Chapter Twenty-Three
In the months that followed the wedding, Kara grew increasingly nervous about the impending birth. She had been sentenced–as she referred to it–to bed rest by the doctor to prevent any problems, but the time was getting closer, and she had no idea what to expect. Having a child was one thing. Having two was quite another, but those were only the beginning of her issues.
“What do I know about raising children?” she asked Thomas one day out of frustration.
“The same thing any new parent knows, I would say,” Thomas laughed.
“Be serious, Thomas. I have no idea what I’m doing,” she told him, her face full of worry.
“You aren’t alone, Kara. I have no clue either, but we’re in this together, just like we have been with everything. We will figure it all out as we go.”
“I hope so.”
“We will.”
“Did I tell you that I met an actual hedgehog today?” she asked.
“What is it with you and the hedgehogs?” he laughed.
“I don’t know. I just think they are cute,” she told him.
“Where did you meet him?” he asked.
“At the office. A girl came by and asked me to do her taxes, but she forgot to go to the grocery store and they won’t let pets in there.”
“Imagine that, a village full of animal shifters that won’t let normal animals inside their store,” Thomas said, shaking his head.
“I know. It isn’t fair. If only they knew what the animals think of it,” she told him.
“Right,” he said with a laugh.
“So, anyway. She asked me if I could watch him for a moment while she ran in and then came back to get him.”
“Wait a minute. What were you doing at the office anyway? You are supposed to be on bed rest,” he said.
“I am. She just needed my help, and I told her I would meet her there. I needed the fresh air. I drove there very slowly and back very slowly.”
“Right. Okay, continue.”
“So, while she was gone, I got an idea. I remembered Khalib talking to the tigers at the sanctuary and wondered if I could do it with other animals.”
“You didn’t.”
“I did. I shifted into a hedgehog and I could communicate with him.”
“You talked to a hedgehog? Is there like a hedgehog language or something?”
“Don’t mock me! I’m serious. No, I didn’t talk to him like I talk to you, but I could understand him while I was in his form.”
“And what did you and this hedgehog discuss?” he laughed.
“I think you are still making fun of me, but I’m telling you that it was incredible. They are very singular minded. All I really learn was that he doesn’t like the food she feeds him and he is all bunged up because of it.”
“Bunged up?” he asked.
“Yes, constipated. He can’t poop properly.”
“You are just screwing with me right now, aren’t you?” he laughed.
“Of course not. I’m telling you the poor creature was miserable.”
“So, what did you do? Feed him some fiber bars while she was gone?”
“Of course not. I did tell her when she returned what he had relayed to me that he needed.”
“You told her that the hedgehog told you this?”
“Well, no. That just sounds crazy now, doesn’t it?”
“You can say that again,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
“I’m telling you that it is true.”
“You never cease to surprise me,” he remarked, still looking at her as if he wasn’t sure if she was serious about having conversed with a hedgehog.
Kara shrugged and went back to the book she had been reading, glancing up every so often as she heard Thomas chuckle to himself. She could imagine that, even to a dragon shifter, the idea that she could shift into any animal and actually understand that animal was very foreign. It had seemed just as far-fetched to her when Khalib had done the same thing. Considering that, she decided that it might be best in the future if she just kept that little part of her abilities to herself.
Before long, she was reduced to being at home all the time. Her belly had grown quite large, and it was no longer very safe–or very comfortable–for her to travel. She and Thomas were sitting on the sofa, where she continually fidgeted in an attempt to get comfortable. It was becoming increasingly difficult.
They had been asked time and time again if they knew the sex of their children, but they didn’t. It had been a decision they had made to let it be a surprise, instead painting the new nursery in neutral colors and buying clothing in unisex styles for now. They wanted to be just as surprised as everyone else was when the time came. There was just something magical about leaving it all up to nature to unveil in the right moment.
The days seem to crawl by the closer she got to her due date, but finally the day came when she found herself having unfamiliar pains. At first, she thought they were just phantom contractions, but as they grew more urgent, she soon realized that they were the real deal, and she went to find Thomas in the den where he was working on a project of his own design that he wouldn’t reveal to her and she couldn’t quite make heads or tails of.
