Page 24 of Eternal Pieces

“That’sababy. See over here?” She points to a second grayish circle on the screen. “This is baby number two and tucked behind them...” She pushes the device a little firmer into my stomach, and another gray blob comes into view. “Is baby number three’s head.”

“Three?” Maddox and I gasp at the same time.

She chuckles and presses a few buttons. “Yep, definitely three. You’re having triplets. Would you like to hear the heartbeats?”

“Yes! Yes, please!” I sob.

Tearing my eyes away from the screen is difficult, but I want to see how Max and Maddox are handling everything. Maddox’s eyes are brimming with tears, his chin wobbling, and Max looks frozen in time. His lips are slightly parted, and his eyes have a rare shine to them. I catch him letting go of a shaky breath, his fear being pushed out along with it, leaving pride in its place. He doesn’t look at me, but he squeezes my hand tighter, his smile growing.

We’re having triplets.

It’s going to take a while for that to sink in. What are the chances of my identical twin fiancés knocking me up with triplets? I’m sure Max will find out. I’ve caught him researching all sorts of baby and pregnancy-related things on his phone.

Will they be identical as well? Oh god, what if I end up with three mini Max and Maddoxes running around and causing chaos?

The nurse presses another button, and little, rapid whooshing beats push away every worry I have.

I break into full-out sobs as she lets us listen to each baby’s heart. Max and Maddox hold my hands the whole time. I’ve never felt so deeply connected to them before.

“They’re healthy? Growing normal?” Max fires off his questions that I know he’s been holding back for my sake.

“From this quick look today, yes, I can’t see any concerns. We’ll run some routine blood tests anyway. I put them at roughly thirteen and a half weeks. The bloods will help tell us a more specific due date, but you’re looking at a September birth. Bear in mind that multiple babies do tend to come early, so you should prepare for that.”

Max nods, taking everything in for all three of us. I’m still crying happy tears, and the nurse hands me a box of tissues as she congratulates me.

Maddox is grinning from ear to ear. He grabs his brother and hugs him tight. “We’re actually going to be dads!”

“You can book in for your sixteen-week scan before you leave. You’ll be able to find out the sexes then if you want to know. In the meantime…” She hands me printouts of the ultrasound scans and a stack of pamphlets. “Keep a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and avoid stress. You want to keep your blood pressure down. There are a lot more possible complications with three babies. But I have a feeling you’ll be well taken care of.” She smiles at Max and Maddox, whoare currently engrossed in their own conversation about baby names.

“I think so, too.”

None of us can wipe the grins off our faces as we head to the car.

Maddox catches me by surprise and swings me around in his arms. “I’m so fucking proud of you, baby!”

“It was a team effort,” I laugh, holding onto his shoulders.

“Don’t do that,” Max scolds.

“What?” I question as Maddox sets me back on my feet.

“Belittle yourself. You’re the one growing three babies. All of this is thanks to you.”

“He’s right,” Maddox agrees.

I suppose he is. I need to stop selling myself short. I’m the proudest Mom to these little ones, and I want them to grow up with all the confidence in the world.

Maddox hops into the driver’s seat, and Max holds the rear door open for me so we can head home to celebrate. I hesitate in front of him. Lacing my fingers together in front of me, I nervously tell him what I’ve been thinking about for a while now. “There’s actually something I need to quickly do before we leave.” He waits for me to say more, and I take a deep breath, holding my chin high. “I’ve still not heard back from Mom since telling her our engagement news, but I’m hoping that if she hears her daughter is pregnant, she’ll respond.”

Max gives me a sympathetic look and grips my shoulders. “Sweetheart, I hate seeing you get your hopes up every time you contact her. She’s made it obvious what she thinks. I can’t see this changing anything with her.”

His words sting, but they’re true, and ultimately, they’re what I need to hear. He knows that, too. But…

“I still want to try. Even though she hasn’t been there for me like she should have been, I’d like our children to get to know the good parts of her.”

“There are good parts?” Max mumbles.

“Yes…deep, deep down.”

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