Forty | Cole
Forty
Cole
“Do you think we should tell them?” I asked, leaning against the wall as Lyric brushed her teeth.
She shrugged, but I could see the anxiety on her face at the thought of telling our family that we were having twins. She finished brushing, rinsed her mouth, then spit in the sink, wiping her mouth when she was done.
“I guess we have to? I don’t think I can hide it much longer,” she said, rubbing a hand over her stomach.
There was a very noticeable bump beneath the thin fabric of the tank top she had on, pulling it so tight that I couldn’t help but stare at it.
I loved Lyric’s body regardless of what it looked like, but pregnant Lyric was like my kryptonite.
I couldn’t help myself and was constantly turned on watching her body change as she grew our babies inside of her.
“Well, we’re past the fourteen-week mark,” I said gently as I pushed off the wall and pulled her into my arms. “You’ve officially entered the second trimester, and Doctor Navarro said everything was looking great. The babies are growing and developing how they should be.”
She nodded, letting out a soft breath as she looked up at me.
“I still can’t believe we’re having twins.”
“I know, me either,” I admitted. “Not only that, but a boy and a girl. It’s literally the perfect combination.”
Lyric tipped her head back and laughed.
“Leave it to you to always see the positive in everything.”
I grinned and kissed her forehead.
“What can I say? I’ve always been a glass-half-full kinda guy.” I shrugged.
“And here I’ve been a broken glass that can’t even hold water kinda girl.”
I knew she meant it as a joke, but I also knew there was some truth in it that she believed as well.
“You’re not broken,” I said softly, rubbing my hands up and down her arms. “But even if you were, that’s okay. I know how to fix just about anything.”
“Well, I’m happy to know I’m in good hands,” she teased.
“The best,” I agreed, wiggling my eyebrows as I leaned in and nipped her neck, making her giggle.
**************************
The next day, we sat down for a family breakfast and invited my parents over. I could tell that Lyric was anxious, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. I sat beside her, holding her hand under the table while Chloe told my dad about how naughty Rufus and Magnolia had been this morning.
“They ate your cake?” my dad asked, staring in disbelief as she got more dramatic by the second.
“Yes!! All of my cake!” Chloe confirmed, throwing her hands in the air.
“Well, in all fairness, it was a cake made out of mud,” Ben chimed in. “You know they’ll eat just about anything.”
“But it was for their birthdays, and I didn’t even get to sing!”
“I can help you make another cake after breakfast,” my dad offered, watching Chloe with fascination as she frowned and pouted with her arms folded over her chest.
“What did I miss?” my mom asked as she walked into the kitchen, kissed all the kids on the head, then took her seat by my dad.
I turned my attention to Lyric while my dad gave my mom a recap of the cake incident.
“You okay?” I asked, squeezing her hand beneath the table.
She nodded but looked like a deer caught in headlights as she stared down the length of the table.
“Are you okay, Aunt Lyric?” Kara asked, drawing everyone’s attention to us.
I lifted our hands from under the table, not letting hers go, even when she tried to pull away. I knew everyone noticed it by the confused glances they shared, their eyes coming back to our joined hands resting in front of us on the table.
“Lyric and I have some news we’d like to share,” I announced, ignoring the way my heart raced in my chest.
“Are you guys back together?” Ben asked.
I looked at Lyric, not sure how she wanted to handle that question. We had been so focused on the pregnancy that we never got around to officially addressing that. Things had been moving along so quickly that it seemed like we went back into old routines as if we were together again.
“Yes,” Lyric answered, clearing her throat before reaching for her glass of water with her free hand.
“That’s so awesome,” Kara said, followed by my parents agreeing.
“That’s not all,” I added, shifting in my chair as I realized just how nerve-racking this really was. “We’re having a baby.”
There was an audible gasp as everyone stared at us, jaws hanging in surprise.
“Two, actually. Twins.”
“What?” Kara laughed as she looked from me to Lyric, her eyes wide. “That’s seriously so cool.”
“Wow,” my mother said, shaking her head. “I can’t believe it.”
“Neither could we,” Lyric replied with a soft laugh. “But it’s true. We are pregnant with twins. I’m fourteen weeks, and we’re having a boy and a girl.”
“Congratulations,” my dad said, getting up from the table to come hug both of us. “We’re so happy for you guys.”
“Yes, congratulations,” my mother added, tears running down her face as she raced to wipe them away. “This is amazing news.”
I let my shoulders fall as I exhaled, a sense of relief washing over me now that we had shared our news.