‘O God,’ she suddenly exclaimed.
‘What?’ I asked in a panic.
‘I’m getting cravings all of a sudden. Seriously strong cravings for … pepperoni pizza.’
‘Nice try,’ chuckled Gabe.
‘You’d deprive the carrier of your unborn child a basic maternal need?’ she pouted.
‘If you behave I may let you have some grapes as well as a banana for pudding,’ teased Gabe.
‘I knew it, I’m carrying the spawn of Satan.’
‘You two, behave,’ I chastised as Maggie, our sonographer, started moving the tracker across Lexi’s tummy. We all went silent and suddenly the room was filled with the noise of the baby’s heartbeat. I stiffened up immediately.
‘What’s wrong?’ I asked as I looked at Maggie. ‘That doesn’t sound right.’
‘Mia,’ reassured Gabe as he kissed me again.
‘It doesn’t Gabe, that doesn’t sound right.’ I shot him a look as I felt my stomach twist in nervous knots.
‘It’s nothing to worry about,’ Maggie replied as she smiled at me. ‘You are right, it sounds odd because you’re not just hearing one heartbeat, you’re hearing two.’
‘What?’ exclaimed Lexi and Gabe at the same time, as I looked at her stunned.
‘Congratulations, you’re having twins.’
‘Twins?! As in two babies?’ uttered Lexi as her grip nearly broke my fingers.
‘Yes, it’s more common with IVF surrogacy, but everything’s looking good.’
‘O shit,’ groaned Lexi. ‘My vagina’s going to be ruined for life. Can I elect to have a caesarean now? Or some kind of vagina rebuilding plastic surgery?’ she asked as she looked up at me. ‘You could give me a decent pair of tits and some arse padding, give me a rump like a Kardashian while you’re at it.’ I just stared down at her in some kind of shocked daze. Twins?
‘Mia? Are you ok?’ Gabe asked as he clasped my face and looked into my eyes.
‘Twins?’ I whispered, still trying to take it in.
‘Twins,’ he grinned and kissed me, then grabbed Lexi’s face and kissed her too.
‘Austin, no! I told you that a threesome was what got us in this mess in the first place, I’m not doing it again, no matter how hard you beg,’ Lexi chuckled. Maggie just shook her head and rolled her eyes, while Gabe grabbed me, lifted me into the air and jigged me up and down as he laughed happily.
‘We’re having twins, Mia. Two babies.’
‘We’re also going to have a wet floor if I can’t have a pee soon,’ moaned Lexi. ‘And I’m not joking now, I’m hungry again. Can we stop at McDonalds on the way home?’ I clasped Gabe’s face as he smiled up at me and kissed him. I was half excited and half terrified. Lexi was only six weeks pregnant and I was well aware that so much could still go wrong, but there was a faint glimmer of hope now and I was determined to cling to it, no matter how scared I was. We deserved our happy ever after, no one deserved it more.
‘We’re going to need more food in the house,’ I announced with a big smile.
‘Tell me about it,’ he laughed and spun me around.
I was curled tightly around Gabe, fast asleep when I heard Lexi screech. I’d barely opened my eyes when she came charging into our room, without even knocking.
‘What? What’s wrong?’ I asked in panic as I sat up and Gabe groaned.
‘Someone kicked properly for the first time,’ she announced as she plonked herself down on the bed and lifted her top to expose her big tummy. ‘Quick, feel.’ She grabbed my hand and placed it on her rounded stomach, as I tried to clutch the duvet over my bare chest with the other.
‘Are you sure? Maybe it’s trapped wind again,’ I suggested, as Gabe sat up and put his arm around me and kissed my cheek.
‘Please, if there’s one thing I’m an expert in, especially now, it’s flatulence. This was no trapped wind.’
‘Is your stomach supposed to be that big?’ asked Gabe, as he looked at it amazed.
‘If I was having one baby for you no, but there are two of your little devils in here. I’m going to have serious stretch marks you know and … there,’ she yelled at the same time as I screamed and giggled.
‘I felt it. Gabe, I felt it.’
‘Come on Gabe, you try,’ smiled Lexi.
‘Isn’t that kind of weird?’ he frowned.
