Chapter 21

"That we are what?!"

The exclamation echoed in Dr Smith's smartly decorated office. Dr Smith, C.C.'s obstetrician, had a knack for interior decoration, hence his office having, for example, only nice, warm lighting in the room instead of the coldish incandescence so typical of white lights normally used in hospital – it made his patients more comfortable, he reckoned, and in his line of work he needed his patients to be as relaxed as possible.

But speaking of patients, Smith could barely contain the amusement at the bewilderment so clearly etched across the Brightmore's features. He was used to seeing this type of looks – God know some of them only bode chaos ahead – but seeing it on them was, indeed, somewhat funny. The Brightmores had become his patients – or rather, Mrs Brightmore had become his patient nearly a month and a half ago, and this was their second ultrasound. It was routine, now that Mrs Brightmore had officially reached her second trimester (she was in her fourth month, to be more precise) she came for regular ultrasounds every two weeks plus weekly check-ups.

But back to the matter at hand, Smith was more than amused by the disbelief clearly etched across Mr and Mrs Brightmores faces. He'd long suspected this, but as he hadn't been able to see it clearly in the past ultrasounds he had refrained from telling the couple until he wasn't completely sure.

Well... now he was! And the Brightmores certainly looked like they had a thousand and one questions to ask.

"You heard me," Smith said cheerfully as he moved the transducer over C.C.'s stomach.

"So we are... we really are..."

Not having time to lose, Smith ignored Niles aposiopesis and nodded as he slowly moved the device. "Indeed, Mr and Mrs Brightmore. It seems that you are having twins! A boy and a girl, by the look of things."

Once the shock and bewilderment had died away, Niles and C.C. began to huff out excited laughter, bright grins flashing across both of their faces.

Twins! They were having twins!

Neither could believe it. Their family was increasing by two instead of one! They were going to have two little girls and a little boy!

Amelia would be thrilled. She was getting a little brother and a little sister!

Niles reached down and enveloped his wife in as much of a hug as he could. He was going to be the father to three children, and it was all thanks to the wonderful woman right in front of him!

"Twins!" he cried out. "We're having twins!"

"I know," C.C. had tears of joy in her eyes as she lifted her head towards him to rest her forehead on his. "I love you so much, Niles..."

"I love you too, sweetheart," he replied, pecking her on the lips a few times. "I think it's time to tell Mia! She'll be thrilled to be a big sister!"

"Yes, it is!" C.C. said, looking at the screen in wonderment.

There was a part of her that couldn't actually believe it – she was carrying twins! There were two little babies inside of her. Two lives that her husband had helped create...

She couldn't help thinking about the moment, all those many years ago, when she'd first found out that she was expecting a girl back when she'd been pregnant with Amelia. There had been no one in the room to share the happiness with, for she had still been in Buenos Aires. She hadn't had her husband by her side, even if part of her had craved for him to be there.

But that was not the case anymore.

It was incredible just how many things had changed in her life...

Not only was Niles the father of her eldest child, but they had also co-created two new children. Two new children that they would adore just as much as they adored Amelia.

"We were planning on telling her about the pregnancy anyway," C.C. added as the doctor gently removed the transducer from her stomach (not before taking care to print a copy of the ultrasound, of course).

"We should buy her some ice cream and tell her! It will be a nice celebration," said Niles.

"And you'll be able to do all of that after you've heard my recommendations," Smith piped up and indicated for Niles and C.C. to take a seat at his desk.

Once C.C.'s clothes were back in place and they were comfortably sat down in the plastic chairs in front of the obstetricians desk, Smith grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper from his desk and he cleared his throat as he put pen to paper.

"We've discussed the basics on previous visits, but seeing as you are having twins instead of one baby, I need to change your pre-natal vitamins," he began. "Among other things, you need to know that you'll feel more tired than if you were carrying just one child, and I need you to know that twins rarely make it to term. They are usually smaller babies, and are usually born a few weeks earlier."

A few weeks earlier...well, that didn't matter so much to Niles – he'd just make sure that C.C. kept to the doctor's recommendations. He'd done the same thing for Fran when she was carrying the twins, so he had at least had that experience behind him.

Their babies would be there before they knew it! He couldn't wait already.

The doctor held out the piece of paper, and C.C. accepted it.

