by Cindy Pike
“No. Should they have?” I try to play dumb but I’ve never been able to pull a fast one over any of my guys.
“I noticed that you’re late for your monthly cycle. I think I’ll have them run some extra tests when you get back from your honeymoon with Silas, just as a precaution.”
“Okay, if you think it’s necessary.”
Maybe I’m getting better at this keeping secrets thing than I’d thought. Not that this is a bad secret. An unexpected one, sure, but once the shock wears off like it did for me, they’ll be just as thrilled as I am.
Owen reaches into his pocket, pulling out a long case in a very unique bluish-teal color.
“What did you do? You’ve all already spoiled me with enough gifts these past few days,” I jokingly chastise him. They all know I love receiving their gifts just as much as they love giving them.
“Open it and you’ll see.”
I take the box in my trembling hand and open it to reveal a lovely pearl necklace with matching earrings. I’m rendered speechless at the beautiful gift. All I can do is stare until the tears come. No matter how hard I try, I can’t keep them from spilling down my face.
“Great, now I’m going to be all splotchy and red-eyed…” I say, my voice thick with emotions.
“Maybe to everyone who doesn’t count. But to us, you’ll be beautiful no matter what.”
The soft look in his eyes, the perfect words, stop my thoughts from winding up and making me more upset, which would just make things worse.
He comes to me, kneeling before me, something they’ve all taken to doing when I’m upset, even though it’s no longer needed. I still love it. It makes my heart melt each and every time.
“We all love you. All the time. In the morning before you’ve had a chance to brush your teeth. When you make the mess of all messes in my kitchen—seriously, how can you be worse than Flynn? I’ll never comprehend it. When you’re helping one of your clients feel safe for the first time in what feels like forever to them with one of our therapy animals. You amaze us each and every single day. That’s never going to change. Our love for you will never break, rust, or end.”
More tears start to well up but this time, I don’t give a single fuck. As one of them falls down my cheeks, he wipes it away with gentle fingers.
Owen stands, taking one of my hands in his and the gift in the other. “Let’s put these in the safe so we can meet the others at the spa.”
Leading me over to the safe, he deposits them and makes sure it’s secure before we head to the elevator to be pampered. I’m ready to relax the shit out of this day.
∞∞∞
I take a deep breath as Heath’s dad tucks my hand into the crook of his elbow, ready to lead me down the aisle one last time. Each time I’ve asked him, he’s broken down at the honor.
James’s kind eyes, that look so much like his son’s, twinkle down at me. “You ready to make the last of your fellas yours?”
“I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”
“In case I don’t get a chance to tell you later, you look absolutely stunning. I’m not sure how each time you manage to look more beautiful than the last but you pull it off.”
I smile at one of the best compliments I’ve ever received that wasn’t from one of my men.
This time, I decided to go down a nontraditional route. I’m wearing a custom-made dress, designed to knock the socks off of each of my men waiting at the end of the aisle for me. It’s reminiscent of the dress from my first Halloween party with them. Only this one is a purple so deep, it’s nearly black.
Lace covers every inch from the sweetheart neckline to the three-foot train behind me. The material under the lace is the softest cashmere with a slip underneath. There are no poufy skirts, just a slim, elegant line that accentuates my curves. I had to have some last-minute adjustments made a few days ago but they did nothing to take away from the dress.
The back is even lower cut than the one from Halloween, if that can be believed. It covers just above my ass crack, leaving my skin completely bare. In the front, there’s a slit to one side that shows just enough to be enticing when I walk.
My black heels are four inches with red soles on the undersides. You’d think they’d be a bitch to walk in but it feels like I’m walking on a cloud.
My hair is down but pulled back from my face, which my makeup artist made sure would be smokey without overdoing it. I wanted my features accentuated and enhanced, but still looking like myself. My hair is straight, which is Silas’s preference lately. It’s so long now that it goes past my ass, falling almost at the middle of the back of my thighs. The only jewelry I’m wearing is the pearl set that Owen gave me earlier.
Keeping with the theme of stepping outside of tradition, I let my bridesmaids, Sara, Heather, and Jaz, pick out their own dresses. Heather’s daughter, in a simple pink dress, toddles around with a flower basket, her cheeks flushed pink with the attention that everyone is doting on her. She’s so adorable as my flower girl.
Sara went for a deep hunter green, silk dress that’s almost as dark as mine and cuts off at her knees. Her pumps are a simple black like mine. Red curls tumble down her back, pulled away from her cute pixie face.
Heather’s wearing a beautiful, dove gray, velvet dress that’s shorter in the front and longer in the back but doesn’t go past her calves. Her platinum blonde hair gleams in the light, hitting the middle of her back.
Jaz’s lacy dress is multiple shades darker than Heather’s, short enough to show off her toned legs. Her dark brown hair is piled high on her head in an intricate updo. Her black pumps leave her standing at a height that’s much higher than I’m used to seeing her.
Each of my bridesmaids starts down the aisle at the appropriate time, holding a bouquet of black roses as they walk.
James is looking as handsome as ever in his black-and-white tux, his hair combed neatly out of his face.
