Page 66 of Grumpy Bossy Billionaire Enemy

My eyes mirrored Henry’s expression, and Henry raised his eyebrows, waiting for me to answer the question. Now that Chloe mentioned my period, I realized that I hadn’t seen my blood for the past two months. My head swirled, trying to have an accurate calculation. It dawned on me that I had missed my period for too long. I blamed it on my emotional imbalance.

“I don’t know, two months ago, I think.”

Chloe turned to Troy, “She needs an ultrasound.”

Henry definitely knew what an ultrasound was, and he was finding it hard to believe his ears. There was only one explanation for my symptoms: I was pregnant. Henry smiled in utmost excitement. He tried to frown a few times, trying not to get over his head or too disappointed when the results showed otherwise. He squeezed my hand as Chloe and a nurse arranged the ultrasound machine. I lay on my back, my blouse raised to reveal my stomach. Chloe rubbed my stomach with gel as she moved the transducer around the lower part of my belly. Our faces were locked on the display monitor, as the screen displays the formed signs of the fetus.

“I’m pregnant,” I whispered softly to myself.

“We’re pregnant,” Henry said the words out loud, as if unconscious of the people in the room with us.

He kissed me on the forehead, as he repeated, “We are pregnant, Amelia!”

“Congratulations, Amelia,” Chloe said as she cautiously repeated what I already knew about the baby on the monitor screen.

Henry looked more interested, but I couldn't take my eyes off the monitor. This wasn’t any other baby on the monitor, this was my baby.

Our baby.

Chloe squinted at the monitor and added more gel to my belly. “What’s it?” My medical instinct kicked in. No doctor looked that way except when they found something interesting, or abnormal. Then Chloe pointed to the monitor. I realized what Chloe had seen: there were two babies on the screen. I glanced at Chloe; our eyes locked in confirmation of my suspicion. I was pregnant with twins.

“There are two babies in there.” Chloe turned to Henry instead, and Troy moved closer for another look.

Chloe pointed at the first baby’s head and feet and then to the second. Henry gasped for air in awe of the news he’d just heard. Henry and Troy walked out of the exam room as Chloe cleaned up the gel. I adjusted my blouse. Troy patted Henry’s shoulders during a conversation I couldn't grasp. Now that I looked at Troy through the distant, transparent glass, he looked like he needed sleep.

Troy was helpless in this fight against his mother. He was even more helpless now that Camille had decided to leave Richmond for good. Camille had signed the divorce papers for their long overdue six months marriage contract. They had both fulfilled their end of the bargain and had gone their separate ways. Camille’s mother thought she should stay in the marriage, but nothing beat the scorn Mrs. Robinson had for Camille. Every day, I was reminded never to pick a fight with her.

****

“Hey, thank you,” I said to Henry as he drove home.

My gratitude had no context because I was grateful to Henry for everything. Now, I looked out of the beautiful city of Richmond where I grew up. A blissful memory of my childhood hit me, but what hit me more was that I was going to raise my children here. I was going to raise them with all the love they could get. Henry’s constant glance while his hands were fixed on the wheel told me that he would be there all through the journey. He kept looking at my tummy with amazement and awe – then a subtle smile he couldn’t keep to himself. His excitement since we had gotten into the examination room had been trying to escape.

Henry soon pulled over at our garage and rushed to get to the car’s door before I could. I reminded him a few times that I was only pregnant and not handicapped. He wouldn’t listen to me. He couldn’t hide what he felt about the news, and I was afraid I couldn't hide my own excitement. He whined about getting the nursery started and hiring the best interior designer for the baby’s nursery. He also dropped a suggestion that I should take a long break from the hospital.

“I can’t,” I informed him. “I’m well able to work. Pregnant women still go to work every other day.”

“Pregnant women who carry twins?” Henry was clueless about how pregnancy worked. His ideas were clouded by what he had watched on the television.

“Women who carry multiple babies can still go to work, Henry,” I replied. “Trust me, I’m a doctor.”

“You’re a surgeon, not an obstetrician,” Henry started to argue. It was funny because he was overthinking the pregnancy.

I hadn’t seen Henry overthink anything. He had been as logical as possible; but today, he had an unwritten rule about pregnancy in his head, and he wouldn’t back down until he did. I rolled my eyes. I was tired of telling Henry that as a surgeon, I had enough knowledge of several units of medicine. He volunteered to make lunch and ended up burning the grilled chicken. However, a few minutes later, the doorbell rang. I was more than grateful for whoever just saved me from Henry’s funny arguments.

My enthusiasm waned as I saw Camille’s back view on the door monitor. Her black hair was unmistakable, and it flowed in the soft winter breeze. Camille was at the front door of our home, and as much as I was relieved to see my best friend, I was worried. She was back in Richmond. I opened the door to welcome her familiar, warm smile. Her hug was even warmer, and I could stay hugged for a long time. Camille pulled away, looking down at my tummy. I was sure she'd heard the news of my pregnancy from Troy. She kissed me by the cheek again, and Henry jokingly asked if we are staying at the doorstep forever.

I stepped aside as Camille came into the house. We shared a couch, facing each other as we tried to catch up on our lost moments.

“What are you doing here?” I asked Camille, surprised to see who should be miles away and into her new life. “Shouldn’t you be on the flight already?”

“I changed my mind,” Camille sighed. “You’re right, Amelia. I should fight for what’s mine.”

She told me how Troy came to her father’s house to get her. He’d promised to stay by her side no matter what, and he’d asked her to marry him again. This time, there was no contract binding them. There was only love between them.

I nodded. “I can’t keep running away from my problems; it’ll keep haunting me for the rest of my life. I’m going nowhere, Amelia. I’m fighting for my place in Troy’s life.”

“Plus, I heard you were at the hospital today.” Camille continued. “How are your babies doing?”

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