Surprise Homecoming - Chapter 3

I jolt awake suddenly. Groggy, I feel discombobulated for a few moments.

Where the hell am I?

Reaching my hands up to rub them slowly over my face, that's when I remember. I'm not in my barracks at the base in Afghanistan anymore.

No. I'm home. In California. At my in-laws' lake house.

With my family.

Specifically, with my very pregnant wife.

Padmé.

Peeling my eyes open slowly, I'm confused again when I look around and notice the room is dark with only the soft silvery-blue glow of moonlight shining through the window blinds. Rolling onto my back, I smile and gently reach out my hand to rub my wife's bare back…only to hit air.

What?!

Bolting upright with a gasp, I look over to Padmé's side of the bed only to find it empty. Glancing at the red numbers on the digital clock on my nightstand, it reads 01:45. What the fuck? It's the middle of the night. We've only been asleep since about nine. So, a few hours, yeah, but not nearly long enough for my exhausted body. Huh. Maybe she had to go to the bathroom? Easing back against the pillow, I start to relax again only to remember…

Jobal said she'd been going on burger runs at this time of night. Alone.

Dammit! Not tonight, she's not! No fucking way is she going without me. I don't care how tired I still am. Throwing back the covers, I hop out of bed and rush over to the dresser, jerking open the drawer I put my clothes in earlier, reaching in and grabbing a pair of shorts and a clean t-shirt. Throwing them on quickly, I look over and see that the clothes I took off of her and left on the floor earlier are now gone. Which means she must have grabbed them and gotten dressed in the bathroom, I can't help thinking, as I hastily shove my feet in my deck shoes, grab my wallet and phone and shove them in my pockets, then open the closet, step in, and open my backpack to grab a sweatshirt to throw on. It may be July and the middle of summer, true, but this is northern California, and nights can still get rather chilly, even at this time of year.

Walking quickly to the bedroom door, I open it, looking first toward the bathroom to make sure she's not simply using the facilities. She's not. The lights are off, except for the nightlight, and the door is wide open. Shaking my head, a snort of frustration escapes me as I tip-toe quickly down the hallway, trying not to disturb anyone sleeping. Reaching the living room, I don't see her. So, I open the front door, and step out into the night air, and Bingo!

Found her. Making her way over towards our new SUV, the flashlight on her cellphone shining on the ground to light her way. Huffing, I dash across the yard and catch up with her just as she's hitting the key fob to unlock the SUV.

"Angel, what the hell do you think you're doing?" I demand in a hushed whisper, standing behind her with my hands on my hips, my lips pressed together and twisted to the side in annoyance.

She squeals and whirls around kind of clumsily given her huge bulk now, throwing a hand up against her chest. Just as I thought, she's redressed in the same tank top and shorts from earlier, but she now has a sweater on to help against the mildly chilly night air. She's wearing some flip flops on her feet this time, not bedroom slippers. "Ani! You scared me!" She's breathing hard, and I've no doubts I did frighten her a little bit, for which I'm sorry, but I'm still not pleased that she's trying to sneak out of the house like a teenager trying to make a beer run.

"Sorry, Babe, I didn't mean to frighten you, but answer my question. What are you doing? It's the middle of the night, Angel. We should both be in bed sleeping." I give her a pointed look and step closer to her.

She ducks her head sheepishly, shrugging her right shoulder, and when she speaks, her words are soft and she sounds somewhat embarrassed. I also notice she's fidgeting with her keys with her hands. "Sorry, Ani. I didn't mean to upset you. It's just…I'm hungry, and I wanted a –"

I sigh and hold up my hand, nodding my head knowingly, cutting her off before she can say it, "You wanted a burger, right?"

It's too dark to tell, but I'm positive she's blushing. She nods her head shyly, "Yeah. Jack in the Box. Their drive thru is open twenty-four hours."

Sighing, I reach my right hand out, "Gimme the keys, Babe. I'm driving." She smiles and hands me the keys. I wrap my fingers around them, then reach out and grasp her right elbow gently with my left hand, "This way, Milady. Your chariot awaits." She giggles as I guide her round the back of the SUV to the front passenger seat. I open the now unlocked door, and help her climb in. Jobal wasn't kidding. She's a lot more cumbersome now than she was. I'm so used to her being lithe and athletic, trim and tiny. This new rounded body of hers, while beautiful, is difficult to maneuver…particularly in tight spaces, like those in our new car. Though, I admit, her old Civic would have been a lot worse.

