Chapter One-Hundred-Four

Chapter One-Hundred-Four
Grace's POV
Monday morning, Hunter had already taken the day off. We would need to go to the police station after the scan so I could make a statement about the surrogacy. The detectives had called late Sunday afternoon. So much for contacting us later; they hadn't waited long.
I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at my reflection. My hand drifted to my stomach for the thousandth time since waking. Today we'd see our baby for the first time. Hear the heartbeat. Make it real in a way even the positive test hadn't managed.
"You ready?" Hunter's voice came from the bedroom.
I took a breath. "As I'll ever be."
When I emerged, he was waiting, already dressed in dark jeans and a sweater. The casual look suited him, made him seem less CEO and more... sexy and mine. That I was still getting used to. That he was truly mine.
His eyes swept over me, lingering on the simple dress I'd chosen. "Beautiful."
"I'm a little nervous," I admitted.
He crossed to me, his hands settling on my waist. "About the scan or the police?"
"Hmm, maybe both."
Hunter pressed a kiss to my forehead. "The scan's going to be fine. You're healthy, the baby's healthy. As for the police..." His jaw tightened slightly. "Quinn will be there. You answer what you're comfortable with, nothing more."
I nodded, leaning into his solid warmth. "What if they ask about our marriage?"
"It's none of their business." His voice was firm. "You only answer anything connected to the case and if Quinn doesn't object. What happened between us isn't their business."
The drive to the clinic was quiet, Hunter's hand never leaving mine. When we pulled into the parking lot, I felt my stomach flip.
"Hey." Hunter turned to me, his thumb brushing my knuckles. "This is supposed to be happy. Don't let the police ruin it."
He was right. This was about our baby, not Helena's mess or investigations or any of it.
Inside, the clinic was bright and welcoming, completely different from the sterile place where I'd had the embryo transfer. The receptionist smiled warmly.
"Mrs. Sinclair?"
The name still sometimes caught me off guard. "Yes."
"The doctor will be right with you. Just have a seat."
Hunter guided me to the waiting area, his hand on the small of my back. I watched couples around us, some holding ultrasound images, others with visible bumps. Soon that would be me. We hadn't been sitting for more than five minutes when:
"Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair?" A nurse appeared, clipboard in hand. "Follow me, please."
The examination room was small but clean, dominated by the ultrasound machine. The nurse handed me a gown.
"Change into this, everything off. The doctor will be in shortly."
After she left, I reached for the zipper of my dress, but I couldn't make it work.
"You okay?" Hunter asked.
"Just... the zipper." I laughed shakily. "I think I'm shaking so hard I can't grip it right."
He came up behind me, his hands covering mine as he helped with the zipper. "I'm right here with you."
I changed quickly while Hunter turned around respectfully, though his eyes found mine in the mirror above the sink. When I climbed onto the examination table, the paper crinkling beneath me, he immediately moved to my side, taking my hand.
A knock preceded the doctor, a woman in her fifties with kind eyes and a warm smile.
"Mrs. Sinclair, Mr. Sinclair. I'm Dr. Bates." She settled onto her stool, pulling up my file on the computer. "Let's see what we've got here. First ultrasound at..." She paused, her eyes scanning the screen. "Ten weeks. Is that right?"
"Yes, a few days over. We had a lot going on," I confirmed.
Dr. Bates's expression didn't change as she read the notes on the screen. "And the pregnancy was achieved through IVF?"
My stomach tightened. "Yes. A surrogacy arrangement originally, but... it's hard to explain."
"I see." She made a note, then smiled warmly. "Well, let's take a look at your baby. Or babies."
"Babies?" Hunter's voice sharpened. "Plural?"
"I can see three embryos were transferred. Is that right?" Dr. Bates asked.
"Yes, that's right," I answered in a small voice. I had been told the likelihood of all taking was very slim.
"It's possible more than one took," Dr. Bates explained, already preparing the ultrasound.
We had considered that possibility but hadn't given it much thought. It had seemed impossible. My hand clenched around Hunter's.
"Lie back," Dr. Bates instructed. "This might be a bit cold."
The gel hit my stomach, making me gasp. Hunter's thumb stroked my palm in soothing circles as Dr. Bates positioned the wand, her eyes fixed on the screen. He did that often… comforting me. I wasn't sure he even realized.
Silence stretched.
My heart hammered against my ribs.
Then—a sound. Fast. Rhythmic. Like a tiny galloping horse.
"There's your baby's heartbeat," Dr. Bates said, smiling. "Strong and healthy."
Tears blurred my vision. Hunter's hand tightened on mine.
"And there..." Dr. Bates moved the wand slightly. "Is another heartbeat."
My breath stopped completely.
"Two?" Hunter's voice was strangled. "Twins?"
"Looks like it." Dr. Bates pointed to the screen. "See these two sacs here? Both with visible heartbeats. Congratulations, you're having twins."
I stared at the screen, unable to process what I was seeing. Two tiny shapes. Two heartbeats. Two babies.
"Grace?" Hunter's voice sounded distant.
I turned to look at him, finding his face pale, eyes wide with shock. "We're having twins."
His expression shifted, shock giving way to something that looked like wonder. "Twins," he repeated, then a slow smile spread across his face. "We're having twins."
Dr. Bates continued the examination, measuring, pointing out features we couldn't quite make out yet. But all I could focus on was those two heartbeats, steady and strong.
"Everything looks good," she said finally. "Both babies are measuring right on track. I'll want to see you more frequently given it's a multiple pregnancy. We'll schedule your next appointment for four weeks. As you get closer to your due date, we will make the appointments two weeks apart."
I nodded, still unable to speak.
"Thank you, Doctor." Hunter was able to say for us.
After she left to print images, Hunter leaned down, pressing his forehead to mine.
"Two babies," he said softly. "Grace, we're having two babies."
"I know." I laughed, tears streaming down my face. "Oh God, Hunter. Twins. How are they going to fit?" I touched my belly.
He laughed and kissed me. "Our family just got bigger than we planned."
The nurse returned with ultrasound images, handing them over with a smile. I stared at the grainy black and white photos, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.
"They're real," I whispered.
"They are." Hunter's arm came around me. "And they're ours."
After I dressed, we walked out to the car in a daze. Hunter opened my door, but before I could get in, he pulled me against him.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
"For what?"
"For giving me this. Allowing me to be here with you today."
I pressed my face into his chest. "I'm glad you wanted to. When do we tell the family about this, do you think?"
"I say we wait until your next check-up. We will know gender by then and we can decide if we share it at the same time."
In four weeks, we'd tell our families about the twins.