12. Gigi
CHAPTER 12
Gigi
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Luke’s leg is bobbing up and down next to me in the hospital waiting room. Feeling the motion next to my knee, I force myself to look away so I don’t whack it with my hand.
“They usually start kicking during this time, Luke. Why aren’t they moving?” I can hear my own voice breaking.
My hand cradles my belly. There’s nothing else I can do beside hugging them from the outside right now. I pray, and God do I pray, that nothing is wrong with them. I try to block out the image from when we were at the apartment, the smear of blood coating both Luke's thighs and mine, but it’s useless. My mind does its own thing and vivid images pop up. Swimming in my head. Planting worst-case scenarios.
Think of happy thoughts, Gigi. Think of happy thoughts.
“It might be stupid, but what if it’s just your period?” Luke asks. “There’s this woman online who said she got her period until her eighth month of pregnancy.”
He’s right. It is stupid. “You need to cool it with Reddit,” I snap. “Half of the shit there is fake, anyway.”
“Mrs. Palmer?” the ER nurse calls out. Luke and I stand up at the same time. The man gives us a small smile before motioning us to follow him. “Come with me. You need to go to the obstetrics emergency department upstairs. We’re not equipped to examine pregnant women down here.”
Luke takes my hand in his. Both of our palms are clammy as we ride the elevator and sit in another waiting room. Unlike the one downstairs where the harsh fluorescent lighting only made you more nervous, this one is calmer and more peaceful. The walls are painted soft pink and there is a section with baby pictures hanging on the wall. Five minutes go by, and I finally understand why soft music is playing in the background—the sound of a woman screaming like she’s being possessed by the devil echoes through the hall. I wince when I start hearing her curse.
A and B, I hope you both are okay. If we make it through the end, I’m getting a C-section. No way I’m pushing you both out. I’d be split in two.
“Mrs. Palmer?” another nurse in pink scrubs calls me again. I almost don’t respond, too deep in my own thoughts and forgetting for a second that’s my name now. But Luke stands up next to me, our hands still linked.
The examination room is similar to Dr. Patel’s, but this one has way more tools. The equipment looks more high-tech, too. Not long after the nurse left us, someone who I think is the doctor walks in.
“I’m Dr. Black. How may I help you today?” he asks as he reads the clipboard with all of my pregnancy details.
“We, uh, we…we…” I stutter, feeling the embarrassment on my cheeks. Half of Dr. Black’s face is hidden under a mask, but he can’t be much older than us. Maybe in his mid-thirties. Somehow, it feels less shameful to be examined by Dr. Patel, who’s old enough to be a grandma, than it is to be examined by the young doctor in front of me. “We had sex and I bled,” I say in one breath. “This is an unplanned pregnancy. I’m having twins. My gyno said twin pregnancies are high risk? Did I put the babies in danger by having sex?” I have no clue why I’m rambling. The doctor looks at me with a glint of amusement in his eyes, and I wish the floor would just swallow me whole.
To his credit, Dr. Black doesn’t laugh at me. He simply tells me to lie down on the chair-bed thingy that I’ve gotten familiar with. The one with the stirrups. I look up at the ceiling when I feel his gloved fingers enter my vagina, the place where Luke’s dick was just inside two hours ago. Mortification runs through me when I realize that he must know that some of the wetness is sperm.
“Let’s do an ultrasound to be sure,” he says, standing up.
We move to an examination table in the right corner. Dr. Black squirts my belly with gel before he starts moving the transducer around, trying to locate A and B. Staring at the screen, he starts talking to me in a calm voice. “These things happen. The cervix changes during pregnancy and sometimes, usually after sexual intercourse, bleeding can happen.”
Luke and I just nod, both of our eyes glued to the two gray matters on the monitor that the doctor is also looking at.
“So the babies are alright?” Luke braves himself and asks.
“Yes,” Dr. Black answers, his smile evident in his tone. “Both babies look fine. Their heartbeats are strong and they seem to be growing normally.”
“Thank fuck,” I hear Luke mumble to himself as I wipe a tear of relief that drops on my cheek.
“Do you know the sex already?” Luke and I both shake our heads. “Would you like to know?”
I look up at Luke and he looks down at me. We grin at the same time. We were supposed to find out next week during our routine check-up. I almost squeal in excitement knowing the information will be given to us in a matter of seconds. The both of us have been anticipating this for a while now. Ever since we found out, really. But Dr. Patel is old-school, and she doesn’t want to tell us before the twenty-week anatomy scan. Something about technicians sometimes getting the gender wrong before that.
“Yes, please,” I answer the good doctor.
“You’re having a girl and a boy. Congratulations, you two.”
The smile on my face is pulling my cheeks. I would’ve been happy with any gender as long as A and B were healthy, but knowing that I have a set with both…I can’t wait to dress them up in cute clothes. Luke’s lips kiss the top of my head and when I look up at him, I see his honey eyes glassy.
“A and B are a girl and a boy,” he whispers, grinning.
We leave the building and walk back to Luke’s truck hand in hand, leaving boot marks on the snow. Luke immediately reaches for his phone and puts it on the holder. As he drives out of the parking lot, he pulls the brake to call Becca, starting the car again once her face is on his screen.
“Why are you calling so late, Luke?” she asks.
Luke cocks his eyebrow. “The question is, why are you still awake, you little brat?”
“I’m eleven years old! I’m allowed to still be awake at ten.” Spoken like a true latchkey kid.
“I want you to go to bed earlier, Becca,” Luke barks. “I bet your friends are already asleep by nine.”
“So bossy,” she sighs. The sassy princess rolls her eyes, and I have to bite my lip to stifle my laugh. Luke is going to have a field day once she’s an actual teenager. “Why are you calling anyway? You never told me.”
“Well, you wanted me to call you the moment we found out about the sex of the babies.”
Becca’s honey eyes shimmer as her expression changes from mildly curious to hyper excited. “Aaaand?”
“It’s a boy and a girl,” I blurt out, not being able to contain my own joy.
“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” Becca starts squealing, and Luke laughs while he drives through the dimly lit street on the way to our apartment. “Wait, let me get Bianca.”
When Becca and Mom start jumping up and down on the screen, and Luke looks at me like I’m the most precious thing in the world, my heart starts radiating warmth that spreads all over my chest.
Sure, our story is a little messy, and Mom might still hate me a little for not wanting a big wedding, but I think we’re going to be just fine.
Andrew, if you can see us, I want you to know that you’re going to have a niece and a nephew. You always wanted kids. You always wanted the Palmers to grow. I’m sorry you never got the chance, but I hope you’re happy for us. Take care, wherever you are.