Hello again, enjoy the new chapter!
The rest of the week passed, and at least the big question would be answered. While waiting in the now-familiar waiting room for the ultrasounds, Monica couldn't keep her anxiety down.
"Why are you so nervous, honey?" Chandler asked, noticing Monica's unsteadiness. "You already know how it is. It can't be much different from the first time, right?" He asked, unsure of his statement.
Monica smiled at him, pressing herself closer to his body.
"No, honey, it will be the same. But today, we will know the babies' gender. And you know how I've been dying to know it since last week," She answered Chandler with a slightly excited smile.
"And this time, I know those are my babies and not a random guy I've never met," Chandler added in his signature humorous tone, which elated a laugh from Monica.
"And you haven't run away yet," She added.
After waiting for a while longer, Monica finally heard her name being called by the nurse.
"Hello, Monica, how are you since last time?" the nurse asked with a smile.
"Tired of the back pain, but nothing too serious," Monica answered.
Then, the nurse noticed Chandler holding Monica's hand.
"The father couldn't be here again?" She asked, eyeing the couple.
But instead of being embarrassed, like the first time, Chandler confidently smiled at the nurse.
"He's here today. And he was also the last time. I didn't know those were my babies back then," He told the nurse, although Monica didn't miss the hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"Chandler Bing, in case you've forgotten, Nurse Evans," Chandler extended his arm to shake the nurse's hand.
The nurse took a second to process his words. Then, she shook his hands and smiled at him.
"In that case, congratulations!"
The exam proceeded just as the first time. Monica changed into her exam gown and lay on the examination chair, looking at the black and white screen beside her. The nurse ran the wand on the cold gel over her stomach, occasionally stopping the image to take notes in her notebook.
"Everything is in order, Monica," She finally declared, closing the notebook. "Your babies are as healthy as they can be. Would you like to know the gender?" ~
Monica felt Chandler's hand squeezing hers, and she gave him and the nurse a big smile. That was the moment she had been longing.
"Yes," She declared.
The nurse then resumed her work with the want. When she focused on the first baby, she stopped and turned to the couple.
"Your first baby is a boy!" She announced, taking more notes in the black notebook.
A baby boy. Just like Monica had imagined in her mind. She glanced at Chandler, who was now mesmerized looking at their soon on the screen, and she couldn't help but imagine a younger version of her boyfriend. She was going to be the mother of the most beautiful baby boys.
"I hope they look like you," Monica said softly, enough for Chandler to hear. She could see the smile on his face.
Then, the nurse interrupted the moment.
"Since your twins have different placentas, they won't be identical. They might not even be the same gender."
Monica looked at the nurse while she focused the screen on the second twin.
"And here we go. The second twin is a girl. Congratulations!"
Monica let out a small laugh. All that time, they'd been so focused on the babies being twins that they'd assumed they would be identical. She hadn't considered the possibility of having both a boy and a girl. But thinking about it, it was perfect. She'd always pictured having a boy and a girl, and now she was seeing her dream come true.
"Now it's my turn to say I hope she looks like you," Chandler's voice brought Monica out of her thoughts. He was smiling widely at her with that cute smile she couldn't resist. Monica's heart clenched at love for her and their babies reflected in his eyes. And in that moment, she knew she'd found the family she'd been dreaming about her whole life.
By the end of the day, they'd shared the news with the rest of their friends. Everyone sat around Monica's coffee table, talking and enjoying each other's company.
"Hey guys, I've great news to share!" Monica announced, adjusting her position on the couch, resting against Chandler. Everyone else turned their eyes to her.
"I went to the ultrasound appointment, and we know the baby's gender!" She continued, excited to share the news with her closest friends. Four pairs of expectant eyes were fixed on her.
"We're having a boy and a girl!" Monica finally announced.
"I knew these twins' vibe was off somehow! Now it totally makes sense!" Phoebe said immediately. "But congratulations, anyway!" She added.
No one questioned Phoebe's reaction, opting to show how happy they were for the couple. Even Ross managed to be happy without an angry outburst at first.
Finally, the only ones in apartment 20 were Monica, Rachel, and Chandler.
"Hey, Mon, I have a question," Rachel questioned. "We don't have to talk about it right now, but I've been wanting to ask you something," Rachel spoke cautiously.
"What is it, Rach?" Monica encouraged, worried about the graveness of Rachel's tone.
"What are you going to do when the babies are born? I don't think our apartment can hold the two of us plus two babies…"
Oh. There was a question Monica had been avoiding asking even herself. It wasn't that she hadn't thought about it; she had. There was no way Monica could live with two babies and Rachel in her two-bedroom apartment. And she didn't like either of the two options that came with it. Either Monica or Rachel would have to move. Monica didn't like thinking about kicking her best friend out of her house when she'd welcomed her back when she'd had nowhere else to go, but she couldn't afford to move either. But she knew she had to talk about it, sooner or later, with her best friend and roommate.
"Rach…," Monica started, sensing it wouldn't be the most pleasant conversation.
But she didn't finish her sentence. Right at that moment, she felt Chandler gently squeezing her body before he stepped forward. Monica hadn't yet discussed the matter with Chandler, but she knew he already suspected what she would have said.
"Monica," He started, giving her a gentle look. "I have been thinking about something that might solve Rachel's problem."
Monica didn't say anything, only stared at her boyfriend, urging him to continue speaking.
"What if I moved here? That way, my bedroom would be vacant, and Rachel could move there. We could turn the room into a nursery." Then, he turned around to face Rachel. "And you wouldn't have to go somewhere else, away from us. You'd be right across the hall," He finished.
For a second, Monica couldn't answer. Her body was frozen, her mind trying to decide which emotion she felt. Did Chandler ask to move in with her? Monica had never been in a serious relationship, and with each day that passed, her relationship with Chandler was becoming more and more stable. Was he really ready to move in with her? That was a big step in their relationship.
Finally, Monica reacted, and ignoring Rachel's shocked face, she turned to Chandler, giving him one of the biggest smiles she could.
"Would you really do that?" She asked.
Chandler nodded.
"Of course, Mon. I've been thinking about it. How I want to be a part of our babies' lives. I want to be here with you when they're born. I want to help you put them to sleep and wake up in the middle of the night when they can't stop crying. I would never leave you to do it alone. Besides, wouldn't it make sense for our kids to see their parents living together?"
Monica let the tears that had pooled in her eyes escape. She wrapped her arms around Chandler before kissing him, not caring that Rachel was right in front of them watching.
"I love you," She said when they broke apart.
"I love you, too," Chandler answered back. "So, do you wanna move across the hall?" He said, turning to a smiling Rachel.
"I think we have a deal."