Settling in Seattle

Chapter 50- A New Chapter Opening

"Come on Rosalie... We need to get you in the car otherwise we'll be late!" Mike hurried the small child down the driveway towards the opened car. Rachel was already sat prepared in the passenger seat, watching the almost three-year-old scuttle along, dragging her small boots along the ground. She eventually reached the car seat, plonking her bright red rucksack beside onto the middle seat. Mike clipped her seatbelt in briskly, then slamming the door and gravitated to the driver seat.

"Where you going mommy? What that?" Rosalie peered at the paperwork nestled on Rachel's lap, neatly folded together. She smiled at her daughters' observations and cast her eyes to the backseat.

"I have a doctor's appointment before work today." Rachel was wearing her usual pencil skirt and blouse, which she was now regretting dearly because of the appointment, despite having convinced herself that she could have a fourteen-week ultrasound without having to wear different clothes.

"Are you okie?" The youngster's face crippled slightly with the word doctors, assuming something bad was happening.

"Yes darling, I'm fine... it's just a routine check-up. Nothing to worry about. Are you excited about your first day back at nursery?"

"Yeh." Rachel didn't know what the response meant with regards to that response.

"You don't want to go?" 

"I do! I'll miss you." She spoke solemnly and with some withdraw.

"We'll be back to pick you up before you know it. Plus, you'll have lots of fun, especially with the sand pit, remember?"

"I know!" Suddenly the tune changed, and Rosalie was excitedly listing off all the activities there were to do at nursery, as well as who she was going to play with. Times like these made Mike proud and wishful, she was beginning to show real signs of being a genius and memory freak like her dad. Even at the tender age she was.

Mike pulled up to her nursery and they both got out to drop her in. Rosalie immediately showed a disinterest in her parents when she eyed up one of her friends. They didn't stay long as they needed to get to their appointment, despite her independence, she did give them both a hug and a kiss when they announced departure.

"When are we going to tell her?" Mike asked as they drove away into the city traffic.

"I don't know. When were you thinking?"

"She's pretty smart, and certainly observant so I doubt once you start to really show she won't say something about it."

"That's true, and I'm already showing."

"I reckon when we find out whether it's a boy or a girl."

"Sounds good. I hope she doesn't flip out. I don't know what it's like to have a sibling and neither do you, so I can't imagine what she's going to think!" They both chuckled to themselves.

"Speaking of, what do you want it to be?"

"I don't know. I think once I've popped this one out, I can do it once more. So, in that case I really don't mind, because we may have another chance."

"Who's a bit keen? Yeah, I mean I'm not the one that has to carry them for forty weeks."

"You want a boy don't you?"

"Yep." Mike smiled childishly as Rachel shook her head and stared out the window.

"Well, if I survive this morning sickness maybe it'll be alright." She laughed through a serious tone.

"Do you want to stop and get some air?"

"No, we're almost there now." She pointed at a road sign of the doctor's office. Mike laughed again, this time more of a secretive snigger, "What?" 

"Nothing. I just love the thought of having three kids." 

"Hold your horses mister, I haven't even got past second trimester yet." Rachel reasoned.

"A man can dream! You're only thirty-three!"

"I don't need to be reminded! I know my own age thanks." She shook him off as they pulled in to the hospital.

"I told you. You should've brought in a spare pair of joggers or something." Mike teased as she pulled her blouse up.

"Oh haha... Very funny." She said, as the doctor prepared her and poured on the gel.

"Hmmm I'll just take a look and then put it up on the screen for you. Everything looks exceptionally good and hea..." Both Rachel and Mike shot each other an immediate concern as the doctor forced an end to his sentence.

"Is everything okay?" Mike asked, now minorly shifting in his seat." The doctor resurfaced after consolidating with the images he was seeing.

"Oh... Yes, sorry I was just trying to reason myself into not catching this earlier. It seems Mr and Mrs Ross, that you are having two children." He kept scrounging to reassure his statement, and sure enough the screen lit up, display not one child, but two. Rachel peered up and covered her mouth with her hand, with tears immediately accumulating in her eyes.

"Woah." Mike was stunned, but of course not to silence. He grabbed Rachel's free hand tightly and rubbed her thumb. She reciprocated by curling her fingers around his.

"Yes. In my years of doing this job, I have never not registered twins until fourteen weeks. I'm trying to fathom what has happened, but there are definitely two in there, so I guess congratulations again!" He smiled at them both wallowing in shock.

"There is definitely two. That's why I'm bigger than usual. I thought it was because I was having a boy."

"It seems as if you have a reason to be showing more! There are two placentas, so they're fraternal. Would you like to know the sex... I can see clear as day." The doctor reliably informed.

"Yes." Mike pleaded, his eyes lit up. Everything he'd been waiting for was suddenly coming one after the other. He was still dumfounded, clearly getting his three children sooner than he thought. Rachel looked up at him and they shared a gaze of amazement.

"Momma okay?" Rosalie enquired as she sat contently at the dinner table that night.

"Yes baby. Momma's doctors appointment went just fine." Rachel elaborated, "In fact, we have something we have to tell you Rosy."

"What?!" She perked herself up and her big brown eyes lit.

"Rosalie, you are going to be a big sister."

"Am I?"

"Mommy has two babies in her stomach and they're your two siblings." She understood and was blankly staring for a moment, before a reaction appeared.

"Yay! More to play! Olivia has a baby sisser. Will it be stinky boy?" She asked as Mike tickled her stomach gleefully.

"I'm afraid so baby. Two little boys. They aren't too stinky." Rachel reassured, beaming as the informant. 

"Still play with me!" She seemed delighted.

"You're going to be a brilliant big sister!" Mike smiled and they continued to eat their casserole that was prepared early this morning. Rachel shot her husband a look of relief, and that of happiness.

Whether it was going to be crazy or stressful, they had everything they needed right there and then. A new chapter was opening, and they couldn't have been more elated. 

Annnd cut! Thank you so much for reading this book, I hope you have enjoyed it! I have not yet decided whether I am going to write a sequel, or some snippets of missed scenes of this book. Look forward to more! 💕