Mixed Direction

Chapter Eighteen: The Day You Were Born

{Zayn's POV}

Life will never be the same because there had never been anyone like you ever in the world. Its from a children's picture book 'On the Night You Were Born'. And it's true.

Until every individual was born, there was never another one like them. The word individual itself means single, separate. Different to any other. Not the same. Every person is their own person. Even twins.

Lillie and Rosie are identical, no doubting that from one glance. But as their father, I can see past the fact that you think you're seeing double. Thankfully I can tell which one is which, I'd be a tad bit embarrassed if I couldn't. But behind each little girl I see differences.

Sure, they're both as loud as each other and they love being cheeky, much alike their older sister. But Rosie laughs more awkwardly to Lillie. Lillie has more of a giggle. Rosie prefers to throw things, Lillie likes to bash them on the ground.

They might not be the best descriptions of differences, but they still count. Every little difference between two people makes you unique. You were not born as a clone. You were born as yourself.

My fingers lock tightly with Perrie's and I look at her face. Perrie is chewing at her lip and nervously looking at the sonographer who is clicking buttons on the machine whilst she tries to find the image she wants, moving around the transducer.

Because Perrie's only eight weeks pregnant, or something like that, this ultrasound has to be done internally, not externally. I'm not even going to try and think about how it would hurt to have that stick thing inside me.

"Okay," the sonographer smiles and turns the screen towards us. "This little grey bean shape is your baby," Lucy, her name is, beams at us. "Here's the head, and this is the stomach, the bottom, the feet," Lucy points out the body parts and I just look at the little shape on the screen.

How'd we manage this? Okay, yes I know how we physically did this, but we haven't had sex for ages- actually. The shower. The fucking shower. Oh Lord.

Four children. Lillie and Rosie have literally just turned one, today is their first birthday, and Perrie's having an ultrasound for another child. Perfect scenario. Hint the sarcasm.

"Do you just have the twins?" Lucy asks us, removing the transducer and pulling off her gloves, doing other stuff, glancing over at Lillie and Rosie who are in their pram behind us, unable to see what's going on because they're playing with books.

"No," I shake my head in response.

"Really? Who else?" Lucy asks, doing stuff whilst she talks to us.

"Ellie. She's three," I reply and Lucy pulls an 'aww' like face.

"Well. This baby is healthy and developing well," Lucy tells us. "I'm guessing you know everything else. Like what's going to happen after this and other things," Lucy says in a questioning way.

"Yep," Perrie nods her head, getting off the bed and pulling her underwear and jeans back on, covering herself with the cloth thing.

"Okay then! I wish you good luck and I might see you in three months!" Lucy beams and then leaves the room, telling us to venture back out to reception when we're done.

"All good?" I ask Perrie, wrapping my hands around the handle of the pram. Perrie nods and walks behind me as we head back out into the reception area.

There's all sorts of different women here. Hippies, business women, 'normal' people, young couples, people in their thirties. All different stages of pregnancy. Not showing, halfway there, heavily pregnant.