When Anna finally became pregnant and the doctor assured us it was safe to hope, we let ourselves believe that it was really happening.
Every milestone felt like a miracle; the first flutter of a kick. Anna’s laughter as she balanced a bowl on her belly, and me, reading stories to her stomach.
By the time the due date arrived, our friends and family were primed for joy. We were all in, heart and soul.
Every milestone felt like a miracle.
The delivery felt endless. Doctors were barking orders, monitors beeping loudly, and Anna’s cries echoed in my head. I barely had time to squeeze her hand before a nurse whisked her away.
“Wait, where are you taking her?” I called, nearly tripping over my own feet.
“She needs a minute, sir. We’ll come get you soon,” the nurse said, blocking my path.
I paced the hallway, replaying every worst-case scenario. My palms were slick with sweat. All I could do was count the cracks in the tiles and pray.
When another nurse finally waved me in, my heart was thudding loudly.
“She needs a minute, sir.”
**
Anna was there, hospital lights harsh above her, clutching two tiny bundles hidden behind their blankets. Her whole body was shaking.
“Anna?” I rushed over. “Are you okay? Is it the pain? Must I call someone?”
She didn’t look up, she just squeezed the babies closer to her.
“Don’t look at our babies, Henry!” Her voice broke on the words, and then she was sobbing so hard I thought she might fall apart.
“Anna, talk to me. Please. You’re scaring me. What happened? Are they okay?”
She shook her head, rocking the babies like she could shield them from the world. “I can’t… I don’t know — I just don’t —”
“Don’t look at our babies, Henry!”
I knelt beside her, reaching for her arm. “Anna, whatever it is, we’ll handle it. Now, show me my boys.”
With shaking hands, she finally loosened her grip. “Look, Henry,” she whispered.
I did. And I went still.
Josh: pale, pink-cheeked, looked like me. But Raiden: deep brown skin, dark curls, and Anna’s eyes… was just as much ours.
“I only love you,” Anna sobbed. “They’re your babies, Henry! I swear. I don’t know how this happened! I’ve never looked at another man that way! I didn’t cheat!”
I stared at our sons, speechless, as Anna fell apart beside me.
“They’re your babies!”
“My goodness.”
I knelt by the bed, hands shaking, searching my wife’s face for anything I could anchor to.
“Anna, look at me, love. I believe you. We’re going to figure this out, okay? I’m right here.”
She nodded. Josh whimpered. Raiden clenched his tiny fists, already fierce against the world. I stroked both their heads.
A nurse slipped in, clipboard pressed to her chest.
“We’re going to figure this out.”
“Mom and Dad?” she said gently. “The doctors want to run a few tests on the babies. Just standard checks, given the… um, unique circumstances.”
Anna tensed. “Are they okay?”
“Their vitals at birth were perfect,” the nurse said. “But the doctors want to be sure. And… they’ll want to talk to you too.”
As soon as she left, Anna whispered, “What do you think they’re saying out there? They probably think I cheated on you…”
I squeezed her hand. “That doesn’t matter. I’m sure they’re just trying to figure it out. Same as us.”
“Are they okay?”
**
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