Love is Etched in the Ice

~Avery’s POV~
When we first found out I was pregnant, we were scared. I was told that I couldn’t get pregnant because of some genetic thing. If I did get pregnant, it was more likely to be a tubular pregnancy rather than carrying the baby in the womb. Knowing how scary that could have been, I immediately got birth control. Four months later, we found out I was pregnant. Three ultra sounds later, it wasn’t a tubular pregnancy. We were so happy to feel that kick; it gave us hope to know that everything was going to be okay.
After getting back to the dorm room, my phone buzzed.
“Hi, Daddy.”
“Hey, Sweetheart. How are you?” My father, Jonathan, sounded happy.
“I’m doing great. Did you watch Apolo last night? He got gold.” I hadn’t heard his voice in so long; he couldn’t afford to come to the Games, so he had to watch from Seattle.
“I did.”
I put the phone on speaker.
“So, Daddy, I got some news from the Doctor yesterday,” I sat on the bed, cross legged.
“And?”
Apolo sat next to me, rubbing my back.
“Twins.”
He didn’t say anything. All I heard was his breath.
After thirty seconds of silence, I said, “Daddy? You still there?”
“Yeah, congrats, Sweetie. I wish your mother was here. She always wanted grandkids.” His voice sounded heavy with sadness.
I never knew my mother, but I suddenly wished she hadn’t’ve died in childbirth. I often blamed myself for her death until Daddy told me she died before I was born; the doctors just barely saved me.
“Me, too. And Lucy.”
“And Lucy. Especially her. She would have been very proud of you.”
I smiled a small smile and glanced at the clock. Ten. Three hours before Shaun’s run.
“I should go. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.”
“Apolo?”
He leaned in, “Yes?”
“Congratulations, you’re one very lucky man.”
“Yeah, I am, and thank you. You’re one lucky father.”
“Well, I’ll see you guys when you get back. Hope to talk to you later. Love you both.”
“Love you, too. Bye.” Apolo hit the ‘end’ button, took the phone out of my hand and set it on the table.
“Oh, dear, God, I love you.” I put my head on his shoulder as he leaned back. I readjusted and draped my arm around his stomach.
He rubbed my hair. “I love you, too.” He exhaled, and kissed my head.

~Apolo’s POV~
This was it, I had to tell her. But how? I sighed inwardly. This was gonna be hard. Especially since I didn’t really even care. But Dad wanted me to tell her, see if she cared. If not, that was easy. Now, if she did care, on the other hand, was a completely different story. Now, how to phrase this?
“Avery?” I never called her by her full name; she had to know something was up.
“Yeah?” She sat up and looked at me.
“Uh, my dad told me something.”
She raised her eyebrow slightly, staying silent.
“Um,” I couldn’t keep her gaze; I looked at the bathroom door. “He told me that my mom wants to meet you. I guess she was watching last night and saw you, pregnant and stuff. She called him and she wants to meet you. You don’t have to, but,” she tried interrupting me, but I continued, “I mean, I didn’t want to meet her when she found out I was a gold medalist but I turn—”
She cut me off by kissing me. “Calm down. I don’t care for meeting her. If you want me to, I will. She wasn’t a part in your life; she doesn’t deserve a part in ours.”
By ‘ours’ I assumed she meant her’s, mine and the babies’.
“Agreed,” I sat up and hugged her.
She pulled away slightly. “And you know, calling me ‘Avery’ instead of ‘Ave’ gives away that you are concerned or something. You’re not very good at hiding that.”
I knew that much. I never had been good at hiding that kind of thing.
Her forehead touched my chin and her arms went around my chest and her hands cupping my shoulders. She breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly.
“You alright?” I brought my hands up and entangled them into her hair.
“Uh, yeah. Why wouldn’t I be? It’s not okay to breath deeply without not being okay?”
“Well, I hope your breathing,” I smiled. “Could you hand me my phone?”
She reached across the bed and got my blackberry from the pocket of my jacket. I went to Twitter and updated.
Her phone buzzed and she looked at the message.
“‘Sitting here with my babies. I live for moments like this’,” she read. She typed something in and put her phone down.
My phone buzzed two seconds later. “‘Me, too. I love you @ApoloOhno’. I love you, too, @AveryShields.”
She chuckled and looked at me from under her eyelashes.
“Yes?”
“I don’t really know. But you’re very warm.” She snuggled against my chest and closed her eyes.
“Maybe you’re just cold,” I grabbed a blanket from the top of the bed and draped it across her shoulders, to where it covered me halfway, too.
She sat there for a few minutes and fell asleep, snuggled up and warm.
I clicked a quick picture and sent it to Dad, also posting it on Twitter. Everyone needed to know how beautiful she was when she slept.
Only God knows how much I love her. I’m glad He does, I didn’t even know until later.