Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
I sat at a table for two by the window in Lolita’s Place, waiting for my sister, Tabatha, to join me. I’d been the bigger person and had asked her to meet me for lunch to talk. After all, she was as much a victim of all of this as I was. I’d never blamed her for our parents keeping her and giving me away.
It wasn’t her fault any more than it was mine.
My heart beat faster when I saw her outside the window as she walked through the front door, spotted me, straightened her spine and then walked my way. She didn’t say a word until she sat down and draped her napkin over her lap.
Our waitress came over and we placed our orders, then sat in awkward silence.
We might be identical twins, but we were different enough in most ways. She had the same golden-blonde hair as me, but hers was a short bob, and she wore blue jeans, which I had never worn in my life. The one truly identical thing about us was our periwinkle blue eyes, so like our mother’s.
Inhaling deep, I smiled wide. “Hi, Tabatha.”
“Tiffany.” She didn’t smile back.
“I’m so glad you decided to join me for lunch.” I took in her stiff posture and tight face. “I didn’t think you were going to. What changed your mind?”
She shrugged. “Mom.”
“Ah, Rita.” I nodded, refusing to call her mom . “I’m coming to realize she can be quite persuasive.”
“ Mom doesn’t have an agenda,” she leveled me with a hard stare, “if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Well, how would I know that?” I stared right back, locking gazes and refusing to blink first. “I really don’t know the woman at all.”
She looked away first as the waitress brought our food to the table, speaking only after the woman was gone. “You don’t know me, either.”
“And that’s the reason for this lunch.”
We took a moment to eat in silence.
“I want to get to know you, Tabatha.” I set my napkin down. “We’re sisters. Twins, for God’s sake.” My hand fluttered down over my stomach.
“I heard you were pregnant.” Her gaze briefly followed my hand before she winced and looked away. “Congratulations. You and your husband must be thrilled.”
“Thank you. No husband.”
“Boyfriend then.”
I shook my head. “No boyfriend, either, but yes. The father is very proud and surprisingly happy to be a father. I wasn’t sure he would be.”
“Being a parent is a gift.”
“So, I’m told, but I didn’t exactly have the best role models.”
“Well, I did.” She thrust her chin in the air.
I ignored the challenge and said carefully, “Now that I’m having twins of my own, I can’t imagine them not being in each other’s lives.”
She let out a harsh laugh and shook her head at me. “We weren’t in your life for lack of trying on our part.”
“I didn’t say I wanted Rita and Charlie in my life, but you are innocent in all of this. You didn’t choose to be kept any more than I chose to be given away.”
“You weren’t given away. You were taken away.” Tabatha threw up her hands. “I know you don’t want to believe this, but Eugenia didn’t keep her word and give you back like she was supposed to.”
I was already shaking my head. “ Grammy wouldn’t do that.” I couldn’t go there. Because if I believed everything Tabatha and Rita were telling me, then the woman who raised me was a fraud, and I never really knew her at all. “She was the only one who has been there for me through everything I’ve gone through.”
“What you’ve gone through?” Tabatha gaped at me. “That’s a joke. You don’t have any idea what real hardship looks like.”
Her words cut through me. She didn’t know anything about me, so how could she judge me like this? I tried to put myself in her shoes and keep calm. “I heard about your husband and daughter’s tragic death. I can’t imagine what that was like. I didn’t even know you were married. But you’re not the only one who has been through shit. We all have had our battles, some more than others, but battles nonetheless.”
“I can’t do this. I told Mom I would try, but you have led a privileged life while we have struggled every day.”
“Clearly, I can’t either. This town loved Grammy, but I have been treated like a leech she had pity on. My cheating, manipulating, mentally abusive ex-husband—yes, I was married, too—only ever wanted me for my money. Still does. Other men have only ever wanted me for my looks, but those will fade in time.”
Tabatha grunted but didn’t say a word.
“Yes, Grammy took me in and loved me like her own, thank God, because my own parents didn’t want me. Do you know how that feels? No, you don’t. On top of all that, they robbed me of you, my only sibling, so don’t tell me I haven’t been through shit. And now that the only person who ever really gave a damn about me is gone, everyone is coming out of the woodwork wanting something from me. Well, I’ve had enough.”
“Good, I guess we’re finally on the same page.” She stood.
“Apparently so. I thought maybe you would be different as my twin, but I’m not about to beg anyone to want to be a part of my life.” I signaled for the check.
She opened her purse.
