Strawberry Wine

Two For Two

Cory and Topanga didn't prepare themselves for what life had in store for them. They were broke, newly married, and in college. How in the world would they be able to take care of a kid, let alone two?

They had found out Topanga was pregnant a month earlier. She knew the moment her period was a week late, he knew the moment they flipped the test over and stared at the two dark pink lines. They both experienced a mix of emotions. First shocked then terrified then once the realization set in, excited.

And they were excited for the appointment they had set up the next week. The doctor had confirmed Topanga's pregnancy and her and Cory began planning for what was to come the next nine months to prepare for their baby.

And now, they were waiting for their second appointment to commence. It was the day they were going to see their little human in a sonogram.

Topanga held tightly on to Cory's hand as they sat in the waiting room. She peered anxiously at the other women. Some were pregnant, some were tending to their children, and some were just waiting patiently like them. She couldn't help but feel like she was the youngest one there and they were all judging her for not having her life together.

Cory squeezed her hand as he tried to search for her eyes. She looked up at him and smiled.

"You okay?" he asked, concern lacing his tone.

She nodded and swallowed down any nerves she had. "Yeah. Sorry, i'm just nervous."

"Me too. But it'll be cool to see how much the baby has grown since we found out." he turned away really quick, scoffing before he said "Imagine they find two babies. Man, would that be interesting."

Topanga hit his arm. "Don't even mention that! You have a tendency to jinx things, Cory."

Cory rubbed his arm. "Ow!"

A nurse stepped into the room with a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. She was reading from a name of lists, checking off who was next. "Topanga Matthews?" she called out

Topanga and Cory stood up, gathering themselves before following the nurse into the observation room.

"Just hang tight and the Doctor will be right with you." The nurse told them after checking Topanga's vitals and writing them down.

Topanga watched the door shut then looked over at Cory who was finicking with some of the supplies on the counter.

"What are you doing?" she said with a deep sigh.

"I'm just looking." he assured her.

Topanga shook her head and laid back onto the examination table. She laid her hands on top of her stomach and listened to the thoughts floating around in her head. They were about to see their baby for the first time and she wasn't sure how to feel. For one, she felt nauseous, which she blamed on the morning sickness she had been experiencing but she was also extremely nervous. 

Seeing their baby was going to make this whole pregnancy even more real and she knew that no matter how many times she tells herself it will be okay, she wasn't sure anymore. She felt overwhelmed by all the things her and Cory had to do to prepare for the baby. Sure, they had eight more months but these last few weeks have already gone by pretty quick.

Her biggest concern was money and how they had barely any to spend on themselves. Most of their paychecks went to rent and the rest towards food. And then she will have to take a month or two off to take care of the baby. There was just no wiggle room in their budget to spend on a baby.

Cory rested his hand on hers, snapping Topanga back to reality. She sat up.

"Want to tell me what's on your mind?" Cory asked, pulling a chair beside the table.

But before Topanga could say anything, there was a knock at the door and the doctor walked in.

"Hi, Topanga, i'm Doctor Wellman." she said with a bright grin as she made her way over to the sink and washed her hands.

"Hi." Topanga said shyly. She reached for Cory's hand.

"And you must be dad, huh?" Doctor Wellman said, prompting to Cory who was now standing.

He smiled proudly and nodded.

"Great! Well, I reviewed your chart and i'm seeing you're about eight weeks pregnant, correct?"

The couple nodded, looking at eachother and sharing a quick smile. The doctor started to write stuff down on her clipboard before reaching for her stethoscope. She placed the diaphragm against Topanga's chest and back.

"Tell me about your symptoms and overall how you are feeling."

Topanga thought for a moment. She had been feeling a good bit of symptoms, more than the usual for a woman only 8 weeks pregnant. "Morning Sickness has been the biggest challenge. It's just constant. I've also just been really tired and run down, which I know is normal but it's more than I thought."

Doctor Wellman nodded as she jotted down the last of her notes. She looked up at the parents-to-be and offered a gentle smile. "Sounds about right. You're growing a baby, it usually takes a lot of energy." she headed towards the ultrasound machine and turned it on.

"Alright, I know what you guys are most excited about. Let's see how baby is doing and where they are in terms of health and growth. We will also be able to get a due date established."

Topanga nodded, turning head towards Cory. He looked at her and squeezed her hand for support. She bit her lip and laid back down on the table.

The doctor wiped some gel on the probe. "It's going to be a little cold but I promise it goes away pretty quickly." she assured Topanga.

Topanga gulped and lifted her shirt just above her stomach. She cringed at the coolness hitting her stomach but just like the doctor said, it subsided fast.

After a few moments of moving the probe around, the doctor stopped. "There is your baby." the doctor said with a gentle undertone.

Cory and Topanga stared at the screen. Silence filled the room. Topanga couldn't believe it. That was her baby, even if it wasn't close to fully developed yet. That was what was growing inside of her. Suddenly, all the stuff that was overwhelming her earlier went away and she was filled with joy. That was her and Cory's baby.

Cory felt like he had stopped breathing. He also couldn't believe his eyes. He would later swear he didn't cry but for now, he was going to let it show.

"Baby looks very healthy and is on the right track!" The doctor moved the probe around a little bit more to get a good look at the baby. She stopped in her tracks and let out a slight gasp.

"What? What's wrong?" Topanga said, worry quickly filling her head.

The doctor shook her head and eased Topanga. "Nothing! It just looks like you guys aren't just having one baby.." she glanced at them. "You're having twins!"

Cory shot a look to Topanga. She continued staring at the screen, her eyes widened. The Doctor pointed out the two babies and drew circles around each one. Cory felt his jaw drop.

"Two?!" he exclaimed.

The doctor laughed. She was used to this type of reaction. "Yes, Mr. Matthews, two. They both look very healthy and are growing very well. Congratulations." she assured them.

"Oh. Wow." Topanga breathed. She continued to stare at the screen, hesitant to pull her eyes away.

The doctor then proceeded to point out the babies growing limbs and let the parents-to-be bask in the realization that they were not only having one baby, but two.
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I'm back!! It's been a few years now but after a ton of failed attempts at writing a story, I finally found a good head space and a ton of inspiration. Feels good:))