Pink and Blue

Genders and A Scary Number

//9//

“Em, ready to go?” Jace asked me. I nodded to her as I grabbed my coat and scarf off the couch. We headed to the car, her in the driver’s seat.

It had been one month since Sonny and Ally had ditched me, and I was eighteen weeks along. Today was the big day – I was going to find out how many babies and the genders! I was super excited! We had started shopping and preparing for the babies, but it was very difficult with all the mystery variables. I looked nine months pregnant, which is if I was having just one baby. I had been out of school, getting tutored daily for a few hours to keep me up to date with my studies. Everyone at school knew, and probably everyone in the town. I didn’t have to hide from this because I didn’t go out much. In fact, at twenty-five weeks I was practically going to be quarantined in the hospital, lying in bed for a few weeks before the babies came early. It was nearly time to pack up and say goodbye to mobility.

At the doctor’s office, we were led to the familiar, pale yellow room with little animals dotting the walls. Jace was by my side the entire time. The nurse, names Kate, came in and ran tests to confirm that I was healthy. I was. We all were. Then, it was time for the big news, what I’d all been waiting for.

Kate smeared my balloon of a stomach with chilling gel. Why didn’t they ever heat it up like on the reruns of 16 and Pregnant I’d been watching?

“Everyone’s healthy!” Kate smiled. “Now, it says here that you have not been able to confirm the number of babies you’re carrying, correct?”

“Yup. Apparently they weren’t ‘lined up’ correctly.”

“Well, today I’ll be able to confirm that, plus genders for all babies, and finally when you’ll need to be scheduled to come into the hospital.” She reviewed the appointment’s agenda. I felt like she was stalling.

“Okay!” I chirped. I was so excited, yet nervous. If she told me I was having septuplets, all boys, I think I would go into shock.

“Let’s begin.” I squeezed Jacey’s hand and motioned for Kate to go on, and hurry. “You appear to be having sextuplets! That’s six babies. That will mean coming to the hospital in four weeks, unless you experience any issues. We can discuss dates afterwards, but I think you want me to get to the good part?”

“Yes, please!” I grinned childishly. Kate smiled, obvious that this was her favorite part, too.

“Baby A is a little boy! The next one, Baby B, is another boy. Baby C – a third boy! Baby D is a little girl, as well as Baby E. Baby F is a final boy. So again, that’s boy, boy, boy, girl, girl, boy. Four boys and two girls.”

I felt tears prick at my eyes as I rubbed my belly. Wow, six children! I hadn’t exactly imagined myself as a mother, but now it’s six times that! I’m only seventeen! I couldn’t imagine

•••

I stared at the list of names in front of me. I had been throwing around boy and girl names left and right. I was one to go for the unique names.

For girls I liked the place name Holloway, and variations including Holiday. I liked the girly Jasmine and a classic – Abigail. I was all for Regan, although it seemed quite masculine to me, and the similar Tegan. Charlotte was beautiful but overused, leading me to Char and Cher, both popular female singers. Riley, Avenue, Adler and Vienna also topped my list.

As for my four little boys, I wanted not only unique names but unique sounds. ‘A’ names were practically out of question. Aiden and Aaron were too common, just like Daniel, Kyle and Matthew. However I was in love with the familiar ‘J’ names Joshua, James and Jack. ‘L’ was a gorgeous sound, so I added Lincoln, Linc, London/Lyndon. I was in love with Rom- names like Romeo, Roman and Romulus, or just plain Rome. Then there was Caspar and Jasper, Harlem, Quinn, Trojan, Caius, Alonzo, Zacharias, Dido and Phoenix. I was definitely using Calum!

As I was deep in thought with these names swarming my overloaded mind, my mother snapped me out of it.

Pale faced, she scuttled into the room and extended her shivering arm to hand me the phone. “Emily, I think I’ve found your Baby Daddy.”