Once she's in her seat and buckled in, I shut the door, walk back around, and open the driver's side door. I notice right away that there's no way I can manage to fit my long body in behind the wheel, not the way it's currently configured. Tall people problems, I sigh to myself. I hear another giggle. My wife is all too familiar with this particular seating adjustment, since we had to do this every time I drove her Civic or she drove my 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which is probably still parked in our garage where it's sat for the last six months

Figuring out where the buttons are that I need, I adjust the seat to fit my height and climb in, shutting the door. Inputting the key, I'm pleased the engine fires right up and that the inside of the cabin is pleasantly quiet. Reaching up, I turn on the overhead light and look all around, finding the headlights and turning them on and then look over all the controls. I nod my head, quite pleased with the vehicle. The seats are extremely comfortable and done in a soft gray color that goes well with the darker gray on the outside of the SUV. Looking over my shoulder, I notice it's big and roomy, and it still has that distinctive new car smell to it. Smiling over at Padmé, I notice she's been quietly watching me inspect our new SUV. Raising her eyebrows at me expectantly, she smiles, "Well? Like it?"

I can't help but nod, "Yeah. It's great! Mom said it was super nice, and she's right. It is. I like it, Sweetheart. You and Ruwee picked out a really nice SUV."

"Thanks, Honey! Glad you like it. It's definitely got waaay more room than my old car had," she smiles at me and motions toward the back of the SUV with her left hand, "and we're going to need it when the twins are born for sure."

She's right. It certainly does, and we'll need it, what with two car seats, a packed diaper bag, and a double stroller to haul around. I murmur my agreement, shift into reverse, and back up onto the circular paved driveway. Shifting again, into drive, we head around the tree outcropping in the front of the house and then down the driveway and out onto the empty road. I'm pleased with how smooth and quiet the SUV is, and it handles really well. "How's this thing on gas, Babe?" I ask, as I head toward town and the nearest Jack in the Box.

"Not bad. Twenty-one city, twenty-seven highway." She replies. I nod and purse my lips. Yeah, that's pretty good, and Toyota vehicles are well made and last a long time, which, with two little ones on the way, is good to know.

The ride is quiet for a few minutes, but I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, annoyed and frustrated that she would just take off in the middle of the night without telling me. Heaving a sigh, I am trying to think of how to broach my concerns about this, when she says, "Ani, what's wrong? Are you still upset about the car?"

Glancing over at her before looking back to the road, I shake my head, "No. It's the not the car that bothers me. We discussed that, and I'm good. It's that I'm not pleased with you taking off by yourself in your condition in the middle of the night. Ok, I doubt seriously the transmission would blow on this car like it did your old one," I pause when I hear her inhale sharply, and I glance over at her again. She's biting her lower lip like she does when she's embarrassed or really nervous.

"Oh. You know about that, huh." She sounds embarrassed.

"Yeah. Your mother told me after dinner when you fell asleep leaning on my shoulder. She said you'd gone on a burger run and had to call her and your father to come get you at two in the morning. Babe, I'm a little bit ticked about that, ok. You left that bit out when you gave me your explanation about why you traded in your car."

"I'm sorry, Ani. I did tell you the truth when I said I couldn't fit behind the wheel and that the stroller we have was too big for the trunk. I didn't tell you about the transmission because I didn't want you to worry, Honey. I mean, you had enough to deal with just trying to stay alive over there. I didn't want to add to that, y'know?"

It's times like this that I remember…my wife's a lawyer. And a damn good one, too.

I shoot her another glance, "Padmé, telling me about the transmission on the car is something I should have known about…regardless of my job, and for the record, I always worry about you when I'm away on deployment. So, that wouldn't change one iota, no matter what. You're my wife, and as such, you're always my primary concern in life, Angel. I know you wanted to keep the pregnancy a surprise. I get that, but you could've discussed the car with me without giving the surprise way. I mean, all you would've had to tell me was the transmission blew, and I would've been all for you getting a new vehicle."

She sighs, "Ok, Ani. I'm sorry."

I get that she's sorry, and that's all well and good, but she still doesn't realize how upset I am at her going out by herself at this time of night.

