A Diamond with Scars

Holding Your Breath

~*18+ Warning*~

8 weeks later...

"Alright Anya! The moment of truth!" The ultrasound tech, Kyle, hummed as he placed the probe over her lower abdomen. Anya worked with his wife, Tracy, who was a nurse on the rehab floor.

Mark's knee bounced up and down as he held Anya's hand tightly. This was the moment he had dreamt of for a long time. In the same notion...Mark was terrified. Anya had already had a rough start to this pregnancy with a lot of morning sickness and migraines. In the two years they had been together, he never once recalled a day where she had ever called off work. Until 2 weeks ago. A trip to the ER, an IV bag of fluids, and a late period. The perfect combination to take a test. A big fat positive. Mark was thankful the fluids had helped, but now he worried about the future and if it would continue. But right now, his biggest fear was not seeing anything on the ultrasound.

"Hmm..." Kyle's brows knit together as he paused on her abdomen, eyes glued to the screen, mouth in a thin line.

Anya felt her heart break. That wasn't good.

Mark's hand tightened on her's and his leg stopped bouncing.

There was a very long silence.

"Well then...that explains a lot."

Anya blinked and jerked her head towards the screen, scared and hopeful. "What is it?!"

"Hold still." Kyle lectured as he moved back into the spot he had been. "Ah, there." He turned the screen to better face them both. "So over here is the gestational sac...and that flicker...the heartbeat." He drew a circle around it, his eyes softened. But a huge smile remained on his lips.

Anya felt herself almost explode with excitement when she saw the flickering of her and Mark's baby.

"And if I shift this..." Kyle continued as he moved to a deeper angle.

Mark and Anya blinked in confusion.

"There is baby number 2." The second image showed two little flickers on the screen.

"Wait...what?" Mark stood, nearly falling on top of Anya in the process so he could get a good hard look at the ultrasound screen. "Hold on...that is 2 heart beats!"

Kyle took a picture and printed it. "Yup, congrats. They're twins. Based on their size you are roughly 8 weeks." He smiled. "But, that would really explain the crazy vomiting." Kyle went on to explain they were called dichorionic diamniotic twins, or fraternal. With a smile Kyle handed Mark the print before heading out of the room. "You get dressed and the doc will be in shortly."

"Mark?" Anya questioned, almost hesitantly. Twins were a huge shock. Anya had a hard time preparing herself to carry one, in the fears her body would not be able to. Even after her OBGYN said she would be perfectly fine to carry a baby.

A soft smile spread across his lips. "Wow...we are having two babies..." Just when he didn't think he could be even more overjoyed. "Anya?" he looked down at her. "Are you okay, babe?"

Anya sat up, trying to process everything when he handed her the photo. Baby A and Baby B marked each of the tiny embryos. "They are so tiny..." she whispered. "Mark...I'm scared..." she admitted.

He frowned a bit, "About what?"

"I know they cleared me...but...I'm just so terrified that...I'm not going to be a good mother. Anything could happen..." Anya teared up. She felt so vulnerable and nervous about everything all of a sudden.

Mark pulled her to him, "Hey hey...no...none of that." He shushed her and gently rocked her. "You are going to be an amazing mother." Mark helped her sit up on the table and wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they stared down at the ultrasound. "You are already great with Minnie, and remember my cousin's baby, Raiylnn? She stuck to you like glue for the whole Christmas party and the cookout a few months ago."