JENNIE

"A little to the left," I told Lisa, shifting my hips. "Right there! That's perfect."

She adjusted herself and continued stroking my inner thigh. "I just want you to be comfortable, baby."

Even after being married for almost a year, we were still as hot and heavy as ever. And it didn't hurt that I was nine months pregnant and my hormones were giving me the libido of a teenage boy. The problem was, we couldn't always find a position that worked for my gigantic belly. And did I mention I was having twins?

Lisa moved her hand lower and stroked exactly where I wanted her. "You're so wet, baby," she whispered as I let out a moan. She moved forward, ready to position her erection up against me, when I felt a sharp stab of pain in my abdomen.

I gasped, clutching my stomach.

"What is it?" she asked, concern lacing her voice. "Is it the babies?"

The pain subsided, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"It's fine, just keep going," I told her.

It had taken us fifteen minutes to figure out the perfect position, and I'd be damned if I gave up on an orgasm now. Lisa didn't seem convinced, so I placed a hand on her thick erection, moving my hand up and down. I shifted my hips forward, ready for her to enter me, when I was hit with another wave.

"Shit," I whispered, the wind knocked out of me from the pain.

"I think we should go to the hospital," she said, jumping up and beginning to pull her clothes on.

"I'm not due until next week," I protested, shaking my head.

She placed her hand on my cheek, tucking my hair behind my ear. "Come on, I think we should get this checked out. I don't want you in pain."

"No, I'm fine. I think it's a false alarm," I said, waving her away. "I'm just going to rest for a little."

Lisa was unconvinced. Ignoring me, she pulled my overnight bag out from the closet and picked up my clothes from the floor.

"You need to put these on," she said, placing my feet through my panties and pulling them up for me. Then she grabbed her cell. Her parents had agreed to watch Lily while we were at the hospital, and were waiting on standby.

Reluctantly, I pulled on the rest of my clothes before sitting on the bed while Lisa spoke to her mother. When she hung up, she grabbed the suitcase.

"I'm going to load the car while they drive over," she said, leaning over to press a kiss to the top of my head.

Throughout the pregnancy, Lisa had been a bundle of nerves. Anytime I walked too fast or tripped on the sidewalk (which, unfortunately, I did a lot), she'd run over to me to make sure that the babies and I were okay. I would have thought she'd be the levelheaded one since she'd been through this before. I, on the other hand, had been surprisingly calm for the past nine months, other than my raging hormones and intense cravings for chocolate and pickles.

But suddenly, I wasn't so sure. I didn't feel ready to bring two lives into this world quite yet.

Was it too late to back out of this whole thing?

We'd found out I was pregnant a couple of months after the wedding. Shortly after, I legally adopted Lily, and when we told her about her new brothers, we were worried she'd be upset. In typical Lily fashion, she'd been mature about everything and couldn't wait to meet them. She'd already made a list of activities they could do together once the twins were old enough. And until then, she had a list of things she could do to help us. She reminded us that with two babies around, there wouldn't be as much time for the two of us to have adult snuggle-time, so she'd watch her brothers so we could still do that.

Lisa ran back up the stairs. Winded, she helped me stand up.

"Let's get you in the car now so we can be ready." She took a deep inhale. "They should be here any minute."

I bit my lip, not moving.

"Jennie?" she asked, finally pausing for a moment to give me a long look. "Is it the contractions? Does it hurt too much to walk?"

I shook my head, not looking at her.

"What is it?" She came to stand next to me and put an arm around me.

"I watched a lot of reality TV," I blurted, feeling tears well up.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, confused.

"You know how you're supposed to play Mozart while you're pregnant so your baby turns out smarter? Well, I didn't. I just watched a lot of reality TV, and now the twins are going to be stupid and it's my fault." I put my head in my hands while Lisa wrapped an arm around me. "I'm already a bad mom."

Okay, I knew I was probably being a little hysterical, but I couldn't stop myself. The reality that I was about to shape two lives was hitting me harder than it ever had before. This was adulting at a whole new level. Was I really ready?

"Hey, they won't be stupid," she said softly, rubbing my shoulder. "They're going to be great. And you're going to be a great mom. You already are, baby. Look how you are with Lily."

