Chapter 183 - There are three, not one, but three - fear
Roland
Veronica was sitting in one of the chairs in the doctor's office, the lady was waiting for me. I was shaking like a leaf, scared out of my mind. I walked into that office like I was heading to the slaughterhouse.
"Are you chickening out?! Haven't you done worse things in your life, and now you're about to piss yourself at the possibility of being told you're going to be a father? Now I'm really screwed, I've never been a coward!"
"Good afternoon, my name is Saray Jones. Mrs. Sandoval, you mentioned that you don't know the exact gestation period." I won't say anything, I think it's best to keep quiet.
"That's correct, doctor. I use the quarterly injection, and the last time I got it was two and a half months ago. In fact, I have an appointment in ten days to get it again."
"No contraceptive is entirely effective; the only thing that prevents pregnancy is not having sex, which is impossible for a married couple."
"Exactly."
Veronica said, and that was the first slap for being an idiot. I was a fool with a capital "F."
"Well, starting from there, we need to do an ultrasound to determine the gestation period. After the results, you'll need to undergo tests and start taking essential vitamins for the proper formation of the little one on the way. Personally, I don't like to say 'fetus,' even though that's the term at this stage. I'm a mother and grandmother."
The doctor had a good demeanor. She looked at me, and if she was intuitive, she must have understood that I wasn't too thrilled about the pregnancy. Adding to that the warning from my famous friends, I was screwed. I glanced at Veronica. She was smiling, her eyes showing joy despite our situation.
"Mrs. Sandoval, lie down on the table and lift your dress."
I continued without saying a word, not moving from the chair. I looked like a scolded puppy. The more time passed, the more I realized the mess I was in. I had dug myself into this hole, and not even a thousand bouquets of flowers and hundreds of serenades would get me out… although, that might be an option.
"Ready." The doctor stood beside her and applied gel to her belly.
"Mr. Sandoval, come and see your greatest creation." Those words sent chills through my body. I got up and stood next to Veronica, in front of the monitor. "Well…"
A strange image with black dots appeared on the screen. The gynecologist's furrowed brow didn't sit well with me.
"Excuse me." She moved the sensor all over my wife's belly.
"Is something wrong with my baby?"
Veronica's anxious voice made me feel even worse. Second slap for being a coward.
"Don't worry, it's just that there isn't just one baby, there are three… I think. Are there multiple pregnancies in your family?" My mind short-circuited.
"No, but in my husband's family, yes. He's a twin, and his sister gave birth to twins almost three months ago." If I was about to pee myself before, now I literally needed to go to the bathroom.
"Can I use the bathroom?"
I couldn't look at Veronica. After an hour of processing the fact that I was going to be a father of one child, this lady tells me there are three. I peed, washed my hands, still felt uneasy, splashed water on my face, and when I felt somewhat calm, I went back out. Three, not one but three.
"Don't be scared, Dad. Look at the bright side." Tell me, I only see a bleak outlook. "It's a pregnancy of three, and you won't have to get your wife pregnant again. You can have the procedure done when she has the cesarean to tie her tubes."
"That's a good option." Veronica was smiling, radiating genuine happiness.
"Would you like to hear the magic of your children?"
At that moment, a watery, thumping sound came through the speakers, and my body vibrated. Like a fool, my eyes welled up, and I started to cry.
"Those are your children's hearts, isn't it beautiful?"
Was it beautiful? That sound felt like an angelic song that took over my soul. Don't ask me how it happened, but they became my greatest creation, those hearts are my creation.
Veronica's hand made me look at her. I was trembling and holding back sobs to avoid breaking down. I had a lump in my throat, and as best I could, I controlled myself, and the tears flowed, though my soul wanted to kneel and scream. What the hell was happening to me?
"Forgive me." I said. She didn't answer, just squeezed my hand. "Doctor, can you give me…"
"Of course, you can have both the sound and video to listen to at home."
"Thank you."
I looked at my wife, who was smiling happily. She was now more beautiful, her happiness complete. "Thank you, Lord."
"Well, now I can confirm that you're eight weeks along. Based on this, let's move to the desk, we need to discuss a few things."
"Is there a problem?" I asked. Veronica looked at me and smiled.
"Who's going to put up with you now?"
"You, you'll always put up with this fool. Remember, it's until death do us…"
"Part." She said.
“Problems at the moment, no, but it’s a multiple pregnancy… you need to be very careful, no horseback riding, no stairs, and for now, no sexual relations. Let’s wait and see how the first trimester goes, which is the most dangerous, although the entire pregnancy requires a lot of care. I’ll prescribe several tests. If you want, you can take them first thing tomorrow, and we’ll have the results in two days.”
