Author's note: thank you very, very much for all your reviews! I know some of you were hoping for a single baby but since it's only my second "baby Rizzles" fanfic and the first one had only one baby, I gave in for the twins here. Hopefully it'll sound realistic enough.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Keep A Secret In The Family
"Why is the stroller in the patio? Your cat is taking a nap in it. There will be hairs everywhere." With a quick peck on her daughter's cheek, Angela passed on the other side of the kitchen counter to grab an apron and put it on.
Focused on her laptop, the brunette shrugged and bit her lip. "I took pictures of it... We are selling it on Ebay." Click: enter. Perfect, done. Satisfied, Jane finally straightened up and smiled at her mother. "I'm not sure I should ask but what's with the frown?"
"Why are you selling my present on the web? Maura is pregnant! You're going to need it. I even chose a neutral color because I know – and learned my lesson – that you don't like gender colors for the kids."
Oh, what have you done, Riz'? Do everyone a favor and spice up your life with tact, next time. A laugh passed her lips as she raised a hand in the air to stop the matriarch. "It's not what you think, ma'. I like it. A lot. But we need another one."
Salad bowl in hand, Angela shook her head. She seemed confused, and hurt. "Why? This is one of the best strollers on the market. And it is very safe too. I have checked on different websites before buying it, you know. I only want the best for my grandchildren."
As much as she knew that she shouldn't be laughing, Jane couldn't help it. The misunderstanding was cute, sweet. They hadn't broken the news about the multiple pregnancy yet. The shock was somewhat fading away and – little by little – she and Maura were embracing the idea with wisdom and positivity.
"We need a bigger one, ma'. That's all. Actually, I'm pretty liking this collection so we might simply go for another model."
"It is the standard size, Jane. A newborn doesn't need a limousine!"
The detective rolled her eyes – cast a quick glance at the ad she had just posted on Ebay – and took a deep breath. Maura should have been the one in charge of breaking the news. She did a lot better with all these moments that required tact and diplomacy. Jane was too direct, too impatient.
"We're going to have twins. They can't fit in a single stroller like the one you bought us. We need... We need to rethink many things." Before her mother's silence – at least when in shock, Angela was quiet – Jane threw herself in a longer explanation than expected. "It all started with the fetal Doppler. I thought I was hearing an echo and it turned out two hearts were beating instead of one. We got the confirmation two days later after an emergency appointment at Maura's OB/GYN. There are two babies. Healthy but still, two of them."
Silence. Angela blinked but didn't say anything. She seemed to have frozen in time, a salad bowl in her left hand while the other was clutched to a pack of flour.
"The head circumferences are good, same for the skin at the back of their necks. It isn't too thick. Mind you Maura asked for an amniocentesis because... Well, because it's Maura. But everyone's doing fine if that can reassure you. Now we just need to adapt to the situation."
As soon as the matriarch finally reacted – by squinting her eyes – Jane knew that it wasn't a good sign. What had she said, again?
"Are you telling me that you have been in possession of my grandchildren's very first pictures for like a week and you haven't showed me any yet?"
Luckily for Jane, the door of the patio flew open and TJ rushed in soon followed by Lydia – Tommy – and Frankie. Saved by the family. Who would have guessed. The only one missing was Maura, off for some last-minute grocery shopping at the Beacon Hill organic market. Before the twin news stole the show on Tommy's birthday, Jane shut down her laptop and welcomed everyone heartdly.
"Hey, little man..." She took her nephew in her arms to plant a loud kiss on his cheek, talking to Lydia in the meantime about the traffic by Boston Common. It was just a quiet Sunday at home, with family. The kind she complained about all week but couldn't actually wait to take part in.
"Where's Maura?" At the glare his sister shot at him, Tommy raised his hands in the air – faking to be innocent – before bursting out laughing. "I'm just asking."
"We were running out of basil so she went..."
A loud bang on the front door made everyone turn around. Not bothered, Jane put TJ back on the floor and crossed the living-room to go and open under her relatives' perplexed faces. "And there she is. Let me help you."
Without waiting for Maura's reply, she grabbed half of the bags the scientist was carrying and took it all to the kitchen.
