She was trapped in her own little world until they pulled up to the doctor’s office. Getting out of the car, the girls walked side by side into the building. Olivia checked in and then waited a bit until her name was called. Emily walked behind her eagerly, nearly as giddy as Olivia was to see the baby. The nurse recorded her vitals, checking things like her weight and blood pressure before finally taking her to the room. Soon after they got into the room and got through the routine questioning, her doctor walked in.
“Hey there,” she smiled as she entered, “Are you ready to see your baby?”
“Definitely!” Emily exclaimed, answering before even Olivia could respond.
Doctor Richards chuckled and walked over, pulling the ultrasound closer. She lifted Olivia’s shirt and shrugged down her pants a bit. Putting the jelly on her lower stomach, she pushed the wand against her. Almost immediately, a rapid heartbeat sounded. Olivia’s eyes teared up at the sound. It made it feel so much more real, knowing there was a tiny living being inside of her. The doctor had the screen pointing away from them at first, pressing the wand all around her abdomen. Olivia watched the doctor, noticing her eyes grow big after a couple of minutes.
“So there’s something we didn’t notice on the last scan,” Doctor Richards began.
Olivia’s heart plummeted into her stomach. Was something wrong with the baby?
“Do twins run in your family?” she followed up.
She gave her a confused look, “No…”
The doctor then turned the screen to face them, “Well, you have a set now.”
Olivia’s widened eyes looked at the screen, seeing two black sacks with distinctive white shapes inside them.
“I’m not sure how this little one didn’t show on the last scan, but it’s definitely there now. And it’s measuring the same as the other. You have fraternal twins.”
Olivia’s jaw dropped, staring at the two little babies on the screen.
“Two babies?” she muttered under her breath.
She wasn’t sure whether or not to be enthusiastic or scared. While it was amazing they got two babies out of a process that was questionable to produce one, she was nervous about a twin pregnancy. It would probably be her only ever pregnancy, but it was still her first.
“Oh my god!” Emily gasped, leaning in to look at the screen. “Do you know the genders?” she asked the doctor, barely giving the woman a glance before turning her attention back to the screen.
“It’s still a little too early for that. When she comes back for her next appointment, we will figure it out then,” Doctor Richards informed her with a smile. “There being two is probably why you’ve been so sick, and also why you’re already starting to show a little bit.”
“It’s not just bloating?” Olivia blinked. The doctor wore a smile and shook her head no.
How big was she going to get then?
“Well that’s all for today if you didn’t have any other questions. You should go home and get some rest. You look very tired.” The doctor said.
Olivia didn’t say a word. Her mind still processing what she had just been told.
“Come on Olivia, let’s go home,” Emily said, a big smile on her face.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Olivia was still in shock by the time they got home. Emily, on the other hand, was practically bouncing off the walls and looking up cute ideas for twins. She did whine about not knowing the genders yet, but it was only a few weeks away until they would know for sure. After a while of excitable chattering and a late lunch, Emily left the apartment and headed to Isaac’s.
Olivia usually would have been upset by it, not liking being alone all the time, but Gabriel would be over in just a couple of hours. She knew showing him it was twins was going to be a big reveal. While it was going to be amazing to see his reaction. He had waited so long to have a baby, and now suddenly he was going to have two.
She dressed in a simple purple cotton dress, not wanting to be lounging in sweatpants when he got there. Even though she was pregnant, Olivia still wanted to hold the perception of being remotely cute. Though she still didn’t have the patience to mess much with her hair, just pulling it into a stylish bun. She fussed over cleaning the apartment to kill time; hiding the envelope with the ultrasounds in it so that Gabriel wouldn’t dive to look at them. Soon enough, the door opened and Gabriel walked in.
“Hey, babe,” he announced.
Olivia leaped from her spot on the couch to greet him.
“How did it go today?” he asked.
“Pretty well. Emily was nearly bouncing off the walls, though,” she grinned.
Gabriel chuckled, wrapping his arms around her, “Oh, I bet.”
Giving her a kiss, he pulled her down to sit back on the couch. Olivia tried to play it cool, acting as nonchalant as she could. But inside, she was bursting to tell him everything.
“So I found something interesting out at the appointment,” Olivia began.
“Oh? What, were they able to do an early scan for the gender or something?” he asked, his eyes lighting up.
“No, they won’t do that until next appointment,” she answered him. “It’s a lot more dramatic than that.”
Gabriel raised a brow at her. Olivia moved the magazine she had hidden them under and grabbed it. Opening the envelope, she took out the first scan and held it out to face him.
“There’s just more in here than we thought,” Olivia said, her hand gesturing towards her stomach.
His eyes fixated on the picture, grabbing it from her.
“Are you serious?” he said.
Gabriel stared at it for a long time, taking in every detail as his eyes started to water.
“I had forgotten my family had twins,” he muttered, clearing his throat, “My two older brothers were actually twins.”
“Really?” she blinked. “I thought it was just some sort of weird coincidence.”
