“What’s this?” I say, giving it a little shake, but it doesn’t give me any clues as to what it might be.
“It’s from Mummy and me,” she says, jumping up and down excitedly on the bed as I carefully pry the paper open to reveal a small box. When I open the lid, my mouth falls open when I see a pregnancy test inside. I turn to Amelia as I lift it out.
“Is this…?” Surprised and happy, I’m just lost for words.
She nods, tears welling in her eyes. I shake my head as I stare at the single word on the digital test. Positive.
“We’re having another baby?” I murmur, hardly believing what I’m seeing. Amelia nods again and laughs. “We’re having another baby!” I say again, only this time, much louder. “This is just the best Christmas present ever! I’m so happy, I could burst!”
I pull her into my arms, while Ava giggles hysterically and bounces around on the bed. Amelia nods, then presses her lips against mine.
“Yes. We’re pregnant.”
Amelia
“Are you ready?” the sonographer asks.
I nod and take a deep breath. “I think so.”
We both stand, and I glance at Rory as we walk toward the examination room. Rory wraps his fingers around mine and gives my hand a comforting squeeze. I smile back at him, my nerves starting to make me feel sick. Why am I so anxious? I certainly wasn’t this nervous with Ava. I don’t know what it is this time around, but something feels different. Not that we know what sex it is, but maybe it’s because it’s a boy this time? Who knows, but I can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong. Of course, I haven’t told Rory that. I don’t want to worry him.
I had a doctor’s check-up just before my scan, and he’d put me at between nine and ten weeks, which fit with what I was expecting. I’ve known I’ve been pregnant for weeks, and I’ve sat on the news. I wanted to tell my husband face to face. It would be just too impersonal on the phone for such an important announcement.
Plus, I didn’t want him stressing about it, being away from us. I’ve been so excited, and it’s taken everything for me not to tell him until he was back from his tour. It’s such a relief having him back home. Hearing him say that he wants to tour less so he can be with us as a family just makes me feel so much better.
I love the idea of having another baby. A little brother, or sister for Ava is just amazing, and having Rory at home all the time to see them grow up is more than I could have wished for. Ava can’t wait to meet this little baby. Things are so perfect in every aspect of our lives, and this addition can only enhance how wonderful things are.
“What time do your parents fly in?” Rory asks.
“Two. We have plenty of time,” I assure him.
I’m still shocked they’re coming over to see us for the holidays, but I’m so looking forward to it. We’re having everyone over for Christmas Eve tomorrow night and it would be the perfect time to announce our news, though I’ll tell Siobhan later. She can keep a secret, and I need some girl talk time before the madness starts.
I lay down on the examination table, jumping when the sonographer drizzles cool gel over my stomach. Rory leans over and kisses me.
“You’re shaking,” he murmurs. “This bit is supposed to be exciting, remember?” he says. “Just relax.”
I nod and focus on the sonographer, trying to reassure myself from her expression that everything’s going to be okay. As soon as I know that, then I’ll be able to relax. She starts the scan and immediately, her brow furrows, which does nothing to calm my nerves. I study her face. She looks serious, as if she doesn’t like what she’s seeing. Which can only mean one thing.
“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?” I say, panicked.
She glances at me, surprised and shakes her head.
“No, nothing’s wrong. It’s just that these situations always come as a surprise.”
Rory and I look at each other, confused, then he turns and frowns at the sonographer.
“Okay, you can’t say that and nothing else,” he growls. “If something’s wrong, we have a right to know.”
“I promise you, everything’s fine, Mr. Maguire,” she says, looking from Rory to me, then she laughs. “Doubly so, in fact.”
“What? Are you saying…Oh!” Rory cries out as the penny drops and her words sink in. My eyes widen as I look at Rory, who, suddenly, looks very pale.
“Twins?” he mouths at me, a deep furrow on his brow, and I laugh, not quite believing it either. “Holy shite!” he says, loudly, and I give him a stern look. “Oops, sorry,” he says, turning to the sonographer, “I didn’t mean to swear like that, but Jesus, we’re having two of them? I’ve barely got my head around one of the little devils.”
