Choosing Life

Chapter Nineteen

Mal shook her head in amusement as Ben, Chip, and Chip's husband Lucas carried boxes into the room they'd designated to be the twins' nursery. Ben of course had insisted he could do it on his own but then Chip'd heard about it.

How that had happened, Mal honestly had no idea. Though she had let it slip to Mrs. Potts a few days ago that they were going to set up the nursery that weekend. But she hadn't thought Mrs. Potts would tell Chip or Lucas!

"Alright, that's the last of it," Chip said with a small chuckle. "Good thing we showed up to help huh Benji? You'd still be working on this if we hadn't."

"I could have helped, you know," Mal said.

Ben shook his head. "No way Mal. I'm not risking it!"

"Ben, nothing's going to happen if I carry a box. I could have carried the diapers up here!"

Lucas leaned over to Chip and whispered in his ear. "Should we give them some privacy?"

"Nah, Benji's always like this," Chip whispered back. Though I'm sure the threat of Mal miscarrying is weighing just as heavily on Ben's mind as it is mine. Why do you think I insisted we use one of our free weekends to help out? Of course I would have done it anyway but I know you just finished a project and wanted to relax this weekend.

His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Hey...relax Teacup okay? I know what you're thinking and don't. I'm more than happy to help out."

"Honestly I was just surprised that Emir and Akiho weren't with you two," Mal said, drawing the two men's attention to her.

"Don't they have their own kids on the way?" Chip asked. "Bet you anything they're setting up their own nurseries, or Akiho is at the very least. Didn't you say Elle's due date was like a month away from yours Mal?"

"Less than that actually," Mal said. "The twins are supposed to come May 30th and Elle said her guppy's supposed to come June 15th."

"Guppy?"

"Sorry," Mal chuckled and shook her head. "Uma's been calling her kid a 'guppy' as a pet name and it rubbed off."

Ben chuckled before wiping some sweat off his brow before it could drip into his eyes. "Good thing we waited to get this set up after we found out the gender of our kids. Imagine if we'd set it up and then the kids were born?"

Mal shook her head. "Blame me I guess. I'm the one who jinxed it after all, wondering what we'd be like with twins."

"I think you and I have a different definition of 'jinxed', your highness," Ben said as he went over and wrapped Mal up in hiss arms. "I think you meant to say you blessed us."

"And I think you might be a bit biased there your majesty," Mal chuckled softly.

Ben nuzzled his nose into Mal's hair, breathing in the faint scent of her shampoo which remained the familiar scent of strawberries. "And what did I say about you using my title? You don't ever have to do that."

"Hey, you called me your highness. Turnabout's fair play Benny."

"You heard the pregnant woman Benji, and you know the rules. No arguing with her," Chip said before tossing Ben a paint brush. "Now are we painting before or after we get the cribs set up?"

"Before I'd think," Ben said. "What...what did mom and dad do when mom was pregnant with Abby?"

Chip sighed. "Nothing unfortunately. Belle...your mom was only six months pregnant when she lost the pregnancy. However, I remember what they did for you.'