‘No weirder than you making me wear headphones with loud music every evening, so you can talk to my stomach to say goodnight, or whatever it is that you’re whispering to them,’ she retorted. I giggled again as Gabe went red. He loved his routines, and talking to the twins in Lexi’s tummy every night before she went to bed was one of his favourites.
‘Come on Gabe, you don’t want to miss this. Lexi wouldn’t offer if she didn’t want you too.’
‘Here, look,’ she said as she pulled her vest down over her bump. ‘See, no flesh on flesh. Try now.’
‘Ok,’ he sighed. We sat watching him, waiting for his reaction for ages. As Lexi shouted again, his face broke into a huge smile.
‘You felt it?’ I asked.
‘I did, that was so powerful. Doesn’t it hurt you, Lex?’ he asked.
‘No, it just feels really weird. Right, I’m going back to bed, it’s way too early to be up.’
‘Thanks for coming in, Lex,’ I smiled. ‘I really enjoyed that.’
‘O, there we go,’ she laughed. ‘Someone’s very active this morning.’
‘It happened again?’
‘Yes,’ she nodded, then frowned as she looked at my excited face. ‘Shift over.’
‘What?’
‘Shift your arse over. I can sleep here for a while and you can stay toasty in your own bed and feel them kicking.’
‘You don’t mind?’ I grinned.
‘I could sleep on a clothes line I’m that tired, it won’t bother me if either of you are touching my stomach while I do,’ she advised with a yawn. I quickly lay down and nestled back into Gabe who put his arm around my waist. Lexi lay on her back and I put my hand on her stomach and Gabe covered it with his. Lexi was snoring by the time we felt her stomach move again. I looked around at Gabe and kissed him.
‘Isn’t it amazing?’ I whispered.
‘It is,’ he agreed. ‘You seem a lot happier lately, it’s nice to see.’
‘I’m sorry, I’ve just been so stressed. I mean, things can still go wrong and I’ve been trying not to get my hopes up too much, but she’s five months now. That’s good, right?’
‘That’s really good. She’s doing amazingly, the twins are perfectly on track, you need to relax a little bit.’ He kissed me again and I giggled.
‘I need to relax? I’m not the one who wanted to hire someone to follow her around when she’s out of our sight.’
‘In case she needed help if there was an emergency situation, or if there were bags that needed carrying. Not to spy on her,’ he objected. I saw the worry in his face, worry that he was trying so hard to conceal.
‘I’m sorry, this must be even harder for you after your mum’s accident. I was being insensitive. Are you doing ok?’
‘I guess,’ he nodded. ‘I just hate it when she’s on the stairs. It really freaks me out.’
‘Gabe,’ I sighed as I looked at him frowning. ‘Why didn’t you say before?’ I asked and he shrugged. ‘Ok, well we have the downstairs wet room as part of the Utility now, so why don’t we move Lexi’s bed into the old Games room, it’s sitting empty since you moved your stuff into the basement. She’ll have everything on one level and you can stop worrying. That way we can also get into her room and start preparing it for the nursery.’
‘Is moving her downstairs really a good idea? It just gives her easier access to the fridge and food cupboards,’ he grinned and I laughed.
‘She has got a crazier than normal appetite,’ I agreed. He cupped my chin and kissed me tenderly, making me all malleable in his arms.
‘It’s a brilliant idea, Mia. I’d feel a lot better knowing she isn’t g
oing up and down all the time.’
‘Then we can see if Doug can come and help move the bed and wardrobe later. O God, they just kicked again,’ I exclaimed.
‘Probably telling us to go to sleep. It’s still only six a.m.’
‘I can’t sleep now, I just want to feel them moving. I feel better now knowing that they’re ok in there.’
‘You’re going to be a great Mum, Mia Austin,’ he sighed as he snuggled closer to me.
‘I hope so.’
‘I know so,’ he yawned.
‘Well, you’ll be one amazing Dad.’ I smiled, as I lay sandwiched between my snoring best friend and my concerned husband, and waited impatiently for our babies to let me know that they were ok again.