The sonographer smiles. “It’s alright. I’m used to fathers swearing whenever this happens, and not only that, they’re identical.”
“Oh my God,” I whisper, tears streaming down my cheeks. Rory leans over and kisses me, his eyes glassy. “Twins,” I say to him, laughing.
“I know,” he says, smiling. “You did so well with Ava, this time they gave us two.”
I don’t care how many are in there. All I know is they’re going to grow up knowing nothing but the love and happiness their parents share.
And that’s all I need.
Epilogue - Ben & Siobhan
Siobhan
“Twins,” I giggle as I hang up the phone. I wrap my arms around Ben’s neck and laugh. “I knew it. I told you, didn’t I?
“Thank Christ it’s not us,” Ben mutters, shaking his head. “Poor Rory. That must’ve come as a shock.”
I giggle and kiss him. “Well, I was going to borrow her ultrasound pic, just to scare the hell out of you,” I tease.
“It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?” he says with a big grin on his face as he looks down at my very large tummy.
“No, there could be another one hiding behind this one,” I argue, running my hand over my bump.
I laugh as he scoops me into his arms, growling as he kisses my neck. He strokes my stomach with his fingertips, and the little guy inside responds by doing what feels like a back flip.
“I’m surprised you can still lift me,” I say, struggling my way out of his arms.
“You could be carrying ten babies and I’d still lift you,” he replies, affectionately. “Even if you broke my back and collapsed on top of me, it would be worth it.”
“Ten babies? I’m not a fucking pig,” I say, laughing. “You really know how to make a big, pregnant woman feel better, don’t you?”
“You know you’re beautiful to me, no matter what. In fact, right now, you’ve never looked sexier,” he adds, stroking the hair out of my eyes. “I love you so much, Siobhan, and I love this little boy just as much as I love you.”
My heart swells. He always knows just what to say and I love him so much. Things are great between me and Ben. We got married twelve months ago in a small ceremony, then moved into an apartment in Dublin. Three months later, we found out we were expecting. It was a shock, but there was no doubt in my mind that this baby was going to be the most loved little boy in all of Ireland.
Finding out if it was going to be a little boy, or a little girl was something I wanted. Ben wanted a surprise, but I needed to know. It didn’t worry me if it was a boy or girl, but the secret little talks I have with my little man have become so much more personal now I can refer to him as just that. My little man. I can’t wait to meet him.
I graduated from my course with an offer to work for the vet I’d completed my practical placement with, and I jumped at the chance—then found out I was pregnant. Luckily for me, there’s a job waiting for me, whenever I feel I’m ready to go back to work.
Ben’s doing so well with his management company. He owns the business now after Maxine decided she wanted a change of scenery, packed her life up, and moved to Australia. Ben works hard, and in the seven months it’s been his, he’s managed to do some amazing things, including signing two big na
mes, and organizing gigs for his rising stars. Buying the company was a huge investment, and Rory gladly helped out, but we’re confident it’ll pay off in the long term.
“You miss your family a lot, don’t you?” I say to him.
He shrugs, seemingly surprised by my question. Ben’s mum, and Josh and Jess are all coming over for Christmas. The only sad thing is, his adorable, pot-smoking Grammy wasn’t cleared by her doctor to fly. I can only imagine how that went down with her. Probably rolled herself a big, fat joint and told them to go fuck themselves. I smile to myself as I picture it in my mind.
I’m looking forward to seeing his mum and siblings, but Ben is on a whole other level of excitement. I know he misses them a lot. It’s just another reminder of how much he’s given up for me, living over here so I can be close to my family.
I can’t put into words how much I appreciate his sacrifice, and I wish there was some way I could make it fairer on him, like spending more time in the US, or something. But, then I’d struggle being away from my family, especially with the baby. It’s such a difficult situation.
“Sure, I do, but the alternative is so much worse,” he replies. “You and this little baby are worth all the sacrifices in the world.”
