Chapter 21
Eva
Feet leaden, I processed into my parents’ kitchen to the smell of lasagna, which would be a treat under any other circumstance. Though bruised and battered, it was time to come clean.
Mom was making a salad.
She turned as I entered, her face pulling in concern. “Eva! My God! What happened?”
“Another exec bumped me,” I said. “I went down and sprained my wrist. It’ll take a while to heal, but I’ll be back to normal soon.”
“Bert!” Mom called towards the living room. “Come help Eva!”
Dad popped his head out. “Well, shit, Eva!”
“I sprained my wrist. I cannot really carry my bags and handle that door.”
I also wasn’t allowed to lift something so heavy anymore. I had restrictions.
“Sure, sure. I will help the walking wounded.”
“Sit, sit,” Mom said. “You need to rest.”
I sat at the kitchen table as she took out the lasagna. Dad hauled in my luggage, bringing it upstairs.
“Do you have to see a doctor?” Mom asked.
“I went to the hospital. They referred me to an ortho person in the city. I’ve got a couple appointments lined up. I’m off tomorrow. I have an appointment with a specialist. I promise it will heal.”
“A specialist!?”
Dad came back down.
“Bert! She’s gotta see a specialist!”
“Well, kid, what did you do?”
“It was an accident. I got taken out by a colleague. He feels terrible.”
“Go sit. I will bring the food in.” Mom shooed us into the dining room.
With a heaping hunk of lasagna on my plate, I knew it was time to come clean.
“So, I need to go to the doctor tomorrow, but it’s not for my wrist.”
Mom and Dad stared at me dead on.
“I’m pregnant,” I said. “And I’m thirteen weeks. So, we’re doing an ultrasound tomorrow.”
“What?” Dad said.
“It was… an accident of sorts—a happy accident.”
“How?” Mom asked. “How did you get pregnant… by accident?”
“The typical way,” Dad said. “I’m assuming?”
“But she doesn’t… you know… with men.”
“Mom!” I laughed. “Oh my God, yes. I do. It’s been awhile, but… there was a guy. Something happened despite our best efforts, and now I’m pregnant. We’re committed to co-parenting.”
“I am… I’m going to need a minute,” Mom said.
“Does he at least have a job? Can he support you?” Dad asked.
“I can support myself, but he does have a job. And a house. And several cars,” I said. “It will be okay.”
“Several cars?” Dad asked.
“Well, he’s kind of rich. Long story. I.. I don’t—”
“Who is this man?” Mom asked.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Well, are you dating him?” Mom demanded.
“Not… quite,” I winced. “Look, it’s complicated. We’re not together—not in a permanent sense—but we’re trying to make it work. The point is that he loves the babies, not that we’re obsessed with one another. Maybe that would happen? I dunno.”
“Babies?” Mom and Dad asked in unison.
“It’s twins. Mo-Di twins, which basically just means they share a placenta but are otherwise separate. They are identical. Tomorrow, we’ll ensure everything is perfect and find out the sex if we decide we still want to. He paid for the fancy test.”
No response came, just open-mouth silence.
“Uh, so yeah. I hope you will accept that. I’m a grown-up and I want to have these babies. I think we’ll be okay. There’s a lot of questions I don’t have answers to, but they won’t let me go past early January—and I hope you will love these babies just as you will Brooke’s kids.”
Dad squeezed my hand. “I cannot imagine a world in which we don’t love your children, Eva. It’s just… a shock. Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I worried you’d be angry. And after his mother verbally abused him for an hour for it a couple days ago, you can understand my concern.”
I realized I’d given it away.
“His mother? Wait… is this one of the Delphine’s?” Mom asked.
“It’s David,” I answered. “Davey is what we all call him, but… yes.”
“You’re having your boss’s baby?” Dad laughed heartily. “Eva, that is nuts! Kiddo, you weren’t the one I expected that from.”
“We met before I worked there. I didn’t know who he was—beyond Davey.” I shrugged. “He wanted to date me. I ran away. I wasn’t—and still probably am not—ready for something major, but here we are. He’s been sweet even when I haven’t been.”
“He better be so you don’t sue him for millions,” Dad said.
“Dad, it’s not like that. When I told him, he completely stepped up. I didn’t even want him to, but he did.”
“When is he going to come over and speak to us face-to-face?” Mom asked.
“He wanted to come. I didn’t want his identity to complicate things.”
“And where will you live?”
I winced. “I’m not sure. We have a lot to discuss, but it will work out. He wants to buy me a car, and we had an argument about that yesterday. I want to sort that out first.”
“Why are you arguing about a car? He wants to buy you a car and you’re complaining with him?” Mom laughed. “It’s the least he could do. His family is worth billions. Let him do it.”
I groaned. “I hate that. I can buy my own car. The truck is—”
“Not safety rated. You’re carrying two babies. We need to get a car for you. I agree with him there. Until then, I’m driving you to the station and back,” Dad said. “Because I don’t trust that thing. It doesn’t even have airbags.”
