“You excited?” he asks, his voice low, teasing, but with a softness that makes my chest ache.
“I… I think so,” I admit, my thumb brushing over the back of his hand. “Terrified too.” Because even though we’ve already been to the doctor and confirmed that, so far, my pregnancy is entirely normal and I’m safe to move forward with it, I still can’t shake that icy fear lurking in my subconscious.
He smiles, eyes lighting up as he gives my fingers a gentle squeeze. “There’s nothing to be scared of. Everything is going to be great.” His words make my heart stutter as they warm me from the inside out.
When the nurse calls us back, we enter the clinical room, and I try to calm my racing thoughts as the nurse guides me to lieback on the table. Sandro perches on the edge, his knee brushing mine, and I feel that familiar flutter in my chest. Even after everything, even after nights that seemed unending, he’s here. Right here.
The doctor comes in a minute later, cheerful but professional, and I can’t stop myself from trembling a little as she chatters happily, making small talk as she starts the procedure. The cool gel on my stomach makes me jump, and I glance at Sandro.
He chuckles softly and brushes my knuckles with his thumb. “Feels weird?”
“Like freezing jelly,” I mutter, but he’s smiling at me like I’m the only person in the world.
The screen flickers to life, and I squeeze his hand, tears welling unbidden. Then the heartbeat starts—rapid, tiny, almost impossibly strong—and a wave of love crashes over me. I can’t look away from the screen as swirling images move across it. I can’t stop shaking.
Then the doctor frowns. “Hmm,” she says, tilting her head, eyes narrowing as she studies the screen.
I freeze, panic flaring instantly. “Is something wrong with the heartbeat?” My voice trembles. “It’s too fast, isn’t it? And… irregular?” I’d hoped I was imagining things. After all, I’ve never heard an ultrasound before.
“No, no,” she says quickly, raising a hand. “It’s nothing to worry about, though you’re not wrong. It’s actually… well, we’re hearing more than one heartbeat.”
My brain freezes. I blink at her. “More than one?” My pulse skyrockets, a mix of confusion and awe.
“Yes.” She nods, smiling now. “Congratulations… you’re having twins.”
Something inside me shatters in the best possible way. Tears spill down my cheeks as I turn to Sandro, unable to contain myself. “Twins,” I whisper, voice trembling. “We’re having… two babies.”
Sandro’s face breaks into a grin that makes my heart ache with joy. He leans over and presses his lips to mine, kissing me fiercely, passionately, right there in the office. My hands thread into his hair as I cling to him, tasting the sweetness of relief, excitement, and love all at once.
“They’re going to be amazing,” he murmurs against my lips. “Just like their mother.”
“I can’t believe it,” I whisper, voice barely audible. “Two… little babies… ours.”
He pulls me close, and we sit together for a few moments, just holding onto the reality of it, letting it sink in.
The doctor gives us a few snapshots of our twins, and I can’t stop pressing them to my chest, marveling at the tiny little lives growing inside me.
Back in the car, Sandro doesn’t stop holding my hand. His thumb circles over mine, gentle and steady. “I have a surprise for you,” he says, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
My stomach flips. “Another one?” I ask, laughing through tears.
He smirks, and one corner of his mouth quirks. “Yes. I’ll show you when we get home.”
The moment we step inside, I’m already buzzing with anticipation. He leads me down the hall to a room past the library we’ve just finished restoring. The smells of fresh fabric, polished wood, and something faintly floral hit me immediately. My eyes widen as I see the sewing machine, fully outfitted with a table and shelves stacked with bolts of beautiful fabric.
“You… you did this for me?” I whisper, running my hands over the smooth wood.
He steps up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing his cheek to the side of my head. “For you. So you can make whatever you want, whenever you want.”
I spin in his arms, pressing my lips to his, and I feel like the luckiest woman alive. “Sandro… this is incredible.”
He chuckles, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “The surprise isn’t over yet.”
He takes my hand and leads me down the hall again, back toward the entry and up the winding staircase to our suite—and the room just beyond that will be the nursery. My breath catches when I see the crib, the changing table, the rocking chair… Everything is there, but it hasn’t been decorated.
“We’ll have to get another crib, of course. But I spoke to Stephanie. These are all the best brands she could recommend. I figured she was the best resource because… well, Jackson.”
Right, Gio’s wife already had one child, and I couldn’t think of a better mother to ask for advice.
