Chapter 11
Janie
My head felt like a smashed watermelon. Pain radiated through my temples, accumulating behind my eyelids, making it impossible for me to open them.
What had happened?
I tried to remember but everything was blurry like someone had tried to erase all my memories.
A sense of darkness gathered all around, trying to close in like merciless walls. Desperately, I tried to escape its hold, but it was too strong, and I leaned back, exhausted.
A deep voice filtered through the silence, the muted words indecipherable. I couldn’t understand what was being said but somehow, they filled me with a sense of serenity. My palm tingled as someone gripped it tight, as if I meant everything to him.
Who was that?
Mandy? No. Her hand wasn’t that big. My mom? But mom was three thousand miles away on the opposite coast. So someone else. But who?
Try as I may, I couldn’t fathom who it could be. At least not now that my brain had been scrambled.
For a long time, I floated inside the darkness, trying to find a way out of the maze, but nothing I did made much of a difference. The fog was endless, like I was caught inside a puffy cotton ball, except that cotton ball was my brain.
I was trapped. But the real question was, for how long?
What if I stayed here forever?
The thought made me nervous. Panic threatened to take over, chest constricting, making it feel like I was breathing through a straw that kept getting smaller and smaller with every desperate inhale.
I was scared. No, scratch that. Absolutely terrified was a better description.
What was happening to me?
Suddenly, that same person gripped my hand again, holding it tight, thumb running lightly back and forth across my skin.
Him. A pillar of strength. Strong yet gentle at once. The contradictions were perfectly put together, and absolutely irresistible.
And suddenly, I knew without a doubt who it had to be. There was only one man in the world who I could sense without seeing or hearing directly. His pull on me was so strong that even in the daze of unconsciousness, my soul leaned towards him.
Dr. Travis.
Finally, the weight behind my eyes lifted. At first, I opened them too fast and white lights seared my eyeballs. So I squeezed them shut once again, forcing back the pain. Then, gradually they fluttered open once more, this time adjusting to the light as my pupils contracted.
To my surprise, I was in the hospital, laying on a stiff hospital bed.
Sure enough, by my side was Dr. Travis with his head bent low and his hand locked with mine.
My brows furrowed together in confusion. What was going on? How had I gotten here?
I gulped but my throat was dry, and my lips felt like they had turned to sandpaper.
How long had I been here? I moved ever so slightly, feeling a dull ache in the small of my back.
Instantly, Travis’s head shot up, stormy blue eyes locking with mine. He stared at me for a long time, emotion roiling behind the pure azure.
My heart stopped, and then re-started with a jolt. I couldn’t breathe as he kept looking at me, eyes narrowed with suspicion. Wait, had I done something wrong?
Desperately, I searched my mind for answers, but nothing came to mind. The last thing I could remember was going out to dinner with Mandy. One second, we were having a good time and the next, I saw Travis across the restaurant, sitting with a breathtakingly gorgeous woman. Now this was the result. Me in the hospital with a fuzzy head, no doubt looking like a scraggly bear.
But Travis wasn’t having any of it. His eyes roamed my face, filled with emotion, as that Adam’s apple bobbed with a hard swallow.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He finally broke the silence, the question hanging heavily in the air.
I froze. He didn’t know. Or did he? Oh shit. The hospital must have done multiple tests on me, and Travis was a doctor after all. He’d be able to access my medical records even though he wasn’t my next of kin.
Oh no. He knew about my pregnancy.
But instead of feeling relieved that the truth was out, instead I was filled with terror. I studied his face, trying to figure out his opinion on the matter while keeping a cool demeanor. On the outside, I probably seemed collected. But on the inside, I was a mess. Was he okay with it? Did he hate me for it? What was going to happen now?
I took a deep breath. “First things first, Travis. What happened back at the restaurant? How did I get here?”
He straightened, letting go of my hand, expression shuttered. “You fainted,” he stated in a flat tone.
“Fainted?” I repeated disbelievingly. I’ve never fainted in my life. That’s for girls who are reed-thin and don’t eat. By contrast, I’ve never missed a meal.
But Travis’s expression remained closed off.
“Yes. You fainted at the restaurant.”
“I see,” was my low murmur, remembering the feeling of heartbreak the second I saw Travis sitting with his beautiful date. That’s what must have done it. It was the only possible trigger.
“Do you know why you fainted?” he asked.
“Um, no,” I fibbed, looking away from him. It was too embarrassing to admit that I had fainted in an act of heartbreak and jealousy, especially since it was clear that he’d moved on. “I don’t know.”