"You'll need to get plenty of rest, and make sure that you come in for regularly scheduled appointments," he told her. "But I'm sure you'll be sure to do that. The twins are healthy and, of course, we all want them to stay that way. And you're to start this prescription as soon as possible, so if you just take it to the pharmacy on your way home, they should have what you need."

"Thank you, Doctor," C.C. grinned, her hand dropping to and her smile focused on her stomach.

"You have no idea how happy this is making us," Niles wrapped an arm around C.C..

Smith could only smile in reply, "Well, I never like to assume that I know for sure. I can only imagine how thrilled each and every couple I see must be. But I must still offer my congratulations on the wonderful news!"

Niles and C.C. thanked him and shook the doctor's hand before finally leaving back for their car, anxious to go home and tell Amelia the news. Marie and Joseph were looking after Amelia – they'd arrive only a few days ago, and they were planning on staying for three months and return once the babies were born.

It would save them having to make an international phone call, and for Niles it was certainly nice to have his parents near.

They made two stops before the mansion – the pharmacy, and Amelia's favourite ice cream parlour. Their little girl adored the vanilla ice cream they prepared there, so the two parents made sure to buy some for her.

They barely spoke during the trip back home. They were too excited to do anything else but think about what Amelia's reaction would be. They knew their girl was going to be an awesome big sister, but she had no clue about the pregnancy!

"Ready?" Niles asked as he pulled up the driveway and turned off the engine.

C.C. looked at him and smiled – actually it was more like she beamed. "Totally. Come on," the blonde reached out for his hand and squeezed it, "let's tell them all!"

With a matching smile, Niles quickly jumped out of the car and edged round it so he could open the door for his wife. She'd soon need help to move around, but he liked helping her even if she didn't need it.

They could hear Amelia's exited little voice. She was surely telling something to her grandparents, and judging by the heavenly smell inside the house they were probably baking something in the kitchen.

"... Mia bring me zhe oven mitten," Marie said and Amelia quickly complied. "We need to 'ave zhis ready for when your parents come back!"

"Where did they go, Mémère?" Mia asked.

"To zhe doctor."

The elder woman pulled open the oven door, and Mia stood back while her grandmother grabbed the baking tray inside, and brought the cake they had been preparing to the front. It looked light, and spongy – it was perfect for decorating!

They'd been making frosting while the cake had been in the oven, and the little girl couldn't wait to make it look pretty for her Mommy and Daddy. She didn't know why they had gone to the doctor exactly, but she knew it had to do with her Mommy being sick a lot recently.

She hoped her Mommy was feeling better now, and that she'd like the cake. All she wanted was for her family to be happy – all of them together, and they could enjoy the rest of the day having fun.

And she knew that it was all about to start with the opening of the front door, and her mother's voice calling out to them.

"Hello, hello!"

Mia exchanged a smile with her grandmother, who gestured with her head for the girl to go and see her parents.

"Go on," she urged, keeping her voice low. "Zhis needs to cool before we can decorate! Distract zhem, and we can surprise zhem!"

"Okay!" Amelia said before cheerfully skipping off to the entryway, where her parents awaited.

As soon as she laid eyes on them, she noticed they had brought ice cream with them, and her smile only grew. Her Mommy was in a good mood! She was surely feeling better!

"Mommy, Daddy!" Amelia said, jumping into Niles' arms and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Mémère and I have a surprise for you!"

"What a coincidence!" C.C. exclaimed, leaning in to give Amelia a kiss on the cheek. "We have a surprise for you too!"

"Really?!" Amelia nearly squealed, excitement seeping through her tone and shining in her eyes. "What is it?!"

"Go look for Mémère and Grandpa so we can show them the surprise too!" Niles said, dropping a kiss on the top of

Mia's head before putting her down on the floor. "Come on, go!"

Niles didn't really need to urge her – the girl was so excited she practically dashed to the kitchen and dragged her grandparents into the living room, all while excitedly babbling about all the surprised that were going on in the house.

Once they had all sat down – Mia comfortably snuggled in between her parents – Niles and C.C. exchanged a look and nodded.

"Mia, do you know why we went to the doctor today?" Niles asked, looking down at his little girl and stroking her hair.

"Nope," she said. "Is it because Mommy hasn't been feeling so well lately?"

"Yes, it has to do with that!" C.C. piped up. "Do you know why I've been feeling bad?"

The girl shook her head.

"Well... this is why!" Niles said as he retrieved a little picture from his pocket and handed it to Amelia.