"Angel, I know your independence is important to you, and I love that about you, but I don't like you going out alone at night, especially this late at night…not for any reason, whether it's a burger run or whether it's to go to Walmart. The idea of you being stuck somewhere in the middle of the night this late in your pregnancy gives me the chills, Babe. So, please, don't sneak out alone anymore, ok? If you want a burger at two in the morning, or if we suddenly need more diapers at midnight for example, let me know, and either I'll go out for you or we'll go out together, and if I'm not home, please call your folks or Sola for help. Deal? For me?" I shoot her a pleading look that she smiles and nods at.

"Ok, Ani…For you…I'll do it."

"Good." I smile and reach over and grab her left hand and bring it up to my lips, kissing the back of it, before letting go of her hand and placing my own back on the wheel. We continue our drive in silence. There's almost no traffic out tonight, and within ten minutes, we're turning into Jack in the Box. Pulling up to the order board, Padmé is already telling me what she wants before I can even ask. I can't help smirking. She's got this down to a science.

"Ani, I want the Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger Munchie Meal with a large Dr. Pepper."

I nod my head, perusing the menu, deciding to get the same thing myself but with a large Coke.

The rather bored sounding drive thru worker asks for our order, and I reply, "Yeah, I'd like two of the Stacked Grilled Cheese Burger Munchie Meals, one with a large Coke, one with a large Dr. Pepper, please."

The worker gives me the total, thanks me, and I pull forward. One thing I do appreciate about being back home is the fact that you can head out to a twenty-four-hour restaurant or a Walmart to grab something to eat when you're hungry at two in the morning. You can't readily do that in Afghanistan…even on base.

Unhooking my seatbelt, I reach for my wallet, pull out some cash, and pay the worker for our meals. He gives me back my change, and I quickly stuff the bills in my wallet and hand Padmé the coins, which she dumps in a change holder in the SUV. Good to know where that is now. Then, I'm handed our drinks next, which I set down in the cup holders, followed by our food, which comes in two cardboard boxes. He hands me some napkins, and I thank him and hand Padmé our meals, and then we're pulling away from the window. I pause to rehook my seatbelt, and then we're heading back onto the road and back to the lake house.

I glance over at my wife, and I try not to laugh, watching her holding our two meal boxes, balanced precariously on her large baby bump. She obviously realizes I'm amused, and she smiles and just shakes her head, "It's not funny, Ani."

"Didn't say it was, Babe."

"No, but you're thinking it."

She's right. I am thinking it, but I'd never say it out loud. Yeah, it's different seeing my lovely wife the size of a small hot air balloon almost, but she's still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Even more so carrying our future inside of her belly. And, this is what I opt to tell her now. "Babe, you are, without a doubt, the single most beautiful woman on the planet, and your baby belly only makes you more beautiful to me – not less. Don't ever think otherwise."

She sniffles suddenly, and I glance over at her to see tears sparkling in her eyes in the dim lighting. Hormones.

"I mean it, Padmé. You always have been and you always will be the most beautiful woman on the planet to me. No other woman could ever hope to compare to you in my eyes." Not that I would ever even think of looking elsewhere. I wouldn't, because I'm dead serious. My wife is it for me. Has been from the moment I first saw her. That will never change.

Smiling softly at her, I turn my attention back to the road and getting us back to the house as quickly as possible. I mean, yeah, the food smells awesome, and I admit my tummy's grumbling, too, but I'm still so fucking tired from the long ass day I had yesterday traveling and from the like thirteen-hour time difference between Afghanistan and California. That kinda jet leg kicks some serious ass, lemme tell ya. Now, all I want to do is get to the house, eat as quickly as possible, and then snuggle back up in bed with my wife…oh, and our unborn babies. No way I can forget them. Speaking of them, they're probably hungry, too, which is why we're out grabbing burgers at this time of night. So, better get back and feed the three of them. And, fast.

Damn, 2 a.m. feedings are going to be hell with two of them. I can already tell, I think to myself with a resigned smirk.

In what seems like no time at all, we're pulling back into the driveway of the lake house. I park the SUV in the same spot, then quickly unbuckle and head around to Padmé's side to help her out of the car. I grab our food first, setting it on the roof of the vehicle, before helping her out of her seat. I steady her with my hands, make sure she's settled, then I reach in and grab our drinks, handing them to her while I close and lock the SUV, grab our food off the roof of the car, and then we're heading back for the house.