Devastation entered his expression then, his eyes swinging away to stare at the wall.
“You could have seriously hurt the babies,” he whispered.
At the word ‘babies,’ my heart skipped a beat. Our eyes locked.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked again, this time in a softer tone.
“I….” Again, the words just wouldn’t come. I had played out this scene a million times in my head, but never imagined it would turn out like this, lying in a hospital bed with Travis’s new girlfriend just outside. What was I supposed to say in this uncomfortable situation?
But Travis didn’t seem uncomfortable at all.
“Please Janie, just tell me. I’m not mad.” He cradled my hand against his chest, squeezing it gently.
I took a moment, trying to clear my head, gathering up all the right words at the tip of my tongue. “I tried to tell you, but you were never home. I left a note under your door, but you never responded. So I figured that you wanted nothing to do with me and the baby.”
He shook his head. “How could you think that?” came a low growl.
“Well, you just disappeared for two months. I thought you had ghosted me.”
He took my cheeks in his hands, holding my face with a gentle touch. “I would never do that to a girl like you,” he stated, blue eyes filled with deep emotion. “You deserve the world and that’s exactly what I’m going to give you.” One of his hands lowered onto my stomach. “For you and the babies.”
I paused. Was this really happening? It sounded more like a fairy tale than my life. But then something made me quirk my head at him, eyes seizing his face.
“Did you say … babies?” I asked slowly. “As in more than one baby?”
He nodded, blue eyes bright with unshed tears.
“That’s right Janie. You’re pregnant with five babies. That’s quintuplets. Didn’t you know that?”
The blood left my face and the monitor at my side actually chirped for a moment. What in the world? How was this happening? I knew I had to be fertile. After all, look at my shape. But five children? How was this possible?
Sensing my distress, Travis gripped my fist in his, holding it tight.
“That’s right Janie. We’re going to be parents to five children. It’s more than I ever expected. Hell, it’s more than any man expects. But we can make this happen despite all the mixed signals so far. We have to,” he said with a determined light in those azure eyes.
I literally couldn’t speak. My throat was closed off and my air passages tight. But finally, I managed to choke out a few words.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “How do you know there are quints inside? I don’t look huge,” I said, staring down at my belly. But there was no real way to tell based on looks because I have a poochy stomach to begin with, and the small mound could have held one child or ten. Besides, they were tiny still. Five children!?!?! My mind ran in circles.
Travis seized my hand again.
“We know because we did an ultrasound while you were still passed out,” he said gently. “There are definitely quints in there, ensconced safely in your womb. It was amazing. Five heartbeats going strong. These kids are fighters.”
I nodded again dumbly.
“Hold on, just let me catch my breath,” I said, trying to sit up straight. Travis helped me so that I was more upright, leaning against three pillows jammed against my back.
But there were still unanswered questions. Even with the shocking delivery that I was pregnant with five children, in some way the number didn’t matter if things weren’t cleared up between me and their dad. So breathing deep, I tried to collect my wits and act in a deliberate manner.
“Travis, I’m ecstatic about the kids. But we still have to figure things out between you and me,” I said slowly. “Because I haven’t seen you for two months, and then for this to happen.” My voice trailed away, but Travis didn’t look worried at all.
“Ask away,” he said bluntly, seizing my gaze with his. “I’m happy to answer any questions.”
I took a deep breath.
“I know we haven’t seen each other for a while, but did you know I left you a note?” I asked cautiously. “I slipped it under your door. You couldn’t have missed it. Why didn’t you come find me afterwards?”
The doctor shook his head, strong jaw clenched.
“I never got it, Janie. I swear.”
I eyed him carefully.
“Last Tuesday,” I pressed. “Are you sure you missed it?”
Suddenly, Travis slapped a palm against his forehead, eyes shutting with realization.
“Sweetheart, I know what happened. I got back really late last night, and cut through the grass at 5 a.m. after my shift was over. There was a ton of dew, and my shoes got wet. So your note must have been that transparent scrap of paper stuck to the bottom of my sole. I’m sorry, honey. I thought it was toilet paper or something. There wasn’t even any ink on it.”
I stared at him hard.
“Really?”
He nodded, handsome mien serious.
“I’m serious, hope to die, Janie. If I’d known that was your note, I would have been banging on your door in the early hours of the morning, sleep be damned.”
I paused for a moment, my heart trembling on the precipice.