Gabriel shook his head, just taking in the ultrasound before finally taking the envelope from her hands and flipping through the others. With each picture, he took a few minutes just to take it in. He looked like a young child opening Christmas presents.
“I can’t believe it’s twins…” he said.
“Yeah, I can’t either,” Olivia said. “They also let me know it isn’t bloating but actually showing. And it being twins is the reason I am so sick.”
Gabriel finally looked up to her, moving to pull her into a hug.
“You’re so amazing,” he purred to her, rubbing her back, “Thank you for putting your trust in me. For giving me this opportunity to have a family. It means more to me than you will ever know. And I know it’s probably overwhelming for you with it being twins, but I promise you we’ll get through it. And those two little ones will be so very worth it. I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” she breathed, hugging him back tightly. Olivia let out a sigh, “Yeah, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t kind of freaking out…” she let out a shaky laugh. “But, I know you’re right. And it’s a blessing to have two since it’ll possibly be our only chance.”
“You’re so strong and wise. I really do think you are the soul of Genevieve. Your soul just seems so much older,” Gabriel gushed to her.
“You don’t have to convince me,” Olivia chuckled softly to him, “I’ve been convinced since before all this happened.”
She knew some women would be upset being compared to their significant other’s exes, but it was a unique situation. Olivia felt honored to be compared to Genevieve, knowing she had been a true love of Gabriel’s and had a big heart. What was there to get upset about?
Gabriel held her as she pulled out her phone to show him videos she took of the scan, along with the recordings of the heartbeats.
“That’s so magical,” he breathed, closing his eyes as he listened to the heartbeats.
They sat together, taking in everything together. His excitement was starting to rub off on her, replacing her nervousness. The two of them were r
eally going to have a family.
CHAPTER NINE
Emily and Olivia were spending the evening together. Emily was cooking them a huge meal since Olivia actually had an appetite for once. She cooked all of her cravings, letting Olivia finally embrace that part of the pregnancy. Buffalo chicken, mashed potatoes, rolls, spaghetti, and double chocolate brownies. While they dined on their feast, the two made the invitations to Emily’s wedding. It was eight months away—originally it was six months away, but it would be right around the time Olivia was due. Knowing she probably wouldn’t be around to attend, she tried to convince Emily to keep the date but Emily was adamant about pushing it back.
Suddenly, the door opened and Gabriel walked in. Olivia was surprised; it wasn’t one of his nights to be there. It wasn’t like she was going to complain, though.
“Hey you,” she called over to him with a smile.
Gabriel glanced at her, “Can I talk to you in private?” he asked in a serious voice.
He sounded mad, making her face fall a bit. Had she done something to piss him off? Or perhaps it was something to do with the nest again.
“Sure,” she nodded, standing from her chair and excusing herself from Emily.
Olivia followed him into the room, shutting the door behind her.
“What’s going on?” she asked, her voice hinting with concern.
Gabriel sunk onto the edge of the bed, rubbing his face vigorously, “Two dumbasses drained four humans last night,” he muttered. “I’ve already handled them, but the damage is already done… I don’t know if they did it to act out and make us move, or if it was just an honest to God accident.”
She knew exactly what he meant by ‘handle’ them, it’s what he always said when he killed vampires who acted out. Her eyes didn’t bulge at that though, but rather at the news that two vampires had murdered four humans.
Gabriel’s eyes finally lifted to her, “I’m sorry, Liv, but we have to leave. And we have to leave tonight.”
Olivia stared at him with a shocked expression. Tonight?
A deep frown set in, “We…we have to leave tonight?” she asked meekly.
Gabriel gave a nod, “Yeah… I’m so sorry. I’ve been trying my damnedest to keep them under control. Believe me when I say they have paid for their actions. And don’t worry about the doctor stuff. I already mapped where we are going and I’ll set you up for your next appointment. I tried to find somewhere within driving distance with good doctors and based the move off that. I’m trying everything I can to make it right, but I know that doesn’t make up for the fact that you have to uproot your life. And I know I’ll never be able to make up for that, but I truly appreciate you’re your sacrifice. I swear to you I’ll never stop trying to repay you for all you’re doing for me.”
Gabriel’s gaze burned into hers, holding her hands in his. Olivia was trying her best not to sob, not ready to depart from the city she had grown to love. Emily and Isaac were like family to her, and she didn’t know if she would ever see them again.
“Just having you is enough,” she told him, even though tears were starting to spill from her eyes.
As soon as the words left her lips, she broke into a sob. Gabriel stood from the bed, pulling her into a tight hug.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry,” he muttered, rubbing her back as he held her. “If I could drop them and start a normal life here, I would…”
“I know you would,” Olivia sighed, wiping her eyes of tears as she tried to calm down. “I understand why we have to… I just thought I had a couple more months with Emily and all…”
“I know,” he sighed. “I thought you did, too.”
Olivia composed herself eventually, clearing her face of the tears and stopped sniffling.
“Do we have to go right now?” she asked in a small voice.
“No, not right now. It’s about six hours away, but we do need to leave here by about eleven… eleven thirty at the latest. That’s really pushing it, though,” Gabriel explained to her.
