Lymber craft's Arc

Chapter 47 of 70

The gender appointment was set for Thursday at twenty-one weeks. Lymber called her mother on Monday and told her the date and the time before anything else, because she had learned that lesson. Polly said, I'll watch the kids. Bring me the picture after. Lymber said, You don't want to come in. Polly said, You said last time you wanted Paul in there alone. I'm not changing the rule now. Lymber said, Okay. She hung up and wrote the date on the fridge so Paul would see it when he made coffee. Thursday morning she wore the blue dress again because it was the only one that still fit clean over the bump. Maggie came at eight and took Jett straight to the kitchen for toast. Violetta wanted to come to the doctor. Lymber knelt slowly and said, Not this time, baby. Grandma is coming to play. Violetta cried for about a minute and then forgot. Paul drove. Lymber kept both hands flat on top of her stomach the whole way. She said, What do you want them to be. Paul said, Healthy. She said, That's not an answer. He said, One of each. She looked at him. He said, I said it. I'm not taking it back. The tech at the clinic pressed the wand low and moved it slow. Two shapes came up on the screen, side by side, one turned toward them and one turned away. The tech typed and measured and typed again. She said, Baby A is a boy. She moved the wand. She said, Baby B is a girl. Paul made a sound in his throat. Lymber said, You're sure. The tech turned the screen. She said, I'm sure. Lymber looked at the two shapes and said, Max. And Missy. Paul said, Max and Missy. He said it again quieter, to her stomach, leaning down. The tech printed four pictures and handed them over in a paper sleeve. In the parking lot Lymber sat in the car with the pictures in her lap and called her mother. She said, One boy. One girl. Max and Missy. Polly was quiet for a second. Then she said, You picked the names in the room. Lymber said, Yes. Polly said, Good. Bring me the picture. She hung up. Paul started the car. Lymber said, Now we have to buy two of everything in two colors. He said, We'll figure it out. She put the sleeve in her purse and pressed a hand to the side of the bump where the girl had been. The count in town would start over now with names attached, and she had four months to be ready for two babies at once.