Our last day on the island was bittersweet, we had an incredible time staying there, just being together and talking when we weren’t fucking, however we both were missing our daughter, that was the longest time Alannah had ever been away from her and if I’m honest I too was anxious to get back home and see her in person, we Skyped with her each evening but it wasn’t the same.
Rolling around in the rumpled sheets of our bed, as the cool evening sea breeze flows in through the open doors bringing with it the scent of the ocean and flowers, I continue to lazily kiss my wife.
“Back home and to reality tomorrow,” I mention as I lift my head to gaze at her.
“I know.” She sighs while her hands run over my back.
“I miss Charlotte. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’ve also missed her jumping on my stomach to wake me up.”
“Me too,” she admits, “I have never been away from her this long before and I was worried how she would handle it, but our parents have taken great care of her.”
“That they have,” I concur as I kiss her bare shoulder.
“Thank you for a perfect honeymoon, Mr Moore.”
“You are very welcome, Mrs Moore. You deserved it.”
Two months after our wedding, we were settling into a routine with work and Charlie with school, life was wonderful and I didn’t think it could get any better but I was wrong. There have been certain significant events throughout our marriage that hold a special place in my heart, finding out Alannah was pregnant again was one of those.
As I’m coming out of the walk in robe with a tie in my hands my wife comes out of the bathroom with a frown on her face and stops in the doorway.
“Lana?” I call to her.
She looks up at me across the bedroom, the frown not leaving her face.
“Are you okay, baby?”
“I’m late.” She whispers.
“For what?” She shakes her head at me.
“No, my period is late.”
“Oh!” I drop the tie and stride over to her, my hands automatically finding her waist. “How late?”
“A week.”
“Are you….?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“Don’t you have to take a test or something to know for sure?”
“I’m afraid to take it.” She tells me avoiding eye contact.
“Why?” Doesn’t she want to know? I sure as hell do.
“Well…because…last time…”she fades off.
Fuck! Of course memories of how this went last time would come flooding back to her. I pull her into my chest and kiss her temple.
“Listen to me, I was the biggest idiot on the planet last time. I’m here, I’m not going anywhere and neither are you. How about you go take a relaxing bath while I go buy you a test to take. Work will survive without me today.” After a moment’s hesitation she agrees. I give her a quick kiss before running out the room.
Forty five minutes later I’m waiting for Alannah to finish up in our bathroom. As I was buying her not one but three pregnancy tests I also came across these cute brown teddy bears. On impulse I bought one and handed it to her along with the tests. It was my way of reassuring her.
“Baby’s first teddy.” She gives me a big smile taking it onto her hands.
I can’t sit still, my right leg is bouncing up and down as I continue to wait.
She finally comes out wearing her white bathrobe with her hands folded together in front of her body.
“Now we wait two minutes.” She puffs out a breath.
Okay, two more minutes. I pull her down on my lap encircling her with my arms.
“I’m excited and nervous.” I admit. “God, what if you’re not and we have to go through this all over again?” I don’t want to get my hopes up too high just in case.
“We’ll know soon enough.”
We sit quietly on our bed waiting. Her fingers are constantly combing the back of my hair, a sign she’s as nervous as I am. We wait for a lot longer than two minutes neither one of us moving.
“I don’t want to look in case it’s negative. You look.” She demands of me. I chuckle at her, kiss her cheek and move her butt off my lap onto the bed before making my way into the bathroom where I see the stick laying on the counter. I have no clue how to read these things.
“What do two lines mean?” I yell out. She runs into the room, her eyes wide.
“What?”
“Two lines. What does that mean?”
“Two?
“Yes, two.” She comes closer and looks at the stick.
“Two lines mean positive. Nick…” He eyes become glassy. Positive. Meaning….we’re pregnant.
I can’t help the great big yelp that leaves my mouth. I’m laughing from joy while tears are flowing down my face at the same time. I grab Lana into my arms, kissing her like my life depended on it. I release her lips long enough to lift her up and swing her around.
“We’re having a baby!”
“We’re having a baby,” she repeats.
“You make me so happy, God, I love you so much, thank you, Alannah. Thank you.”
This is how I should have reacted the first time. However mentioning it will only bring us both down and that is the last thing I want, I want to feel this euphoria for as long as possible.
I place our wedding photo back on my desk and pick up the one of a pregnant Alannah. We went to see a doctor the next day to confirm it and ensure everything looked good before deciding to tell the family. I couldn’t help but not touch her stomach knowing our baby was in there that night as we lay in bed. The knowledge that I would be able to see them on a screen the next day keeping me up most of the night. Watching Alannah have an ultrasound was a new experience for me.
My wife is laid out on the large blue plastic chair or bed, whatever you want to call it, as the doctor rolls the probe over her stomach. My eyes are glued to the screen hoping to see something but all I can make out is black and white static. She pushes down further on Alannah’s abdomen, then the picture suddenly clears up and I see it. Right there in my wife’s body is a tiny little life.
I lay eyes on our little invader for the first time. I can feel my heart expanding to make room for this tiny little guy already. My mind has gone blank and I’m living in the moment absorbing every little movement he makes. I already love him and can’t wait to meet him.
“He’s beautiful.” I kiss Alannah on her sweet lips.
“Could be a she,” she murmurs against my mouth.
“Huh.” The doctor says surprised.
“What? Is something wrong?” I feel Alannah tense up as I hold her hand.
“Oh, no, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. Look here, you can see your baby.” She points to the screen then she moves her finger slightly to the right, “and right over here is their sibling,” she casually announces.
“What was that?” I don’t think I heard her correctly.
“Congratulations, it’s twins.”
“Two Babies? Twins? Are you sure?” Alannah asks her.
“Absolutely and everything looks perfect.” Alannah’s head whips to the side and she throws daggers at me with her eyes.
“Damn you, Nicholas and your sperm, this is your fault.” Not sure how she came to that conclusion but I say nothing. There are two babies in there. I stare at her stomach trying to process this new information. “Do you have any idea how huge I’m going to get?”