“Could I spend some time with Emily first? Since I won’t be able to see her for a long time…”
“Of course,” Gabriel nodded. “I’ll wait in here to give you two some privacy.”
Olivia leaned up and gave him a kiss, lingering in his embrace for a minute longer before finally forcing herself away and walking out of the room. As soon as she walked back in and laid eyes on Emily, she wanted to weep again. She managed to blink back the tears, putting on a smile as she went back to her seat. Emily turned to look at Olivia, her mouth full of potatoes.
“Is everything okay?” Emily asked.
“Everything’s fine,” she assured her.
But Emily didn’t look convinced. Olivia didn’t want to have to lie to her, but she didn’t see a way around it. She couldn’t tell her that they were leaving, she didn’t have the heart to do that. Realistically she knew she would have to at least leave a note behind telling her something so that Emily didn’t think Gabriel kidnapped her or something. Olivia really had no idea what she was going to say to her even then.
“He was upset about something at work. Just needed to talk it out,” she lied.
“Oh… okay,” Emily mumbled.
Olivia wasn’t hungry anymore but did continue to fill out the invitations with her.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Emily knew her friend well and could sense something was up.
“I’m fine,” Olivia tried to assure her. The pile of invitations to fill out was dwindling down. “So what else would you like to do?”
“Don’t you want to spend time with Gabriel?” Emily questioned.
She shook her head, “Nah. It’s not his night. I want to spend time with you.”
Emily awed. “You’re so sweet!” she exclaimed, a huge smile on her face. “We can do anything, really. Wanna make some popcorn and watch some TV?”
“That sounds perfect,” Olivia smiled awkwardly.
The two girls stood and packed up the food from dinner, putting it in the fridge. Emily popped some popcorn, putting it in a large bowl before hurrying to the living room and jumping on the couch. Olivia strolled over, sitting on the couch next to her.
“What do you want to watch?” Emily asked her.
“Anything you want to watch is fine with me,” Olivia smiled as she tried not to get emotional again.
Olivia realized that everything she was doing with Emily would be the last time she would experience it. Skype and phone calls wouldn’t compare.
“Comedy it is,” Emily grinned, turning on a goofy television show that they had always watched together.
The girls spent the next couple of hours watching episodes together, chatting between scenes. Olivia rejoiced in the time they spent together, trying to make the most of every minute. Other people probably would have gone out and tried to do something, but a night watching television and just talking to her felt perfect for Olivia.
At nine, though, Emily stretched and yawned, “Well, it’s been fun, but I think I’m going to go to bed. I wanna go to the gym before work tomorrow morning.”
She stood and stretched again. Olivia was on her feet in a heartbeat. Her arms wrapped around Emily in a tight hug, catching Emily off guard.
The girl returned the hug, patting her back. “You okay?” she asked.
Olivia was trying her best not to cry, though it was proving to be a challenge.
“Yeah. I just wanted to thank you for all you’ve done for me. You’ve been a real friend, even through all the madness this year has been. I love you.”
Emily let out a bit of a chuckle, “I love you too, Liv. Of course I’m going to be there for you through it all. You are carrying my nieces or nephews in there,” she teased. “And where in this world would I be without my maid of honor?”
Olivia’s heart ached at her best friend’s words. Olivia wouldn’t be there for her wedding, and Emily wouldn’t be around when she had the twins. They would miss so much of each others live
s. It was incomprehensible to even think about.
“I don’t know where I would be without you, either,” she managed to get out before pulling away. “Sleep well.”
“You too,” Emily smiled and then headed to her room.
Olivia hurried to her own room, needing to get to safety before she lost control of her emotions. Opening the door and quickly closing it behind her, tears bubbled from her eyes. Gabriel was by her side in a blur, his strong arms locking around her. She wept into his chest, wishing for the first time in their relationship that Gabriel was human. If he was human, they wouldn’t have to move so suddenly. It really hit her that neither Emily nor her parents would be around for the twins. Would they be able to handle two babies all on their own? She had heard so many chaotic stories about having just one baby, let alone two.
Olivia cried and cried, and Gabriel tried his best to comfort her. Eventually, her crying ceased. She knew that there wasn’t any way to change how things were and that she would never trade Gabriel for the world. It was just hard to leave behind all she had ever known. Once she composed herself, she pulled back and wiped her face.
“Sorry I’m such a mess,” she mumbled.
“Don’t apologize. You’re allowed to be upset,” he assured her, kissing her cheek. “This won’t be the last time you see Emily, or your family. We’ll be able to visit them in the future. I promise you.”
Olivia thought about it and felt a bit better about the situation. Of course she would visit them again later on, perhaps after she had the twins. She just hoped that they would be able to accept her when she visited.
Olivia went to walk to her bed when she noticed two large duffle bags sitting on it. Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck, “I went ahead and packed for you, to save some time. I made sure to get everything we had for the twins, your favorite outfits, stuff like that… You’re welcome to check behind me.”
A New World: A Vampire's Obsession: Book 3 Page 4