Chapter 10
TEN
It was damn near midnight when I slipped back into our room and placed the back of my hand against her cheek again. Still warm, not as hot as earlier, but warm enough to make my chest tighten. She was sleeping light, tossing here and there, mumbling in her sleep. I didn’t like that shit at all.
I kissed her forehead, pulled the covers back, and whispered, “Baby, wake up. I’m takin’ you in.”
She looked up at me slowly, still hazy. “Lucky, it’s late... I’m okay.”
“No, yo’ ass not and I’m not about to play with your health, Jream. Not with you carryin’ my baby and already feelin’ off all day.”
She didn’t argue after that. Just nodded and sat up slowly while I helped her pull on some sweats. She leaned into me heavy, and that’s all the confirmation I needed. I was already texting my pops before we made it to the stairs.
Pops:
On the way. Give me ten.
Sure enough, ten minutes later, Pops knocked twice and came in with a duffle over his shoulder and Ms. Norma trailing behind, holding a Tupperware of greens. She always brought food, even when nobody asked.
“You go handle your wife, son,” he said, patting my shoulder. “We got the babies.”
I didn’t even pause. Just nodded and helped Jream into the passenger seat, buckled her in, and pressed a kiss to the side of her head.
She whispered, “You always do the most.”
I pulled off slow, glancing at her through the corner of my eye. “That’s ‘cause you the most, baby.”
By the time we got to the hospital, she was dozing again, head leaned against the window. I parked, jogged around to her side, and helped her out. The nurse at the front must’ve seen my face ‘cause she didn’t ask no dumb questions. Just got her vitals started and led us back.
Jream rested her hand on her belly while we waited, her other in mine. “You nervous?” she asked quietly.
“Always,” I said truthfully. “You and these babies? That’s my whole world. So yeah, I’m on edge when you don’t feel right.”
She gave me this soft look that always knocked the wind outta me.
“Lucky…”
“I mean that shit,” I cut her off gently. “I’d take the fever for you if I could.”
She didn’t say nothin’ else. Just squeezed my hand, and leaned her head against my shoulder.
I felt more like a husband than I ever had in this moment. Not just her man or her lover. But the one she trusted to catch her when her body said pause.
That meant more than any Christmas gift ever could.
The nurse came back in about ten minutes later with a smile that was too damn calm for the way my nerves were actin’ up.
“Vitals are stable. Slight fever, nothing dangerous, but we’re going to get some fluids in her.
I’ll hook her to an IV now and have someone come draw labs.
Has she had any recent tests? Any chance she could be pregnant? ”
“She is,” I answered before Jream could even lift her head. “We just found out a couple days ago.”
The nurse raised a brow but nodded, scribbling it down. “Congratulations. That explains part of it then. She’s likely a little dehydrated, which can spike that fever and make everything feel worse than it is. I’ll let Dr. Quintero know we need an ultrasound to check dating, just to be sure.”
Jream turned her face toward me, eyes barely open. “Told you it was the baby.”
I brushed her silk press back off her forehead. “Still don’t mean I was gon’ let you sleep it off, mama. You runnin’ hot and carryin’ my seed? Nah.”
She just gave me a tired half-smile and squeezed my hand.
They got her settled quick, slid the IV in smooth, and within thirty minutes we were in the ultrasound room.
Jream laid back, stomach exposed, gown slightly lifted, and my heart was beatin’ in my damn throat.
I’d seen that monitor enough times to know what was comin’, but it still never felt routine.
The tech was a middle-aged Black woman with cocoa skin and a gold hoop in her nose. She smiled warm and dimmed the lights.
“Alright, let’s take a peek at this little bean.”
The moment the probe hit her belly, we saw it.
Two.
Two little beans.
Two fluttering heartbeats.
Two separate sacs.
The room fell silent, except for the soft whir of the machine and the rush of life echoing from that monitor. My mouth opened but no sound came out at first.
The tech blinked. “Well… hello there. Looks like we’ve got twins.”
Jream’s whole body tensed and her eyes flew to me, wide as hell. “Twins?”
I was still stuck. Still tryna wrap my head around what she just said.
“Identical?” I managed.
“Fraternal,” she said gently, eyes flickin’ to the screen. “Two sacs, two placentas. Definitely fraternal. And based on measurements… she’s ten weeks on the dot.”
My jaw clenched.
Ten weeks.
Ten.
That math was mathing too damn loud.
Jream slowly turned toward me, her lips partin’. “Lucky…”
I let out a slow-ass exhale and laughed once, runnin’ a hand over my beard.
“One of them babies were made before your six weeks was up,” I said, grinnin’ through the shock. “Told you not to look at me like that with that robe on.”
She covered her face. “Oh my God…”
“Nah,” I chuckled, leaning down to kiss her hand. “Oh, my me.”
Jream groaned and started laughing too, head falling back against the pillow.
The tech smiled and wiped her belly gently. “Everything looks healthy. You’ll get a full report soon, but so far, two strong heartbeats, both measuring right where they should. Congratulations again, Mama and Daddy.”
I kissed Jream’s knuckles again, then her temple, my other hand rubbing over her belly slow. Two more. Another pair of Bleu babies.
She looked so damn soft laying there, glowing even through exhaustion, mouth still curved in disbelief.
I whispered against her skin, “We really be multipyin’ like it’s a team sport.”
And she smacked my chest, mumbling, “I’m never fuckin’ you again.”
I laughed all the way to the parking lot because we both knew that was a lie.