The child frowned. She had never seen such a weird picture before! What could it be?

"What is this, Daddy?"

"That... is a picture. A picture of your brother and sister!" C.C. looked between her in laws and eldest child. "They are in my tummy."

"Exactly," Niles said. "Amelia, Mommy is pregnant. In a few months, you are going to have a little brother and a little sister!"

An enormous cry went up from the two oldest people in the room as Marie and Joseph immediately started to celebrate the news. She covered her mouth to stifle the cries of joy, and he started to laugh happily, before they both rose to their feet to go and hug the couple.

"Congratulations, the pair of you!" Joseph slapped his son heartily on the back. "This is the best news you could have given us!"

"It's the best news for us, too," C.C. agreed, releasing Marie from her hug and turning back to Amelia. "What do you think, Mia? Isn't it the best news?"

And suddenly, Amelia felt very small, surrounded by all the beaming adults and not feeling as happy as they apparently were. Her Mommy and Daddy were having more babies, and she had no idea what to think…

She smiled shakily, not knowing what to feel about her parents suddenly introducing more children into the picture, but absolutely certain that whatever she was feeling, it didn't involve smiling.

"It is great news, Mommy!" she replied, quickly hugging both of her parents before leaping to her feet. "But now I have homework; I'll be in my room!"

She immediately started to dash off, but Marie lay a hand on her arm.

"Wait, chérie! What about our surprise for your parents, hm?"

C.C. looked towards her mother-in-law, and then back at her daughter, "Yeah, and what about your ice cream? It's your favourite; the homework can wait for a little while, can't it?"

Mia shook her head quickly, feeling an urgent need to be alone, "I'd rather do it now!"

She then ran out and up the stairs without another word.

There was a strange, burning feeling in her chest – a feeling she had never experienced before. It was uncomfortable, and it made her want to cry and scream in equal measure. What was she feeling? Was it sadness? Was it anger? Was it happiness? Was it... jealousy?

Maybe it was all of those emotions at once...

Amelia simply didn't know.

What she knew, however, was that it scared her. Yes... it was scaring the living daylights out of her! It hadn't been that long since her Daddy had become her Daddy... so why did he need new babies? He had her, didn't he?

Unless...

No.

No it couldn't be that!

Or could it?

Could her Daddy want new babies because... because she was not... not good enough? Because, unlike her, these babies would be his from birth.

The mere thought of this felt like a slap in the face – hard and sure. But it was more than just a dull ache, though... it was almost as if something inside her had broken. It was almost as if all the heat in the room and all the happiness in her heart had been taken away, and she had no idea what to do.

Well... she had no idea what to do except go and lie down on her bean bag chair. Her backpack was right next to it, so she simply grabbed her books and began perusing them. It didn't take long for her to hear a knock on the door – Mia knew it was her parents. She didn't want to talk about this, so she snuggled in her seat and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

She hoped it would be enough!

"Mia?" Nile said as he opened the door.

Mia lay perfectly still. She didn't want to talk about this. She didn't want to talk about running out of the room. She didn't want to talk about the new little brother and sister the rest of her family were so excited about. She didn't even want the cake that she and her grandmother had taken all afternoon to make, or the ice cream her parents had brought home.

She didn't want anything. She'd wait until her parents had gone away, and then probably go to bed. She wasn't sure she could be bothered to do the homework she'd excused herself to go and do.

Nothing was interesting right then, and nothing was important.

Niles approached his daughter gingerly, creeping in slowly. From a distance, she certainly looked asleep, but as he got closer certain things gave it away that she was still awake and perfectly listening.

C.C. had stayed downstairs with his parents while he went to talk to her, but he wished it could have been the both of them. He felt he might need her mother's backup in this. But they had guests to entertain, and to make sure they didn't worry for their granddaughter. He just needed to find out as quickly as possible why she was so upset. He didn't like seeing her clearly agitated by...well, anything! She was his little girl, and he wanted her to be happy.

Especially on a day like today. They all had every reason in the world to be happy. There was ice cream waiting for them, and a cake that his mother just couldn't help but tell them about when Mia had run upstairs.

Didn't she want to be downstairs, with her family, enjoying the afternoon?

He knelt in front of her, knowing she was making an extra effort to keep silent and still.

"Mia, I know you're awake."

