Prologue

Harper

“I’m so excited,” I gush throughout Drew as he casually knots his tie within the bed room mirror.

I spritz myself throughout with physique mist. It’s superb how a lot you may sweat and really feel sticky throughout being pregnant. It’s one other symptom I didn’t anticipate, however I received’t complain. It appears like we’ve been ready endlessly for this second. We obtained engaged three years in the past and married eighteen months in the past. We tried and tried for a child, solely to fail miserably twice with early miscarriages. Now, right here we’re as we speak, twenty-one weeks pregnant and on the brink of rejoice a gender reveal with our closest household and associates. I by no means thought I’d see today.

“I instructed you, sweetheart, that our time would come.” Drew wraps his arms round my waist from behind me to relaxation on my tummy. “Good issues come to those that wait. We simply needed to wait our flip and be affected person.”

our reflection within the mirror, my rising tummy on show, it makes me so pleased with how far we’ve come.

“What do you assume? Boy or lady?”

Yesterday morning, we attended a non-public gender scan in Edinburgh. We didn’t discover out what we’re having. The sonographer wrote the gender inside an envelope and Drew’s twin brother, Derren, and his spouse, Alice, organised all of the gender balloons, muffins, and video games. I do know our households are simply as excited as we’re. This little bean can be spoiled terribly. She or he will need for nothing.

“Truthfully, I don’t care. Boy or lady, she or he can be cherished unconditionally. “

“I can simply see a bit of Drew operating round right here.” I clap giddily.

Life has a humorous approach of throwing curveballs at us after we least anticipate it. Simply as we had given up making an attempt for a child, our life modified with two pink traces. Two pink traces I would dreamed of seeing since I used to be a baby and knew what having youngsters meant. Sure, this being pregnant has been crammed with anxiousness and worry, strolling on eggshells whereas ready to enter that second trimester when issues had been safer, however right here we’re. It’s lastly our flip.

“I can see a bit of Harper operating round. Sensible, clever, humorous, lovely with little pig tails…”

“And also you say I’m the daydreamer.”

Drew and I’ve been associates since we had been in nursery faculty. We met one another on our first day on the ripe previous age of three. At that age, I had by no means come throughout twins earlier than, so I used to be intrigued by him and his brother and thought it was cool. We went right through faculty collectively, and it was solely when Drew went into the police school and I went to varsity to review artwork and design that we centered on our personal lives for some time. Even then, we couldn’t steer clear of each other. At eighteen years previous, Drew declared his love for me, and it was one of the best feeling on this planet. I can bear in mind it prefer it was yesterday and never ten years in the past. I’d cherished Drew for so long as I might bear in mind, however the second he stated the phrases out loud, I used to be ecstatic. I might inform him precisely how I felt. I didn’t must faux that friendship was all I needed or wanted from him. Our households had been over the moon for us. I feel our moms had been planning our marriage ceremony day since we had been in nursery. They’d our lives all found out; we simply wanted time to catch up and see what was proper in entrance of our noses.

“Proper. Let’s get out of right here. I promised to have us there on time. If I don’t, Derren will kill me.”

I leap up like an excited little one, clapping my arms and grinning from ear to ear. I seize my bag, however Drew rapidly takes it from me, lifts the automobile keys out of the important thing bowl, and ushers me out of the door. I’m not about to argue that I can carry my very own bag. At present is simply too particular to throw my toys out of the pram over a foolish factor. Hormones have turned me right into a sulky brat. I’m pregnant and never sick like I inform everybody who tries to deal with me like a fragile flower. Drew insists on treating me like an invalid, although. In his phrases, “I’m simply taking good care of treasured cargo.”

***

We pull up exterior Drew’s household farm, which is simply a ten-minute journey from our home. This was the one dwelling Drew had ever identified till we obtained our personal place and moved in collectively. It’s a small horse farm simply exterior the Hillfoots in Tillicoultry. It’s gorgeous, set beneath the Ochil Hills. It’s every little thing you’d think about for the center of spring in Central Scotland. The greenery is vivid and vibrant, the daffodils are in full bloom, and the scent of nature is divine. Until you’ve lived round right here, you simply received’t perceive how lovely it’s. It’s very completely different from the hustle and bustle of metropolis life not thirty minutes away from right here.

“Are you prepared for this?” Drew asks as he opens my door.

I used to be too busy daydreaming to grasp Drew had obtained out of the automobile and has come round to assist me. I’m the worst daydreamer. My thoughts is at all times lively and interested by nice potentialities, even when they’re a bit of out of my attain. I can dream. I blame my artistic mind for the garbage that rattles round my head.

“I’m.”

I’m all of a sudden nervous. Up to now, I have been dwelling in a bit of bubble all through this being pregnant, and it was precisely what I wanted to get via the troublesome components on the early phases. Now, I wish to shout it from all of the rooftops within the wee county. We’ve hit a secure zone, and I’m on high of the world. The morning illness has gone, the fatigue is gone, the aches, pains, and complications are minimal. I really feel regular for the primary time in 5 months. That by itself is price celebrating.

“We’ll go across the exterior of the home. The gazebo has been arrange around the again.”

I hyperlink my arm with Drew’s, and we stroll in the direction of the sounds of laughter and music. There are extra individuals right here than I assumed I even knew, however who cares? The extra the merrier. I wish to rejoice the life rising inside me ranging from now.

“This is the proud mummy and daddy.” Derren spots us first and jogs over to us.

He arms me a glass of orange juice in a champagne flute. “Don’t fear, all utterly alcohol free. Dad however…” He arms Drew what I presume is a glass of champagne.

Everybody round us claps and cheers. I lastly take within the impartial balloons and decorations, the big stuffed animals, and the attractive tables set out with animal centre items. Tears pool in my eyes as I take every little thing in. It’s gorgeous. It’s much more than I imagined it will be. Not that I anticipated any much less from Derren and Alice; they’re superb individuals.

“I instructed you it was all an excessive amount of.” Alice slaps Derren on the shoulder and walks over to engulf me in her arms.

“It’s not. It is not an excessive amount of. It’s attractive. I simply didn’t anticipate all of this. We stated a small event.” I wipe my eyes and squeeze Alice. “Thanks for doing all of this for us.”

My mum and pop are the following two to strategy me. Now that I can see straight, I’m beginning to acknowledge faces.

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