I needed to tell him. Now.

“Cedric, can we go outside for a minute?”

Cedric’s eyes lost their luster as his concern

clearly

grew.

“Sure…sure,

sweetheart.”

698/727

699/727

CHAPTER 41

CEDRIC

My heart sank when she didn’t immediately say yes to my proposal. She seemed really emotional and the walk from the inside of the diner through the door onto the sidewalk seemed to take forever.

I put the ring back in my pocket as we stood on the sidewalk. The breeze was blowing Allison’s hair all over the place and the sun shined into her green eyes, making them almost gold.

My heart pounded out of my chest and the coconut cream pie I had just eaten was starting to come up on me. I couldn’t bear it if she was going to tell me she wouldn’t marry me. The thought of that was unfathomable.

701/727

“Cedric…”

I put my hands on her shoulders and squeezed them. “What’s going on?” She looked so scared as she stared in-to my eyes and said, “You need to know something before you decide that you want to marry me.”

“Allison, nothing could possibly make me not want to marry you…nothing…do you understand?” I said as I pulled her toward me.

She started breathing heavily and was trembling my arms.

“I…I need some water,” she said.

“Okay…okay, hold on.”

All eyes were on me as I reentered the diner. This was definitely awkward, but I could’ve cared less what they thought. I needed Allison to tell me what was going on.

“Delores, Allison’s not feeling well.

Can I please have a glass of water?” 702/727

She poured it quickly and the door chimed as I made my way back out to her as she waited on the sidewalk with her arms crossed over her chest to mask the chill.

I handed her the water. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” She took the glass from me, gulping half of it down and licked her lips nervously.

“Allison, please…tell me what’s going on. Are you having doubts?”

“No, Cedric. Of course not, I love you.

I’m not having doubts about you. I’m…”

“What? Allison…what is it?” I was seriously about to lose my lunch.

Allison let out a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”

I stood there for a moment replaying what she just said, making sure I heard it right.

Pregnant.

She said pregnant, right?

703/727

She was having my baby?

Is this really happening?

I placed my hand over her stomach, gently. “You’re…pregnant?” My lips trembled as I pulled her into me, kissing her hard and then releasing her.

“Wait…are you…sure?” I asked.

“Yes…I took a test a few days ago and this morning, before work, remember I told you I had a doctor’s appointment? Well, it was an ob-gyn. I wanted to be absolutely sure before I told you. He did an ultrasound.

I was going to tell you tonight…but then—”

“Oh, my love, come here!” Tears poured from my eyes as I hugged her tightly.

“How could you think this would change my wanting to marry you? I want to marry you even more now. I love you so much. This is my dream come true, don’t you know that?” I placed my hand on her stomach. “It’s… a little sooner than I expected…but we have nine months to prepare, right?” 704/727

“Actually, we have six months to prepare. I’m three months along. I think it happened the night we got back together…one of the several times…that we, you know…”

I took a deep breath from the shock of the news and exhaled with the realization that I wasn’t about to lose her.

I am going to be a father.

I grabbed the glass of water from her and gulped down the rest of it before speaking. “Sweetheart…this is wonderful news.

Don’t you know we can handle anything together? There is nothing I can’t handle as long as you’re by my side.

“I’m so glad you feel that way, Cedric.

Because they’ll be here in late May. They’ll be Geminis.

My water glass slipped out of my hand and shattered on the sidewalk. “They?” 705/727

706/727

EPILOGUE

Gemini, you are feeling perky and positively elated. Celebration is in the air. You have overcome dramatic obstacles and you may actually be feeling on top of the world. Con-grats on coming through the storm.

“Okay, this might be a little hot,” Vanessa said as she held the blowdryer to my breasts.

Trying not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, I clenched my vagina praying not to piss my pants, because there was no way I could get these spanx off under my gown.

“This cannot be happening right now.

Please tell me it’s drying?”

“Patience…we’re getting there, baby,” she said.

708/727

“I can’t believe this.”

Elaine walked into room holding one of the twins who was sleeping in the infant seat. She looked beautiful wearing a long sleeveless brown two-piece dress adorned with a corsage. “What on Earth?” she asked.

“Hey, Elaine, come join the fun!” I said sarcastically.

“What happened, Allison?”

“My tits leaked through the satin. I forgot to slip the breast pads into my bra.” Elaine covered her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh. “Oh, honey…”

“Could you imagine Cedric’s face if the first thing he saw as I came down the aisle were two giant wet milk spots?” Vanessa cracked up and the dryer accidentally blew some of my hair. “Hey!” I said.

“Sorry, sweetie, sorry,” she apologized, stifling her laughter.

709/727

Vanessa’s long dark hair was done up in a French twist. I had asked my birth mother to be one of my bridesmaids, along with Sonia, Denise and Callie. After all, she wasn’t all that much older than me and looked gorgeous in the strapless emerald green satin dress.

“What the—” Jake said looking at the ridiculous scene in this hotel room as he walked in dressed in a black tux, holding the other baby.

“Don’t ask, little brother. Don’t ask.” Jake lifted her toward me and said,

“Um…Holly just tried to suck my nipple…I think it’s time for her meal. What can I feed her?”

“There are some bottles of pumped milk over in the cooler over there.” I gestured to a blue cooler in the corner of the room. “I’ll pump after the ceremony, so you’ll have extra for the reception.” 710/727

Just then, Ed walked into the room and I smiled. “Hi, Dad.”

Ed’s eyes began to well up as he caught sight of me in my dress. “Oh, Allison…”

I had pictured this moment for some time…just not with the hot blowdryer on the tits thing.

Vanessa stopped the dryer, as I stood up to hug Ed, fanning the tears away from my eyes.

After the birth of my girls, Ed and I had a tender moment at the hospital, where he thanked me for making him a grandfather and he asked me if I would call him Dad. I had wanted to for so long, but hadn’t done so until I could be sure it was what he wanted. I knew I could never replace the little girl he lost, but I knew he truly loved me at that moment.

***

711/727

Holly Amanda and Hannah Allison came into the world three months ago, at the end of May, born naturally at seven and six pounds respectively. It was best day of my life. Cedric was by my side the entire time and when the babies came out, the look of wonder and love on his face and the tears in his eyes would be an image I’d keep with me and replay until the end of my days. He told me he had never loved me more than the moment I made him a father.

It’s been hard balancing summer grad school classes and breastfeeding twins, but with the help of my family, by some miracle, I’ve been able to juggle it all.

My family. It felt so good to say that.

It wasn’t a conventional one, but I went from having almost no one just a couple of years ago, to having a true blended family now.

712/727

Vanessa had moved to the Boston area to be closer to Jake who just started his freshman year at Northeastern as an electric-all engineering major. My relationship with her is still a work in progress, but we have gotten much closer and she and Bettina help watch the twins two days a week when I have classes. On the other days, she works as a waitress at the Stardust. She and Jake moved into my old apartment in Malden when Sonia moved out to live with her now fiancé, Tom.