21. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

J esse waited to be called in to her appointment. Cannon and Clara were down at his appointment. Clara would bring Cannon up when he was done, and he should be here in time for her sonogram.

After thinking through why she didn't want to know, she had sat down and calmly discussed with Cannon if he wanted to know. After listening to Cannon share how out of control he felt with Sparky and the accident, she'd decided to have the sonogram so they could find out the baby's sex.

Jesse thought it would help Cannon to see the baby to help make it more real. She felt Sparky jumping up and down on her bladder and playing soccer at night. Cannon didn't have that.

Jesse had been surprised Cannon was having an appointment but then Clara had shared Flick had called the doctor to see if they could move Cannon's up by a few days. Flick explained they were trying to minimize trips, and the doctor had a cancellation.

It was hard to believe it had been three weeks since the accident. Cannon and she hadn't discussed anything from before the wreck. He had abided by her request. She felt a huge amount of relief from that. He was healing, and she was growing a tiny human.

"Jesse Franks?"

Jesse stood and followed the nurse. When they stopped to have her stand on the scale, she realized she couldn't even see the numbers on it. She was positive she'd gained some weight because her belly seemed to be sticking farther out.

The nurse took her into the exam room and asked the same questions she did every time, except this time Jesse did mention the swelling in her feet. The nurse made a note for the doctor and said she would be right in.

Jesse appreciated not having to get undressed. She hated those appointments because it was awkward trying to figure out how to balance and get her pants back on. At home she sat on the bed, but there was a big difference in sitting in your underwear on your own bed and sitting in your underwear on a doctor's office chair. The table was way too high for somebody short like her to get up on her own.

The doctor came in and chatted and Jesse paid attention, but she really wanted to get to the next part. Now she'd decided to have the sonogram, it's all she could think about.

"Well, everything looks good. I have down you're heading for a sonogram next. The nurse said the father is waiting in the hall. It looks like he's not probably a lot of help right now."

Jesse laughed. "No, but I have a big family."

"Okay, I'll see you in two weeks unless you need me before that. Call me if the swelling gets worse and won't go down with your feet up."

Jesse let the doctor help her off the table and then picked up her purse. She followed the doctor out. Clara and Cannon were waiting for her.

"Just head back down this hall. Last door on the right."

Clara pushed Cannon, following Jesse. Once they were in the room where they'd have the sonogram, Clara said she'd be back when they called.

Cannon reached over and took her hand. "Did your appointment go okay?"

"Yes. She said the swelling was normal and just watch it. I had put on a little more weight than she thought I would have, but she said it wasn't a problem."

Cannon was quiet, and Jesse wasn't sure what to say to relax.

"All right. Who is ready to see their baby? And I want to confirm, the note says you both want to know the sex of the baby?" the technician asked.

"Yes," Jesse and Cannon answered.

"Okay, mom, let me help you onto the table. Here's a small towel to tuck your pants down and keep the jelly off of them. Then just lie back and oh! just a second."

The technician stood up. "Dad, let's get you moved over here where you can see too."

She moved the chair so Cannon could hold her hand but also see the screen, although Jesse was concerned it would be hard to see on the little screen.

"Oh no, Mom and Dad, look right there on the wall." The technician pointed directly in front of them. "Are you ready?"

Cannon held her hand and nodded. Neither one of them said a word but Jesse figured the technician was used to it.

Cannon held Jesse's hand and tried not to shake. He was going to see on the screen Sparky, the little life he and Jesse had created. He swallowed because he was a tad concerned he was going to throw up. He'd been this scared only a couple times in his life, but today was huge.

"Okay, Mom and Dad, here we have baby's legs and right there is what I like to call baby's hamburger or your little one's girl parts."

Holy Crap! Sparky was a little girl. How the hell was he going to be a girl dad? Last night, he'd talked himself into thinking he could be a dad, but that's when he thought he'd have a son. How would he protect a little girl?

"Hmmm," the technician murmured.

"Hmmm, what? Is something wrong with her?" Jesse's voice trembled as she asked and her fingers clenched on his.

"Umm, just a second." The technician pulled her phone out and typed and sent a text.

"What's wrong? What are you doing?" Cannon asked. This freaking technician was scaring Jesse and Cannon was right there with her.

The door opened and Jesse's doctor walked in. The technician pointed to the screen, then moved the machine on Jesse's tummy.

"Well, it seems like you're going to be more blessed than we thought. It looks like we had a shy one that has been hiding behind a sibling."

Did she say sibling ? Did that mean what he thought it meant?

"Sibling?" Cannon croaked.

The doctor grinned and nodded.

"From this, it looks like one of your little girls has been hiding behind her sister, which is why we didn't pick up a second heartbeat, but honestly, we weren't looking for one. Jesse, this is most likely why you were a little heavier. Two babies are heavier and take up more space than one. Let's get another good view of baby two to confirm." The doctor had taken over moving the device on Jesse's tummy.

"Yep, here is your second daughter. Congratulations!"

Cannon looked at Jesse and smiled. He could feel his eyes getting wet, but he didn't care if Jesse saw him as weak. He felt like his heart was going to explode and he couldn't stop the tears. He and Jesse were having twin girls. He didn't know how he was going to do it, but his girls were going to be loved and cherished and would never be scared of a parent. They might not date until they were thirty, but they'd be safe. He'd be nothing like his father.

"Jesse, this changes things a little. I know that it's a long drive, but I want you seen each week. I'm happy to work with the nurse practitioner in your town, but I want to see you for sure in person every other week. Make the appointment on your way out. Congratulations!"

The doctor left and the technician took a couple more stills and then printed them.

"Are two copies of each enough?"

"Umm, could we have four?" Cannon asked. He knew Jesse would want one, and he did too. He also wanted Clara to have one as an honorary grandparent, and maybe the picture would keep Locks from killing him.

The technician helped Jesse sit up and then told Jesse to lead the way and she would push Cannon out to the waiting area. Cannon just sat there thinking through all the things he needed to do. One of them was to take the guys' advice and finally talk to someone about the way he'd grown up. He wasn't letting his past screw up his kids' future.

As the technician left them and Clara walked toward them, Cannon took Jesse's hand again. She turned around and stared at him. This woman had given him another chance when she could have just kicked him to the curb. It was time he told her he was going to try.

"I'm so excited for Sparky and Spark II. I'm going to do whatever it takes to make this work for us and the girls. I promise, Jesse."

Jesse leaned down close to his face. "I will too. It won't be easy, but I'm going to try too."

Besides talking to someone about his screwed-up childhood, he also needed to get some input on how to win Jesse's trust back. He saw major groveling in his future and he didn't fucking care because he was going to be a girl dad.

Clara stood waiting, staring at him. "Do I have to wait until the family's all together for you all to tell me? I mean, if you want one of those gender reveal thingies, I'm sure we could figure it out."

"Nope, Clara, you came with us and we want you to know, but you can't talk or text about it with anyone because I want to tell my sisters and dad in person. Cannon?"

Cannon stared at the woman who'd become like a mom to him, not that he'd ever experienced it before Clara.

"Well, Grandma, we'll be welcoming twin girls to the family."

He was amazed his voice worked because his mouth was so dry.

"Oh, you're going to make me cry, but I'm so honored. And congratulations! Two of everything. I need to finish Cannon's sweater so I can start on stuff for them. Let's get out of here. So are you both tired or should we stop at a baby store on the way home?" Clara said, but then paused to throw her arms around him. Then she hugged Jesse.

Jesse chuckled. "Well, I think we need to wait to buy stuff until everyone knows; plus, I'm hungry. Let's pick up takeout for the car. I want to get home to tell everyone."