Chapter 4 Surprise
As Vincent and I walked down to the observatory, the urge to empty my stomach hit me like a train. I let go of Vincent's hand and ran to the nearest bathroom just in time. Vincent was right behind me holding my hair back as I heaved violently into the toilet. When I had finished, I laid back into his chest panting. "Catherine, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. You shouldn't be going through this."
"Vincent, if I remember correctly, I was a willing participant in making this baby."
"Catherine, that's not what I mean. Muirfield specifically told all of the participants that children after the genetic mutation would be impossible."
"Vincent listen to me. Having your baby means everything to me. If you think a little morning sickness is going to get the best of me, you're wrong. Besides, when my mother was pregnant with Heather the doctor told her morning sickness was a sign of a healthy baby." I cradled my belly. "So they must be healthy."
"Catherine, why do you keep referring to the baby as they?"
"Huh? Well, I refuse to say "it" as if it's a thing. You've already got it in your mind that I'm going to give birth to some monster. Come on Vincent, when you see our baby, you will see it's not a monster at all." I got up and went to the observatory and got on the table.
Vincent came rushing in behind me, and got ready to do the ultrasound. I parted my robe to allow him access. Vincent squeezed the gel on my belly and started searching for answers. Suddenly he stopped and gasped. "Vincent what is it? Turn the screen around so I can see." He didn't move. Didn't acknowledge I even spoke to him. He just sat and stared at the screen, white as a sheet. "Vincent!" He turned to look at me, then turned the screen so I could see. It took me a minute to figure out exactly what I was seeing, then I gasped. "Vincent, please tell me our baby doesn't have two heads and that I'm seeing things." Then he moved the wand and suddenly there weren't just two heads, but two bodies as well. Vincent shook his head. "Their heartbeats are perfectly in sync. That's why the heartbeat sounded so strong to us. That's why you've been so sick. You've got double the hormones coursing through your body."
"Wait a minute Vincent. How did JT not catch this in all the blood work he's been doing? How did he not know?"
Suddenly JT spoke. Where did he come from? Neither of us heard him come in the house, let alone the room. "Cat I promise I didn't know. I was basing the levels on the first draw, making sure they were increasing. Wow. Two babies I get to spoil." Vincent and I smiled. Vincent put a hand on JT's shoulder. "Uncle JT."
It's been six weeks since the three of us found out there will be five of us in a few months. At four months pregnant, I have developed a nice little baby bump, and larger breasts, at which I am constantly admiring in the mirror. The morning sickness, although not completely gone, has become much less frequent. Vincent is happy that I'm finally gaining the weight I should be, and cannot keep his hands off the babies. He has also admitted defeat and realized I'm not made of glass, finally taking advantage of my raging pregnancy hormones. JT tested my DNA only to find out what I already knew. It hasn't changed. The babies just seem to be giving me a taste of what they and their daddy have. Vincent has consistently reminded me that he is not an Obstetrician and that we need to find one to monitor me from here on out. I have denied him every time. Although secretly I want Tess, once my best friend here with me. She couldn't handle Vincent in beast form. How was she going to deal with the fact that I am carrying his babies who share his DNA?
JT walked in the house. There were other footsteps with him and they weren't Vincent's. I ran down the stairs stopping at the landing holding my bump protectively. Then I saw them. Tess and Evan were by his side. Vincent leaned against the doorway of the sitting room smiling. "Vincent, you knew?"
"Catherine. I told you we needed someone else to help monitor you and JT and I trust Evan. Plus he has skills I don't possess in case something goes wrong. As for Tess, that took some convincing."
Tess ran to me arms stretched out and she held me tight and cried, apologizing for being such an awful friend. She pulled away from me, holding me at arms distance. "Let me get a look at you. Oh my God! Look at your bump!" I giggled. "Yeah, they're growing nicely, and so is my belly."
"Wait a minute. They? Vincent just told me you were pregnant and you needed me."
"Tess, we found out a few weeks ago. Two babies. I can't wait to hold them in my arms."
Vincent walked up the steps to Tess and I. "Catherine you're going to have to wait. I don't think they're quite ready yet." Smiling, he rubbed my bump.
Evan spoke up. "Cat, feel up to an ultrasound so I can have a current prospective at what we're up against?" Oh as if I had to answer. I never pass up a chance to see the babies wriggling around in my belly.
"Evan only if all of us can be in there. I want Tess and JT to be in there with us." Evan nodded in agreement and we all made our way to the Observatory to see the babies. When Evan was finished and Tess was done gushing about being Auntie Tess, he explained all the risks of carrying twins and what we needed to be prepared for. Then he left for home promising to be back weekly for check ups.
What I really needed was someone to go shopping for me. My bras were two sizes too small and I couldn't even begin to button my jeans. Let alone all the baby stuff we needed. Tess and I wore the same size, and she couldn't wait to go shopping for cute maternity clothes and baby stuff. She left the safe haven, to go shopping two towns over so no one could possibly put two and two together. She was gone for hours and I started to worry. Vincent assured me she was fine and would be back soon. It was then we heard her car coming up the long drive. She got out and put her hands on her hips. "Hey Vincent. Mind lending me some of that super strength to carry all this in?" Vincent chuckled and began unloading the car. He leaned and kissed me on the cheek and he walked by, bags overloading his arms. "Catherine baby, I'm going to put all the clothes in our room. You and Tess can play dress up while JT and I put together the baby furniture she bought." Tess ran up to me. "Come on Cat, you have to try all this stuff on."
After an hour of trying on every single piece of maternity clothing on that Tess had painstakingly picked out, I was exhausted. I laid down on the bed and Tess covered me up. "Cat, honey I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wear you out. Take a little nap. I'm going to see what the boys are up to."
I snuggled under the covers and yawned. "Thanks Tess. For being here. For going shopping for me. For everything. I missed you." Tess smiled. "I missed you too honey and I wouldn't miss being here when these babies are born for the world." With that, she walked out and closed the door, leaving me to sleep.