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I was sitting in a wheelchair, bent over, and Adam took my hand. “It’s okay, Adam,” I said quietly, but he wasn’t listening. I knew that he was worried out of his mind, and I was too. I kept cramping and I didn’t know what contractions felt like. I’d never had any before, after all, but it just felt like something was wrong.
Finally, the nurse came and ushered me into a room, Adam following. I lay down on the bed next to a complex set of monitors and cables and Adam sat on a stool on the other side of me. I was glad he was there with me to see our babies on thescreen and listen to their heartbeats. But all I could hear was my own heart booming in my ears.
An ultrasound tech came in. She asked a few questions and I told her what I was feeling. She squirted cold gel on my stomach and started to move it around with the wand, looking for the best position to see the babies, a spaghetti of white shapes on a black screen. Adam squeezed my hand so tightly that it almost cut off the circulation to my fingers. "I don’t see anything," he said. "Where are they?"
“I’m trying to get them,” she explained, moving the wand around. “Sometimes the babies just like to hide.”
“Where could they hide?” he complained in a grumble, but I knew he was just anxious and worried. I was too, all but holding my breath until I could see and hear both heartbeats, strong and steady.
“Ahh,” she said, pointing with her free hand at the monitor. “See this here and that there? That’s them.”
I sighed in relief and Adam looked over at me. “Thank God,” he croaked, and there were tears in his eyes. I reached out to take his hand again and he squeezed it as if he would never let it go.
“The girls look good,” the tech said, and Adam’s eyes darted to mine.
“Girls?” he asked hoarsely.
The tech covered her mouth. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know that you didn’t know.”
“It’s fine,” I said, smiling and crying at the same time. “I’m so glad they’re okay.”
“We’re having twin girls,” Adam said quietly, and when I looked over at him, I saw that he had allowed the tears to fall. He stood up, pressing his forehead against mine, and I was so glad he was there that I sobbed even harder. It had been so difficult, all those months without him, doing it by myself. He’dbeen there for me financially and at the doctor’s appointments but having him with me in that moment meant everything.
Adam was really there, with me, and it made all the difference in the world. He held my hand and leaned over the bed to kiss my forehead. He wasn’t going anywhere and I believed it.
The tech left us and moments later Doctor Christina came in.
She asked me questions and gave me a general checkup but explained that she was looking to see if there were any signs of dilation.
“The babies’ heartbeats are strong,” she said. “And you don’t appear to be having any real contractions. It’s what we call Braxton-Hicks.”
“What’s that?” Adam asked, clutching my hand.
“It’s nothing to worry about,” the doctor assured. “They’re just mini-contractions, getting mama ready to have those babies. With twins, though, we want to keep her from going into labor too early, so I’m going to prescribe bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy.”
I thanked the doctor even though I was disappointed that I would have to stay in bed the rest of my pregnancy. Before I could open my mouth to speak to Adam, there was a knock on the door again.
I expected to see a nurse, but instead, it was Addie. With her bubble skirt and yellow blouse, she seemed like pure sunshine. She ran in and leaned down to give me a big hug.
“How did you?” I started, and she pointed at Adam who was still sitting on the stool on the other side of my bed.
“He texted me a little while ago, I nearly crashed trying to get here,” she said breathlessly. “How are the babies?”
“The girls are good,” I said with a grin, and Addie squealed.
“Girls! I knew it!”
I rolled my eyes and smiled. She had guessed girls and boys at different times, but I wasn’t about to argue with her. I was glad she and Adam were both there.
Adam cleared his throat. “I need to talk to you about something,” he suddenly said, and I looked between him and Addie.
“Anything you have to say to me, I’m going to say to her,” I admitted. “She’s my best friend, I tell her everything.”
“Everything,” Addie said solemnly, and Adam chuckled. He moved to sit on the edge of my bed and took my hands in his, looking into my eyes.
“I want you to move in with me,” he said, and you could have knocked me over with a feather.
“You want me towhat?”I asked, feeling breathless from his question.
