“That was our biggest fight but it wasn’t the biggest test of our marriage.”
The room went silent as three pairs of eyes turned to me, silently waiting. With a heavy inhale and deep exhale, I went into the most painful experience in my forty years being married to Robert.
****
Then
Deborah
“What did I tell you? Four boys! Carter, Joshua, and now twin boys!” Robert was practically glowing, walking on air as we strolled out of my doctor’s office.
I was exactly twenty weeks and we’d just gotten our first sonogram. We’d found out weeks ago we were having twins, but a part of me was still unbelieving. Not until seeing the images of two little bodies on the monitor did it really begin to sink in. And yup, just as Robert had been predicting all of these years, both were boys, identical twins. That made four boys.
“I never doubted you for a second, babe,” I stated sarcastically, as he held the door open for me to get in. He’d opted to drive his Audi Coupe to the appointment instead of being driven in the usual town car.
“I’m sure you didn’t,” he said before lowering his lips to kiss mine.
“I’m hungry.”
He chuckled. “You can have anything you want.”
“Good, ’cause I want a cheeseburger and fries.Now.”Dammit, if I was carrying twins, I was going to eat whatever I wanted. This would be my last pregnancy. I didn’t know if I was more excited to meet my babies once they were born or just be done with being pregnant forever.
“We need to think of names,” Robert said as I sat on the couch, chewing away at the cheeseburger and fries we’d picked up from the local fast food restaurant.
I ignored my husband.
“Josh, what do you think of the name Billy?” Robert questioned our nearly four year old.
Joshua’s head popped up from the coloring book he’d been working in, and those blazing green eyes of his narrowed, as he thought. Soon enough, he frowned and shook his head.
“Agreed,” I said around a stuffed mouth, before swallowing. I wasn’t fond of the name Billy.
“Their names should start with the same first letter,” I offered, before taking another bite. “This is soooo good!” I exclaimed, causing Joshua to giggle.
Robert gave me a look. “You don’t allow the children or me in here to eat, yet you’re doing it.”
I shook my head. “You all make a mess. I’m the one who cleans up after you monsters.”
“We can afford an entire staff to clean our home daily.”
I shook my head. I’d been resistant to getting more help with cleaning the house. We had a maid service who came in once a week to clean but that was it. I didn’t want to be one of those women who hired staff unnecessarily just because I could afford it. This was our home, the least I could do was clean it by myself most of the time.
As that thought past through my mind, Robert sat down on the couch next to me, swiping one of my fries. I leveled him with a glare. He simply tossed me a smirk and a wink.
“Josh, why don’t you head upstairs to go play with Aaron and Carter,” Robert called.
Aaron was spending the weekend at our place.
Josh didn’t protest. He took his crayons and coloring book and went running out of the room, heading for the stairs.
“How long do you think it’ll be before they’re all arguing up there?”
“I give it ten minutes,” Robert responded.
“You’re generous. I say five.”
“Then we better choose two names quickly.”
