My life had been taken over by the babies that grew inside of me. They were so large, I couldn’t see my feet or do anything without being reminded that I was as big as a freaking house.

Being pregnant with Gigi was easy, and I thought this pregnancy would be the same. Little did I know that my guy would knock me up with twins. His sperm just had to be so strong that it found a way to hook up with two eggs and not the typical one.

He was all perfection.

I gained pounds every week while the little beasts grew inside of me.

Him?

Not an ounce.

He still had his six-pack and bulging biceps. Beautifully handsome with his dark hair and turquoise blue eyes that saw deep into my soul when I looked at him.

Every day when I glanced down at my ever-growing belly, I cursed myself. It’s one thing to be pregnant, and it’s quite another to let it get out of control. I felt, no matter how hard I tried to keep my weight under control, I just grew bigger.

How could he love me like this? I stared down and tried to remember what it was like to see my feet on the ground. I’d hit Weeble-wobble status and I was sick of it.

I lost it when we were having sex. How could he say those dirty things to me and mean them with how I looked?

There’s no way my perfectly built husband thought I was as beautiful as the day we met. I was riddled with stretch marks and a stomach as big as a beach ball.

“Sugar.” Joe knocked on the door while I sat on the edge of the tub, feeling sorry for myself.

“Go away.” I already regretted the way I acted—storming off like an idiot and opening my big mouth in the first place.

He didn’t deserve to be punished because of how I felt about myself. He’d never done anything to make me feel less than loved and adored, but it was too easy for doubt to creep in every time I looked at myself.

“Open the door or I’m knocking it down.”

“Are you going to yell at me?” I grimaced and waited for his reply, which I’m sure was about to go from upset to pissed off in a hurry.

A loud thud sounded and I heard his voice clear as day. “Baby, I’m not going to yell at you. We need to talk.” The handle jiggled. “Open the door.”

I pushed myself up, more like a contortionist than a woman, and reached for the door. “Oh, fuck,” I said before I could unlock the door, doubling over in the most extreme pain.

Fucking hell—contractions.

I hadn’t missed them. I would have liked to have said they were the worst part of labor, but when they cut you open to make more room for the baby… Yeah, that was the worst.

I did my Lamaze breathing just as I’d remembered, and like last time, that shit didn’t work.

“Suzy!” Joe shouted and turned the handle again. “Are you okay, baby?”

Damn it. Hunched over in so much pain, I waited for it to pass before I could let him in. “My water broke. Gimme a minute.” I clutched the sink and breathed through the final moments of my first contraction.

I could hear him breathing heavily, pacing outside the door separating us, and I was almost thankful to be in labor.

I no longer had to explain my behavior.

He’d flip out if I did. Joe loved me. He adored me. Cherished me like no man ever had, but being as big as a house and having two humans growing inside of me… I didn’t feel good enough.

“Suzy!” He pounded on the door frantically. “Open the door!”

“Coming,” I groaned, moving like I was walking on glass because I knew another contraction was soon to follow. I turned the lock, slowly stepping back to lean against the bathroom sink.

He walked in and scooped me into his arms like I weighed nothing. “We’ve got to get to the hospital.”

“Joe!” I squealed, panicked he’d drop me if I moved. “Put me down. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

He glanced down with his eyebrows downward. He gave me a look like I was crazy as he placed me on the bed. “Wait here.” He raced around the room, grabbing the already packed suitcase from the closet. “Do you need anything else?” Standing there naked, his hair a mess, I couldn’t help but smile at his nervousness.

“You need clothes, for sure.” I pointed at him, quirking an eyebrow as my finger drifted down to his beautiful, pierced cock.

“Right.” He ran his hand through his hair, messing it up more, and scanned the room. “Fuck. I shouldn’t be such a mess. This isn’t our first kid.”

“Nope.” I giggled when he grabbed whatever he could find and threw it on haphazardly. Everything that had just happened before my labor began was wiped away in an instant.

He stood with his hands on his hips and his shirt half on. “How can you be smiling?”

I looked, letting my eyes travel slowly up his body before settling on his handsome face. “You’re so adorable when you’re flustered.” My fingers curled around the edge of the comforter, and I readied myself for another contraction.

“Baby.” Joe kneeled and rested his hands on my belly. “I don’t know what’s going on inside that pretty head of yours, but I won’t forget it. You have me completely thrown off. Hopefully, after these two little soul suckers come out, everything will get back to normal.”

“I’m sorry.”

He shifted and cradled my face in his hands before kissing my lips. “I can’t believe soon we’re going to have three little ones.”

“I know.” I smiled and my eyes filled with tears, but not of joy… Yeah, I was happy, but the fear I had overshadowed it.

What if I couldn’t be a good mom to three?

What if I couldn’t be a good wife?

My days and nights would be filled with feedings, diaper changing, and caring for the little ones. I couldn’t see Joe and me having a ton of time together with them around.

I worried for us.

What if I couldn’t be the woman he wanted and needed?

Joe’s phone buzzed and broke the awkward silence before he had a chance to question me further. As he spoke to his mom, he kept glancing at me. I was never so happy for another contraction to start as I was when he hung up.

My insides squeezed and I could’ve sworn the two monsters inside me were trying to claw their way through my abdomen instead of readying themselves for a trip the natural way. “Oh.” I blew out a breath, huffing with puffed cheeks. “God.” I sucked in quickly. In. Out. In. Out. My knuckles turned white as I gripped the edge of the bed and held on for dear life.

“Let’s go, Sunshine.”

“Gigi.”

Out. In. Out. In. Hell, these were so much worse than last time.

“Mom will get her from school later. I’m not taking any chances with you. Up.” He started to put his arm under my legs when I pushed him away.

“No.” I shook my head and felt my muscles start to relax. “I’ll walk. I’m not having you fall down the stairs with me in your arms.” I held my hands out to him, looking for a little help.

He grabbed my hands before he straightened and pulled me with him. “You never worried I’d drop you before.” He wrapped an arm around my waist like I needed his support to move.

“I’ve never been this big before.” I placed my hand on my stomach and tried to remember what it was like to see my feet when I walked, but I drew a blank.

“Stop talking like that. You’re stunning and carrying my babies inside you.”

I glanced down at the floor to avoid his eyes. “Fine,” I mumbled. “I’m fat, but whatever.”

“Sugar, when you’re healed, I think you need a spanking.”

My eyes flickered to his and my cheeks instantly heated. The look in his eyes was one I’d seen before. There’d be hell to pay, and his torture implement would be his cock. “Yes, sir.” I couldn’t hold back my sarcasm.

With his hand on the small of my back, he led me out of the bedroom and took each step with me. He was ready to catch me if I tumbled forward. When we made it to the bottom of the stairs, another contraction hit me.

“Fuck!” I yelled, doubling over and grabbing his hand, squeezing it with all my might. “They shouldn’t be this close together.” I glanced up at him, fear coursing through my veins that maybe something was wrong.

I spent hours in labor with Gigi and I remembered having a lot of time between each contraction, but this was different.

The look on his face was absolute panic. My big, strong husband was filled with fear and it freaked me out.