Chapter 7
                                                 Neveah
 
                                                Five years ago
 
I'm sitting on my bathroom floor, staring at the ten positive pregnancy tests in front of me. I feel the bile rise in my throat, and I get sick for the tenth time today. Henry is knocking on the door, and I know he knows something isn't right with me. Tears fall down my face as I realize my life is about to be flipped upside-down completely.
 
"Neveah, please let me come in." Henry pleads after he hears me sobbing. I muster the strength to get up, unlock the door, and slide back down the wall when he enters the bathroom. He looks down on the floor and sees the tests. "Holy shit, Veah."
 
"Tell me about it." I cry, and he sits on the floor with me and hugs me to his chest. I sobbed into his chest for what seemed hours. "What am I going to do? I can't be a mama. My Papi and Mami will flip the fuck out."
 
"Whatever you decide, I will be here every step of the way," Henry says, kissing my head.
 
"What do I do?" I cry.
 
"First things first, how late are you on your period?"
 
"I'm about seven weeks late?"
 
"Bitch! Seven weeks?"
 
"I was hoping my period would come, and when it didn't, I went into denial. I started to feel nauseated a week ago."
 
"Let me call Josie. She works in the Student Health Center; she can get you an appointment," he says, leaving the room. I remain seated on the bathroom floor in complete shock. "Hey, they have a cancellation and can see you in half-hour."
 
"What will they do?"
 
"Well, they'll do an ultrasound to see how far you are. Depending on what you decide, the doctor will make a plan."
 
"By plan, you mean they will schedule an abortion if I decide to have one?"
 
"Yes, is that what you're leaning towards?"
 
"I don't know, Henry. I know I can't be a mama right now."
 
"Baby girl, it's okay. Let's take it one step at a time. Let's go."
 
We drive down to the clinic, and my legs feel like lead as I walk across the parking lot. Henry puts his arm around my shoulders, and he kisses the side of my head. He opens the door of the clinic, and he ushers me in quickly because the other students are so nosey. The front desk girl gave me a urine cup and advised me to leave it in the little window in the bathroom. I'm adamant that I want Henry in the exam room with me. I get undressed and put on the paper gown that rips as soon as I sit on the exam table, making Henry and I laugh. The door opens, and the doctor comes in with his nurse.
 
"Neveah, I'm Dr. Martinez, and this is Josie. She has to be in here to be a chaperone." He says, sitting on the stool in front of me. "You're indeed pregnant, but we need to do an ultrasound to see how far along you are. Do you want to see the ultrasound?"
 
"I don't want to see it." I cry.
 
"Josie, is the volume turned down?" Dr. Martinez asks her. She nods quickly. I know that it's so I don't hear the heartbeat if there is one. Henry holds my hand tightly as the doctor puts the ultrasound wand into me and begins the ultrasound. There is a woosh wooshing sound coming loudly from the ultrasound. The doctor freezes and gives a deathly stare at Josie.
 
"Let me see. Please!" I cry out. Hearing my baby's heart beating made me feel protective and so much love.
 
"Neveah, are you sure?" Dr. Martinez says.
 
"I want to see my baby." I cry out. "Henry, tell him I want to see my baby."
 
"Okay, sweet girl." He says and nods at the doctor. He flips the screen, and I see my baby on the screen. I'm shocked at how developed the baby is; tears escape my eyes, blinding me. I wipe my eyes with the tissue that Josie hands me. "Holy shit," Henry yells out.
 
"What's the matter with my baby," I say, startled.
 
"Nothing at all," Dr. Martinez smirks. "It's just that there are two of them. Neveah, you are having twins." He points at the monitor, and I see two babies. My two babies.
 
"Henry! I'm having twins." I yell out.
 
"Bitch, this is crazy, but I'm here for you."
 
I found out that I am nine weeks, and I'm always bad at remembering my period, and I guess I was later than I thought. Henry has a study group and offered to drive me home, but I want to walk home to think of how I'll tell my parents that I'm not only am I pregnant but pregnant with twins. I walk down by the Frat Row, where all the fraternity's houses are, and see a group of guys throwing a football around. I look up and see him standing there. I see TJ walk over to the patch of grass they are playing on. I wave at him, and he looks at me like I'm crazy. He points to himself, and I nod.
 
"Can I talk to you for a few minutes?" I ask. He shrugs, and all his friends make cat-calling noises at us. "Can we talk over there in private?"
 
"Okay, I guess," He says. We walk down the block little ways. I turn and look at him.
 
"I'm pregnant," I blurt out quickly. "With twins." He looks at me, confused.
 
"Uh, congratulations. I guess?"
 
"You guess?" I ask, irritated.
 
"Why are you even telling me this?"
 
"Because you got me pregnant!" I yell.
 
"What the fuck are you talking about, lady? I've never seen you before in my life."
 
"Wow, I thought you were different. These babies and I will be better off without you."
 
"You're fucking bat shit crazy. I feel bad for those babies." He says with a laugh causing me to snap.
 
"Fuck you, asshole!" I yell, get on my tiptoes, and slap the taste out of his mouth.
 
I run off and look back at him as he wipes blood from his nose, sees me looking at him, and flips me off.  
 
                                                                                            Present-day
 
I'm stunned when I see TJ standing before me, and Henry looks at me, confused. I always wondered what I would say if I saw him again after that slap. Tj's phone goes off, and he looks at it. He leaves the room without another word, and Henry approaches me.
 
"What the fuck was that about Neveah?" he asks. As I am about to speak, the door opens, and in walks Penny and Anthony, and my heart falls.
 
"What's wrong? What happened to my baby?" I start to panic. Henry comes and hugs me to him.
 
"He had blood clots and was removed in an emergency bedside procedure by Dr. Orozco. Noah is in the OR now getting sutured back up by Dr. Phillips."
 
"Who is Dr. Phillips?" Henry asks. "Where is Dr. Orzoco?"
 
"Dr. Kingsly, the chief surgeon for the hospital, took Dr. Orozco off Noah's case after surgery."
 
"Why did he make a mistake with my son?" I ask. The door opens, and a woman in comes in. She outstretches her hand to me, and I shake it.
 
"Miss Villa?" She asks, and I nod. "I'm Moriah Bennett, the Lawyer for the hospital."
 
"Lawyer? What is going on? Is my son okay," I ask.
 
"Your son is fine, but I need you to come with me. That is all I can say right now."
"Okay, but he's coming with me," I say, pointing at Henry, and she nods.
 
We take an elevator to the hospital's business office section and stand in front of the office of the Chief of Surgery. Moriah opens the door, and we are led into the large office in which there is another door. A meeting room is beyond that door. She opens it, and we walk in.
 
"Neveah?" My name is called, and I look up, and my breath catches. Henry's face must match mine. Total confusion and shock.
 
Sitting in front of me was Tj, but he wasn't the one that called my name; it was the man sitting next to him.
 
His identical twin.