Page 53 of Triplet Babies for the CEO

Not now. Not ever.

Chapter Nineteen

Tasha

The plane touches down with a soft bump, and I let out a deep sigh. As I step off the plane, the heat of the desert wraps around me like a blanket.

I walk through the airport quickly. Outside, near the pickup lanes, the desert air is warm and dry. It’s such a stark difference from the biting cold of Chicago.

I roll my suitcase out to the curb, scanning the sea of people’s faces, when I hear a familiar voice call my name.

“Tasha!” Jasmine waves frantically at me, her bright smile a beacon in the chaos. I run toward her, and the moment we embrace, it’s like the weight of the last few days starts to lift.

“God, I’ve missed you,” she says, squeezing me tight in her thin arms.

I blink back tears, overwhelmed with relief to see my best friend. “I missed you too, Jaz.”

We hop into her car, and she drives down to The Strip. I can’t help but marvel at the scene before me. Neon lights flash in every color imaginable and towering buildings with their extravagant facades reach for the sky.

The desert stretches out beyond the glitz and rocky mountains surround the valley. Its vastness is a stark contrast to the bustling city.

We finally pull into her apartment complex and Jasmine shows me around her place. It’s a cozy two-bedroom with an office she says doubles as a guest room.

“I’ve got a bed set up for you,” she says. “Stay as long as you need.”

Later, as I lie in the unfamiliar bed, staring at the ceiling, I place a gentle hand over my belly.

Am I doing the right thing?

The question lingers, heavy and unanswered, until I drift into a fitful sleep.

The next morning, I wake up to Jasmine shaking my shoulder gently. “Rise and shine, new mom. We’ve got a doctor’s appointment to get to.”

"What!? How did you get me an appointment so fast?"

"I worked some magic connection, hun," she says with a wink.

It’s my first doctor’s appointment, and I feel a mixture of nerves and excitement as we drive to the clinic. It’s a feeling that doesn’t resolve as we enter and sit down.

Jasmine squeezes my hand reassuringly as we sit in the waiting room, her presence like an anchor in a storm.

When the nurse calls my name, I’m taken into a small, sterile room.

The doctor, a kind-looking woman with silver hair, introduces herself. “We’re going to do an ultrasound today just to check on things,” she explains with a warm smile.

I lie back against the table, the cold gel making me shiver as it touches my skin. Jasmine holds my hand softly, and I focus on her comforting presence as the doctor moves the receiver across my belly.

The dark screen flickers to life, showing the hazy image of what’s inside me.

“Okay, let’s take a look here…” the doctor murmurs, her eyes widening slightly. “Oh, wow. Congratulations, Mom. You’ve got not one, not two, but three little ones in there.”

My heart stops. I nearly leap from the table.

“Three?” I gasp, staring at the screen. The tiny shapes dance on the monitor, three little heartbeats flickering together. Dread and excitement twist together inside me like a tornado. I can barely breathe.

“Oh my God…I don’t…I don’t know how to handle this.”

Jasmine squeezes my hand, her eyes wide with amazement. “You’ve got this, Tash,” she whispers, but all I can feel is panic.

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