The girl weighed her options – she could either remain still while pretending she was asleep until her father had given up on trying to "wake her up" or she could open her eyes and face him. She'd have to do the second one it eventually, so maybe there was no point in delaying what was already inevitable.

"Mia, talk to me," Niles said softly, carefully gathering his child in his arms and resting against Mia's bean bag. She still had her eyes closed, but it didn't take long for her to open them. However, Niles quickly noticed she avoided looking at him in the eye...

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Niles asked.

Amelia remained silent. She didn't want to tell him what was wrong – probably because she was afraid of the answer she'd get from him. What if it was true? What if he really didn't love her as much as he loved her brother and sister?

She wouldn't be able to bear hearing him say that...

No. She needed a lie. A convincing lie that she could easily get away with. She had never lied to her parents before, but for some reason it now seemed like the best course of action.

And as a matter of fact, a very convenient idea had just popped inside her mind.

"It's nothing..." she grumbled.

"That's not true," Niles said gently. "If there was nothing wrong you wouldn't have ran away and pretended to be asleep!"

Well... here went nothing.

Mia affected a grimace and she hid her face in the crook of Niles' neck. "It's just... your surprise is better than mine and I really wanted to surprise you with the cake!"

There. Her every word had been a complete and utter lie, but it would save her from having to discuss the unpleasant and confusing feeling caused by her Mommy's pregnancy.

Niles didn't quite know what to do or say about that. He was only half-convinced it was the truth in the first place, because it seemed like a massive overreaction for such a trivial reason. But she was young, and she had probably been working hard on the cake with her grandmother. What if she had simply been expecting them to be completely surprised by the cake? They would have dismissed her hard work by blowing it out of the metaphorical water with their own news!

She might just need a little validation. He had to give her the benefit of the doubt in that regard. Even if something in him said it went far further than that, he had to try the simplest solution first.

So he hugged her close, and kissed her hair, stroking it, "You did surprise us with the cake, Little One! It looks delicious, and your Mommy and I are looking forward to eating it very much!"

He squeezed her tighter briefly, and angled his head more so he could say his next words directly into her ear.

"But we're not enjoying it until our girl comes downstairs to eat it with us," he said. "We want to celebrate as a family, and how can we do that when someone so special and important is upstairs, missing out on all the fun and all the ice cream that her parents bought her, hm?"

"Okay," Mia replied, trying not to sound as disappointed as she really felt. She didn't want to go back downstairs, but if she wanted her Daddy to believe her lie she'd have to do it anyway.

"That's what I wanted to hear," Niles said, kissing her hair again and getting to his feet. "Now come on, they are waiting for us!"

Amelia nestled her head in the crook of his neck. She'd have to be careful not to let her real feelings show for the rest of the afternoon, and go back to her bedroom as soon as possible. Actually, that was what she'd start doing from then onwards – she would bottle everything up. She wasn't going to let her parents see that there was something wrong.

Hopefully, it would go away with time, and everything would go back to normal.

But deep inside her, Amelia knew that nothing could ever go back to the way it had once been.

"No."

That's what she had said. And yet here she was...

Amelia frowned when this thought crossed her mind and observed her father helping her mother out of the car. She hadn't wanted to come to this stupid ultrasound, but both her parents and grandparents had insisted.

It had been a month and a half since she'd been told her Mommy was pregnant, but time had done nothing to quell her anger nor it had healed the feelings of inadequacy that had taken root in her heart. And although she had contained the extent of her rage so that the change in her behaviour wouldn't be noticeable, she sensed that her Mommy and her Daddy already knew (or, at least, suspected) there was something wrong with her.

It's just so horrible! Pretending to be happy about all of this when she was not…

And to think she'd been happily colouring a drawing with her Grandpa Stewart when her Mommy and Daddy had told her that they were leaving for the doctor! They had then asked if she wanted to comethis time. In all honesty, Amelia would have preferred to do homework all afternoon instead of seeing her new siblings, but after some relentless insistence from her family, she'd had no other choice but to go.

She'd tried not to show her bad mood, though. It would only arise doubts, and God knows her father was suspicious enough as it was...

She was withdrawing from them – becoming distant – and although neither of them had said it aloud, Amelia knew that they knew there was something going on. She only hoped they didn't know what it was.

"... God, I can't believe you are reaching your fifth month already!" Amelia overheard her dad speaking to her mother and her frown only deepened.

She hated just how excited he sounded.

