Not that I’d ever done any of that, but now that I couldn’t, I wondered if I had missed out anything. But then Spawns would move or Hunter would smile at me and I would realize that what I had was so much better.
My girl was growing. It defied the laws of gravity. I honestly wondered how she didn’t tip right over. But she didn’t complain. Much. Even when she needed help tying her shoes and picking things up. I was more than happy to help with all of it.
“I feel like a little kid again. Everyone has to take care of me,” she said, pouting as I helped her get undressed for bed. She’d been sleeping naked because of hot flashes during the night. I wasn’t complaining, even though she’d abandoned me for a huge body pillow.
Even the two house cats had become obsessed with Taylor. More often than not, I would have to get up in the middle of the night and let them in so they could lay on, or near, her. It was so cute that I couldn’t even be mad.
The changes in her body were sometimes subtle, but all put together she didn’t look the same as she had before Spawns. It only made my love for her deepen. Now I loved her not only for being my girl, but for being the mother of my children.
“So, I was thinking,” I told her one night. She cracked her eyes open and gave me a look that said “this had better be good.”
“I was thinking that I don’t feel the huge pressure to get married that I did a few months ago.” She froze and narrowed her eyes.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…” I rolled on my back and looked at the ceiling. “I mean that if you never want to get married, that would be okay with me. That I don’t feel like it’s something I desperately need anymore. I think I was just so worried that if I didn’t have that, that somehow you would leave me.” I turned back over to find her shaking her head at me and rubbing her fingers between her eyes.
“I don’t even know what’s happening right now,” she said.
“What do you mean?” I was so confused.
She took a breath and then gave me a smile.
“Nothing, nothing. That’s fine, Hunter. That’s good to know.” She almost sounded mad and I wasn’t really sure why.
“It’s not that I don’t want to, you know that, right? If you told me tomorrow that you wanted to try Vegas again, I’d book the tickets in a second.” She smirked and then rolled onto her back.
“Ouch.” She rolled back over. There were only a few positions she could lie in comfortably now.
“Great. That’s great, Hunter.” She almost sounded like she was laughing at me. No idea what that was about.
The first person I saw after I walked across the University of Maine stage and got my (fake) diploma was my very pregnant Taylor.
She had a gorgeous black dress on and she was rushing down the stairs as fast as she could.
“Congratulations, baby,” she said, moving her belly to the side so she could hug me. We’d had to modify a lot of things lately to accommodate for Spawns. The upside to all of it was that she was completely insatiable, so the sex was almost constant. I was not complaining. At all.
“Thank you,” I said, kissing the top of her head. Hope and John were next, followed by Harper. The rest of the Yellowfield House crew was here too, since the other seniors’ graduation was the following weekend.
“Your mom would be so proud of you,” Hope said, kissing my cheek.
“I know,” I said. There were times when I felt like I was going to turn around and see my mother’s beaming face right behind me, and this was one of those times. As if she was just a few steps away.
The graduation party was back at Yellowfield house, with Mase manning our new grill and everyone eating and talking about how warm the spring was. Taylor was on a chair, a plate resting on her belly like a shelf.
“I think I’m going to miss this part,” she said, pointing to the plate.
“The built-in plate holder?” I said, pulling a chair next to her.
“Yeah. It’s going to be strange when I go back to not having my body like this. I won’t even know what to do.” Then she sighed. “No sexy bikini this summer for this girl,” she said.
“Hey, you can still wear one while you’re pregnant. You have a bikini body.” She gave me a look as if I had lost my mind.
“You have a body. Put a bikini on it.” She smacked my arm.
“Don’t get sassy with me. I’m just so glad that school is over.” She looked up at the sun peeking out from behind the clouds.
“No papers and exams and projects for a while. But I know I’m going to miss it when I have two babies screaming at me in the middle of the night. I’ll probably beg to go back.”
Harper rolled by, Mase pretending to chase her and growl, his fingers like claws.
“The grass is always greener,” I said.
She looked back down at me.
“I think the grass is pretty green right here, right now.” I kissed her and she rubbed her hand across the tattoo on my arm, inked with her writing.
“It was smart to get my tattoo where I did, wasn’t it?” she said. “I wasn’t even planning that, but it would make me so sad if it had gotten all stretched out.” I kissed her hand and she closed her eyes, setting her plate down and then leaning her head on my shoulder.
“I’m so proud of you,” she said and I knew she really meant it. “I’m so proud that I’m with you. That we’re with you.” I felt myself getting a little choked up and had to put down my beer so I could wipe my eyes.
“I’m proud of you, too, Missy. So proud.” She sighed and then fell asleep against me.
Now that school was over for a while, it was full steam ahead on the nursery. The flooring finally got put in after a few nasty phone calls, so it was time to paint and decorate and get it all set up.
Everyone chipped in and we knocked out the painting in two days. We left the wall for the mural plain white, and then the rest were a very soft dove gray. The cribs sat along one side with changing tables, rocking chairs and a massive bookcase along the other. Huge windows let in a ton of light.
