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“This reminds me of when I went to get the blood test,” Gabby said, looking around. As with the medical laboratory, there were stacks of magazines on a nearby table, but these ones were all about pregnancy and parenthood. She reached for one and flipped it open.
“Were you scared?” Logan asked softly.
She stilled, staring hard at a pregnant brunette on the page she’d stopped at. “Yes, but I was excited too, and I felt guilty about that because I knew you’d be upset.”
He leaned closer, still speaking quietly. “You’re allowed to be excited, Gabs. Babies might not have been part of my plan, but they’re part of yours and I don’t want to ruin that for you.”
She looked at him and smiled hesitantly. “You won’t.”
At least, not if he kept going the way he had been. More likely, he’d make her want things he couldn’t give.
“Gabrielle Walker?” an accented voice called, snapping the thread of tension between them.
“That’s me.” She stood, relieved when Logan immediately tucked her against his body because once again, she’d gotten up too fast and her head was spinning. They followed the doctor into her office and sat on a pair of chairs facing the desk.
The doctor perched on the edge of an ergonomic chair and crossed one leg over the other. She addressed Gabby. “Nice to meet you, Gabrielle. Is this the baby’s father?” Her accent hinted at a European background. Dutch, perhaps.
“Yes.” Gabby reached between the chairs and grabbed Logan’s hand. “This is Logan.”
“Brilliant.” The doctor pushed her small, round spectacles off her nose. Her smile was wide and friendly. “I’m Doctor Vink. Today, we’ll do some basic checkups and use the ultrasound to get our first look at your little one. All right?”
They both nodded.
“Okay, then. First, I’d like to hear how your pregnancy has gone so far. I understand it was unplanned and you were most of the way through the first trimester before you realized you were pregnant?”
Gabby blushed. Put like that, she felt stupid for not having opened her eyes to what was going on sooner. “Yes. Logan and I spent a night together in February and it was about three weeks ago that I suspected I might be pregnant instead of just stressed or sick.”
She explained what she’d experienced to the doctor and answered questions about her medical background and family, listening with interest when it was Logan’s turn. Finally, Doctor Vink asked her to lie on the bed while she prepared the ultrasound.
“This might be a bit cold,” she warned before spreading a jelly-like substance on Gabby’s abdomen. It wasn’t as bad as she expected. Logan was completely silent, watching the screen intently as Doctor Vink started the device.
“We’ll record it and email you a copy,” the doctor said, also concentrating on the screen.
Gabby tried to ignore the strange sensation and studied the image that appeared. She’d seen enough ultrasounds from pregnant animals to make out the basics. Then she saw something that made her breath catch. Doctor Vink seemed to have spotted it too.
“Congratulations,” she exclaimed. “You’re having twins.”
* * *
“Twins,”Logan breathed. Holy crap, there weretwobabies?
Gabby’s wide eyes met his and he hoped he didn’t look as scared as he felt.
“Yes, twins,” Doctor Vink confirmed cheerfully. “And both look to be perfectly healthy so far.”
“Good.” His voice sounded weak so he swallowed and pulled himself together. “We’ve got this, Gabby. Our babies are healthy, and everything is fine.”
Just fine. They were having not one baby, but two. Two tiny humans who’d depend on him. No big deal. Why was it that twins felt exponentially more terrifying than a single baby?
He stared at the image on the screen. Honestly, he couldn’t tell what he was supposed to be looking at. It all looked like blobs to him. But Gabby could obviously see the details, and she’d gone white.
“They’re going to be beautiful,” he told her. “Just like their mum.”
Provided he didn’t screw them up first. There would be so many opportunities for him to make mistakes, and he’d never been good at getting the important things right. But the stakes had never been so high either. He wanted to protect these little lives. Even if they looked like blobs, he wanted to care for the tiny humans developing inside Gabby.
Warmth surged through him. Not just for his babies, but for Gabby too. She was carrying these new lives. Supporting them. Giving them what they needed to thrive. How incredible was that?
“Twins,” Gabby murmured. “I didn’t see that coming.”