“Thomas, we have to go,” Kara said.
“Go where?” he asked, not really looking up from the map he had been studying.
“To the hospital,” she said.
“They’re coming?” Thomas said, up like a shot from his chair and by her side in a matter of seconds.
“Yes, love, to the hospital,” she replied softly.
“Okay. Let’s go,” he said, scooping her up and carrying her out to the car as if she was an invalid even as she protested.
“You forgot my suitcase,” she said as he jumped behind the wheel.
“Right!” he said excitedly. “Don’t move!”
“Where am I going to go?” she laughed as he ran back into the house and emerged a few moments later with the bag she had packed for her visit to the hospital.
“Okay. Let’s go!” he said again, more enthusiastically.
At four-ten p.m. that afternoon, two seemingly normal boys were born to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Higgins. However, they were anything but normal by human terms.
The room was constantly buzzing with members of the village coming to see the new twins and congratulate the young couple, but it was Kara’s grandfather that became emotional as he held one of them in his arms, tears falling down his face.
“What have you named them?” he asked.
“Well, we talked about it, and we decided to go back to where it all began. We’ve decided to call them Khaleel and Tiogar.”
“I think those are excellent choices,” he said, smiling down at the boy he held in his arms for a moment before raising his head and laughing. “Which one is this?”
“That is Tiogar,” Kara said with a chuckle.
The fact was that the boys were identical, and even for her and Thomas, it was difficult to tell. Many parents will tell you that they can instantly tell their twins apart, but Kara was convinced that it was only when they were a little older and had more distinct affectations or personalities. For now, the only difference that she and Thomas could discern between the two boys was that Khaleel seemed to have a tiny heart shaped birthmark on his left side, just beneath his ribcage, while Tiogar appeared to have none. Other than that, it was down to a color coding system.
“How can you tell?” he asked.
“He has on the yellow beanie,” she said with a smile.
“Ah, makes sense,” he told her, looking back down at the sleeping child in his arms. Thomas winked at her and smiled as they enjoyed the time together with their new little family.
“Mrs. Higgins?” a nurse said as she entered the room, her expression changing as she saw Kara.
“Hello,” Kara replied with a broad smile.
“I didn’t realize this was you. It is so good to see you again,” the nurse said.
Thomas looked at them with a confused expression. No doubt he thought he knew everyone that Kara did, but there were a few friends that they didn’t have in common, though this one was more of a client than a friend.
“You, as well. How is Humphrey?” Kara asked.
“Oh, he’s great. Feisty as ever. Anyway, I need to check your vitals, and then I will get out of your way.”
“Okay,” Kara replied, offering up her arm for the blood pressure cuff and letting her place a thermometer in her mouth.
When she was done, she wrote something down on the chart and smiled as she spoke, “Everything looks good. Do you need anything while I’m here?”
“No. I think we are all good,” she told her politely.
“Very well,” the nurse said before heading back toward the door. About halfway across, she stopped and looked back at Kara. “By the way, I don’t know how you knew about Humphrey’s diet, but he has seemed so much livelier since I changed his food to organic and added some fresh treats. Thanks from both of us for the tip.”
Thomas stared at her in disbelief and then back at Kara who was smiling, on the verge of laughter it seemed.
“You are more than welcome. Feel free to drop him off for another play date any time you need to duck into the store for a bit. I should have the office opened back up in a couple of months.
“I’ll do just that,” the woman replied before leaving.
“You’re unbelievable,” Thomas muttered.
“Did you talk to that hedgehog?” her grandfather said suddenly.
“Maybe,” she laughed.
“It’s truly a special gift. I wish I had known about it sooner. Just last week I used it to talk to a cocker spaniel about the little presents he kept leaving in my yard. I can’t get his owner to pick up after him, but he and I have an understanding that he’ll go next door and poop at the Taylor’s. I never liked them much anyway.”
“Gramps!” Kara laughed.
“Dear Lord, what have I gotten myself into?” Thomas groaned.