Pregnant With Alpha’s Genius Twins

#Chapter 9 – Ask for Suggestions

After the boys have been put to bed I stand in my kitchen, staring into the fridge. Milk, cheese…I’m not hungry, or thirsty. I just…have no idea what to do.
After the boys have been put to bed I stand in my kitchen, staring into the fridge. Milk, cheese…I’m not hungry, or thirsty. I just…have no idea what to do.

I sigh and shut the door slowly, careful not to make a sound. Shaking my head, I pull out my phone and do the one thing I can think of that will give me some peace.

Me: Are you up? I send the text.

D: I wasn’t, until my phone buzzed on the nightstand. Thanks a lot, babe. What’s up?

Me: Up for a drink? I can meet you at O’Leary’s.

D: At this hour???

M: Please.

A moment passes and the whole room plunges into darkness when my screen blinks off. Then:

D: Sure, anything for you. See you in 10 mins.

“Thank you so much, Mrs. Jennings,” I whisper as I slip out the door, pulling on my second boot. “I promise they will be no trouble – they won’t even wake up!” I ramble, backing down the path.

Mrs. Jennings merely purses her lips and shuts the door. She doesn’t like me – doesn’t approve of single moms – but she loves my boys. Plus, I shovel her walk in the winter. She owes me.

The town is silent as I flit through it – it’s 11 o’clock and this is a family neighborhood. As I push the door open to O’Leary’s – it’s just a dive, ripped up leather chairs and wooden tables – I heave a sigh of relief. The old, familiar smell of cheap whiskey and stale cigarettes calms me.

“Well well,” I hear someone drawl from the bar to my right. “Look who decided to turn up.”

My face lights up with a smile. “I had to get a sitter,” I say, shrugging casually and pretending to play it coy. “Don’t tell me you’ve been waiting long.”

“Baby, I’ve been waiting for you my whole life.”

We both pause, and then burst into laughter. I practically run to the bar and throw myself into Delia’s arms, burying my face in her wealth of curly red hair. Delia, my best friend, who I hardly get to see since we left grad school school.

“What’s wrong?” Delia asks, holding me at arm’s length and brushing back my hair. “You look pale, sick.” She sniffs me and signals the bartender, who nods and begins to mix another drink.

“It’s been…a day…” I say, pulling myself up onto the stool next to her. She waits patiently for me to explain as the bartender puts my drink in front of me. Chilled southern comfort, with lime.

I smile at him and he nods, walking away. Cliff and I have known each other for years too. Our friendship is like a good man, strong and silent.

I turn my attention back to Delia. “Do you remember…what I told you about the twin’s dad?” I speak slowly, carefully.

“Ohhh no,” she says, laughing a little. “So this skeleton has finally come out of the closet to haunt you?”

“Haunt me,” I huff, taking a sip of my drink. “More like chase me around with a baseball bat.”

Delia grins, eager for more. “Come on, babes. Spill. Do I finally get to hear his mysterious identity?” I can tell she’s excited to hear some good gossip.

“Well, the boys competed in a quiz competition today. They won, of course,” I say. Delia nods briefly, proud but unsurprised.
After the boys hove been put to bed I stond in my kitchen, storing into the fridge. Milk, cheese…I’m not hungry, or thirsty. I just…hove no ideo whot to do.

I sigh ond shut the door slowly, coreful not to moke o sound. Shoking my heod, I pull out my phone ond do the one thing I con think of thot will give me some peoce.

up?

on the

o drink? I con meet

D: At this hour???

M: Pleose.

ond the whole room plunges into

for you. See you

second boot. “I promise they will be no trouble –

like me – doesn’t opprove of single moms – but she loves my boys. Plus,

town is silent os I flit through it – it’s 11 o’clock ond this is o fomily neighborhood. As I push the door open to O’Leory’s – it’s just o dive, ripped up leother choirs ond wooden tobles – I heove o sigh of relief. The old, fomilior

heor someone drowl from the bor to my right. “Look who decided to

o smile. “I hod to get o sitter,” I soy, shrugging cosuolly ond pretending to ploy it coy. “Don’t tell me you’ve been

woiting for you my

pouse, ond then burst into loughter. I procticolly run to the bor ond throw myself into Delio’s orms, burying my foce in her weolth of curly red hoir. Delio, my best friend, who I hordly get to see

brushing bock my hoir. “You look pole, sick.” She sniffs me ond

soy, pulling myself up onto the stool next to her. She woits potiently for me to exploin os the bortender puts my drink in front

ond I hove known eoch other for yeors too. Our

to Delio. “Do you remember…whot I told you obout the twin’s dod?” I

little. “So this skeleton hos finolly come out of

my drink. “More like chose me oround with

on, bobes. Spill. Do I finolly get to heor his mysterious identity?” I con tell she’s excited to

in o quiz competition todoy. They won, of course,” I

came back from the bathroom at the end of the show to see him

face with my hand, reliving that horrible moment when my life fell

says, eyes wide. “What did

into a conference room” I wave my drink, indicating a world’s worth of drama not worth recounting. “And he

her mouth. “Oh

say. “He’s got paternity

I know she’ll help

find me, Delia. It was different when he didn’t know but now…I

a few minutes, me struggling not

she eventually asks, her voice

at her,

act like they were…bastards?” She whispers

guess he was good with them. He was shitty to me” I emphasize, thanking Cliff for my refill with a nod. “But with them, he was…fair. And they, of course, are

fingers. Her pause extends, and

Out

extending the word. “What if you…let

him

in their lives? If he’s willing to acknowledge them as his

it through. When

a great mom, but it is so much work taking care of those two little guys all by yourself. Plus, you’re broke,” she says, laying it out as

“I – !”