The song that Silas and I decided I’d walk to starts playing, and I get a flurry of butterflies flying in my lower stomach. My hand finds its way there, catching James’s attention.
“How far along are you?”
His deep timber has my gaze turning to him.
“How did you know?”
He smiles lovingly, the look on his face one that a father would give to his beloved daughter. “Call it intuition.”
I smile back. “Six weeks now,” I whisper, afraid someone will hear and spill the beans before I get the chance to tell my husbands tonight. “I’ve only known a week and it’s been driving me insane to keep this secret.”
“They’re going to be extra protective of you when you tell them. Do you know which one is the dad?”
“Do I care?” I say, sassy with a smirk.
“I suppose not,” he answers, a chuckle in his voice.
He takes my hand and leads me down the last aisle I’ll walk to marry the last man I’ll ever take as mine.
James pats my hand, the smile ever-present. “You’re going to be a wonderful mother and those men will never let anything bad touch your children. Now let’s go get this done so you can tell them the good news.”
The love and sincerity in his voice brings tears to my eyes. Conscious of messing up my makeup, I breathe deeply to stop the emotion from overwhelming me.
James leads me down to Silas, who’s dressed in an all-black suit, surrounded by the rest of my smiling husbands, my bridesmaids, and the officiant.
I can’t wait to tell my men after this. There’s no way I’ll make it until after the reception.
“Who gives this woman to this man?” the officiant asks loudly, his voice projecting to all the guests. Though we didn’t invite as many people to this celebration as Heath and I had, there’s still a fair amount of people.
“I give myself,” I reply, my voice clear. I’m the only one who gives myself away.
James passes my hand to Silas, who takes it in his rough one, before taking a seat in the front row next to his w
ife and Silas’s mom.
Looking up into Silas’s ice-blue eyes, I’m filled with emotion. Nothing but warmth envelops me, just the same as the last four times I did this.
“Friends and family, we’ve come here today to celebrate the love and union of these two people.”
6 Expanding Our Family
One Month Later
Disclosure by Latch ft. Sam Smith
Today’s the day. Today, I have my first prenatal appointment, an ultrasound following right after to confirm the gestational age that I’ve estimated. I’m curious to know if my calculations are correct.
“Doll, you ready yet?” Silas calls from the master bedroom.
I’m in the bathroom, hunched over the toilet bowl. Having just vomited my guts up, I feel like absolute crap but I can’t wait to see the baby.
Flushing the toilet, I call out, “Yes, just let me brush my teeth again and I’ll be right there!”
My voice isn’t as strong as I want it to be but I just can’t muster up any more energy. Who knew I’d be so damned tired already? I’m not even halfway through yet. No wonder men don’t have babies. They’d never reproduce after the first time.
I make it to the sink, snag my toothbrush, and load it up with toothpaste. I really hope this doesn’t trigger another round of vomiting. There’s no time for it.
Silas comes in and pulls my hair back, braiding it quickly and efficiently. At least I won’t have to worry about holding it back if I do get sick again.
So very slowly, I brush my teeth, careful when I get to the back teeth as that’s when things tend to get hairy. I make it through and only gag a few times, thankfully avoiding any full-on stomach heaving upsets.
Silas laces our fingers together, leading me out through the bedroom and down to the first floor. It’s a slow process because my legs feel like jelly. Of course, he takes note of how heavily I lean on him. We’re not even a few steps down before he gently swings me up into his arms and carries me bridal style the rest of the way down.
Flynn is waiting by the front door with a protein shake and crackers ready for me. It’s about all I can handle and even then, I often don’t get all the shake in. If I do, it occasionally comes back up.
“Just drink what you can. Don’t force it, spitfire.”
The smooth silk of Flynn’s voice eases some of the icky feeling in my stomach. Taking the shake, I give him as much of a smile as I can muster and squeeze his forearm in appreciation.
“Thanks, Picasso. I can walk from here, Si.”
Gently, Silas sets me on my feet, his hands lingering on my hips to make sure I’m steady. I love the feeling of my men on me. I wish they could be on me more often but cuddling is the most I’m capable of lately.
We make it out to the garage and into Silas’s truck. Flynn claims the front passenger seat while I take the back, sitting in the middle.
I lay my head on the headrest and close my eyes to try and breathe through the nausea. Once the worst has passed, I take a sip of my shake, pleasantly surprised at the taste and the fact that it doesn’t turn my stomach.
“This is delicious.” I take another sip. “What’s in it?”
“Ice, chocolate protein powder, a banana, and a tablespoon of almond butter.” He looks pleased with himself. “I tried to keep it simple to avoid triggering any nausea.”
“You’ve succeeded so far.”
Before I know it, my shake is gone and I’m a little sad since it’s the only thing I’ve enjoyed in days. The rest of the ride, I try to enjoy not feeling nauseous for the first time in several weeks.
∞∞∞
“Mrs. Molano,” the attendant calls.
The entrance door opens and Heath walks through just in time to join us. I stand and return her warm smile, three of my men right behind me.
“My, you’ve got some big friends,” the woman says, eyeing Silas, Flynn, and Heath.
