“Nothing’s wrong!” She was smiling. “I just... hold on. Let me get a better angle.”
She moved the wand.
Pressed harder.
Adjusted the screen.
“Okay,” she drawled. “So... this is interesting.”
“Interesting?” I repeated. “What does interesting mean? Interesting good or interesting bad? Interesting concerning or interesting—”
“Julien,” Athena said gently. “Breathe.”
I was breathing.
I was breathingtoo much.
The technician was still moving the wand, her expression shifting from curious to surprised to something that looked almost like amusement.
“So,” she said finally. “I’m seeing... well. I’m seeing three distinct heartbeats.”
Silence.
Complete, absolute silence.
“Three?” I asked carefully.
“Three,” she confirmed.
“Three heartbeats?”
“Yes.”
“In one baby?”
“No,” she turned the screen toward us. “In three babies.”
My world tilted.
Three.
Three babies.
Three separate, individual human babies.
“Triplets!” Athena gasped. “Oh my Goddess, Julien, we’re having triplets!”
She was smiling.
Smiling.Like this wasgood news.
Like this was something to behappyabout.
“I need...” I started.
The room was spinning.
“I need to...”