I didn't lock the door when I walked out, so we're able to open it immediately and head inside. She locks the door once she closes it, and we make for the kitchen table. I set the food down, while she grabs some napkins from the holder on the bar and gets the ketchup from the fridge. I pull back her chair for her, wait till she's seated, then take my chair at the end of the table, to her immediate left, and we dig in. Grinning, I grab my burger and sink my teeth in, taking a big bite, and damn, it's delicious. I admit food here at home does taste better. Way better, and I've missed it. Not that we don't get fed well on base. We do, but it still doesn't taste the same as authentic restaurant fare – or even a good homecooked meal like the feast we had earlier tonight. I watch as she upends the ketchup and squirts a huge glop of the condiment on the lid of her meal before she offers it to me, and then I do the same. Hey, what are fries without ketchup?

We eat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying sharing a meal together again, but after a few minutes, she smiles, and says, "So, Ani, I know you've probably not had time to ponder this since you got here yesterday, but I've been thinking about names the last few months. A lot actually, and I'm still stumped about a name for our daughter, but for our son, there's one name that I really like. Honey, what do you think of the name Luke for our boy?" She bites her lip as she watches me for my reaction.

Luke, huh? I set my burger down and finish chewing and swallowing, then take a sip of my Coke to wash it down. I repeat the name over and over in my head. Luke. Luke Skywalker. It's short but has a good ring to it. It sounds nice, and it goes well with Skywalker. I think I like it. So, I nod my head, and smile warmly at my obviously nervous Angel, "Sounds nice, Babe. I like it actually. It goes well with Skywalker. Good choice. Luke, it is…or he is, I should say."

Her shoulders sag in obvious relief, and she lets out a pent up breath she'd been holding, waiting for my answer. Wow, she must have really been worried I wouldn't like the name for her to react like this. But, with our son's name now decided, we still have to name his twin sister. "Do you want their names to match, Angel? I mean, do you have any ideas at all for her?" I admit, I've not given baby names even a passing thought, but then I didn't know we were pregnant either.

She shrugs, "Well, I'd like them both to have an 'L' name, yeah, but nothing I've come up with so far has sounded right to me." She sighs and eats a few fries after dipping them in ketchup.

I eat a few of my own fries, then ask, "Ok. Like what?"

Another shrug, "Well, names like Lori, Lara, Lily, Lyra," she pauses in rattling off her list of names to take a sip of her drink, and I admit I'm not keen on any of the ones she's said so far. They're nice names, of course, just not for our daughter, no. I roll my wrist in a motion for her to continue, and after she swallows, she picks back up with her list, "Lisa, Lois, Lexis, Libby, Livvy, Liza, Leyla, Lucy, Lynn, Lulu, Luna, Luisa, Linda, Lydia…" She trails off with a sigh and looks at me rather woefully. "See what I mean? I want a name that will sound nice with Luke, but I've just not found one I really liked yet."

Yes, I can see what she means. Hmm…This could be tough, but now isn't the time to give it too serious a thought. That pillow in our room is screaming my name. I nod my head in understanding at our dilemma, though. "Yeah, I get it, and I agree. None of those sounds right. But, now's not the time to focus on it, Babe. I'm just too damn tired. Sorry. But, we've got some time to figure it out, and we will. Don't worry. So, let's just finish our food and go use the bathroom and brush our teeth and get back in bed. I need some more sleep. No offense."

Smiling in understanding, she nods in agreement, and we finish our food quickly, clean up the table and dispense with the trash, and then head back to bed. Being a gentleman (at least with my wife anyway), I allow her to use the bathroom and brush her teeth first while I wait outside in the hall. Once she's done and heads back to our room, it's my turn. I take care of my business first, wash my hands, brush my teeth quickly, and turn out the light before opening the door and heading back to our room.

Padmé's already in bed, wrapped around what looks like a body pillow, eyes already shut, heading back to slumber. I strip down to my boxers again, leaving the basically clean clothes in a pile on the floor, and I climb back in bed, noticing my wife's put on a short sleeved, maternity nightshirt that's soft and loose fitting. I edge up behind her back, slide one arm under the pillow, and drape my other arm over her hip, holding her close. Snuggling my face into her chestnut curls, which are still up in that high ponytail, I smile in contentment, my own eyes drifting closed.

Thump, thump…thump, thump

"Goodnight to you again, Little Ones. Hope you enjoy Mama's snack," I speak in the barest whisper to my unborn offspring. Almost as if they could hear me, another staccato set of thumps smacks against my wife's distended belly before falling silent as well. Obviously, all of us Skywalkers are good and tired after the long day we've had. Perfect.