That's why she didn't wait for her Daddy to open the door for her. Instead, she simply climbed down the car herself and took off for the hospital's door, not even waiting for her now concerned parents.

"Mia?" Niles called out and the girl reluctantly came to a halt.

"Yes?"

"Could you please wait for Mommy? She can't walk as fast! You can grab my hand if you want to, and we'll help her together," said Niles, trying to shake the unpleasant feeling that there was something wrong with Amelia from his mind.

The girl came back to them, but she avoided taking his hand. Instead, she (begrudgingly) took C.C.'s.

Niles and C.C. looked at each other, only momentarily letting the worried frown cross their faces. But it was enough – they knew each other well enough to know what they were thinking. Something was definitely up with their daughter, but they didn't know what it could be!

She just seemed so quiet recently. So distant, like she didn't want to spend time with them anymore. But they couldn't understand why – she wasn't in trouble, and nothing had happened at school. And her behaviour, whilst cold, hadn't really changed much in any other way.

They'd resolved to keep an eye on her, and see what happened. They hoped seeing her little brother and sister for the first time properly might cheer her up – she could take a look at them on the screen for once, not just have a still photograph, so she could see them move and they could ask her about what she thought they should call the twins, and they could all go home laughing and joking like a regular family waiting for the day it was going to get larger...it could all be perfect.

If Mia didn't look so upset as they went into the hospital. She wouldn't even look at her father, keeping her (limited) attention directed towards her mother.

Dr Smith greeted them shortly after they checked in, and the three were redirected to his office, where the examination table was waiting for C.C..

"Mrs Brightmore, I believe you know what to do?" Smith asked brightly, gesturing towards it.

C.C. nodded, smiling a little, "That I do, Doctor..."

C.C. then turned to Niles, who began helping C.C. with her coat. Amelia watched in silence, dread seeping into her very soul. Her father hadn't done that when her Mommy had been pregnant with her...

How could she ever compare to her brother and sister? Her father had been there since the beginning...

The twins were his since the beginning...

She had to look away when Niles rubbed C.C.'s belly affectionately – it made her feel... out of place. Like she didn't belong in the room with them. All she knew was that she wanted to be with her Mommy, and only her Mommy. She loved her Daddy... but did he love her as much as she loved him? Now part of her didn't really know…

"Alright, now I'll need your help here," said C.C., and Niles quickly went to help his wife get on the examination table.

But as she watched this, Amelia felt an urgent need to be there, with her Mommy. Almost as if holding her would delay the ultrasound or mitigate the pain caused by her siblings. Also, usually when she needed to get on places that were too high, his Daddy or Mommy would always helped her get to them, but now her Mommy couldn't do it because of the twins, while her Daddy preferred to attend to the twins first…

She would always come second – she would always be less than them…

Mia frowned. Well, she'd do it alone then! If he didn't care, then she wasn't waiting for him, either. So, she went to the tall examination bed and tried clambering onto it. But it happened in an instant – as she was trying to climb onto the bed with her Mommy, she gave one false step and she unceremoniously fell down with her back to the floor.

To be honest it did hurt, but nothing ached more than Amelia's wounded pride.

Niles noticed the fall immediately, but he had to finish helping C.C. onto the table before he could do anything about it.

"Mia!" he cried out, making sure his wife was on the table and ready for the doctor to begin the examination before turning to their daughter.

He found her there, on the floor, looking miserable. She had slumped with her back against the wall, and was staring angrily at the ground.

"Are you hurt, Little One?" he crouched down by her, trying to check if she'd bumped her head or hurt her back in the fall. It was lucky they were in a hospital, if something was wrong, they could get a doctor to look her over.

He didn't want his little girl to be hurt. Not on yet another day when they should all be happy. He wanted her to see her siblings on the screen, and to be delighted by them moving inside their mother. He wanted her to feel like part of a big family – the eldest of the Brightmore children, and excited for it.

He was going to pick her up and hold her so she could see everything properly.

But Mia flinched away from him when he tried to reach out and touch her.

"I'm fine, Daddy," she muttered, sounding far from it. Her words were very nearly spat.

She wasn't fine, and they both knew it. But Amelia was hoping that he might take her at her word, like he'd done the last time. She didn't want his help. She wanted to sit next to her Mommy, and she was going to do it by herself!

If he had the twins, then he probably didn't need her, no matter what she said or wanted to be true. So she would learn to do without him, too.

