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I’m not sure how long I’ve been out before my mattress dips. Something warm and damp wipes across my cheek, rousing me.
“Shhh, Love. Go back to bed. I’m only cleaning you up so we can go to bed,” Wyatt murmurs. I feel his lips as they brush against my forehead just as I give in to sleep.
68
OWEN
“So I finally get to meet the infamous Heirs,” Ariah’s doctor says as she squirts a warming gel on the probe.
We’re at Ariah’s thirty-two-week prenatal visit, and I want to tell her doctor to hurry the fuck up so we can see our babies.
This is the first time we get to be in the room, and Dr. Jaffri is babbling away about everything but our twins. I try to remind myself she’s Ariah’s doctor and I shouldn’t threaten her—though it’s tempting.
“A few unforeseen circumstances kept us away, but we sorted everything out. We’ll be at every appointment moving forward,” Lev states.
“Ah, Mr. Washington. It’s finally great to meet you in person,” Dr. Jaffri replies.
Ariah looks up, puzzled by their familiarity. We probably should’ve disclosed this part during dinner the other night, but things are going so well. I don’t think any of us want to fuck shit up this close to the end of her pregnancy.
“Just how close are you with the obstetrician?” Ariah’s gray eyes narrow, and I know we will be discussing this on our ride home. She knows we’ve had some communication with Dr. Jaffri, but she isn’t aware of just how much contact we’ve actually had. Luckily, the whooshing of heartbeats pulls her keen stare away as she refocuses her attention on the monitor.
Two sets of hands, eyes, and ears appear on the screen, and my heart stops. One of our babies is sucking their thumb while looking like they’re sleeping. The other looks like they’re trying to punch their way out of her uterus.
“Ah, she’s a busy one today,” Dr. Jaffri chuckles, moving the probe over to our daughter.
“She’s definitely something,” Ariah mutters into the quiet room.
I’d look around to see if the guys are as in awe as I am, but I refuse to look away.
“Well, I can see who the ringleader’s going to be,” Wyatt jokes.
“If either of them is half as tenacious as their mother, we’re in trouble,” Sebastian quips.
Laughing, Lev adds, “We’re in trouble. Have you met us? Two mini-versions of any of us are going to wreak havoc. They already have us wrapped around their tiny fingers.”
“Not me,” Wes declares. “You idiots, sure. Me? I’ll be the level-headed one.”
“Oh please,” Ariah interrupts. “I’ll be the only rational one in the bunch. You’ll all be big softies, saying yes when they ask you to sneak them ice cream or let them stay up past bedtime.”
Without looking away from the monitor where our daughter is moving so much her brother begins to stir, I reply, “She’s got us there. We should take bets to see who’ll be the first to break.”
“Everything looks great. Both babies are hitting all the benchmarks. As long as you continue to limit your stress, you should be in the clear,” Dr. Jaffri explains, lifting the probe from Ariah’s stomach.
Then, she wipes off the gel before removing her gloves. “The nurse will be in to print your ultrasound pictures for you. Otherwise, you’re all set, and I’ll see you in one week.”
“Before you go, can we discuss these knockout-strength jabs I feel in my vagina,” Ariah requests.
Dr. Jaffri grins. “That’s quite the analogy, Miss Bradford. That would be lightning crotch.”
My gaze whips up before I blurt, “Lightning what?” Then I turn to Ariah. “Why didn’t you tell us you were having such severe pain?” I question before shifting my attention to the doctor. “Is she okay? Are the babies okay?” I know I’m rambling, but anything with the name lightning crotch can’t be good news.
“It's perfectly normal, Mr. Jefferson. Some women experience sudden sharp pains throughout their pelvic region or the vagina, especially in their third trimester, that are not signs of labor.”
I expel the breath I didn’t know I was holding at Ariah’s obstetrician’s answer. “As long as she’s safe.”
“She is,” Dr. Jaffri affirms.
I help Ariah lower her shirt and sit up as the doctor departs. By the time she’s up and ready, the nurse prints the images and hands them to Wyatt.