Now, time to get back to sleep.

Tap, tap, tap, tap…

I peel my eyes open…and realize I'm on my belly, staring at the bedroom wall. Grunting, I close my eyes, frowning. What the hell woke me up?

"Ani?"

Tap, tap, tap, tap…

"Come on! Time to get up, Son! Breakfast is ready!"

It's my mother. I stretch languidly before flopping over on my back. Rolling my head to look at the other side of the bed…I'm both surprised – and yet not – to find my wife is already up apparently. Lifting my head, I glance at the digital clock on the dresser. It's well after nine in the morning. Yeah. Definitely time to get up. Jetlag is bad enough without sleeping the day away, which would only make it that much worse readjusting to California time. Rubbing across the top of my upper lip with my index finger, I call out, "Ok, Mom. I'm up. I'll be out in a bit."

"Ok, Sweetie."

Throwing back the covers, I stand up and stretch, reaching my arms for the ceiling. Yawning, I roll out my shoulders before bending down to gather up the clothes I threw on for our burger run last night. Might as well put these on for the day. I grab a clean pair of boxers from the dresser drawer, grab my toiletry bag, and head for the bedroom door, opening it, and then heading into the bathroom. Locking the door, I quickly strip, use the facilities, then turn on the shower. Hopping in, I shower quickly, more to wake up than anything. Stepping out, I dry off quickly before wrapping the towel round my hips and stepping to the sink to shave and brush my teeth. With that done, I apply deodorant, get dressed, and brush out my short messy hair. I gather up my wet towel and washcloth, dump them in the hamper, grab my toiletry bag and my boxers I slept in and head back to the bedroom to deposit my boxers and my toiletries before I quickly make the bed, then grab my phone, and follow my nose out to the kitchen. Arriving in the large combined kitchen/eating area, I find my mother at the stove cooking what looks to be a large vegetable and cheese stuffed omelette. Jobal, Beru, and Sola are seated at the table, each nursing a cup of coffee, as well as my Angel, now dressed in a loose, soft blue, summer maternity dress, slowly sipping a mug of brewed tea. None of the men or the girls are in sight.

I approach the table, and lean over the back of my wife's chair and place a gentle kiss on her cheek, "Morning, my Angel." I reach down with my right hand and gently rub the side of her belly, surprised at not feeling the immediate thumping in response that I've already grown used to. "Are the twins asleep?" I ask her, mildly concerned.

"Yes, they normally sleep in the mornings after breakfast, then wake up to 'play' like they're practicing for a diving competition off my spine around lunchtime. Trust me, I appreciate their naps when they take them," my wife's tone is dryly amused.

Grinning, I sit down in the chair at the end of the table, "Duly noted…What's that old saying about sleeping babies, anyway?"

My sister-in-law pipes up, "Let sleeping babes lie! And, trust me on this one, Brother Dear…It's no joke. When babies are sleeping, let them! It's the only time you'll have any peace and quiet until they start school!" Sola rolls her eyes and takes a sip of her coffee, as the rest of us burst out laughing.

At that moment, my mother brings over a plate laden with a large omelette, several slices of fresh cooked bacon, a piece of toast with grape jelly, and a piping hot cup of coffee with just cream and places this feast before me. I inhale deeply, a pleased expression on my face, "This smells fantastic!" I declare before picking up my knife and fork and digging in with relish. The ladies all smile indulgently at me, especially my wife and my mother. After several bites, I take a slurp of my coffee, and glance at Padmé, "Sweetheart, where's your coffee? I see you're drinking hot tea." My wife is a serious coffee connoisseur, I admit. Starbucks has always been one of her favorite places in the world for as long as I've known her. It is where we first met, if you'll recall. So, to see her sipping tea instead of her requisite morning java is strange to say the least. I seriously doubt she's given up her 'coffee tooth,' as I call it.

She shrugs and smiles wanly, "Eh, I've had to give coffee up for now, Honey. I can't stand the smell of it anymore. It makes me hurl…every time. So, I've had to switch to chamomile tea. It's the easiest thing on my tummy right now." She takes another sip of her tea, and I mouth a silent 'Oh.' Our mothers told me last night she'd had severe nausea with her pregnancy…so bad it landed her in the hospital for a week early in her first trimester. I guess besides an increased appetite, burger runs in the middle of the night, and eighty-sixing the java, I need to know what else, if anything, has changed for my Angel, in terms of her diet.

