Don't Promise (Don't 3)

But I had found a place that was still open today. I clicked on the calendar and there was an open appointment for a 3-D ultrasound. It was an independent office, so I didn’t need to have a doctor in town. It was perfect.

I kissed Cole again. “I have to go. I need this present to be perfect.”

“Baby, I wanted to talk to you before dinner.” He tugged on my arm.

“Later,” I urged. “I need the ultrasound and then I’ll be home. I promise I won’t be out past lunch. This is the last thing I need to get. It’s Christmas Eve.” I smiled. “It’s going to be a perfect Christmas.”

I darted into the main house in search of my mother. “Mom, you here?”

“What’s going on, honey?”

I found her in the dining room sorting cookies into tins. How did she find so many projects?

“I have a few errands to run? Can I borrow your car?” I asked.

“Of course you can. Want me to ride with you? I probably should pick up some more pecans.”

“No. That might ruin the surprise.” All I had to do was say those magic words and she’d back off. “But I can stop by the market for you. I don’t mind.”

“Ok. I’ll be here. Hurry so you don’t miss lunch. Good luck at the store. It’s crazy out there.”

“Thanks.” I grabbed her keys off the hook and rushed out the door. I didn’t want to miss this appointment. It suddenly felt as if everything depended on getting this gift right.

17

Kaitlyn

I could smell the ham before I even entered the house.

“Kaitlyn, that you?” Mom called from the kitchen.

“Yes.” I peeked around the corner.

“Come on in. The guys are in the shed again working on the motorcycle. Why don’t you hide that in the guesthouse and you can wrap it later?” She pointed to the bag I was carrying. “I told them lunch would be ready in ten minutes, so they’re likely to walk in here any minute.”

She thought my bag had a normal Christmas present inside. There was nothing normal about it.

“Cole’s in the shed?” I needed him. My heart was in my stomach.

“I took pictures. He and Ryan are covered in grease. They even gave Grayson a wrench. He’s going to need another bath.”

I bit my lip. “Oh. Ok. I’ll just put these away.” I walked past her and out into the yard, taking the small path to the guesthouse. I could hear Dad, Ryan, and Cole laughing in the shed on the other side of the yard.

I sat on the bed and stared at the pictures again. I was still in shock. Disbelief. I hadn’t processed the information yet. How was I supposed to?

I had only had one ultrasound during this pregnancy. And the baby was so tiny it looked like a stuffed animal shape. I had pointed it out to Cole and told him it looked like our baby was a bear cub. I didn’t care though. I loved that little stuffed animal picture. I loved it enough to give it to my parents for Christmas. It was our little cub.

But this? I held the new photos in my palm. Twins? I was having twins?

Cole should have been with me, but I didn’t think I was doing anything monumental today. I thought I was getting a picture of my baby. But it had been four weeks since the last ultrasound and things were drastically different inside me.

The technician tried to explain that early on it’s easy to miss a second baby. Sometimes they are so small they mirror each other’s movements and even the second heartbeat is distorted if the heartbeat rhythm is the same.

But there was no doubting I had two babies growing inside me. A boy and a girl. I had pictures of both to prove it. What were we going to do? I was having two babies instead of one. I was having Cole’s babies.

I closed the ultrasound pictures in a drawer and walked back to the house. I’d have to tell him before dinner. I just didn’t know how.

I entered the kitchen. The guys were discussing the motorcycle. Ryan was running through a list of options.