“Happy?” I asked Taylor when we finished moving in the majority of the furniture and other items. She looked exhausted, but serene.
“I am. I really am.” I slid to the floor and held out my hands so she could join me on the big plush rug in the center of the room.
“Can you believe this? In a few months we’re going to have babies in here,” I said. She shook her head.
“Sometimes it still doesn’t seem real. But then one of them will move and I’m reminded. It’s so crazy. But I’m happy. I’m so happy, Hunter.” I pulled her toward me.
“I didn’t know I could be this happy. I don’t think anyone’s been this happy, ever.” I would put money on it.
A few days later, Taylor woke me up in the middle of the night.
“Hunter!” I snapped upright, nearly smashing my head on the bed.
“What is it?” She had her hands on her belly and was grimacing. Shit. Oh, shit.
“I think it’s those fake contractions, but I’m not sure.”
“Braxton Hicks?” She nodded. And then shook her head.
“I don’t know. I can’t really tell. Other than that it hurts and pain is usually bad.” I got out of bed and threw some clothes on, then helped her get dressed. We had a number to call, but I wasn’t taking any fucking chances. We were going to the emergency room.
The house was quiet as we left and I didn’t want to freak anyone out if we were just going to be heading home in a little while.
Taylor clamped onto my hand and tried to breathe as I speeded the short distance to Eastern Maine Medical Center.
I didn’t know the difference between fake and real contractions and I knew that early labor was common with twins, so it was better to be safe than sorry.
Hunter got me a wheelchair and a nurse took us over to one of curtained rooms and checked my cervix. I wasn’t dilated, so she told me it was Braxton Hicks and to go home. She was actually almost nast
y about it. As if we had wasted her time.
Hunter didn’t like that at all, so he found another, nicer, nurse who came and checked me again. If I’d ever been modest, that would have gone right out the window by now. There was no such thing when you had people inspecting your junk to make sure babies weren’t coming out of it before they were supposed to.
The pain finally subsided a little and the nurse explained, nicely even, that we only needed to come in if I started bleeding, if my water broke and/or if the pains were regular, five minutes apart or less. See? Would it have been so hard for the first nurse to explain all that to us? Now we wouldn’t have to come back and waste more of her precious time.
I committed everything to memory and then asked Hunter take me to the twenty-four hour fast food restaurant so I could get a shake and a giant container of fries.
“How are you feeling?” he asked as I dipped the fries in my shake. It was absolutely the most delicious thing I’d ever tasted. I wished I’d gotten another shake.
“I mean, it hurts, but it’s getting a little less. I feel like an idiot now.” Hunter growled.
“You’re not an idiot. That first nurse was. I thought I was going to scream at her. Seriously. Probably would have if the other nurse hadn’t been willing to help us out.” He was pissed, but he simmered down when we got back. After I told him once again that I was fine.
I was stressed the fuck out not only because of the Braxton Hicks but because of the wedding. It was a week away and I had finally let Mase, Paul and Dusty in on the secret. They were all kinda mad that the girls knew way before they did, but then I just gave them a look and they shut their faces.
It was Mase’s job to make sure that Hunter’s tux was the right fit, without Hunter being the wiser. Not an easy task, but he somehow managed to get one that he hid in his closet, along with the rest of the suits for the other boys.
The centerpieces were done. The other decorations were ready to be put up. My dress still fit. The other dresses were set.
Now all we had to do was get Hunter there without him figuring everything out.
Oh, and hope Spawns stayed right where they were and didn’t make their appearance before they were supposed to.
Deep breath in. Deep breath out.
I was getting married.
“So, what are we doing?” I asked as Taylor started giving me directions to get on the highway, her eyes glued to her phone. She’d been ignoring me a lot today and I was trying not to be offended.
“We’re going to this baby store that I found online. They sell the cutest things and I want to check them out,” she said, but I just didn’t believe her. Something was up. There had been a lot of commotion this morning and everyone mysteriously had plans today. They were all terrible liars, but I couldn’t figure out what the hell they could be lying about.
“You know they have more than enough stuff already,” I said.
“Shut up and drive.”
I did, but I was really confused as to where the hell we were going. Taylor had me take the exit in Belfast to head down the coastal route. I was about to ask if she wanted to stop and get something to eat in Camden, when she grabbed my arm.
“Pull over. I want to stop here.”
It was the Norumbega Inn. The place held all sorts of memories for us, even though we’d only been here with her once.
“Looks like they have something going on,” I said. The usually empty parking lot was filled and there was a crew setting up a tent in the back.
“It’s okay, let’s just go in and look around.” I started to argue, but thought better of it. You didn’t argue with a woman pregnant with twins and come out alive.
So I got out of the car and took Taylor’s hand as we headed to the front door. A woman rushed past us, muttering something to herself.
“They really seem busy, Missy.” Taylor just rolled her eyes and pushed the door open.
“Surprise!”