“So you never got my note about the pregnancy?” I confirmed.
“Never sweetheart. I swear to god. Nothing could have kept me away if I’d known you were pregnant.”
I took a deep breath, lungs expanding with much-needed oxygen. Because as ridiculous as the excuse sounded, it also sounded possible. My note had been on a tiny slip of paper that wasn’t much bigger than a receipt. So maybe, just maybe, it’d gotten swept up in the day’s usual detritus and dumped in the trash.
“Okay, so where does that leave us?” I asked hesitantly, trying to remember to breathe. Travis shot me a sweeping look.
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I’d like to keep the babies. I want to raise them with you and figure out where this goes,” he paused. “But only if you want me to be a part of their lives.”
Unable to speak, all I could do was nod my head even as happiness burst in my soul. Travis wanted the children … and me? How could that be happening? And the joy must have shone in my eyes because in an instant, he pulled me into his embrace, holding tight. “I was so worried about you, sweetheart.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“Don’t apologize. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
But a much more important question was still floating in the air.
“What about the babies?” I was scared to ask. “Are they okay? What do we know about them? Hopefully nothing bad happened because of the fainting episode,” I said tearfully.
Travis shot me a smile.
“So far, everything is as it should be. We don’t know the genders because it’s too early honey, and you can’t tell that from an ultrasound. But once we do a blood test, we’ll be able to figure out we’re having boys, girls, or both. Plus, I’ve put in a request on your behalf to one of my friends. He’s the best OB/GYN you’ll ever meet. Trust me. Dr. Masters’s schedule is a little packed right now, but he promised to squeeze you in.”
I bit my lip.
“I don’t want to be a burden. I know you didn’t expect this.”
Travis shook his head. “It’s no problem. Randy owes me one, anyways. I’m the only reason he passed organic chemistry in college,” was his droll remark.
“Well, if you’re okay with it,” I responded hesitantly.
“Don’t worry,” my lover reassured me. “I’ll be by your side throughout this whole pregnancy, I promise. Five children sweetheart! It’s a blessing.”
And for the first time in ages, happiness flowed over my soul in a balm that made it easier to breathe. My heart pumped energetically, filled with new life when suddenly, another detail struck my mind. Oh shit. There were still unanswered questions, and it was better to get it all out on the table now. Because who was the woman at the restaurant? The ravishing one that could only have been his date?
Oh god, I’d misread the situation. Travis wanted the children, but he hadn’t made any concrete promises about us. He just wanted happy offspring while he carried on with his own romantic extracurriculars.
Pain tore through me then, making me bend over double like I had a cramp I my stomach.
“You okay?” he rushed forwards, concern written all over his face. “What happened? Is it the kids?”
I shook my head miserably, but there was no sense in putting it off anymore. I had to ask.
“Who was the woman you were with tonight?” I asked, fighting to get the words out beyond my strained vocal cords.
His brows drew close, genuinely puzzled.
“What woman?”
“The one you were having dinner with. She was your date, wasn’t she?”
Sudden understanding flashed in his eyes as he laughed. “Oh, that’s a good one.”
I frowned, failing to see how this was funny. “Travis, seriously. Who was she? I mean, I can understand why you’d want to be with her. She’s stylish and charming, and much more beautiful than I’d ever be–”
Abruptly, Travis cut me off with a kiss. At first, my body was stiff, unsure of what was going on, but it soon melted against his warm lips, the handsome doctor irresistible.
His hands fell to my hips, pulling me a little closer as the kiss continued, and I grew light-headed and giddy, electricity coursing underneath my skin. An involuntary shiver wracked my frame as I melted into his embrace, dizzy with hopeless possibility.
Because in that moment, I knew without a doubt that we both had feelings for each other – feelings that were true and eternal no matter who that woman was.
Slowly, he pulled away, running his fingers through my hair before kissing the top of my head. “You’re beautiful, Janie. The most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on. No one else could compare to you.”
But still, there were unanswered questions in the air. And why was he avoiding the question?”
“Tell me Travis,” I said firmly this time. “Who was that girl?” was my insistent question. Even though his actions calmed me a bit, there was still some trepidation. This time, the doctor smiled a bit wolfishly.
“Sweetheart, you’re barking up the wrong tree. That was my dear sister, Tracie. You have no reason to be jealous at all, although it’s kinda cute. In fact, Tracie’s waiting outside right now, and I’m happy to introduce you if you want.”
