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When Patrick opened the door, she saw him before he caught her eye. He was rushed, searching the faces for hers. In that moment, all was forgiven for being late. The look on his face said it all. There was so much love in that look Addie melted. Just then, he caught Addie’s eye and he smiled affectionately. Addie smiled back as he made his way over to her at sat down beside her. “Sorry I’m late. I didn’t miss anything, did I?”
“No, the doctor is running behind due to a delivery. But they should be calling us back soon.”
A few minutes later, the nurse called Addie’s name. She instructed her to use the restroom and leave a urine sample while she ushered Patrick to an exam room.
When Addie was finished, she made her way back to the exam room, where she changed into a paper gown the nurse had laid out for her, and hopped up on the table. “Earth to Patrick,” Addie repeated twice before Patrick finally glanced up.
“Sorry,
honey. I just have to answer a few emails. Things are crazy back at the office.” Patrick replied, not taking his eyes from his phone.
“Must be pretty important because I was just naked and you didn’t even notice.”
Patrick laughed. “You’re wrong about that. I was watching from the corner of my eye.” Patrick sighed, stood, and kissed her head. “Don’t be nervous. Everything will be fine.”
Addie smiled, wondering how he knew her so well.
Addie’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Dr. Pierce walked in, followed by the nurse who wheeled in an ultrasound machine.
Dr. Pierce, who Addie guessed was probably in her early 40s, was cheery and beautiful. She was petite with jet-black hair, which only made her sharp blue eyes that much more distinguishable. She had been Addie’s doctor with Connor, and Addie had fallen love with her bedside manner.
“Well, hello.” Dr. Pierce said boisterously. “When I saw you on my schedule, I was a bit surprised. You didn’t mention trying for another when you came in for your annual a few months ago. I would’ve started you on pre-natals.”
Addie just shrugged her shoulders and smiled.
Dr. Pierce instructed her to lie back as she squirted the cold gooey gel on Addie’s abdomen. She placed the ultrasound wand and moved it around just a bit. Patrick stood next to Addie, stroking her hand. Suddenly Addie gasped, causing Patrick to jump. She covered her mouth with her hand, not taking her eyes from the screen. She registered what she was seeing on the screen just as Dr. Pierce did. There they were. Two perfect blurry blips up on the screen, each tiny dot flickering with a heartbeat. “Twins,” Addie said weakly, afraid she was going to faint.
“Congratulations! Twins.” Dr. Pierce said with a chuckle.
“Twins?” Patrick asked, looking back and forth between Addie and the doctor in a way that told them that he wasn’t privy to what they were seeing on the screen.
“Oh my God.” Addie cried as Patrick finally grasped what was happening and began to rub her back.
Dr. Pierce went on to give Addie instructions, of which she heard very little. She nodded and took the paperwork that was handed to her, pretending she heard what they were telling her. But the room was spinning, and yet everything was happening around her in slow motion, all at once. Her face grew hot and chills washed over her. She collapsed just as Dr. Pierce and Patrick moved in to break her fall.
Five
In hindsight, those two bright blue lines that Addie was surprised to see on the pregnancy test would prove to be very foretelling. She gave birth to twin boys exactly six months later.
After several years at home with her children, Addie decided that she had had enough and began looking for work. While she loved her family dearly, she had grown tired, feeling bored and unfulfilled. Her days at home were mindless. She needed a challenge: something, anything, to make her feel alive again. Knowing how Patrick felt about her going back to work, she decided not to discuss the matter with him until she found a job. She figured an offer that she couldn’t turn down would be the perfect solution.
She hired a professional to tweak her resume, and, thankfully, it didn’t take long for her phone to start ringing. A few weeks after she started her search, she landed two interviews. While the first one had been mostly a disaster, she learned a few lessons and felt better prepared for the second.
The morning of her second interview was hectic, trying to get everyone where they needed to be. Always one to prepare, Addie had the kids’ clothes and things packed and ready the night before. Still, she couldn’t have prepared for the chaos of trying to look presentable herself while getting three kids out the door at such an early hour.
She rose extra early, worked out, and showered. Dressed in a black pencil skirt, crisp white button-down top and peep-toe black pumps, she checked herself in the mirror and was satisfied she looked the part. She was surprised that the skirt still fit her, certain that her hips were wider after giving birth to three children, two of them at once! But it fit, a little tighter nonetheless. She swept her long blond hair up in to a loose bun, hopeful that would make them take her seriously.
Addie fed the boys cereal, got them dressed, dropped Connor off at school, and waded through traffic on the twenty-minute ride to Jessica’s house. Thankfully, Jessica had agreed to watch the twins while Addie interviewed.
She arrived in front of Jessica’s expansive colonial without a minute to spare and practically dumped the boys off at the curb. Jessica and her two children, Sophie and Liam were watering flowers in the massive front yard as she pulled up. “Thank you so much for taking them for me. You’re a lifesaver.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t know what I’m going to do if you get this job. Who will I call and bug all day?”
“You can still bug me.”
“Yes, but it won’t be the same. Now, you’ll have a real excuse for not picking up.” Jessica winked.
Addie winked back. “I’ve gotta run.”
