"So I was reading in one of my new parenting books last night that at the beginning of the second trimester, it's recommended by a lot of specialist that the parents start talking to the baby," Freddie said as he helped Sam onto the table by the ultrasound monitor at the doctor's office. "So maybe tonight we could find a picture book and read to the baby."
"Does it even have ears yet?" Kira asked.

Her and Kira were sitting in two hard chairs next to Sam.

"No clue," Sam shrugged. She looked back over at Freddie. "You sure you want to find out the gender of the baby? You don't want it to be a surprise?"

"I don't think I can wait," Freddie said. "But if you want to be surprised, we won't find out."

"I can't wait either," Sam grinned.

"I hope it's a girl," Leah said. "It would be so cute to have a little sister to dress up in tiny baby dresses."

"Give the kid a chance," Kira cringed.

"You're just gonna thrust a basketball in the kid's hands," Leah pointed out.

"Better than pom-poms," Kira retorted.

"Okay, are we ready to find out if you're having a baby boy or a baby girl?" Sam's doctor asked pleasantly, coming into the room.

"Yes we are," Freddie said eagerly.

"Now remember, the baby will have to be in the right position for us to tell the gender," the doctor told the couple as she flipped on the monitor. "If the baby's not cooperating with us, I can schedule another appointment. But in the meantime, how has everything else been? Morning sickness still hitting you?"

"Oh yeah," Sam confirmed. "And I officially had to break out the maternity clothes this morning…"

"Well that's good, that means the baby is growing normally," the doctor said, fiddling with the monitor.

"I've been doing a little reading on some morning sickness remedies I was hoping I could run by you," Freddie said. "Sam says they sound ridiculous but they seem to have a lot of support. See, one study found that women who soak their feet in seltzer water before going to bed experience less nausea when they get up. And another study found that if you sleep with goose feather pillows instead of-"

"I'm afraid that most of those morning sickness remedies are simply old wives tales,"

the doctor told Freddie. "Unfortunately, the only real solution to deal with morning sickness is to just get through it."

"Told you," Sam smirked triumphantly.

"Anyway…I think I've got it," the doctor smiled. "Are you both sure you want to know the baby's gender?"

"Uh-huh," Sam said as Freddie took her hand.

"Well congratulations, you're going to be having a baby boy," the doctor told them.

"A boy…" Sam repeated, looking up at Freddie. "Did you hear that, baby?"

"Yeah," Freddie nodded, his face breaking out into a grin. "We're getting a son." He leaned down and kissed her.

"Can we see?" Kira asked.

"Yeah, come on over," the doctor nodded.

Leah and Kira gathered around the monitor.

"Aw, that's our baby brother?" Leah asked.

"It is," the doctor replied.

"Look, you can actually tell he's a baby, not some weird peanut shape," Kira said.

"Oh yeah, I see the head and the little body," Leah agreed.

"He looks like he's continuing to develop just fine," the doctor told Sam and Freddie. "Just keep doing what you're doing."

"Look at him!" Sam said, not taking her eyes off the monitor. "He's so tiny and cute."

"He's perfect," Freddie echoed.

…..

"Okay, are you both ready to go?" Sam asked a few mornings later as she walked into the kitchen where the twins were eating their breakfast.

"Uh-huh," Leah nodded.

"Oh, and Freddie has to be in meetings all day today so Mrs. Fisher is going to pick you up," Sam added. "Remind me to knock on her door on our way out to the car to give her money to get something for dinner. She's going to be staying here until I get back from work."

"Why?" Kira frowned. "Mrs. Fisher hasn't babysat us in almost a year. Why can't we just stay home alone like we always do?"

"Because you're thirteen, not thirty," Sam said simply. "And don't think of it as babysitting. Think of it as…enjoying some time with our elderly neighbor."

"Why are you concerned about us being by ourselves all of the sudden?" Leah asked.

"It's called parenting," Sam said, grabbing her bag. "Now let's go, you don't want to be late for school."

"Oh no, of course we don't," Kira said, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Real cute, Kira," Sam smirked.

…..

"Be lucky you're on desk duty," Caleb said to Sam the next day while she was at work. "I just had to arrest a guy for breaking into his ex-wife's house and stealing her toothbrush. Not her jewelry, not her purse, he toothbrush."

"Weird," Sam said as Caleb sat down on the edge of her desk. "I look forward to the paperwork on it."

"So how's the married life been treating you?" Caleb asked.

"It's pretty nice," Sam smiled.

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you," Caleb said, lowering his voice. "How's everything going with the custody case?"

"Nothing new has really happened," Sam shrugged. "The court date's next week though."

"Well hopefully everything will get settled then," Caleb replied.

"That's what everyone says," Sam sighed.

Just then her phone rang and Sam looked down to see Freddie's number flashing on her screen.

"Hey," she smiled, answering the phone.

"Hey, sorry to bother you at work," Freddie said on the other end.

"I'm just filing papers," Sam shrugged. "What's up?"

"Well my car broke down," Freddie told her.

"What? Are you stranded somewhere?"

"Nah, I called a tow truck," Freddie assured her. "I'm at the mechanics right now. The thing is, there's no way my car's gonna be fixed in time for me to pick up the twins from school."

"Don't worry about it, I'll just take a late lunch break and do it myself," Sam said.

"Are you sure?" Freddie said. "I could try and call a cab."

"Nah, just get your car fixed," Sam said. "I'll see you tonight."

"Okay, love you."

"Love you too," Sam replied as she hung up the phone.

"Precious," Caleb said.

"Don't you have a toothbrush thief to go process into the system?" Sam snapped.

"Oh I pushed him off on the new rookie," Caleb told her. "So from your phone conversation I'm assuming we're no longer going to have our cozy lunch date in the break room that smells like old pizza?"

"Try and make it through without me," Sam told him.

"Who else am I gonna make fun of Kwoski's toupee with?"

"I'll mock it double tomorrow," Sam promised.

….

"And so then my teacher told me my science fair project was the best he had ever seen," Leah said as her, Kira and Sam walked up the stairs to the family's apartment. "I got the highest grade in the class!"
"Congratulations," Sam smiled. She looked at Kira. "How'd you do?"

"Um, well…I got a C," Kira admitted. "But in my defense, Mr. Avary has had it out for me since the start of the year."

"Weird how the teachers always seem to have it out for you," Sam said, rolling her eyes.

"I know, right?" Kira nodded.

"Alright, well try not to fill up before dinner," Sam said, fishing in her bag for the key to the apartment. "Freddie's picking up Chinese food from the restaurant by the mechanic's for dinner. Behave yourselves, I need to get back to work."

"Let me guess…Mrs. Fisher's gonna watch us?" Leah said.

"Way to put that A+ in science to use," Sam smiled.

"You know, no other kid in the eighth grade has to be babysat," Kira pointed out.

"Good for them," Sam said, finally finding her key. "Anyway, text Freddie what you want from the Chinese restaurant. Hopefully I'll be back home in a couple hours. I might actually be getting caught up on all my paperwork. I just need to-"

"Hello, Samantha," a cold voice suddenly said from behind Sam.

Sam felt her blood run cold and she nearly dropped her bag. She slowly turned around and saw exactly what she had been afraid of happening for years.