful team of doctors. I did my residency there too,” she said, and I could tell from her expression that she had fond memories. “So, you’re having a baby. That’s exciting. How far along are you?”

“I think I’m about ten weeks along. I had what I thought was a very light cycle last month, but I guess that was a bit of spotting.”

“Okay, let’s have a look. Would you lie down on the bed for me please?”

I did as she asked. She squirted cold lube on my lower abdomen and moved the ultrasound’s transducer over it until she found what she was looking for on the monitor.

“Hello, little one,” she said and smiled at me. “There’s your little flatfoot.”

I opened my eyes and I looked at the monitor with a mixture of joy and trepidation. My baby—Mateo’s and mine.

“How far along am I?”

“You were right. Looks to be about three months.”

“Is the baby normal?”

I wasn’t sure why I used that word, ‘normal.’ It was an innocent little soul. Even if its daddy was a psychopath.

“Perfectly. Everything is exactly as it should be. Would you like a picture?”

“That would be nice, thank you.”

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