The doctor nodded. “Well, that depends on how well you are doing and how well the babies are doing. But probably no longer than the first trimester.”
“Or ever,” I said.
She growled at me. I chuckled.
The doctor shook his head. “You need rest and relaxation. No stress. The more stress you are under, the more the babies are under.”
I nodded.
“Thank you, doctor,” she said.
“You’re welcome,” he said. And after promising to have someone by soon to take her to her room, he left us in peace.
Cadence glared at me. I smiled at her like a fool. She still hadn’t said a word about the babies. She was in shock. Once the doctor had handed over the pictures, she kept them in between her fingers. It didn’t look like she was going to let them go any time soon.
Cadence smiled at the pictures.
She might still be angry with me. And she might be upset with my proposal. None of that mattered in the end. Because I was planning on spending every day for the rest of her life proving to her, I would never leave her side.
Her or my babies.
25
CADENCE
The next day, thankfully, I was released from the hospital. The twins were doing great. I was keeping down fluids and managed to swallow down the lump of dry, bland goop the hospital considered mash potatoes… which, really, was a miracle in and of itself. Though things were touch and go for a minute, in terms of everything coming back up.
I never understood why hospital food had to be so flavorless and cardboard-like.
The important thing was I didn’t have to stay another day and could finally go home. And after being released, I was wheeled to the front door, where Guy had the truck running and waiting for me.
After I climbed into the cab of his truck and started warming my hands in front of one of the vents, Guy turned to face me.
“I am not letting you go through this on your own. I helped to make those babies, and I’m going to help bring them into this world and be involved in their lives.”
“How?” I asked. Guy had been ever-present for the entire time I was in the hospital. And that was as endearing as it was annoying.
“What do you mean how?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Come the end of the season, you’re leaving.”
He nodded. “I’ll bring you with me.”
I shook my head. “You don’t get to uproot my life. That is not how this works.”
“Then I will move here,” he said without missing a beat.
My vision blurred as my heart started to race. I was finding it hard to breathe. So much had happened in such a short amount of time… Plus, I was becoming emotional much more easily than before, and I wasn’t sure I cared for it.
But Guy was willing to do whatever he needed to in order to prove to me I was safe with him. Me and the twins. How could I not be happy about that? Still, everything seemed too sudden… too fast.
“Where would you live?” I asked. “What would you do for work? What about your life in Denver?”
He nodded. “All great questions, of which I don’t have an immediate answer to give you. But we have some time, and so long as you wouldn’t mind my constant presence terribly, we could work everything out together.”
Tears fell down my cheeks as I buckled my seat belt. So much had happened so quickly. I was overwhelmed and needed things to calm down. Even the doctor said stress wasn’t good.
“Look,” he added, voice soft and tender, “I don’t mean to make you upset. I just really want to be a part of your life and the babies’ lives.”