Unconvinced, I nodded. Another contraction hit, and I squeezed Lisa's hand until the pain passed.

"Come on, we have to get going," she said, taking my hand and guiding me to the hall.

"No, I'm not in labor," I said, shaking my head. "I still have a week."

Suddenly, I felt something between my legs. I looked up at Lisa.

"I think my water just broke," I said in disbelief.

She jumped into action, lifting me off my feet and whisking me down the stairs. Her parents pulled up just as she was helping me into the car. They waved at us as we pulled away, Lisa's mom already crying with happiness.

I was still in a state of shock as we drove to the hospital. Of course, I was prepared for this moment—we'd gone to all the classes, had read the books we were supposed to read. We'd bought two cribs and a double stroller, and we had a dresser full of tiny, freshly washed baby clothes. Lisa and I had practiced swaddling a fake baby about a thousand times. But now that it was happening, I felt completely unprepared.

We pulled up to the hospital in record time. Lisa wanted to run inside to get me a wheelchair, but I insisted on walking in.

"Seriously, Jennie?" she asked as I waddled out of the car.

"I can do it." I huffed, resting one hand on the car for a moment as a contraction shot through me. Holy hell!

"Stay here," she told me. "I'm serious. Don't move."

I didn't appreciate being scolded, but I decided to give in. After all, relationships were about letting yourself be supported by another person. It had been a long road, but I'd finally learned that lesson. Sometimes I needed to set my independence aside and let Lisa take the lead.

Everything inside the hospital was such a whirlwind; it felt like only seconds later that I'd been put into a gown and was sitting in a hospital bed. The pain intensified quickly. I didn't consider myself a wimp, but this was seriously no joke. When the pain was almost unbearable, the nurse gave me a sympathetic grin.

"It's almost time to push," she said enthusiastically.

Another wave of pain surged through me. What was she so happy about? I wanted to slap the bitch.

Lisa offered me some ice chips to chew on, which she'd been instructed to do by the nurse. I waved her away.

"I changed my mind about this." I gasped, frantically looking at Lisa. She had a bewildered look on her face, still holding out the ice chips. This was unbearable. What the fuck had I gotten myself into?

"It'll be okay, baby. You can do this," she said, gripping my hand firmly.

"Why did you do this to me?" I groaned.

The doctor strode into the room, along with a couple of nurses who began prepping two bassinets.

My nether regions felt like they were on fire. I looked at Lisa and tried to calm myself by staring into her warm, dark eyes. Her expression was full of worry as I gripped her hand with every wave of pain. I tried to tell myself that this would all be a funny story once my lady parts stopped feeling like they were full of hot coals.

A few moments later, my knees were drawn up and I was told to bear down. Whatever the hell that meant.

"You're doing great," Lisa said.

I let out several grunts in response. If I weren't the size of a whale, I would have jumped off the bed and run out of here.

"Just keep looking at me," she told me.

Staring at Lisa was the only thing keeping me grounded, so I kept my eyes locked with her as I continued to push.

After a few more pushes, just when I was about to give up and live as a pregnant woman for the rest of my life, one baby was delivered. Tiny cries filled the room, and I wanted to sob with relief.

"He's perfect," the nurse said excitedly after looking him over.

"One down, one to go," the doctor said, grinning at Lisa.

Fuck.

After another several pushes, the second baby moved into position and was finally free.

Exhausted, I lay back until the nurses brought them over to me, one at a time. I took one look at them and burst into tears. They were so tiny and adorable. My heart was so full, it actually felt close to bursting.

Lisa leaned over and ran a finger along their tiny cheeks. "They're ours," she whispered excitedly.

I tried to control my waterworks, but I couldn't. The babies were too perfect. I couldn't believe I'd ever questioned having a family. This was by far the greatest thing I'd ever experienced.

I watched Lisa as she looked down at our babies, and thought about how amazing it was going to be when Lily met them.

I'd had a lot of doubts along the way—about dating, marriage, and having a family—but this moment overshadowed every doubt I'd ever had. This was my family, my tribe, my ride-or-die, and it was absolutely perfect.

THE END.