"Are you sure?" Niles asked, trying to get near her again. Once again, the girl flinched away from him. He tried not to let her see just how much her not-so-subtle rejection had hurt him. "Let me see if-"

"I wanna go with Mommy," the girl cut across him and rendered Niles speechless.

He almost felt like the little girl that looked and sounded so much like his child, was a stranger. A remarkably similar stranger at that, but a stranger nonetheless. He observed in stunned silence how she quickly got to her feet, dusted herself off and walked back to the examination table.

She tried to climb on her own again, and that made Niles react.

"Do you want some help?" he said.

"No," the child replied, leaving Niles even more at loss than before.

A feeling of dread and hopelessness began to grow in Niles' heart. Why was she acting this way? Why did he feel like she was mad at him? A daughter that he adored with all his heart...

After some futile attempts at getting onto the table by herself, Amelia had to finally accept his help, but he could feel her desire to get away from him as soon as he held her in his arms. She practically jumped out of them and snuggled next to C.C., not even glancing at him while the doctor spread the gel all over C.C.'s belly.

The parents couldn't help the exchange of a worried look – something was clearly wrong with Amelia, and it was starting to become alarming.

"Alright," Dr Smith spoke up, briefly bringing the two parents' attention to him. "Let's see how everything's in there..."

Moments later, the machine was on and two shapes appeared on screen.

As much as she tried to do so, Amelia couldn't help the tears.

Right there on the screen was the reason she was losing her Daddy. Those two little shapes, as soon as they were out of her Mommy, would take all his time and attention. He'd spend all his time with them, and she'd be pushed out...

And the way he and her Mommy were looking at the screen – delightedly, like they were looking at the best things in the world – only made it hurt all the more. He'd never been around to look at her like that, to hold her Mommy's hand and tell her how beautiful it all was. He'd come along later, and now he was going to have all the time in the world to play with and look after and watch the twins grow up.

His twins. His like she wasn't.

How could he possibly see her the same way, after looking at them? She wasn't the same. They were better, because they could call him Daddy right from the start and they'd have every right.

C.C. was the first to notice her daughter's state of distress, and she tore her eyes away from the screen to look at Amelia.

"Mia, sweetie, what's the matter?" she cupped her little girl's cheek and wiped away a few tears with her thumb. "You're crying..."

The little commotion caught Niles' attention, too, and the look on his little girl's face made him hurt all over again.

"Sweetheart! Whatever is the matter?" he asked, crouching a little to look her in the face. "First not waiting for us when we parked the car, then not wanting my help after you fell, and now this...have we done something wrong, Mia?"

It was the only possible solution. Not that he could bear it if it was the correct one. He only wanted her to be happy, and it would tear at him deeper than anything if he had been the cause of her unhappiness.

But even if she'd wanted to reply, Amelia couldn't speak. Her crying was making it almost impossible...

She just wanted to disappear – to go somewhere where she could be alone and where she didn't have to deal with her parents or her brother and sister. She felt angry, sad, but most of all, she felt guilty.

It was that overbearing type of guilt – one that made her feel like there was a hollowness in her chest where her heart was supposed to be. Part of Amelia knew she should feel happy; they were her brother and sister, after all, so how could she not love them? But another part of her, couldn't help but hate them. Hate the two people who had stolen her Daddy from her.

She wasn't planning on telling them any of this, of course. She had to be strong and bottle everything up...

She had to keep it all in. She had to be strong.

Amelia wiped away her tears with her sleeve and shook her head, almost as if saying "it doesn't matter". But it did matter – at least it mattered to her parents.

"Mia, please..." Niles said softly. It was obvious that there was something wrong, no matter just how much she wanted to hide it.

But the girl remained silent. The only change was that she turned to her mother and buried her face in the crook of her neck. The older woman couldn't do anything else but hold her close, all while dropping kisses on the top of her head.

"Mia..." Niles insisted.

Nothing.

"Please, Mi-"

"Mr and Mrs Brightmore," Smith interrupted with a delicacy acquired from his many years of experience – this wasn't the first time he saw something like this. "I think Miss Brightmore is a little overwhelmed right now. So, if she wants, she can stay here or a nurse can take her to the play area while we carry out the procedure."

"I want to go," Amelia nearly pleaded. "I want to go now!"

Niles looked back and forth between the doctor, his wife, and his daughter. He wasn't exactly sure of what to say – he didn't like the thought of handing Mia off to strangers, especially while she was still so upset.