Davey would have lost his shit if he knew that. And, for once, I agreed the men in my life were probably right.
“I will tell him,” I said. “But Dad, he’s the one buying—”
“I’m coming, too,” Dad said. “It will be good to meet the man who suddenly shook your entire life up.”
“And ruined your reputation,” Mom sighed. “Eva, is this really the right thing?”
“Mom, you’re a good Catholic.”
“I’m also a realist. Although, at least it appears he is trying. No wonder his mother is angry. This is her second child to conceive children out of wedlock.”
I snickered. “Oh, he heard all about that. To my surprise, she was much nicer to me after she found out I was pregnant with her grandchildren than she was with her son.”
“Better that way,” Mom glared at Dad. “Better than having your mother-in-law become distraught at the news of any of your pregnancies.”
“My mother wasn’t happy to hear about either of you,” Dad snickered. “I always had to protect your mom. Hopefully Richie Rich takes that approach to protecting you, too.”
“I think he will,” I agreed. “Whether I like it or not.”
It felt good to finally hop in the pool on a hot, humid August evening without a care in the world.
I didn’t have to cover anything. I felt free as I lounged in a bikini, my stomach on full display.
Every day, it grew slightly—further fucking up my back.
As I floated on a pool float, Ellie’s head popped up the steps.
“I brought sparkling alcohol-free wine,” Ellie said.
I laughed. “Don’t tell me you drank the water.”
“Hell no. We’re done,” Ellie said. “Mike is perfectly happy the way we are, and I think that’s beautiful. Speaking of beautiful—”
She poured two glasses. “You are glowing, Eva. And that belly! What a difference a week makes!”
“I exploded. I am so relieved I could finally say something,” I sighed. “Not without issues. And I am sure Brooke will shit a brick. I’ve asked Mom and Dad not to tell her. I want to wait a few more weeks until after her baby ‘sprinkle’ or she’ll lose it.”
Ellie waded over, handing me a cup with one hand. “So, how did it go? I mean, after you fell?”
“My left hand is the only one that works. I’m sore and my back hurts. Tomorrow, I get to see what I’m having. It’s a hot mess.”
“But the baby is fine?”
I sipped and took a beat. “Well, don’t freak out but it’s actually twins. The ultrasound blindsided us.”
“Twins?”
“Identical twins.”
“The man’s swimmers work!”
“Oh, stop!” I said. “It was my eager ovulation that did the work. Honestly, I cannot believe it. For months, I struggled to conceive, but a one-night stand and a broken condom finally made my dreams come true.”
She snickered. “Eva, that’s terrible. Give him more credit. It’s been more than a one-night stand. He’s stood by you.”
“I am not giving him credit for doing the bare minimum,” I said. “However, he’s going above and beyond to support me. Also, there was a thing on a boat.”
“A thing on a boat?”
“We sort of lost control and shagged on his family’s yacht.”
“Evangeline!” Ellie screeched, smacking my bad arm.
“Fuck! Ouch!” I said as my wrist vibrated in pain.
“Oh, shit, I’m so sorry, sweetie. Well, fuck! So, when is the wedding?”
“Never,” I said. “How are the final things coming along? Are we still on for shoes on Wednesday?”
“I will be there with bells on,” Ellie answered. “But you?”
“I will be. Of course, tomorrow night, Dad is insistent we go car shopping. The minute I texted Davey about it, he agreed. The men are conspiring against me. Although, at this point, I would say Dad just wants to vet him.”
“There’s nothing to worry about. He’s gorgeous, rich, and falls all over himself around you.”
“He does not!”
“He does. He’s always running into things or dropping something. That’s because of you—not a coincidence, babes.”
I shook my head. “He wants to buy me a car.”
“Yeah, so? I looked up the house he lives in. It’s a 26-million-dollar penthouse.”
My mouth dropped.
“Let him blow 100 grand on a car. He’s not hurting for money,” Ellie said.
“But that makes me a gold digger.”
“You’re suffering through a twins pregnancy while bopping around in a broken-down farm truck.”
“It runs great!”
“It’s a beater.”
“Dad won’t let me drive it anyway. It’s no longer safe. The men are so annoying.”
“The men? Someone’s gotta keep you on a leash, sweetie. Oh, speaking of that, are you bringing him?”
“Who?”
“Davey.”
“To what? The appointment? Yes. He’s coming.”
Ellie shook her head. “The wedding.”
“No. I don’t have a plus one.”
“Technically, you do per your RSVP. Because you told me Mona was coming back when Mona was with you.”
“Ah,” I sighed. “No.”
“Eva, please! Bring him! It would be fun.”
“Why do you want this to be a thing?” I groaned.
“Because he likes you. Because you’re cute together!”
“We really aren’t. We’re not a couple.”
“Uh-huh. That’s why daddy rushed you off to the ER the minute he heard you’d fallen, right? That’s why he’s always around these days?”
I rolled my eyes. “I love you, but that’s not what this is.”
“Bring him.”
“I will think about it.”
“You’ve got five days. I need a final head count.”