“Oh.” Suddenly, my face flushed red, feeling like a complete idiot. Of course, I had jumped to conclusions. There was some resemblance come to think of it, what with the siblings sharing the same devastating black hair and flashing blue eyes. But instead, I’d just assumed that she was the competition.
Reading my thoughts, Travis smirked a bit then. “So sweetheart, does that make you feel better? There’s no one else, I promise. These past two months have been sheer torture for me,” he said, growing serious. “I’ve been working nonstop with barely any sleep, and I kept wanting to see you. But every time I had a day off, I’d pass out on the couch or come home in the middle of the night when it was way too late. I’m sorry,” he rasped, kissing the back of my hand. “I hope you can forgive me and that we can make this work because I truly do want it to work.”
A trembling smile wavered on my lips. “I want it to work too.”
“Good,” he growled before leaning forwards. And in a flash, our lips collided in another soul-searching kiss. Oh god, this felt so right. I wrapped my arms around his neck, fingers tangling in that ink-black hair. Even the scent of the man made me heady, my insides going loose and warm from inhaling that sexy male musk. God, I had missed him. And now we were expecting a family together!
But suddenly, a squeal interrupted us, sounding like nails on chalkboard.
“Damn, sleeping beauty, you don’t wait, do you?” Mandy’s voice echoed, making my head pound. I sprung away from Travis, face the color of a tomato. But the doctor didn’t look embarrassed at all. In fact, he turned and fixed my friend with a semi-hostile stare, annoyed that our moment was interrupted.
“Hey, no need to look so mad,” Mandy protested, lifting her hands in the air. “I just wanted to make sure Janie was okay.”
Travis glared at her again before his expression relented somewhat. After all, the blonde was here at the hospital to see me, so her intentions had to be true.
“Hi,” he said grudgingly. “Nice to see you again.”
She laughed. “Hello to you too,” she purred before turning towards me. “Babe, it’s good to see you’re awake.” With a dramatic wave of her arms, she pulled me into a hug. “Plus, I got you a little something.” From inside her purse, she fished out a box of chocolates. “I figured since you have a little one on the way, you might have some cravings that this place isn’t going to be able to satisfy.”
“You told her about my pregnancy?” I asked Travis, eyes wide. “But … but …”
The man reassured me.
“Sweetheart, it wasn’t me. Mandy went to your apartment to grab some stuff for you and found the pregnancy test on the bathroom counter,” he explained. “She’s the one that tipped me off, as a matter of fact.”
Oh wait a minute. So it hadn’t been my medical records. I’d just assumed that since he was a doctor, he’d read them over using his hospital privileges. How had things gotten so twisted? Why did I always jump to conclusions? First with his sister, and now with this.
Reading my mind, Travis answered.
“I’d never do that sweetheart. Your medical records are confidential and belong to you, and you only. I wouldn’t review them unless you asked me to specifically.”
“Oh,” I flushed. Of course. This man was ethical and principled, someone who truly honored his patient’s wishes.
Mandy interrupted then.
“It was me who found the pregnancy test, babe,” she confirmed. “But why didn’t you tell me?” she asked curiously, cocking that blonde head. “I would have supported you.”
I hung my head, a bit ashamed.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do at first because the pregnancy was a shock and I was totally overwhelmed.”
My buddy shook her head, huffing a bit. “You have to learn to rely on other people, Janie. I always tell you this. You can’t do it all by yourself. Sometimes you just need a helping hand, and there’s no harm in asking.”
I opened my mouth to retort, but Travis interrupted, his deep voice gruff.
“Well, Janie won’t need to do it on her own. We’re going to raise the babies together, as loving parents,” he announced with a sense of pride in his voice. “And I’m going to give them everything they could ever want. Isn’t that right, sweetheart? My children going to be spoiled.”
This time, Mandy heard the plural form of baby as well.
“Wait,” she said slowly. “Did you say babies, and not baby?”
And I couldn’t wait anymore. Happiness rushed over my form.
“He did,” I exclaimed joyously. “Because guess what? Dr. Travis and I are expecting quintuplets together! Isn’t that amazing? I’m pregnant with five children!”
For the first time ever, I saw Mandy struck speechless. My best friend’s mouth open and shut a couple times with no sounds coming out as her eyes went wide. Finally she managed to choke out a few words.
“Congratulations!” she said on a wheezy gasp. “Oh my god!”
“Oh my god is right,” said Travis, seizing my hand possessively. “And the babies are going to know both their mother and their father. We’re going to make this work.”