But she didn't want to be there anymore. That much was certain, and it might only make her feel worse if she was forced to stay. And C.C. seemed to have made up her mind already anyway. She was nodding, and stroking her daughter's hair and face.

"Alright, sweetie, alright," she was trying to keep her voice level, even though seeing Mia cry was clearly making her want to cry, too. "You don't have to stay any more if you don't want to..."

"I don't want to," Mia whimpered in return. "I don't want to...!"

"Okay, sweetie," Niles reached out to pat her back, and felt a sharp pain in his heart when she yet again flinched away. "We can get the nurse in here, and you can go play until Mommy and Daddy are ready..."

Within moments, Dr Smith had pressed a call button for a nurse, who had come in order to take Amelia to the play area. But not before she had given her mother one last hug, and then hugged her father more reluctantly.

Niles could feel that reluctance, too. It was like she didn't want...him anymore. Had she perhaps decided that she didn't want him to be her Daddy anymore, and was upset because there was no way to go back to being just her and C.C.? The thought was horrid, and it only served to worsen his apprehension – so much so that he wasn't able to truly and really enjoy the rest of the ultrasound. How could he, honestly...? His child was clearly upset, especially with him it seemed, and he had no clue what to do to make it better.

And if the problem was that she didn't want him anymore, he'd truly and really be devastated.

Smith seemed to pick up on the Brightmores' distress, so he resolved to bring the ultrasound to an early end – he had already checked for everything he needed – and then cleaned the gel from his patient's stomach.

He knew how hard it was for parents to deal with these situations. To him it was obvious that their eldest child was jealous and upset due to her mother's pregnancy, but the couple in front of him didn't seem to understand this. And it was especially bad in cases where the child had been adopted by one or both parents.

He knew that Amelia wasn't Mr Brightmore's biological daughter, so maybe he could help them out here.

"Well, everything inside you is completely fine, Mrs Brightmore," Smith spoke, peeling off his gloves. "Outside you, however, not so much."

Before the couple had time to reply, Smith took a deep breath and continued.

"Do tell me, Mr and Mrs Brightmore, Miss Brightmore was adopted by Mr Brightmore, correct?"

Both C.C. and Niles frowned. What was this man getting at?

"Yes, why?" asked C.C..

Smith nodded, taking a thoughtful countenance. "I see... well, you see, I think I might know why your child had an emotional outburst. I think she is jealous, especially when it comes to her father. Probably, she feels like she is being replaced, especially since these babies are biologically yours, Mr Brightmore."

Oh...neither Niles nor C.C. had really considered that! The dawning realisation that that was the only thing they hadn't considered grew in their minds and was obvious on their faces as they turned to look at each other. Could Mia really believe that she was being replaced? That they would do such a thing? She was their little girl, that wasn't going to change!

"But she isn't being replaced," C.C. turned back to Smith. "We're her parents, we love her – nothing has changed!"

"I'm not sure that Miss Brightmore feels the same way," the doctor replied with a slight frown. "Children often grow to think that if a new baby arrives, their parents will no longer have time for them, and that fear often becomes overwhelming. They grow to believe that their parents don't love them, or even want them, anymore. And I suspect that in your case, Mr Brightmore, this might be mostly directed at you, because she has reason to believe that you might choose to spend all effort on your biological children now, and leave her, essentially, fatherless again."

The very thought broke both parents' hearts. Mia thought Niles didn't want her...? That couldn't be further from the truth!

"That's not going to happen," he replied firmly to the doctor. "I am her father and I love her, no matter what!"

"She might need a little reassurance of that, Mr Brightmore," Smith said. "Some validation that you are still her father and have enough love for all your children could go a long way to restoring her confidence."

Niles turned back to C.C., who seemed keen in what the doctor had to say. He knew that his wife would be just as interested as him in learning what they could do – she, more than anyone, would hate seeing Mia so upset.

"We should do something right away," she said. "We have to talk to her about this!"

It was true, they couldn't leave this to fester any more in their little girl's consciousness than it already had. They had to make her see that nothing was going to change; she was their daughter and they both adored her, and having two new children wasn't going to change that.

Perhaps they should spend some more time with her, to make her realise that she wasn't being left out – would never be left out!

