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I’m already on the move when I hear Rachel’s higher voice, a note of panic in her tone. “Right fucking now!”
I fling my hand out to turn the lock and Rachel pushes the door open. Mars steps in behind her, both babies still zonked out on his chest. Jamie is in the carrier, his legs dangling like limp noodles, while Tuo is balanced in the curl of Ilmari’s arm.
“What’s wrong?” says Jake, tugging his shirt on. He hands me my hat and I slip it back on.
“I don’t know,” says Mars, glancing at Rachel. He looks pissed. “She won’t tell me. I found her in her office crying. Said we had to come find you.”
“I’m not doing this three times,” she huffs, glancing around at the three of us. She looks spun up, my Hurricane incarnate.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Jake says again.
Tears well in her eyes as her bottom lip starts to quiver. “At least one of you guys is in really big freaking trouble,” she says.
We all share a confused look, and I know their brains are running through the same quick calculus I am. Oh shit, what did we do now?
“Tell us,” Ilmari orders.
She lets out a shaky breath through parted lips. “Okay…just know that there’s nothing that can be done about it now. I need you all to help me get excited about this, because I’m kind of freaking the fuck out.”
“Seattle, please,” Jake begs. “Just tell us.”
But Hurricane doesn’t need to say a word. I already know. All the signs have been there, we’ve just been too busy to see them. I glance to Ilmari and I know he knows too. His eyes are wide as he glances down at the two babies asleep in his arms.
“Oh, holy shit,” Jake gasps, and I know he’s finally there too. “Baby, are you—”
“Pregnant,” she finishes with him, that bottom lip still quivering. “Yes.Again. I’ve been feeling so tired and weird and—I was wrapping an ice pack around Perry’s knee and it just hit me and I knew,” she says on one long exhale, dark eyes wide. “But I needed toknow, you know? I couldn’t wait until I got home. So I was in the bathroom freaking out, and Poppy came in, and she had a test in her purse because she thinks she’s pregnant too, so she gave it to me and I took it and…”
As if we needed the confirmation, she slips her hand in the front pocket of her Rays fleece and pulls out a little blue-capped pregnancy test. She hands it to me. I glance down, noting the bold blue plus sign looking up at me. I look to Ilmari, holding it up for him to see.
“But…I don’t get it,” says Jake, glancing from the test back to Rachel. He steps forward, placing his hands on her shoulders, as he searches her face. “Babe…are you…are we not happy about this?”
And that’s when she breaks, the tears falling fast and hard. “I didn’t wantyouto be unhappy,” she cries.
Jake looks like he’s just been told they’ve cancelled ice cream forever. “Rach, what—”
“We’ve only just gotten used to two. And now I’m knocked up again, and I was so afraid you’d all be mad or sad or-or disappointed. God, I’m a hormonal fucking mess!” She buries her face in her hands and Jake wraps her in his arms.
“Baby, no,” he soothes, kissing her brow, her temple, her cheek. “Look at me, Seattle. Look atus,” he corrects, tipping her chin up.
She sniffles, lifting her gaze to meet ours.
“You’re our wife, Rachel,” Jake says. “Till death and beyond, baby. You’re our whole fucking world. You’re really gonna stand here and tell us you’re gifting us with another beautiful baby and be worried that we’re not gonna appreciate it?”
She sniffs again. “It’s stupid. I’m a mess.”
“You’re pregnant,” he teases. “We’re used to messy, pregnant Rachel by now.”
She graces him with a weak, hiccupy laugh, shaking her head as she wipes beneath her eyes, smudging her makeup.
Jake turns to look at us. “Guys, Rach is pregnant again. Does that change anything for either of you? Either of you looking for an exit?”
“No,” I say, as Ilmari vehemently says, “Never.”
Rachel nods, eyes still teary as she steps over to Ilmari, taking Tuo from his arms. She tucks him in against her chest, kissing the top of his Rays pom-pom hat. He wiggles, but doesn’t wake. She rocks him slowly side to side, her eyes fluttering closed.
I take her in. Her dark hair is piled high in a knot, messy wisps framing her face. The smudge of her eyeliner, the faint circles under her eyes. She works so damn hard. I smile as my gaze settles on her little gold septum ring. When we first met, she kept it out all the time, trying to pretend she was someone she’s not. Now she’s boldly, unapologetically Rachel Price.
The mother of my children. The woman of my dreams. And she’s given me a life so far beyond any of my wildest imaginings.