But my friend hadn’t recovered yet.
“Quints!” Mandy exclaimed. “Holy shit. Holy shit.”
I shot her a droll smile.
“Aren’t you ready to be Aunt Mandy? And to do some free babysitting for us?”
“Holy shit,” was all my friend could say again, still shocked and amazed. “That’s a load of diapers.”
“Not just diapers,” interjected Travis, “but also baby food, onesies, cribs, formula, you name it. We’re going to have to get on this because my kids aren’t going to want for anything.”
My buddy shook her head.
“Okay, but don’t pamper them too much,” she managed on a choked giggle. “Five kids,” she said again breathlessly. Turning back to me, my friend took a deep breath before speaking again. “Well go on, open the chocolates. Aren’t you hungry? Just thinking of all those mouths to feed makes me hungry.”
I smiled with exasperation.
“Did you buy this for me or for yourself?” was my rueful question, raising an eyebrow in her direction before carefully tearing away the shiny plastic wrapping.
Mandy smiled drolly.
“Both,” she admitted. “Is that so bad?”
“Nope, I wouldn’t expect anything less from you,” was my laughing retort. And with that, I slowly pulled off the plastic wrap, going at a snail’s pace just to tease Mandy.
“Janie,” she whined. “I’m going to go into chocolate withdrawal if you don’t speed things up.”
“Now you’re making me hungry, too,” Travis growled, eyeing the pink box with a smile. So with a flourish, I ripped off all the wrapping paper, offering the box around before I took one myself.
“Mmm.” Mandy smiled, popping a truffle into her mouth.
“Which one would you like, sweetheart?” Travis asked. “Pregnant lady’s choice.”
I blushed, hearing him talk of my condition.
“I don’t really have a preference,” was my demurral, shyly shooting him a glance from under my lashes. Because the babies growing inside me were his, and talking about it together was so right. We’d make it through this challenging time, I could feel it in my heart.
And Travis’s smile widened, blue eyes flashing.
“Well, in that case.” With a sly smile on his face, he placed one between his lips, beckoning me to lean closer.
I glanced at Mandy, feeling a little awkward with her standing right there. Still, the offering was too good to refuse so I leaned forwards, kissing him and stealing half of the chocolate out of his mouth simultaneously. Somehow, it made the treat even sweeter, as if the imprint of his lips held a magic potion all of their own. I smiled again before relaxing into the bed.
“Anyways, I’ll let you two lovebirds have your moment,” Mandy sang as she headed towards the door. “If you need anything, just give me a call, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you.” I waved as she left.
Finally, we were alone again. Travis sat down on the edge of the bed, resting his hand on my thigh. “How are you feeling? Is there anything I can get for you? Has this been totally overwhelming?”
“I’m okay,” I answered, placing my hand on his. “Yes, it’s been overwhelming, but I’m going to be fine so long as you’re by my side.”
Something flashed in those blue eyes, unreadable and yet filled with the most cherished of emotions.
“Always.” He locked our fingers together. “Hopefully things will ease up soon, so I can spend more time with you. I don’t want to work myself to death and never get to see you or our children.”
“But I don’t want to interfere with your work,” was my hesitant murmur.
He shook his head. “No, it’s about time the hospital stopped overworking the doctors and hired some more staff. I’m going to tell them. To think that I almost missed out on your pregnancy because of a late night and too much dew on the lawn,” he said ruefully. “It’s crazy.”
I smiled gently at him, squeezing that big hand.
“Well, whatever the case, I’m glad we’re going to start a family together,” was my reassuring murmur.
He smiled, kissing my forehead. “And what a family too. I love you Janie.”
And with that, my era of bliss began. Because I’d been nothing but a random hook-up at first. The curvy girl who lived across the hall, showing up at his apartment bedraggled and wet, soaked to the bone. But something took hold within both of us. Physically, yes, his seed was virile and my fertile form embraced the gift five-fold. But emotionally, we connected as well, and that spark never went away. Despite the fact that we didn’t interact for two months, the initial magnetism was always there, bursting into a flame now that we were expecting quintuplets together.
So how did I get so lucky? After all, my hero was Travis Knight, MD. He was a man who was way out of my league, while I was nothing but the shy girl from down the hall, pining from afar. And yet somehow I’d blossomed and our paths had crossed again with amazing results. My only takeaway from all this is that dreams really do come true sometimes. And in our case, that happiness would be multiplied by five.