“What the fuck?” I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Hope, John, Mase, Taylor’s mom and dad and all of our other friends were standing in the lobby.
I turned find Taylor grinning at me.
“Surprise,” she said, waving her hand around. “We’re getting married.”
I gaped at her.
“We’re, what?”
“Getting. Married. I mean, not legally. We can do that next week. But this will be the real thing. That will be just for the paperwork. So, get upstairs and put your tux on. I have to go get ready.” She smacked a kiss on my cheek and started to walk away, but I was still holding her hand.
“Are you serious?” I asked.
“One hundred percent. No cold feet this time.” It was such a contrast to Vegas when she’d been so unsure. Jittery. There was nothing of that in her face today. Just a brilliant smile that lit up the room.
“I’ll see you in two hours,” she said, taking Darah’s arm.
“We’re getting married in two hours.”
“Yup.”
Mase dragged me off to one of the rooms to get ready. Apparently we had the entire place to ourselves.
“How the hell did she pull this off?” I asked as Mase shoved a garment bag in my hands and pointed toward the bathroom.
“She had help, but most of it was all her,” he said. I shut the door of the bathroom and had to sit on the edge of the bathtub for a second and take a breath. I pulled out my phone.
We’re seriously getting married?
The answer came a second later.
Yes. Now put your tux on.
I laughed because I could hear her voice saying it in my head. Oh, Taylor.
Shaking my head, I unzipped the garment bag. How they had gotten this, I had no idea, but I put it on and it was perfect. Right down to the black skinny tie.
I came out and found John, Joe, Mase, Dusty and Paul all waiting, dressed in black suits, with ties in varying shades of blue.
Peacock colors. Of course.
“Looking good, but let me fix that tie,” John said, stepping forward. It wasn’t until then that I noticed the photographer taking pictures. There had probably been one downstairs when we’d walked in, but I’d been too surprised to notice.
John fixed my tie and then pinned a white rose to my lapel and tucked a paisley handkerchief in my pocket. More peacock colors.
My feet were shoved into shoes and then Mase passed out shots to all of us.
“To Hunter and Taylor. Though this wedding is fake, your love is real. And I maybe should have let Darah write my Best Man speech for me. To Hunter and Taylor!” I laughed and threw back the shot, letting it burn down the back of my throat.
“I’ll do much better at your wedding, Mase.”
I had been freaking out since the night before, making sure that everything was in place, everyone was where they needed to be, and that I wasn’t going to go into labor. Unlike with Vegas, at least this time I was freaking out for all the right reasons. By the time I was sitting in a chair and getting my hair and makeup done, I felt like things might be okay.
The weather was absolutely perfect. I’d been worried that it would be cold, since it was still early May, but it was seventy-five degrees with just a few puffy clouds in the sky.
My mom fussed around me, making sure I was eating and that I wasn’t stressing. Which was, ironically, making me stress.
“Mom, I’m going to need you to stop hovering and sit down so you can get your hair done.” She grumbled, but did what I said.
“If I could pass you a flask, I would,” Tawny said in a low voice.
“Thanks, that means a lot,” I said and she stuck her tongue out at me.
“So,” she said as I closed my eyes so the makeup artist could do my eyeliner, eyelashes and shadow.
“So…” I said, drawing the word out.
“I may or may not have met someone.” She didn’t specify gender.
“Someone? Or some girl?” She laughed.
“Some girl.”
“Yeah
? Details.”
Her name was Magan and she worked for an IT company and had come to the law office to install a new system. She and Tawny had chatted and one thing led to another and they’d been out to have coffee once, with another date planned next week.
“Is she cute?” I asked.
“Um, yeah. Dark hair in a pixie cut, nerdy glasses. She’s a little shy, but super funny. I don’t know, I just really like her.” I could hear it in her voice. I’d never heard Tawny talk about a guy that way. Ever. She even laughed differently when she talked about Magan.
“Well, as long as she’s got a stable career, that’s all I care about,” Mom said, adding her two cents. “I don’t want you hitching your wagon to someone who wants to be a freelance glassblower or something.” That led to much debate about the value of glassblowing as a career choice and by the time I was putting my dress on, we were all laughing and I was ready to sprint down the aisle so we could get the party started.
“Oh, Taylor,” Mom said when I adjusted the dress, making sure the tulle flowed over my belly and the lace top was sitting perfectly on my shoulders.
“Good?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said, tears in her eyes as I crouched a little so she could pin the veil to my updo.
“Dammit,” Renee said, reaching for the tissues.
“No one ruin your eye makeup yet!” I said, because their getting so emotional was making me emotional. Plus the hormones. Spawns were dancing with joy, as if they knew there was excitement in the air.
“I’m marrying your daddy today,” I said, stroking my stomach.
“Oh, please stop. My emotions can’t take it,” Jos said. She looked stunning with her red hair and sky blue strapless dress. I looked around the room and tried to take it all in. It seemed like I had been planning this forever and now it was here. I didn’t want to blink because I was afraid I’d miss something.