But maybe they shouldn't be so straightforward. Amelia was (not surprisingly) an extremely proud and reserved person, and she had a tendency to keep certain things to herself, especially if expressing said those things could be perceived as a weakness by her. Niles knew it was unlikely that Amelia admitted that she was afraid of losing him, and pressuring her to do so might not the best of ideas.

What they could do, however, was make her feel validated. And that started, in his opinion, with a father-daughter night out. It was one of their favourite activities – he'd take her to her favourite restaurant, they'd have ice cream and then go to the movie theatre.

It was perfect to show her just how important and loved she was.

"I... I don't think we should," Niles spoke, reaching out for C.C.'s hand. He quickly continued, noticing his wife's puzzled countenance. "Mia is like you in that aspect – she doesn't like to open up about certain feelings. I feel that trying to force her to do so now will be counterproductive, and instead I think we could show her just how much we love her and that nothing has changed!"

C.C. tilted her head, almost as if considering her husband's suggestion. He had a point, she had to admit – Amelia was a rather reserved person, and (just like her) she intensely disliked sharing her negative feelings. Maybe the answer was showing her the love that they had for her, and if that didn't work, then they could try and talk to her.

"Hm... what do you have in mind?" she asked.

"A father-daughter night out!" Niles said, smiling. "She loves them and it's been a while since we had one. Seeing as she is angry at me, it might help."

C.C. bit the inside of her lip, considering.

"Hm...you sure she won't refuse?"

Niles hadn't really stopped to consider that possible scenario. Mia had never said no to going out, just the two of them, before. The thought of her doing so now hurt him deeply, even if he knew she was only doing it because she was afraid.

He had to give it a try. He had to save her from her fear somehow, and maybe this was the way.

"I have to ask anyway," he eventually said. "I can't let her go on thinking that..."

He sighed. Even trying to say it out loud pained him.

C.C. reached out, and clasped his hand, "We both know it's not true. We know you love her. But if it doesn't work and she says no then we will have to talk to her. She has to understand that nothing has changed, and being honest might work, and help her see that."

Niles nodded gently, "I know, I know. But if I can get things back to normal without making anyone feel uncomfortable in what they're revealing, then I will."

"Alright," C.C. secretly hoped he knew what he was doing, and that it would all work out according to his plan. "When will this plan of yours go into action?"

"Not today," Niles said – he'd love to go out, but he knew Mia too well to know that she wasn't going to enjoy herself if they did so. "But it will be soon. I could prepare her favourite meal today, and stay with her for some extra minutes after I've tucked her in."

"Sounds okay to me..." C.C. sighed, barely able to tolerate the ache of their daughter feeling unloved. She then looked up at Smith and tried to muster a smile. "Can we go now, doctor?"

"Of course. I'll see you again in two weeks then."

The three adults got to their feet and after farewells were exchanged, Niles and C.C. left the room towards the nearby playroom. It was a five minute walk, at most, but for both parents it felt eternal. There was a heaviness in their chest, and all they wanted was to be near their girl.

They spotted her in the art section, colouring a picture. She looked focused in what she was doing, but Niles could still see the trace of tears on her cheeks. It was painful to see how she'd forced herself to be calmed and composed…

"Mia, sweetheart," he said as he went to her. "It's time to go home. Do you want me to carry you? Because you know that I love to carry you almost as much as I love you!"

She glanced up at him momentarily, something like a grimace, or even a look of rage, momentarily crossing her features. And inside, she still felt like she was burning up. Why would he want to carry her, when he'd be carrying the twins instead, soon enough?

She might as well get used to walking.

She put down the crayon, stood up from her seat, and simply replied, "I'll walk."

And walk she did, right towards her mother. She just about greeted C.C., and took her hand, but refused to look at either of them.

She didn't know what her actions were doing to either of her parents – those simple yet angry gestures were enough to make Niles want to burst into tears. How he hated seeing her so unhappy! And it was, in some kind of sense, his fault.

That was why he had to try so hard to make it known how much she was loved. But it was obviously too early for anything big. Mia would either get suspicious and think something was wrong, or it just wouldn't work because she was still to upset to allow anything to go right.

It would go around in a circle, and it was agonising.

He shared a frown with C.C. as they made their way out to the car, and thought about all the little gestures he could make when they got home to start helping Amelia feel happier.

That was all he wanted: for his little girl to be happy.

AN: Hello! Sorry for the long time between the updates. We hope you liked the three chapters we posted and we'd love to hear your opinion!

HL