Then, Dr. Nguyen had brought out an ultrasound machine to get a better look, and Hazel’s heart had nearly stopped.
“Looks like we’ve got quadruplets here,” Dr. Nguyen said as she pointed at the screen.
Hazel had thought Nguyen had to be joking—until she’d asked if multiples ran in Hazel’s family. She’d nodded dumbly and murmured, “Twins. I have a twin brother. And two little brothers who are also fraternal twins.”
“It’s not uncommon for multiples to run in families. It appears that you normally release multiple eggs for fertilization. In this occasion, three were fertilized, and one split. So you’ll have one set of fraternal twins, and one set of identical,” she explained.
Hazel had gone numb. She couldn’t think of any questions or say anything in response. Ian, inappropriately calm as ever, had thanked Dr. Nyugen and asked for her to give them some general advice to go by until the next checkup.
The most obvious was Hazel’s diet. She had been slipping in meat once a week for the baby’s sake, but now that there were four, her diet would have to be even more controlled. She was advised to stop working, and that it might not be possible for her to finish her semester.
Hazel moved into the kitchen and leaned back against the island. Had the sex on the island been what had gotten her into this mess? Or their first time in his bed? The time in his office at the Cartwright & Benton building? The time in that upscale Chinese place? Or the French place? The time after hours on the copier?
Bowing her head, Hazel started to cry.
Ian was busy directing the movers where to put her things, but with an almost supernaturally awareness, he turned his head and when he saw her here on her own, came to her side. His lips pressed warm against her cheek, and he rubbed his hand over her shoulders.
“I want you. I want all of you, and all of them.”
“The penthouse isn’t suitable to raise four children,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “Maybe any children.”
“We’ll make room. I’ll have a house prepared for us during the pregnancy, and we can move there after they’re born.”
Hazel cupped her belly, imagining four sweet little babies growing inside there. This was going to be hard. It was going to be sacrifice from this point on. She’d known that when she’d thought she might have twins, but now… Four children at once were so intimidating.
“I don’t even know if I’d be a good mother, Ian. I’m barely an adult!”
“I’m an adult enough for the both of us. And I don’t want you to worry about anything.” Ian rested one hand on her belly. “You get them here, and I’ll take care of the rest, okay? We’re partners, above everything else.”
Hazel laughed softly at the thought. “Partners in crime.”
“Well, we haven’t broken any laws. We sure struck the lottery though.”
Hazel smiled softly. “Yeah. We did.”
Ian lifted her chin and kissed her. It was funny. She’d expected that upon finding out all of this, Ian would want to get out of this again, but he had been so calm and collected. She was really grateful he’d come back into her life just as she was finding all of this out.
“Ohh…” Hazel pursed her lips. “I need to call my mom.”
“Does she even know you’re pregnant?”
Hazel grinned and shook her head.
“That should be interesting. Let’s wait until we’re all settled in for that one, hm?”
***
“This place is something else.” Natalie’s expression as she walked through the penthouse was probably a lot like the one Hazel had worn her first time here.
“Yeah, you picked the right guy to be your baby daddy.” Hawk crouched by Ian’s sound system and looked over the extensive CD and record collection. Hazel punched his arm.
“No fair. I can’t hit a pregnant girl,” he complained.
“Nope. You can’t.” Natalie put her arm around Hazel’s shoulders. “Have you talked to your professors yet?”
“I have.” Hazel put her hands on her hips as she strolled out onto the lower level patio and let the crisp February wind blow her hair. “I only had two courses left in my plan anyway, so I worked out an arrangement with those professors. My Women and Media class isn’t that difficult, and Dr. Abrams said I could just watch the movies and videos on my own and provide written responses to the discussion questions he sends. I actually need to show up for the Law and Advocacy class, but Dr. Cashdan said she could find a way for me to only have to go for the first half of the semester and work on the second half’s research paper with her via email.”