“Aah. You’re so sweet to me, Ben. Thank you,” I whisper. I wrap my arms around his neck and lean up to kiss him softly on the lips, then jump as the baby kicks me.
Ben chuckles. “Is he abusing his momma again?” he asks. I nod as he places his hand on my tummy.
“I hope he doesn’t come early, like right in the middle of Christmas dinner,” I say, nervously. “That’s just what he’s going to do, isn’t he?” I say with a grin.
“He’s my kid, so yeah, probably. That’s exactly what will happen,” he says with a chuckle. “But, seriously, you’re not due for another three weeks, so I think we’re pretty safe.”
“Yeah, we were until you said that,” I tease.
* * *
It’s the following afternoon, Christmas Eve, and Ben left to pick up his family from the airport while I stay at home and rest. I would’ve gone with him, but there’s no way we’d all fit in the car, and even if we could, I wanted to give him the chance to catch up with them without me around. I know how much he’s looking forward to spending Christmas with them, and part of me hopes the baby does come early. Not tonight, but while they’re here. It would be so nice for his mum to be able to meet her first grandson while she’s here. She’s always so teary whenever she speaks to us on the phone, but I think she’s happy that Ben’s found someone he loves, as much as she loved his father.
I’m just drifting off to sleep when I hear the car pull up outside. I sigh, and force myself to get up, pretending I’ve got more energy than I really have. Today I’m feeling extra tired. I know it’s a sign that I’m probably doing too much, and that I should rest, but I can’t. Especially when we have guests staying in our apartment, and it’s so close to Christmas. There’s way too much to do for me to even think about taking it easy.
“Hi,” I say to everyone as I walk into the lounge. Ben’s mum, Denise, walks over and wraps her arms around me. I smile, and hug her back, loving how good she always makes me feel. I smile at Jess and Josh, who both sink into the couch, clearly jet-lagged.
“Well, aren’t you looking beautiful,” Denise says, beaming at me. “How’s my little grandbaby doing in there?” she asks. “May I?”
I nod, smiling as she places her hands on my swollen tummy. She shakes her head, the inevitable tears welling in her eyes.
“I can’t believe he’s going to be here in a few weeks.”
“I know,” I say with a grin. “Neither can I. His room’s all ready. Ben was in charge of that, so it’s all cars, and trains, and other fun boy stuff. As you can imagine, he had a great time choosing everything and putting it together with Rory,” I giggle.
“Ah, revisiting his childhood, was he?” she jokes.
Ben takes my hand and leads me into the kitchen, mumbling something about me helping him make drinks for everyone, to which Denise points out that I should be resting.
“Hey,” Ben says, kissing me, leading me to a chair and gesturing for me to sit down. I smile, because I knew it was just a ruse to get me alone. “How are you, really?”
“I’m good,” I say as I watch him fill up the pot and pour lemonade. He shakes his head and studies me.
“You look tired. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
I nod and force a smile. “I’m fine, I promise. I’m just a little tired, that’s all.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t go tonight?” he says, frowning. “Rory and Amelia will understand.”
“No,” I protest. “I’m really looking forward to it. Please, I promise you, if I’m feeling like things are getting too much, I’ll let you know.”
He stares at me for a long time and finally says, “Fine,” nodding his agreement.
After we catch up with his mum and siblings for a bit, I have another lay down until it’s time to get ready to go to Rory and Amelia’s. This time, I do sleep and wake up feeling marginally better. While I’m getting ready, Ben takes his family over, then comes back for me.
Even with my nap, I’m still sleepy on the drive over, but I force myself to stay awake. If only I could have a strong coffee to help with that. There are so many things I’ve missed having during this pregnancy. Things I’d never normally crave, like ham, and seafood. I know the moment the baby is out, and I can have them again, I probably won’t want them.
We pull up into Rory and Amelia’s driveway, and Ben gets as close to the front door as he can without ramming his way into the living room. I chuckle at his attentiveness and open my door. Ben’s there, insisting on helping me, before I can even put one foot on the ground. I smile at him, because I don’t know what I’d do without him. He leads me inside, kissing me before we walk through the door.