After a few more bites of the omelette, I ask, "Is there anything else you can't tolerate any more?" I watch her carefully for her response.

"NO added salt!" Jobal quickly interjects before Padmé can say anything. "She can't have any extra salt right now because of her blood pressure and the swelling. Even though she tries to sneak it when she thinks no one's looking." My mother-in-law shoots a pointed look at her youngest daughter. Glancing back to my wife, I see an embarrassed flush creeping across her cheeks.

Busted.

"Oh, and besides her midnight burger runs, she's had the weirdest craving for chilled jellied cranberry sauce covered with dried banana chips and drizzled in chocolate syrup, topped off with chopped walnuts and whipped cream. Don't ask any of us why. We try not to watch her when she eats it," Beru says, before sticking out her tongue and scrunching her face up in a look of pure revulsion. At our mothers' and Sola's murmured agreement to this, I can't help bursting out in a fit of laughter at their expressions of gastric horror. Oh man. Sounds like I've missed out on some…home entertainment the last six months.

Padmé just huffs and rolls her eyes at this exchange. Grinning, I take a bite of bacon then ask, "And, what about the nursery. Please tell me you haven't completely decorated that yet. We'd decided long before we got pregnant that we'd do that together, Babe."

Padmé immediately shakes her head, "No, Honey. I…We," she motions around the table to include our family, "haven't even started on the nursery yet. I knew you'd want to help with all that. We didn't even have a baby shower yet or gotten any furniture either. I mean I wanted your input in getting the cribs, the high chairs, picking out the paint for the nursery. All that stuff. So, I told everyone we'd wait until you got home. But, speaking of that stuff, the plan today was to head out to find car seats for them."

A feeling of relief sweeps through me at my wife's reassurance. I'm glad she held off until I got home. Hopefully, we've got time…not a lot of time, true, but enough time to get at least the essentials nailed down and completed now that I'm home. A smile lights up my face, as I pick up my cup of coffee, "Wonderful! Sounds like a plan to me. Is everyone coming or what?" Glancing round the empty living room, I ask, "Where's everyone else anyway?"

Mom smiles, telling me, "Cliegg and Owen had some things to take care of at the ranch this morning and so Ruwee went along with them. Darred took the girls out to IHOP for breakfast this morning to give us ladies some quiet time. They'll all be back later. But, it gives us time to go hit Walmart and look for car seats while they're all out."

"Have you looked at any cribs, Angel?" I ask, figuring she'd probably already done some looking online if nothing else. She's too organized to not have looked already, at least some.

Just as I suspected, she nods, "Yes. I've been looking online, and I have a general idea of what I want, but I didn't want to make any decisions without your input, Honey." She shrugs.

Feeling pleased that she wants my input and was willing to wait till I got home, I nod and tell her, "Maybe we could head out today to Solano Town Center in Fairfield and take a look at cribs and high chairs out there. They've got a Sears, Macy's, and a JCPenny over there. We could look around at what's available and compare prices and styles. Would you like that?" I take another big bite of my omelette and watch her answering smile spread across her beautiful pink lips.

"Oh, Ani! That'd be great! Yes, let's do that!"

"Good, we can head out for Walmart and car seats first. Then head out to Fairfield to the mall for the afternoon. We can even grab some lunch while we're there." All of the ladies nod their heads in agreement, and I hurry to finish my breakfast so we can get going.

After I finish eating, I head to the bathroom to brush my teeth, then grab my wallet and phone from the nightstand by our bed, then head back out to the living area where our mothers and sisters are gathered. "Where's Padmé?" I ask, not seeing my wife.

"Bathroom. She has to pee quite frequently now," Sola explains. Ahhh…Understandable. If I had two babies jumping up and down or lying across the top of my bladder, I'm sure I'd have to pee quite frequently, too. After another minute, my lovely wife comes waddling into view, purse slung over her shoulder, flip-flops on her feet. She's wrapped her hair up in a loose bun on top of her head, and to me, she's never looked more beautiful than right now. Smiling, I walk over and take her hand, as she offers me the keys with her opposite hand, and we all file out of the house, heading for our cars. Apparently, I am driving my wife, Sola, and Beru in our SUV, and our mothers are taking Jobal's car. I unlock the SUV, and walk around to help Padmé climb up and buckle in, while our sisters climb in back. Once I'm in and buckled up, I wait for Jobal to pull out first, before following her.

