The next day, Nathan pulled the car into an empty space in the hospital car park and smiled towards his wife. It was the afternoon of their first scan. He’d already picked Jacob up from school and dropped him at the deli, armed with the latest Lego magazine. Nell was looking after him until closing time.
‘You’ve got that look about you now,’ Nathan said, smiling warmly at his wife, before switching off the car engine.
‘What look?’
‘That sexy glow to your cheeks kind of look.’
‘I really don’t feel like I’m glowing, more like I’m burning. This one in here has it’s very own central heating system,’ she said, patting her tummy.
He leant over and kissed Bea on the cheek before climbing out of the car and walking round to her side.
‘I can barely climb out of the car,’ she puffed, ‘It’s embarrassing. I feel like I’ve already put on loads of weight.’
‘Craving for scones with butter doesn’t help,’ he teased, ‘If you carry on eating four of those a day you will be waddling sooner than normal.’
She playfully hit his arm before holding his hand and strolling towards the main entrance of the hospital.
Once inside, they followed the blue arrows on the signs up the squeaky-clean corridors towards the ante-natal clinic.
‘It only seems like two minutes since we were here last,’ Nell said, handing the appointment letter over to the receptionist, who told them to take a seat in the waiting room. They sat down on the uncomfortable plastic chairs and Bea thumbed through an ancient magazine.
‘Why is it these places always make me feel nervous?’ Bea said. Glancing up towards the TV screen that was airing repeats of the Jeremy Kyle Show, ‘And that’s something I won’t be doing whilst on maternity leave,’ she rolled her eyes.
‘What’s that?’ Nathan asked.
‘Watching brain-numbing TV. That’s enough to drive anyone back to work.’
‘What are your plans for maternity leave?’
‘I’ve not really thought about it yet. I’ll see how I feel, but maybe it’s best if I start to look for more help, especially now Nell will be busy with the cinema.’
Nathan agreed, ‘I think that a good idea.’
‘Blimey! She’s got her hands full,’ Bea exclaimed, flickering her eyes towards a heavily pregnant woman who sat down on the other side of the artificial plant. She was pushing a double buggy and grasping the hand of a toddler.
‘Beatrice Green,’ they heard a voice shout.
‘Urghh, I hate that name,’ Bea muttered under her breath.
Nathan smiled at his wife in amusement. ‘There’s nothing wrong with your name. It’s beautiful and suits you.’
They followed the nurse to a room at the end of the corridor.
‘Hi, my name is Natalie. I’m your sonographer,’ she gave Bea a reassuring smile. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘Yes good, the sickness has become a little more bearable.’
‘That’s good to hear. If you slip your shoes off and make yourself comfy on the couch … and Mr Green?’
Nathan looked at Natalie. ‘Take a seat next to your wife,’ she gestured to the seat beside Bea.
Natalie lowered the table and Bea climbed on.
Nathan leant across and held her hand.
‘Okay, I can see from your notes that you’ve done this before, but I’ll just recap what is going to happen.’ Natalie switched on the monitor and typed some details into the computer before turning back towards Bea and Nathan. She smiled. ‘At this twelve-week scan this is the first in-depth look at your baby. We look and listen for the heartbeat, measure the size of the embryo to check the due date of the pregnancy. It allows us to assess the early developments of your baby. Do you have any questions before we start?’
Bea shook her head and looked at Nathan, ‘No I think we are good,’ he answered.
‘Great, let’s make a start, then. I’m going to put some gel on your tummy. It may feel a little cold,’ Natalie informed Bea, squeezing the gel on to her tummy and tucking tissue paper around her to protect her clothing. ‘You may feel a little pressure, but it shouldn’t be painful.’ She began to slide the hand-held transducer over Bea’s skin.
At first the monitor was facing Natalie. Intently she watched the screen then turned to face Bea and Nathan.
‘Is everything okay?’ Bea asked, a little worried.
Natalie swung the monitor towards them both and beamed. Nathan and Bea stared at the black and white image on the screen.
‘They are both doing absolutely fine,’ Natalie answered.
Bea’s mind boggled, ‘What do you mean, they are both doing fine?’
‘Healthy heartbeat number one, healthy heartbeat number two,’ she pointed at the monitor, ‘Congratulations Mr and Mrs Green, you are expecting twins.’
Startled, Bea swung round towards Nathan, her jaw had dropped to the floor and she was so overwhelmed her eyes filled with tears.
‘Twins?’ Nathan questioned, ‘Are you absolutely sure?’
‘I’m absolutely sure,’ Natalie confirmed. ‘Any twins in the family?’
‘My mum’s a twin,’ piped up Nathan.
‘Well, there you go,’ smiled Natalie, taking the measurements of each baby and recording them on the screen.
‘Twins,’ Bea squealed, not quite believing what was happening.
They watched the two hearts pulsating as the nurse talked them through the position of the babies.
As soon as the scan was over and the excess gel wiped off Bea’s tummy she stood up and hugged her husband.
‘You know what this means don’t you?’
‘Double crying, no sleep whatsoever, double washing, and double projectile vomiting!’ he grinned.
‘Double love! I can’t wait to tell Jacob and Nell.’
The next scan appointment was booked and once outside the hospital building, Bea couldn’t wait a moment longer, she was bursting to share her news as she punched in Nell’s number.
‘Hi Bea, my godson is only on his second cupcake, nothing to worry about at this end.’ Bea could hear Jacob giggle, ‘Aunty Nellie, that was our secret!’
‘Anyway, how did the scan go?’
Bea paused for a second.’
‘Bea are you okay?’
‘Are you sat down?’ Bea teased in quite a serious tone.
‘You’re worrying me now, yes I’m sat down.’
‘There isn’t going to be one baby Green, there’s going to be two! I’m expecting twins!’
Nell shrieked down the phone so loudly that Bea held the phone away from her ear and Nathan laughed.
‘Eek! Double the cuddles, I am so exciting for you.’
‘I’m glad about that because, Aunty Nellie, you are going to have your work cut out on double babysitting duties!’
‘The pleasure will be all mine!’