“Emma!”
Ryan’s booming voice ripped me from my external monologue. I felt tears cresting my cheeks as my legs grew weak. Triplets. How in the world was I pregnant with triplets?
“Come here,” he said.
His hands pulled me in and I relaxed into his grasp. I felt helpless. Torn. Beyond exhausted. My stomach was hungry but my nausea was worse. I pressed myself into Ryan’s body and began to sob.
“How are we going to do triplets?” I asked breathlessly.
“I need you to take some breaths, okay?” Ryan asked.
I felt him press a kiss to the top of my head and my inner swirlings stopped. His arms wrapped around my body, gripping me as tightly as he could. I smoothed my tears over his shirt. I relaxed my aching body into his. He scooped me up into his arms and walked me into the nearest bedroom, then sat us down on the edge of the bed. He rocked with me. Hummed lowly in my ear. Pressed kisses to my reddened cheeks as my head fell to the strength of his shoulder.
“I care about you greatly,” Ryan said.
“I care about you too,” I said with a whisper.
“So, just keep that in mind when I say what I’m about to.”
I raised my eyes to meet his and braced for whatever was coming.
“You’re moving in this week.”
“What?” I asked.
“Not a question any longer. You’re moving in. I’ll pay to cut the lease on your apartment and I’ll hire some guys to move your stuff over. We can put your furniture in one of the empty rooms.”
“I’m not-... I can’t-.”
“Emma, you’re very pregnant. And very tired. And very overwhelmed. We prepared a plan for one child. We didn’t prepare one for three. So, things are changing. Quicker than you might want, but they’re changing. You’re going to need help, and I’m going to help you. We can talk about all the things we need to do from here, but you moving in is no longer negotiable.”
I wanted to fight him, but I was too tired to even think up the words to get him to change his mind.
“Where will I sleep?” I asked breathlessly.
Ryan smiled down at me before his lips fell to mine. Warm. Soft. Comforting. He slowly inched our backs to the bed underneath us and my body wrapped around his. My leg slid between his and my cheek fell to his chest. I listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat as his fingers slid through my hair, untangling its knots as we laid there in silence.
“Anywhere you’d like,” he finally said. “But I was hoping maybe you’d sleep in my bed.”
I wrapped my arm around him and squeezed him tightly. I was scared. Beyond petrified of what was coming. I didn’t know if things were going to work and I didn’t know if we were making the right decision. But triplets would come with their own health issues I wasn’t prepared to face on my own.
“Would you like me to address some of your other concerns from earlier?” Ryan asked.
“Okay,” I said with a sigh.
“We will be getting a nanny. I’ll put feelers out into the community tomorrow. I want one hired by the time you have to stop working. And don’t get upset at that. You’ll be growing three children. Eventually, you’ll have to step back from your job.”
I closed my eyes and allowed that reality to descend on me.
“One of the rooms on the other side of the house will be the triplet’s nursery. I’ll have a contractor come in and talk about the reality of reconstructing the inside of this place a bit. There’s five thousand square feet to this place. There’s no reason why we can’t all reside in it, at least for a while. Once we have options on what’s plausible without ruining the place, we’ll go from there on our living situation.”
“Okay,” I said lightly.
“I’ve got more than enough money to handle the clothes and diapers, Emma. That isn’t something you need to worry about. Money is not an issue you need to think about any longer. You aren’t doing this alone, and that means you aren’t financially doing it alone, either. Your bills? I’ll take care of them once you can’t work any longer. You’re growing my children, Emma. You’ll be helping me raise them. That, in and of itself, is work.”
“Especially with your kids,” I said with a giggle.
“I’m right here,” he said as he kissed the top of my head. “Zoey’s watching television and the boys will be home in about an hour. Let’s take a bit of time for ourselves before we jump into all of this.”