“Oh, don’t bother. I’m Ms. Moneybags, remember? I don’t need anything, especially not your money.” I threw down a wad of cash, willing my tears not to fall, as I stood and looped my purse over my shoulder.
Her gaze met mine, and she hesitated a moment, her mouth opening as if she wanted to say something. I saved her the trouble and turned on my heel, marching my way out the door first. Somehow her not wanting me cut deeper than the others.
Just once I had thought that maybe, just maybe, I would be enough for someone.
It was the end of July, and I was twelve weeks along. No more morning sickness, thank the Lord, but I did have on my very first pair of granny panties and maternity pants. Zoe had been right. They really weren’t that bad. My stomach had just started to thicken, and I couldn’t stand anything tight pressing on it.
“And how is my favorite patient feeling today?” Dr. Joy walked into the exam room of the practice she shared with Chaz.
“I bet you say that to all of your patients,” I grumbled, knowing I sounded like a pouting child but not being able to stop myself.
She laughed. “I see someone is experiencing pregnancy hormones.” She checked the vitals her nurse had recorded.
“And then some,” I admitted. “At least my morning sickness is gone finally. That was awful…times two!”
“Well, everything looks great on paper. We did your first sonogram at eight weeks. Now that you’re twelve weeks, I’d like to do another one.”
“Why, is something wrong?”
“It’s just a precaution because you’re having twins. Nothing to worry about, we just monitor you a little more closely.” She pulled a machine closer to the table I sat on. “I’ll just have you lie back, and we’ll take a look.”
I did as I was told, and then I heard a commotion outside the exam room door. Suddenly, in walked Matthew McGinnis, larger than life and scarier than ever. To my emotional state of mind anyway.
“Matt?” I sputtered. “What are you doing here?” I couldn’t stop thinking that he might be a part of some crazy clover cult.
“Excuse me, sir.” Dr. Joy frowned. “You can’t just barge into an exam room when the door is closed.”
“Chaz told me about the sonogram.” His gaze locked onto mine, silencing any protest I might give, almost daring me to tell him to leave.
“Dr. Anderson shouldn’t be talking about patients to anyone, let alone patients who aren’t his.” Dr. Joy crossed her arms over her lab coat and tapped her foot at Chaz, as he appeared by Matt’s side, out of breath.
“Sorry, Tiffany.” He looked apologetically at Dr. Joy before he scowled at Matt. “I did not tell Mr. McGinnis about your sonogram today. He was asking me about twin pregnancies in general, and how often sonograms were done. I told him it depended on the mother, but we typically do them every four weeks in our office.”
“Tiffany told me at eight weeks that she had a sonogram, and the twins were confirmed. I did the math and knew she was twelve weeks now.” Matt’s gaze swung back to mine. “It wasn’t too hard to find out when yer appointment was today. Yer office isn’t exactly discreet, if that’s what ye were counting on.” He narrowed his eyes at me, almost as if he felt hurt in some way. “What I want to know is why ye didn’t tell me about yer sonogram today? I’m the babies’ father. I have a right to know. Not to mention, did ye ever think maybe I would want to be present?”
He acted like he genuinely cared about his babies already. That was a first for me and was confusing me. Maybe he wasn’t part of a cult, but I had to be sure. I didn’t know I was having a sonogram today. I thought it was just another checkup. But he had a right to be involved if he wanted to.
“You’re right,” I finally said, coming to a decision.
He blinked. “I am?”
“As long as you’re okay with him being here, Tiffany, then I’ve got my own patients waiting.” Chaz raised a brow at me, waiting for my confirmation.
I nodded. “Matt can stay.”
Chaz tipped his head once and then closed the door behind him.
“Well, Mr. McGinnis, you won’t be finding out the sex of the babies until twenty weeks, if that’s what you’re hoping for by being here.” Dr. Joy gestured for him to stand on the other side of me where he could still see the monitor as she performed the sonogram.
“I don’t care what sex the babies are. I just want to see them with me own eyes.” He watched her squeeze a jelly type substance onto my stomach and roll a wand around until images popped up on the screen. “Make sure they’re okay.”
I studied his face and the sincerity written all over it. He really did care about his children already, I thought, surprised. When a look of wonder transformed his features, I turned my head to stare at the monitor and my jaw unhinged. The 3D ultrasound was in full color. I couldn’t get over the detail of how developed a twelve-week-old fetus already was.
We could see both babies, and it was like nothing I had ever experienced.