"Hello, everyone." Why are they all staring at me as if I had lost my mind? Pretending to not notice it, the blonde walked in and proceeded to hug each of their guests warmly. As she made it to TJ, the little boy frowned at her – intrigued – then motioned the door with his tiny index finger. "Oh... I had a lot of bags in my arms, dear. That's why I didn't properly knock on nor open as I usually do. I... Well, I used my shoulder to warn Jane. She is used to!"
The toddler seemed satisfied of the answer – like the rest of the crowd – and ran after Coco Loco as the cat made an appearance, stretching after its nap in the sun.
"I promised I'd help in the kitchen but I still wanna watch the game. Put the television on, Frankie." As her brother obliged rather happily and sat down on the couch with TJ and Tommy, Jane turned around and cast a glance at the kitchen counter. Of course, her mother had already dispatched everyone's task. Freak. "May I have a beer, Maur'?"
Bottle of water in hand – the doors of the fridge still opened – the scientist nodded and grabbed a can before holding it to her wife. She passed her arms around the brunette's waist – settled against her back – and rested her chin on her shoulder before planting a furtive kiss on her neck. "What am I supposed to do?"
"Go and sit down with the guys or in the patio. It's cold but sunny. Have a rest. You need a double one."
Angela's remark made Maura frown. She looked at Jane who suddenly seemed to be lost in a quiet contemplation of tomatoes settled on the counter top. "Double?"
The matriarch shrugged – cast a brief glance at her daughter – and ran her tongue over lips. She cleared her voice, nervously. "Well, you need to rest. Why don't you take Lydia to the patio to show her how all these seeds seem to work wonderfully even in the heart of the city in such a tiny place?"
What was going on? Why did Angela look embarrassed when Jane had simply turned silent? Perplexed, Maura nonetheless nodded at the suggestion and grabbed back the scarf she had abandoned on a stool.
Last kiss on her wife's cheek before smiling at Lydia who – timidly – was waiting by the kitchen island. "I can give you tips to grow your own vegetables, if you want. I am sure that TJ would enjoy doing so." Enthusiastically, Maura turned on her heels but stopped at the last minute to look back at Jane. "By the way, have you put the ad on Ebay?"
Peeler in hand – and looking slightly desperate to Maura's highest incomprehension – the brunette took a deep breath and pushed away a strand of hair that was falling down her face. She nodded, avoiding a delicate eye-contact. "Yeah, yeah. I did. We'll check tonight whether we have bidders on it, okay?"
"Sure..." Suspicious tone. Shaking her head to sweep away her interrogations, Maura focused back on Lydia and walked out to the patio. It was a chilly day but the sun was bright and high in the sky. Out of automatism, she tried to button up her coat. In vain.
Lydia smiled at the gesture. "You really have started showing. I didn't before the sixth month. People used to think I was making up stories."
Maura looked down at her stomach and made a face. She didn't know if it had anything to do with her last OB/GYN appointment but since they had learned that she was expecting twins, it seemed like her body had considerably evolved. Ten days earlier, her stomach was still flat; the same as usual. Now it looked like a small pumpkin. As if getting to see the two fetus on a screen had set off the whole thing.
"Yes, I have. It seems like I will have to go shopping soon as well, now." And not just for clothes but underwear as well. Her bras were too tight. It had taken her almost an hour in the morning to find one that would fit without hurting.
"You're in the middle of your third month, it's normal. Enjoy it, it's the best part of a pregnancy. You don't have morning sickness anymore and you still can move around easily. Oh, and see your feet."
Maura laughed. Why were pregnant women so obsessed with seeing their feet? Except when it came to pedicures, of course. Then it made sense.
"I have to recognize that I am rather glad to be done with the morning sickness." And luckily, it hadn't had any incidence on the babies. She hadn't lost weight and was well hydrated. The worst was behind them. She wanted to believe it.
"Hey, do you know the sex of the baby?" Lydia smiled genuinely and squatted down to join Maura by the small vegetable garden.
"I had the unfortunate idea to turn my head at the wrong moment during the ultra-sound picture and since I am a physician, it didn't take me long to know about it indeed... But we want it to be a surprise for all of you."
Although by the strange scene that had previously occurred in the kitchen, Maura wondered if anyone could actually keep a secret long in this family.