I was practicing in the dance studio, while Gabe was preparing lunch and Lexi was splashing about in the pool next door. It was a beautiful day in late August, all the doors on the orangery were wide open, as were the bi-fold doors on the house and I could hear birds tweeting over my music. I was so much more relaxed. Lexi was seven months pregnant now and doing really well, as were the twins. Every week that passed had me believing that everything was going to be ok, that we were finally going to have our family. I smiled as I looked over at the house. Gabe was standing at the island, facing us and I knew he was keeping an eagle eye on us both. He wasn’t keen on Lexi swimming, but I’d assured him that it was good for her. I finished up and wiped myself down with a towel and took the outside route to the pool.
‘Having fun?’ I called as she floated on her back, her massive stomach protruding up though the water. ‘You look like a beach ball.’
‘Charming.’
‘I could have said a floundering whale,’ I shrugged and she pulled her tongue out at me.
‘It’s so nice,’ she grinned. ‘It takes all the pressure off my back.’
‘Are you really suffering?’ I frowned, feeling guilty.
‘Terribly,’ she pouted. ‘I need me another of those massages from that hot boy you hired for me last time and a big something from the secret chocolate stash.’
‘Sssshhhh, he has ears like an elephant, you know he hones in on illicit talk,’ I giggled.
‘Why’s it ears like an elephant?’ she frowned.
‘Because they have big ears,’ I giggled.
‘They have big feet and trunks but no one says feet like an elephant or nose like an elephant.’
‘Ok, I’ll give you that,’ I nodded.
‘And why is it deaf as a goat?’
‘Deaf as a post.’
‘What?’
‘DEAF AS A POST,’ I yelled.
‘I heard you, I just don’t get it.’
‘A post can’t hear because it has no ears.’
‘Ok. Why a post though? Why not a chair, or a rock?’
‘Google it on your iPad,’ I laughed. ‘Always with the questions, Clarke.’
‘I’m bored. Now I’ve finished college, I’m bored. I have time to sit around and ponder the meaning of the Universe while I’m preggers.’
‘Hardly the theory of Pi, Lex,’ I smiled with a shake of my head.
‘I loved that film,’ she sighed, totally not getting my response.
‘I know you did. I particularly loved the bit in the cinema back home when everyone was watching quietly and you shouted out “O no, did the Zebra just die?” and made all the kids cry. We nearly got thrown out for creating uproar. Give me a second to shower and change and I’ll join you before lunch.’
‘Food,’ she grinned. ‘What’s on the menu?’
‘A bacon, avocado, walnut, pine nut and cranberry salad with a spinach and gruyere quiche, then lemon sorbet for pudding as it’s so hot.’
‘What’s the main course?’ she pouted.
‘He made you your own whole quiche.’ I smiled as her face lit up and I went to get changed. We screeched like kids as we splashed each other in the water and Gabe came to sit on the sun lounger to watch us, smiling. We’d never been happier. Our new home was complete and we had friends over for dinner on a regular basis. Our careers were going well, our sex life was as hot as ever and we hadn’t had one argument since we’d moved in. The odd squabble about his over protectiveness of Lexi, but nothing serious. I’d even relented and agreed to have a nanny, on the condition that it was mornings only as I wanted to spend afternoons, evenings and weekends with them myself.
‘Ok, I’m done,’ sighed Lex as she panted. ‘I need a quick snooze before lunch and my afternoon nap. Give me a push, will you?’ I couldn’t stop giggling as I tried to shove her backside while she tried to pull herself up the ladder. ‘Push harder.’
‘I am pushing, you’re not exactly light you know,’ I objected. ‘And I’m terrified of you farting in my face. Your wind is out of control.’
‘So is my wee, but you haven’t complained about swimming in it for the last twenty minutes.’
‘You never!’
‘No,’ she chuckled. ‘But I will if you don’t get me out of here soon.’
‘Give me your hands, Lex,’ ordered Gabe as he stood over us with a disapproving scowl. ‘No going in the pool on your own in future if you can’t get out yourself. What if you’d had an emergency?’
‘I suppose you’ve read the statistics on that too, haven’t you,’ she chuckled as he hauled her out.
‘Actually, they’re very interesting. The fact is that …’
‘O sorry,’ Lexi interrupted with a snore. ‘I think I just fell asleep there for a moment. Seriously fascinating, Gabe, thanks for sharing all those statistics.’ I giggled as I watched her wink at me and waddle to the toilet and turned to see Gabe with another scowl on his face.
‘Come on,’ I laughed. ‘So not interesting.’