Hopefully, this trip will be a success.

I swear, my head is swimming already. And, I can feel a headache forming on top of it.

Who knew there were so many damn choices to pick from…just in car seats! And, all the listed "options." Shit, it's like trying to figure out accessories on a new car package or something. And, these are just the ones in the store. While we're perusing all the display models, Sola and Beru are also checking out the online options – which expand the choice base that much further.

Apparently, newborns need to be secured in a rear-facing car seat, from what Sola, Jobal, and my mother are telling us. That narrows it down some. Thank God. We don't need one that detaches and clicks into a stroller, as we already have a double stroller (which is at our house in the nursery and thus I've not seen it yet). So, that narrows it down even more. Good. Progress.

But, Padmé and our mothers are discussing safety features, safety ratings, and color choices, while I'm also trying to remind them all of being price conscious. It's not that I don't want what's best for our babies, I do, but I'm also cognizant of the fact that we've still got double everything to buy, and I'd like to get what they need…without having to worry about stealing from their college funds to do it, which we don't even have set up yet, by the way. Sigh. Round and round the discussion goes, and I now know why it's women who do the shopping and men who just hand over the money. This is ridiculous, I snort to myself, rolling my eyes behind my wife's and our mothers' backs. If they don't decide soon, our kids will be born before they even pick out car seats.

At long last, after what seems like forever, Padmé and I both agree on a couple of matching car seats, one in gray and pink for our daughter, one in light blue and gray for our son. They both convert into baby carriers with a built in handle, have excellent safety ratings, and they seem easy to install. Good. We grab the boxes and put them in the cart. Thinking that we're done, I'm about to tell them to follow me to the checkouts when they all start migrating toward the diapers and other baby essentials. Oh brother. Here we go.

Realizing there's no way out of this, I shake my head and follow along behind them as they start grabbing various items and adding them to our cart: Bibs, pacifiers, rattles, teething rings, a deluxe baby monitoring system, a Diaper Genie plus several packs of refills, and a rather large mint green diaper bag with more pockets in it than my flight suit all end up in our cart.

This is where the fun begins, I can't help thinking to myself with a wry smirk. Shaking my head, I ask my wife, "Are we done yet?"

Ignoring the exasperated amusement in my tone, she nods her head, "Yeah. I think that's enough for now. Though, we should start stockpiling diapers soon." Oh, I don't doubt that one damn bit.

We approach a checkout lane, and before I can say or do anything, our mothers attack the cart in a chorus of "Oh, I'll buy that," leaving me to stand gawking, my mouth hanging open, while Padmé, Sola, and Beru just grin. I turn to stare at Padmé in surprise, and she just laughs and shrugs, before Sola pipes up, "Hey, that's what grandmothers are for, right?"

I guess so.

So, each grandmother ended up buying one car seat plus an arm full of other goodies. Now, I'm left to wonder if this will all fit in the back of our SUV. We load up our cart with the now full shopping bags plus the two car seat boxes and head out to our vehicles, first making a pit stop by the restroom for Padmé. I'm very glad to see our SUV has more than enough space in back to hold all our purchases. It's definitely nice and roomy, just like Padmé said it was. Next stop, back at the lake house to deposit this first round of purchases before heading out to the mall.

I'm not normally one who enjoys going to the mall, avoiding it as much as possible, but I have to admit, in this circumstance, there's really no getting around it. Helping Padmé back into her seat in the Highlanderthough, I'm suddenly concerned that walking the entire mall might be too taxing for her. Especially as much as she has to use the restroom. Shaking off my concern for the moment, I climb back in the driver's seat, start up the engine, and follow Jobal back to the lake house. Of course, as soon as we get there, Padmé has to waddle off to relieve her bladder again, and while she does that, we unload everything else into the house, leaving it all piled up in the living room for now.

We're back on the road shortly, this time headed for the mall in Fairfield. We decided to stop and grab some grub at Red Robin next door to Best Buy, before heading into the mall itself. After again watching my wife wolf down a huge meal, complete with fried dill pickles for an appetizer, we head out into the mall, heading for Macy's first. We head right for the baby section, and I'm immediately immersed in an area I'd always considered strictly a female's domain, but upon seeing the soft, enraptured look upon my wife's face as she gazes round at all the masses of baby booty before us, I am thrilled to note that she's positively glowing, and I can't help the surge of love and masculine pride and pleasure that rushes through me as I watch her, knowing that it's because of me, because of my seed in her belly, that we're here.