All of a sudden, I felt a hand squeeze mine. I glanced up at Matt and saw tears in his eyes at the same time that I felt my cheeks grow wet. Something happened between us, and I felt a bond grow. At this moment nothing else mattered. We would forever be connected to each other through our children.
I’d never had an “our” anything before.
“Okay, Mom and Dad, your babies look great. I’ll see you back in four weeks for another sonogram. And four weeks after that you can decide if you want to know the sex.”
“Yes,” I said.
“No,” Matt said simultaneously.
Dr. Joy looked back and forth between the two of us. “Like I said, you have time to decide. In the meantime, you’ve made it through the scariest part of the pregnancy. The first trimester. Feel free to tell anyone you haven’t already.”
“In this town, everyone knows everything,” I said.
“That’s fer sure,” Matt agreed.
“Okay, well, I suggest you start planning your nursery, buying baby clothes, figuring out a schedule, etc.” Dr. Joy made some notes on her computer. “The babies will be here before you know it.”
I could feel my face pale.
“We’re on it, Doc.” Matt spoke up when it was clear I couldn’t.
Dr. Joy finished up, and Matt didn’t leave until I did. He walked me out of the exam room and through the packed waiting room, causing all eyes to focus on us. Great . Gerty and Gabby Rogers raised brows at us, while Bitsy’s hand fluttered over her stomach as if just being in my presence might cause her harm.
I sighed.
“Come on, lass.” Matt rested his hand at the small of my back as he steered me outside. “Let’s get ye out of here.”
I allowed him to lead me outside because I didn’t have the energy to put up a fight. Once we hit the parking lot, I dug in my heels as reality set back in. What was his agenda? Did he really have a clover tattoo? Had he been mad because he’d gotten caught? Had he not used protection on purpose, hoping to get me pregnant because he’d found out it was my fortieth birthday? Had his proposal been a sham to throw me off? Did he plan to fight for custody and get rid of me after they were born?
I squeezed my eyes tight and shook my head hard, trying to stop myself from spiraling. “I appreciate what you were trying to do back there, Matt, but I’m a big girl. I can handle whatever this town throws at me on my own.”
“Why when ye don’t have to? Yer not alone, Tiffany.” He looked me in the eyes with an honesty even I couldn’t deny. Or he was a really good actor. “Ye have me.”
“Look, I know we’re connected through our babies, but that’s it,” I said firmly. “There is no us.”
He ran a hand through his curls. “Aye, yer a stubborn lass.”
I thrust my finger in his face. “You should talk.”
He dropped his hands to his hips and just stared at me. Finally, he scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “Okay, then. I’ll make ye a proposition. There is no us, but ye agree I can be a part of our children’s lives.”
I frowned. “We’ve already been over this. Of course you can be a part of our children’s lives. I would never deny them that.” But I would be secretly watching him like a mama bear. If he tried to take my cubs, I’d be taking care of him…permanently.
“Starting now,” he said, pulling me from my thoughts.
“What do you mean, starting now?” I eyed him carefully, taking a step back and kicking myself for it. “They’re not even here yet.”
“Sure, they are. They’re in yer belly, and ye need help whether ye like it or not.” He pointed at me.
My mouth gaped, but I couldn’t really deny what he was saying. It had been obvious at the doctor’s office that I was in over my head. I crossed my arms over my chest. “What would this proposition look like?”
He slid his hands in his jeans’ pockets. “I want to go with ye to yer doctor’s appointments. I will help ye buy all the baby clothes, supplies, and furnishings. And I will be here for ye anytime ye need to talk, rant, cry, laugh…whatever. I happen to be a great listener with plenty of nieces and nephews fer experience. Let’s just say I know a thing or two about women and babies.”
I bet he did, I thought as my suspicions about Children of the Clover came flooding back, but I thought about everything he said. He had a big family. I didn’t. He had nieces and nephews. I didn’t. He had experience. I didn’t.
I had my best friends, but they had their own busy lives. I already bothered them enough, even though they say I’m never a bother. I knew they would do anything for me, but I had to learn how to do this on my own. And the children were half Matt’s, after all.
The saying, Keep your friends close and your enemies closer , came to me.
I nodded once. “Okay, on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“No romance. We are strictly soon-to-be co-parents.”
“Deal, but I’d like to think we’re also friends.” His eyes softened.
“Friends.” I tested the word. Or frenemies? Either way, I planned to keep my eye on him which left me with only one answer, “Deal.”