‘Whatever,’ he sighed as he reached down and helped me out. ‘I’d like to finish the nursery this afternoon while she’s having her sleep.’
‘Make sure you put the child locks on the fridge then if we’re out of sight. She can’t work them at all,’ I smiled. I put my arms around his neck and kissed him. ‘I love that you check all the statistics making sure our family is safe.’
‘I’m finding this hard now,’ he sighed. ‘I’m not patient and I just want them here.’
‘Me too.’
‘Do we have time for a quickie before feeding time at the zoo commences?’ he asked as he gripped my backside. ‘You looked so hot on your pole and now in this tiny bikini.’
‘Too late, she’s back,’ I giggled as he groaned.
I helped her to bed after lunch and snuck in the chocolate for her.
‘Thanks,’ she smiled and her eyes filled up.
‘Hey, what’s the matter?’
‘I love chocolate,’ she nodded.
‘You’re getting emotional over chocolate?’ I asked smiling. She was emotional over everything since pregnant.
‘It’s good chocolate.’
‘It is. You’re hormonal and tired, come on have a bit to eat and then go to sleep.’
‘Are you off to have sex?’
‘Why?’ I smiled.
‘I saw him eyeing you up as we ate. I can’t even remember what sex was like,’ she sighed.
‘I thought you had your new Hitachi wand vibrator to keep you happy.’
‘Yeah, but I can’t reach around my stomach anymore.’
‘Well don’t look at me, there are limit’s. You don’t have long to go and it will all be over.’
‘I guess,’ she sighed as she patted her pillow and made herself comfortable.
‘You can talk to me if you’re feeling unhappy about the birth or giving the twins up, you know,’ I reassured her as I stroked her forehead.
‘I’ll be fine. They’ll make you so happy and I’ll still be a big part of their lives. I’ll just miss this, us, living together again.’
‘I’ll miss you too, but you can come and stay whenever you want and you know that we’ll be happy for you to baby sit. You’ve looked after them for us so well up to date.’
‘You don’t hate me?’
‘Hate you?’ I looked at her surprised.
‘Because they’re not in your tummy?’
‘I love you for having them in your tummy, Lex. Would I have preferred they were in mine? Sure, but I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d have wanted to look after them for me, you’re doing an amazing job. I love you, now go to sleep or you’ll be cranky again tonight and Doug, Cindy and Max are coming for dinner.’ I kissed her forehead and waited for her to fall asleep. I was so proud of her. She’d passed her counselling course and we’d been to her graduation with her parents, siblings, Mum and Gerry and even Doug, Robert, Sofia and Ava had come too. With the exception of the secret chocolate stash she’d not even veered from Gabe’s healthy eating plan. What she was doing for us was so wonderful and I didn’t know how I’d ever repay her. I wandered upstairs and smelled fresh paint and opened the nursery door and giggled to hear Gabe trying to sing along to the radio while he worked.
‘I can hear you,’ he laughed.
‘Sadly, I can hear you. I’ve lost my upper frequency,’ I smiled as he turned to look at me. He was painting the room a sunny yellow, as we had no idea what we were having, we wanted it to be a surprise. He’d sourced matching cribs, wardrobes, nappy changing stations, everything we could possibly need and then some, including loads of fancy electrical gadgets. I screamed as he flicked paint at me, then giggled as he rushed me flipped me onto my back, onto the dust sheet protecting the cream carpet, and took my mouth possessively.
‘I’m going to make you scream so loud I’ll lose mine,’ he growled and I wrapped my legs around his waist and yanked him down on top of me.
‘MIA,’ yelled Lexi from downstairs waking us up.
‘O God,’ groaned Gabe. ‘She wants more food again and she’s too lazy to waddle to the fridge to get it.’
‘She has become a bit more demanding lately hasn’t she?’ I laughed. ‘It’s good practice for when we have screaming babies. I’ll go this time.’ I kissed him and got out of bed and quickly pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt. It was nearly Halloween and fast approaching her due date in November and she was huge. Seriously huge. I don’t think I’d ever seen a pregnant woman so big. She couldn’t walk without bending backwards, and also needed help getting up off the sofa and lowering herself down onto it. Even getting in and out of bed was challenging for her, and often had me in hysterics.
Infinite Love (The Austin Series) Page 45