“Siobhan!” Amelia cries. She hugs me, then looks down at my rounded belly sympathetically. “How are you feeling?” she asks.
“Okay,” I say with a shrug. “I’m tired, but you know how it is.”
“And it’s probably extra hard around this time of year since you’re trying to do a thousand things all at once in the lead up to Christmas, right?”
“Exactly,” I say, relieved that someone gets it. That’s why I’m so tired. She leads me over to an empty couch and makes me sit, then comes back a few minutes later with a glass of water.
“You sing out if you need anything else, okay?”
I nod. “But, maybe you’re the one who should be sitting down drinking water,” I joke.
She gives me a look. “We haven’t announced it to everyone yet,” she whispers, her eyes bright.
“Oops, sorry,” I say, covering my mouth. I glance around to make sure nobody heard me. Leave it to me to ruin their surprise. “When are you going to do it?”
“Tonight,” she says with a giggle, then someone knocks on the door and she rolls her eyes. “Excuse me.” She disappears to answer it and comes back a minute later with Kayla, Conor, and Mum and Dad.
“You look tired,” Mum comments, kissing me on the cheek.
“Honestly, I’m fine,” I reply. “Good to see you guys…and you too,” I say as Kayla sits down next to me on the couch. She wraps her arms around me, and I smile and nod at Mum as she mouths that she’ll come back later.
“How can you look this good with a baby ready to pop out of you?” Kayla asks. “You must be getting nervous?”
“I’m getting nervous, because everyone keeps asking me if I’m getting nervous,” I say through gritted teeth.
She rolls her eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry. I suppose it’s all part of having a baby, right? I won’t keep asking, I promise,” then she stretches out and repositions herself so she’s almost lying across me. I frown at her, wondering if she’s on something. She ignores my reaction and continues putting herself in awkward positions. It’s starting to annoy me.
Has she lost her f
ucking mind? What the hell is she doing? And then I realize. Every single position she puts herself in, her left hand is at the forefront, and I finally catch on when I see the diamond-encrusted Claddagh on her ring finger.
“Holy shite, you’re engaged?” I squeal, grabbing her hand. “Those are some rocks you’ve got on that beautiful ring. I love it.”
She nods, excitedly. “I know. Can you believe it? Me, Kayla, engaged to be married.”
I shake my head. “Aah, congratulations, girl,” I say, hugging her, then I glance up at Conor. “Congratulations to you, too,” I say. “Who’d have thought you two would end up together after all these years. Still, at least you know what you’ve let yourself in for with this one,” I say, nodding at Kayla.
“Hey! I am still right here, you know?” she says, faking indignation.
He smiles lovingly at Kayla. “Oh, I know she’s a live wire, and I love her for that. Best day of my life when she said yes.”
Just then, Rory walks in, tapping a finger on his wine glass. He calls out to everyone in the room, but they’ve already given their attention to him. A buzz rushes through me, knowing what he’s about to announce, and I’m so happy for them.
“I just wanted to thank everyone for coming to celebrate with us tonight. It means a lot to us that you could all make it here on the night before Christmas.” He stops and glances at Amelia, who walks over to him and tucks herself under his arm. She lifts Ava onto her hip and kisses her on the cheek. “Do you want to share the news?” he says to Ava.
She looks around, unsure of herself for a moment. “I’m having a baby sister,” she declares, and giggles. Delighted gasps, and then loud cheers erupt from the crowd.
Rory chuckles. “That’s not quite right,” Rory says, putting his hand up. “That’s only half the story. We’re not sure whether it’s going to be a sister or a brother for Ava, or should I say, sisters or brothers.”
A second round of gasps fill the room.
“If it’s boys, they can go back in,” Ava grumbles, then pouts, making everyone laugh. I smile and wipe away tears as everyone sweeps forward to congratulate them.
The Claddagh Trilogy: Irish Affair - Irish Love - Irish Heart Page 29