the woman closed the door behind her, an odd feeling spread throughout Zach’s chest. Although he’d thought of little else since learning that Arielle was carrying his child, something about the nurse calling him “Dad” made it a reality.
“For the last time, I would prefer to see the doctor without an audience,” Arielle protested, her tone reflecting her outrage.
Turning to face her, he cupped her soft cheeks with his hands. “It’s all right, darlin’. I know you’re probably self-conscious about your stomach,” he said, making certain his tone was sympathetic, even if he didn’t quite understand why she was uncomfortable about it. “But that’s to be expected. You’re pregnant. And there’s nothing I’m going to see now that I haven’t already.” Kissing the tip of her nose, he smiled. “Now, let’s get you on that table, ready to find out what we’re having—a bouncing baby boy or a sweet baby girl.”
She gave him one last belligerent glare, before allowing him to help her up onto the examination table.
“Didn’t the nurse tell you to expose your stomach for this?” he asked, reaching for the bottom of her maternity top.
To his surprise, she slapped the back of his hand. “I’ll wait until the doctor comes in.”
“Okay,” he uttered, quickly releasing the hem of the garment. Zach knew better than to press the issue if he wanted to keep his head resting comfortably between his shoulders.
“My nurse told me you brought the baby’s father with you for the ultrasound, Arielle,” a woman wearing a white lab coat announced when she walked into the room. Closing the door behind her, she smiled and stuck out her hand. “Good afternoon, I’m Dr. Jensen.”
He shook her hand. “Zach Forsythe.”
“Nice to meet you, Zach.” She walked to the other side of the examining table and, looking down at Arielle’s rounded stomach, shook her head. “My goodness, I think you’ve blossomed even more since last week at your regular appointment.” Gathering an instrument that looked a lot like a microphone, she reached for a tube of clear gel. “If either of you have any questions during the procedure, please don’t hesitate to speak up. I like for the dad to be just as involved as the mom throughout the pregnancy and delivery.”
There was something about Dr. Jensen that instilled confidence and he could understand why Arielle had chosen the woman to deliver their baby. “At the moment, I can’t think of anything. But I’m betting that changes, real quick,” he said, smiling.
Dr. Jensen nodded and, turning her attention to Arielle, asked, “How have you been feeling? Anything we need to address before we get started?”
Zach watched Arielle shake her head as she lifted her maternity top, then hooked her thumbs in the elastic waistband of her slacks and lowered them below her slightly rounded stomach. “I still have to make sure I eat something when my stomach gets empty, but otherwise, I’ve felt pretty good.”
“That’s not all that unusual,” the doctor assured her, squeezing a generous amount of the gel onto Arielle’s stomach. She held the instrument poised over the clear blob. “Are you both ready to see your little one for the first time?”
“Y-yes,” Arielle answered, her voice reflecting an anticipation as strong as his own.
“Will we be able to find out whether to decorate the nursery in pink or blue?” Zach asked.
The doctor smiled. “Probably not this time, but it won’t be too much longer.”
Nodding, Zach reached out and took Arielle’s hand in his. When she gripped his hand tightly, he knew she appreciated his support.
“Ready whenever you are,” he said, his gaze never wavering from Arielle.
When the doctor began moving the scope around Arielle’s stomach, a fuzzy, twitching image immediately popped up on the monitor. Zach wondered what the hell he was supposed to be looking at. But the more Dr. Jensen moved the wand around, he noticed what might possibly be an arm or a leg.
The woman pointed to the screen. “See, there’s your baby’s head and back.” She moved the instrument to the other side of Arielle’s stomach. “Let’s see if we can detect the sex from this angle.” Her sudden frown caused Zach’s heart to grind to a halt. “What’s this?” she asked, adding to his anxiety. “It certainly explains why you’re a bit larger than normal.”
“I-Is something wrong?” Arielle murmured, sounding as if she might burst into tears.
Zach lightly squeezed her hand in an effort to lend her every ounce of strength he possessed. “I’m sure everything is fine, darlin’.”
“Oh, there’s nothing wrong,” Dr. Jensen confirmed, turning to them with a wide grin. “I’m just wondering how you will keep up with two toddlers when they start walking.”
“Two?” Arielle echoed, her eyes round with shock.
“Twins?” Zach croaked at the same time.
Dr. Jensen laughed as she pushed the print button on the side of the monitor. “The way the first baby was lying, I couldn’t see the second one until I changed sides. But yes, you’re definitely having twins.”
At that moment, Zach couldn’t have forced words past the lump clogging his throat if his life depended on it. He was not only going to have a child, he was going to have two. Unbelievable.
His chest felt as if it had swelled to twice its normal size. Words couldn’t express what he was feeling, and, leaning down, he covered Arielle’s parted lips with his for a brief but intense kiss.
“Do twins run in either of your families?” the doctor inquired as she wiped the excess gel from Arielle’s stomach with a handful of tissues. She didn’t comment that both of them were breathing as if they’d run a marathon by the time he lifted his head and Zach figured the woman was used to displays of emotion after learning the results of an ultrasound.
Clearly in a state of shock, Arielle stared at him as if urging him to answer Dr. Jensen’s question. “Arielle has twin brothers,” he responded, finally getting his vocal cords to work. “But to my knowledge there aren’t any twins in my family.”
The doctor tilted her head. “Well, there are now.” She picked up Arielle’s chart and made a notation. “I see neither of you anticipated a multiple birth.”
“I…uh, suppose I knew it was a possibility, but…” Looking utterly stunned, Arielle’s voice trailed off as she rearranged her clothes and sat up on the side of the exam table.
“Are both of the babies okay?” Zach thought to ask as his brain began to function again.
“Actually, everything looks very good.” Dr. Jensen smiled. “Both fetuses appear to be a good size and I’d estimate the right weight for this stage of their development.”
Helping Arielle down from the table, he asked the doctor, “Is there anything special that we should or shouldn’t be doing?”
Dr. Jensen shook her head. “As long as you feel like it, Arielle, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy your normal activities, including sexual relations.”
He