I’m used to people either thinking they’re my friends or that we’re related in some way so my response comes easily. “Yup, they sure are. And they know how to use those muscles too.”
At my wink, she looks taken aback for a moment before leading us to the back.
We head to the vitals station first, where she weighs me and takes my blood pressure. Satisfied with the results, she puts away the equipment. “Okay, follow me to exam room five please.”
I smile at the coincidence of being led to exam room five and catch the eye of each of my men in turn. Both Flynn and Heath look amused, Heath wagging his eyebrows at me, as Silas rolls his eyes and shakes his head at us.
“Go ahead and undress. There’s a cloth robe for you to put on, with the opening to the front, and a paper drape for your lap. Did you want them to step outside while you’re changing?”
“No, they know how to be gentlemen. Thank you for the offer.”
She closes the door and leaves us alone.
I get down to business and strip, handing my clothes to Flynn who folds them. Heath grabs the robe, helping me into it. Once I’ve got it on, he shakes out the paper drape and lays it over my lap.
The guys take a seat on the bench, the length of half the room, with Heath in the middle. They look so stunning just sitting there.
“Flynn, hand me my phone please?”
Flynn takes my phone off the top of the pile of clothes on his lap, passes the pile to Heath, and stands to hand it to me.
“Thank you,” I say, landing a kiss on his cheek before he can move away, his crisp peppermint scent enveloping me.
He returns the kiss, adding a nip on my earlobe. “Anytime.”
Just as he’s pulling away, there’s a knock on the door.
“Ready,” I call out.
The door opens and my obstetrician, a petite woman with beautiful bone structure and smiling hazel eyes, enters. Her dirty blonde hair is pulled back into a high messy bun and she’s wearing a bandana to keep the many flyaway strands out of her face.
As she takes a seat on the rolling stool, she introduces herself as Dr. Brown before she goes over my medical history, asking a few follow-up questions. Once she’s gone through the first round of questions, she stands. “Okay, ready for the exam, Nora?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Each of my men stand and come over to me, Silas and Flynn on one side and Heath up by my head. I lay back, both of my hands grasped by Flynn and Heath. Silas has his arms crossed in what I now know is his I’m-dealing-with-stress-but-I-refuse-to-show-it pose. They all know this invasive exam isn’t easy for me with my past but having them here is more of a balm than they’ll ever realize.
Dr. Brown pulls the foot stirrups and helps guide my feet into each one. I let out a deep breath and close my eyes, going to my happy place.
Already aware of my past trauma, Dr. Brown performs my pap smear as quickly as possible. She’s very understanding about everything and makes every effort to go easy on me.
“Okay, all done,” the doctor says.
I take my feet out of the stirrups.
She moves to the counter where she grabs a doppler and some gel. Plopping some gel at the end of the doppler, she moves back to me and places it on my lower stomach, moving it over my abdomen to search for the heartbeat of my baby.
A minute later, the room fills with the sound of the most beautiful thump, thump, thump I’ve ever heard. The sound is even more beautiful than the rare occasions that Silas sings to me. Nothing can wipe the smile from all of our faces.
“Everything looks good. You have an ultrasound appointment after this, correct?” the doctor asks.
“Yup!” I chirp. I can’t help it; my elation is so immense.
“Perfect. When I’m done with my next patient, I’ll try to stop in and make sure it goes smoothly.” Discarding her gloves in the biohazard waste bin, Dr. Brown moves toward the sink to wash her hands. “You can get dressed now. They should have a schedule of your appointments at the reception desk. If there are any that don’t work for you, let the receptionist know an
d we’ll see what can be done about fixing them. It was nice to meet all of you.”
With a nod, she exits the room.
Silas retrieves my clothes from the bench Heath left them on, while Heath helps me take off the robe. Flynn holds out my underwear and slides them up my legs. It’s a very intimate moment and the rush of heat between my legs is a surprise.
“Looks like someone is feeling more like herself,” Silas notes, his eyes filled with lust.
“Don’t get too excited. I’m sure it won’t last long enough for us to make it home.”
He shrugs. “I’ve wanted to try out some car maneuvers with you for a while now.”
I’m certain that Silas is completely serious and the fact that he is only turns me on that much more.
I do have a thing for cars…
Flynn helps me with my bra and then hands me my shirt. Once I’m decent and have my shoes back on, we all file out to the waiting room to be called for my next appointment.
∞∞∞
The ultrasound room is warm and dark.
I’m on the exam bed with my shirt pulled up, the hem of my pants pulled down low. My men are standing next to me, eagerly looking at the screen where the picture will show up.
The ultrasound technician squeezes some warm gel onto my lower abdomen and then places the wand on me, spreading the gel around. After a moment, once she has found my baby, I’m confused. There are two little blips on the screen.
“Well, it looks like you’ve got more than one little bean in there. Congratulations! You’re having twins!”
The announcement has me completely stunned.
All I can do is stare at the screen.
Two. I have two babies inside of me.
I have two babies inside of me.
I can see my men watching for my reaction out of the corner of my eye.
I don’t make them wait long.
Later, they’ll tell me that the smile that spreads my face today is the most beautiful I’ve ever given them.