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“Lindsey,” he said, “everything is going to be fine. We were going to explain it all to you tomorrow evening, at home.”
“I would prefer you give me at least the Reader’s Digest version now, Slate. I’m starting to freak out here.”
“Okay, okay. Calm down, please.”
I took a deep breath and tried like hell to relax.
“I’m not comfortable talking female stuff, Lindsey. That’s the only reason why I wanted to wait until your mother and I returned tomorrow night. I guess I figured that she’d do most of the talking. I understand now how that must have freaked knowing nothing except you were needed at home.”
“It did, Slate. My God, I was thinking she must be terminally ill or something.”
“I’m sorry, Lindsey. Your mom is pregnant.”
“She is? She never said anything about it.”
“That’s because she isn’t very far along and there have been some intermittent complications.”
“Complications?”
“You see, we’ve been trying for another baby since Bryce was about six months old. Now, your mom is a young, healthy woman, but because there seemed to be issues with her conceiving again, her doctor prescribed a fertility drug which was supposed to increase some type of hormone that helps ovulation along.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’ve heard of those.”
“Well, sometimes those fertility drugs increase the chance of multiples. Your mom is expecting twins. She is not quite three months along. It is still very early. She only discovered she was pregnant yesterday when she went to the ER in Indianapolis.”
Oh God, what happened?
“Your mom started experiencing some significant pain followed by some spotting. She decided to go to the ER. They ran tests and determined she was pregnant. They followed that up with an ultrasound and discovered she was carrying twins.”
“Oh my God, twins?”
“Uh huh, identical twins; there are complications though. Apparently there is something called ‘TTTS’ - Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome. Without going in to all the details, it’s an issue with the placenta that affects the blood flow to the babies; one gets more than the other.”
“How serious is this, Slate?” I asked.
“It’s going to require her to have total bed rest for a period of time. Once she gets to sixteen weeks gestation, she will have weekly ultrasounds. Her doctors will decide the next course of action.”
“Oh, Slate,” I said, my heart feeling heavy, “Is Mom doing alright with this? She’s a worrier you know.”
“I know she is, but right now she is being optimistic because she understands that stressing out will only further complicate her condition. She knows she needs to stay flat on her back for a while. Lindsey, we need your help at home. I know this is a lot to ask of you, but I think caring for Bryce day in and day out would be too much for your grandmother, although she offered.”
“Slate, stop; of course I will be there for all of you. We’re family and that is what family does. You tell Mom not to worry. I will see you all tomorrow evening.”
“You’re a good kid, Lindsey. Sorry - I meant to say you’re a fine young woman, Lindsey.”
“Thank you, Slate; kiss Mom for me.”
I got off of the phone and filled Taz in on the details. He knew I was concerned.
“So, then you’re good with withdrawing from school this semester?”
“I don’t see how it can be helped, Taz. Family has to be the priority here.”
“You kind of amaze me at times, Lindsey.”
He pulled me over to him and kissed me several times. I snuggled into him, loving the closeness.
“I, on the other hand, have my online class work to do. How about feeding me, woman?”
