Page 133 of Mountain Men Heroes
Now that the moment arrived to spill the beans, Ivy didn't quite know where to start. Dive in? Work up to it? Band-Aid effect tended to hurt while...
“What is taking them so long?” Zahara cut into her thoughts as she worried her lower lip.
As the younger sister, she recognized that worried look and knew her sibling well enough to know her inner mother bear was coming out in spades. At six months along in her pregnancy, Ivy had enough hands-on experience to also have a solid idea of what the doctor was about to tell her sister.
This ought to be interesting. She wished it were her mates here instead of her, though.
As soon as they had arrived the employee ushered her and Zahara into the office and had Zahara on the table for her ultrasound, leaving Ivy scrambling for a second alone with her.
“The doctor will be with you ladies is just a few minutes.”
The nurse slipped out the side door. Perfect.
“Stop working yourself into a frenzy. Everything is fine. Come sit down and we’ll call your husbands in just a few minutes. It won’t take much longer.” Small as the gesture was, Ivy cradled her sister’s hand in hers like she used to do for her when she got in trouble with the dean at the orphanage for playing in the nurse’s sickbay ‘helping’ the other kids or when she skinned a knee.
Fear gripped her heart for a split second as she prepared to let the truth slip. Nothing made her sick to the stomach more than letting her sister down, but at the same time relief flooded through her body. Zahara needed a distraction and she had one so she pulled her card.
“Zahara, I dropped out of med school.”
Silence thickened as her sister sat opposite her. “I knew there was something. I just had to give you time to work it through. You were always like that, you know. In the orphanage then later on when we were able to escape that dreadful place.”
Her heart didn’t know what to do. Burst with love for the only family she had or fall to the floor from shock. “You mean you’re not mad?”
Slowly she shook her head and wore a warm smile on her lips. “How could I be? I found my happiness. How could I begrudge you as you search for yours? You’ve worked so hard though. Graduated high school early. Got into med school way ahead of your time. You’ve been at this for so long. Are you sure you just don’t need a break?” Zahara reached out and tugged a lock of her hair gently like she used to do when she tried to cheer her up as kids. “You’re my kid sis. All I want is for you to be happy.”
Then why did she feel like she still had a ball of lead in her stomach?
“Thanks.” She smiled but she didn’t feel the happiness that should go with it.
“But I do have to ask. Why the sudden change of heart after so long? You're so close. Why give up now?” Zahara took her hands in hers, and she opened her mouth to answer but the words wouldn’t come out.
“It’s okay. When you’re ready. All that I care about is your happiness. That means more to me than any amount of money and any degree. I’m glad you’re the strong and decisive one. I’ve always envied you that ability, ya know. It takes me ages to make a decision and then I spend days worrying once I have. Not you, though.”
“Me strong? Decisive? HA! You sure you have the right sister?” She puffed her cheeks out and let out a laugh. “I thought I knew what I wanted and here I am at twenty-five without a clue.”
“Maybe a Christmas wish is in order?”
“Oh my God, we haven’t done that in, what? Forever? I think I was ten the last time.”
Their childhood game on the holidays came back and brought with it bittersweet memories. Her sister had invented the little rhyme when she wouldn’t stop crying over a broken doll one year. She’d told her to make a Christmas wish on the next star she saw in the winter sky and that her wish would come true. Sure enough that Christmas a new doll was under the little tree they had in their home the year before everything changed.
Maybe. Just maybe.
“Zahara. Good to see you.”
With a heavy sigh of frustration, Ivy eyed the doctor as he sauntered through the same door the nurse left minutes before. They both turned to the door as the middle-aged doctor walked back in with her sister’s files and printouts of her ultrasound.
“Depending on how you look at it, I have some very good news to share.”
Ivy crossed her legs and let her frustration out by swinging her leg. “Out with it, Doc. Can’t you tell she’s on pins and needles.”
“Yes! The suspense is killing me.” Zahara sat up and reached across the desk to take the ultrasound pictures the doctor handed her.
“As you can see, Ms. Kennedy, you’re going to have twins.”
Zahara rounded in her chair and the wide-eyed stare she had was beyond anything she’d ever seen on her sister. Joy, nervousness, and more joy poured out of her like a fountain with no shut-off valve. Her sister reached out and squeed, something else she’d never seen from her sister. Alaska really did change her.
Zahara looked back at the images and stroked the tiny bubbles that were her little babies. “I’m so happy for you,” she offered, squeezing her hand between both of hers. And she was happy. Happy to know that when she left here Zahara would have a wonderful big family like she’d always dreamed of.