A sales clerk soon descends upon us with a gleam in her eye once she takes note of my wife's burgeoning belly. No doubt, she's thinking dollar signs in her head and therefore plasters on her most charming smile as she kindly offers us her assistance. Padmé instantly takes charge, explaining our impending need for double everything, and the woman's eyes light up even more. Ka-ching. She leads us right away to their baby furniture section, and kindly points out that they have a huge sale going on right now. Since we do have twins on the way, she steers us toward what she calls convertible cribs, and with my background in engineering, this piques my interest right away…and it makes perfect sense. These cribs can convert into toddler beds when the twins reach that age, so it extends the life of each one until the children are at least maybe three or four. Now, that's what I call economic. Works for me.

She shows us several models by different brands, and they're all nice and seem well made. Our group huddles up, discussing the various options, and Padmé states she wants either a natural wood look or white for the nursery furniture, because she wants to go with a color scheme that is not strictly boy or girl themed, like a mint green or yellow or something along those lines. Eventually, we settle on a pair of white convertible cribs that have a five star rating but are marked down from a thousand dollars each to less than four hundred each. Whew. Yep, I'll take that sale, thank you very much. Next, we move on to mattresses, which apparently come separate. As if the cost of the cribs themselves wasn't enough, I guess. Again, we choose a set of mattresses that have a good safety and customer rating and will fit well in the cribs we've chosen. The beaming sales clerk must be practically giddy with her success as she rings up our purchases. She probably just scored a whole week's worth of sales off of just us today. Nice.

Still, my Angel seems pleased, and it was super nice of both our mother's (and Sola) to pitch in and help with the cost. I mean, we're not hurting for money, no, but at the same time, it's a lot of expenditures all at once for twins. And, we still have high chairs, bouncy chairs, a changing table, a dresser, and oh yeah, a glider rocking chair for Padmé, still left to buy. Not to mention who knows what all other manner of baby paraphernalia we'll need. Like clothes, the aforementioned diapers, baby wipes, and on and on it goes.

Before it can be suggested that we head out to explore the mall, Padmé begins to yawn and declares she needs another potty break. She heads off with Sola and Beru to find the restroom, and Jobal takes the time to remind me how tired Padmé gets and that she's been on her feet most of the day already and needs to get home and prop her feet up and take a nap or her feet will likely be so swollen by dinner this evening, she won't be able to walk. Thanking her for the reminder, when the three of them rejoin our group, I take Padmé's hand and announce that we're heading home right then for her to get some rest. She sputters and starts to protest, stating she wanted to get a Cinnabon, but I hold firm.

"Sweetheart, you know how bad your feet swell if you're on them too much. We're going back to the lake house, and you are going to lie down and take a nap before dinner. No buts." I give her a pointed look, and she gives in, sighing and nodding her head.

"But, my Cinnabon, Ani…" Dammit, she looks so sad, and I feel the pull on my heartstrings.

I huff, about to give in, when Sola pipes up, "Sis, Beru and I can run over and pick up some Cinnabon's and meet you back at the car. Anakin, drive around to Dick's Sporting Goods and park out front there. Cinnabon's is right by that, and we'll just walk out front there to meet you. Sound good?"

Yep. Sounds perfect, actually, and I tell her so. She and Beru nod and head off into the mall to get Padmé's baked treat. That problem solved, I grab Padmé's hand and follow our mothers back out across the mall, back out to our vehicles. Our mothers load up in Jobal's car, telling me they're going to hit the grocery store to get what they need to make spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread for dinner, and they'll see us back at the house. I nod and help Padmé into her seat, then climb in myself and head over to wait for Sola and Beru and the craved for cinnamon rolls. I admit, I'm pleased with our day's purchases, which seems to finally cement into reality the twins' impending birth in a way that just seeing my wife's swollen belly and feeling those kicks from inside her womb hadn't yet.

But, now, it's real. This is happening. We're about to become parents. Finally. Something I've longed for from the moment my Angel first knocked me over. Glancing over at my very pregnant wife, I can't help but smile in anticipation. Yeah, it might be rough, even hellish at times, dealing with two newborns at once, but I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.

Or the woman I'm going to share it all with.

A/N: My head almost hurts for him...hope you enjoyed!

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