Trembling With the Strings

“Mom, I didn’t tell you something,” Kai muttered quietly, sitting naturally on the bed. Darius was sprawled beside him, still out cold.

“Baby,” I whispered, kneeling down before him. “Mommy can’t take many more surprises.”

“Oh.” He was quiet for a moment. “What if it’s really important? What if it has to do with the baby?”

I let out a quiet breath. “I’ve kept enough from your father. Wait until he wakes up, hun, okay?”

He nodded, glancing around the room awkwardly. “He’s going to wake up in about five minutes, and he’s going to be delirious from his strange dream.” Kai jumped to his feet, but he didn’t go to the door right away. I gasped slightly when his little arms wrapped around me and he kissed my cheek. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too, baby,” I murmured, holding him tightly. “Tell your brothers when Dray, well, you should know.”

He nodded, hurrying out of the bedroom and shutting the door quietly behind him. I smiled, regretting ever having imagined myself being afraid of my son. I didn’t know what had gotten into him, but maybe all he needed was a little more hugs and a little less time alone. I was a little afraid as to what he knew, but more important was the man slowly regaining consciousness.

He jolted awake suddenly, and a broad grin was on his face before he opened his eyes and told me, “Avez-vous toujours porter fromage dans vos pantalons?”

I jumped in my skin, daring to look at him with quite the strange expression plastered to my face. He shook his head wildly, looking at me with such admiration. “Hey, baby. What?”

“I—It’s nothing,” I muttered, waiting for him to remember the conversation that had caused him to faint for surely the first time in his life. “You hit your head pretty hard. Are you okay?”

He touched the back of his head and nodded gently as it slowly dawned on him. He fell backwards, as if wishing he had not awoken. “Oh, right.”

“We really need to talk about this,” I warned him, lying beside him and wrapping his arms around me.

“I know,” he mumbled, kissing my cheek chastely. We were silent for a moment, and then he smiled nervously. “So, a girl?”

I nodded, messing with his hair absentmindedly as he appeared to be in deep contemplation. “What are you thinking? I know you said that we couldn’t handle another baby…”

He frowned apologetically. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have even said that. It was a stupid thing to say, but… I just—I don’t know. Half of me wants to cry, but the other half is screaming at me to feel the baby. It’s mine, Gracie, like Kai is mine and like you are mine. I want to be happy, but I want to be angry.” He smiled apologetically. “It’s quite the bomb you’ve dropped on me, love.”

“Don’t get so excited just yet; Kai told me that he knows something about the baby.”

“Please don’t tell me it’s going to die like the last girl,” he begged, his hand slowly sliding down to my belly.

“I don’t know. I told him to tell us both. I don’t want to keep anything from you anymore; you go crazy.”

He growled teasingly, catching my hand with his and holding it to his heart for a moment, diving into deep thought again. “I don’t know how many more kids I can handle, but this time is going to be different, Gracie.”

“Oh? How so?”

“This time I’m hopelessly in love with you, not possessed.” He made a quirky face, and I laughed quietly. “So let me get this straight: you and Marcy went to find out if she was pregnant, so instead you find out we’re pregnant?”

“Well, I should hope you aren’t the pregnant lady, but yes.” He made a face. “You’re not the one who’s getting fat all over again, so I don’t want to hear it!”

“So are you okay with this?” I asked after a pause.

He nodded, sighing softly and kissing my hair. “I’m okay. Hopefully when she’s born you won’t hate me like it was with Kai.”

As if right on cue, the door opened quietly, and our son walked in carefully. “Are you ready?” he asked, his little body trembling with anticipation. I glanced to Darius, and he nodded. “She’s going to be fine, but there is one thing, well, two.”

“What?” Dray asked, chaffing my shoulder gently.

“That’s what.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there’s two.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Well, that’s your problem, Dad.”

“Two?”

“Two. Just two.”

I think my jaw dropped to the floor just then, and I stared at him through wide eyes. “Two?” I asked, jolting upright. “Two!”

“Two!” he exclaimed happily, jumping onto my lap and throwing his arms around my neck. “Two, Mom, Two!”

“Two?” Dray muttered to himself, holding up two fingers and shaking them in the air. “Just two?”

“Not just two!” I screamed at him. “Two! That’s not just two; it’s Oh, my God two!”

“Oh, my God, two!” Darius shouted, jumping to his feet. “Can you walk? I—I’ll help you. Get up! Are you okay? Oh, my God, you’re paralyzed! Gracie, look what I’ve done! You can’t walk! I’ve crippled you! Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh—”

“Darius, please! Am I dying?”

“For all I know, you could be! Now shut up and sit still for at least twenty months!”

“You’re being absolutely ridiculous!”

“Am I, Gracie? Am I?”

“Yes!”

“Oh.” He smiled innocently. “I apologize then. We’re having twins, Gracie. Twins!”

Kai screeched happily when Darius picked him up and tossed him into the air, catching him carefully. “Hear that, Kai? Of course you did!” Dray kissed his forehead gently and put him down. “Go tell your brothers, okay? I’m counting on you.”

He saluted his father and rushed out of the room. I smiled at Dray, reaching up with my hands. He strode up to me and helped me stand, wrapping his arms around me and embracing me tightly.

“I love you so much,” I mumbled into his chest, kissing him feverishly. “You have no clue.”