“No problem, we’ll be here tomorrow.” I felt Verónica’s gaze on me again.
“These are the vitamins to take throughout the pregnancy. Try to stay very calm and happy, that’s important for having healthy and strong babies. We’ll see you in three days to review the results, and then you’ll come in for a check-up each month.”
“Thank you, Dr. Jones.”
“You’re welcome.”
She handed me a memory stick, and I smiled. I took Verónica’s hand and hugged her before leaving the office.
“I know I’m a…”
“Thank you for coming, for being here.” Lord, this woman was a saint. “I knew you’d react badly, although I must admit you went overboard.”
“You’re going to be a lioness with my kids.”
“Now they’re our kids?” I kissed her forehead.
“They’ll always be ours, even though they’re my intruders.”
When we left the office, everyone’s faces changed when they saw me, smiling like a beauty queen, showing my teeth as much as possible.
“This is one for the books,” commented Rata. “How did it go?”
“They’re triplets, I’m eight weeks along, and starting tomorrow, I’ll have some tests done.”
“Congratulations!” A wave of hugs came over us.
I returned with Verónica by my side. My mom drove my wife’s car, leaving it at El Renacer. Everyone arrived at the ranch. Miguel and Diana went to pick up Isaac. We said our goodbyes with more hugs and congratulations. They called me a sharpshooter. Inés was jumping with joy, three kids. She couldn’t stop saying that the Lord was answering her prayers. She always wanted a dozen grandchildren and now had five with three more on the way.
I didn’t know what we were going to do with my mom; she had become quite the enabler. I still didn’t know how I felt. The truth was, I had already downloaded the video and audio to my phone. When I felt incredulous, I’d play the sound of my kids’ hearts, and listening to them made my skin tingle. My kids.
We said goodbye to the García family. Tomorrow, I’d talk to Miguel. He seemed off, and I noticed a hint of sadness in his eyes whenever he looked at his wife. Maybe he was regretting the injury he got saving his son. But well, tomorrow would be another day. Ten minutes later, we said goodbye to the Moreno family. Rata would take my mom to Las Alondras and then head back to his ranch, La Apuesta.
My father-in-law planned to travel next week. He congratulated us, and from that moment, my phone hadn’t stopped ringing. Verónica was beside me, surprised to hear my new ringtone, the sound of my kids’ hearts.
Santiago, Luz Marina, Raúl, Manolo, Gustavo, Gladis, Arnold, Daniel, Clarisa, Aníbal, and Shirly congratulated us. My brother-in-law wouldn’t stop teasing me about joining the club. With his firstborn, he didn’t want a party. He sent pictures to Verónica almost daily of his Salvador. They left us alone in the living room.
“Where were you going to sleep if I hadn’t come to my senses about my stupidity, Vida?”
“At my mother-in-law’s house,” I said.
“You know I couldn’t sleep without you.”
“You deserved it.” She was stroking her belly. “I want to sleep. Does the sexual restriction bother you?”
“Beautiful, believe me, even if it sounds strange, I didn’t even care about that. If it’s best for the babies, we’ll follow it. I started researching, and triplet pregnancies are very risky. I won’t expose you or my intruders to any danger.”
“Don’t call them that! When did you start researching?” I stood up and lifted her as if she were a baby. “Roland, I can walk.”
“The doctor said to avoid it as much as possible. And please research. Climbing stairs puts pressure on you with each step that could detach the babies. While I’m home, I’ll carry you. That’s non-negotiable.” She closed her eyes, and when she looked at me, those beautiful honey pools shone. “I researched while you were talking to your father, brother, and friends. I looked up information on multiple pregnancies.”
“You’re definitely special. Then you say you wouldn’t be a good dad.”
I kissed her as soon as I put her on the bed. I knelt beside her and placed my hand on her belly for the first time since I knew there were intruders there.
“Hello, intruders. Mom doesn’t like me calling you that, but I say it with love. Welcome to my life.” I kissed her belly.
“And then you say you’re not romantic.”
“Vida, since you arrived, you messed up my whole plan.”
“I love you,” she said.
“Well, I adore you.” I kissed her. I had to seal the day. The truth was, I was screwing up. “Thank you for forgiving me.”
“Darling, how could I not, if three pieces of your heaven are growing in my belly?”
I kissed her again, helped her undress, and put on her pajamas. I did the same and we got into bed. Tomorrow, she had to take the tests.