“But I don’t wanna go to school,” Colin whined as his father tightened the scarf around his neck. In his opinion there was no worse way to spend the day than at school. Well, maybe going to the doctor or the dentist, but he didn’t have to do that EVERY day. March was such a dreadful month; there was almost no vacation at all! What good was a month without vacation?

Sheridan ran a soothing hand over her belly. “Colin, sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do, especially if it’s going to make us smarter.”

“Or pay the bills,” Luis smiled.

Colin rolled his eyes. “I don’t have bills, Papa, I’m five.”

Sheridan had to bite her lip not to laugh. Colin was unfortunately too honest sometimes, especially when it came to embarrassing his parents. She didn’t even want to remember going to Julian’s a few weeks ago and overhearing Colin say, “Uncle Jules, which costume were Mom and Dad wearing when they got the babies?” That of course didn’t bother a sober, but hysterical, Julian. He merely replied that Adam and Eve were the popular look for those wanting to get pregnant. She could have killed her brother when he continued by adding just HOW a baby was conceived…in five-year-old terms of course.

“All right, are you ready to go, kiddo?” Luis asked, snapping Sheridan out of her reverie.

“But I wanna go with Mama,” Colin gave his best pout.

“Mama isn’t going to work,” Luis replied, straightening Colin’s cap.

“Yes, I am,” Sheridan rubbed her distended belly before grabbing her coat from the hook on the wall. “I’m not on maternity leave yet.”

“The doctor said…”

“That I should rest as much as possible, but that I was free to work and continue on with daily activities. Look, I called her yesterday and she said that I could continue to work until I felt the need to pull back on my hours. I have a teaching assistant and she’s a magnificent help.”

Luis sighed. “I’m not going to win this fight, am I?”

“No, Papa, so let’s go before we’re late,” he grabbed his Pokemon book bag and scampered towards the front door.

Sheridan smirked. “See? Even HE knows to give in to me. How come you can’t?” she crossed her arms.

“Because I’m worried about you. You’ve been so ill lately,” he sighed. “Like last night, when you were so dizzy you nearly passed out.”

“That’s because I had been running around after Colin. I’m going to be behind a desk most of the day. Luis, come on. The kids are looking forward to our March Madness day and I don’t want to let them down. We’re off Thursday and Friday, so I’ll be able to relax all weekend.”

“I don’t know, Sher.”

“You can’t tell me not to go to work!”

“I can so!”

Her eyes flashed and she grabbed the keys to her car. “No you can’t,” she grabbed her own bag and headed outside without putting on her coat. “Come on, Colin.”

“No, Colin you’re coming with me while Mom stays home.”

“I am not!” she growled, opening her car door. Thank God the spring thaw had started early. She might never have been able to get into her car otherwise.

“Sheridan…”

“Don’t Luis!” she glared at him. “Colin get in the car.”

“Mommy…” he was afraid and shaking, a blush on his cheeks.

Sheridan looked over at her son, knowing that tone. Colin only called her Mommy when something was wrong. “Oh kiddo,” she felt miserable, kneeling in front of him. “Did you have an accident?”

Colin’s teary brown eyes stared back at her. “I’m sorry, Mommy,” he started sobbing.

Sheridan pulled him into her arms. “Shhhh. It’s all right, darling. Papa and I were yelling and frightened you.” She looked up at her husband as she rubbed her son’s back. They seemed to be arguing more and more lately between her health and Beth.

“Yea, kiddo, it’s all right. Don’t worry.”

“I’m so bad,” he cried, his tears wetting Sheridan’s ice cold shoulder.

“No, no you’re not bad,” Sher pulled away, cupping his little cheek and catching a tear with her thumb. “Accidents happen, sweetie.”

“Promise?” he sniffled.

“I promise. Come on, let’s change your clothing and get some of those things into the wash. Luis, you go on and leave before you’re late,” Sheridan accepted his help up. “I’ll call you when I get to school.”

“Sher…”

“Luis, please. If you make me angry it’s worse than if I go and sit behind a desk all day. I’m not going to be doing much teaching for the afternoon. Please?”

“Fine,” he kissed her lips, lingering for only a moment. “Love you both…”

“Ahem,” Sheridan looked down at her tummy.

“Love you four,” he amended, touching her stomach gently before heading to his car.

“We love you too,” Sheridan smiled, waving as Luis drove off.

Colin just hid his head in her side, burying his shame of what had happened. He hadn’t had many accidents over time, only one or two after he moved in with Sheridan and Luis. Misty had caused him to wet his pants before, but he hardly remembered the days he lived with her. Sniffling, he clung to his mother’s leg. “Mama…”

“We’re going back inside now, sweetie,” Sheridan tossed her bag into the car, grabbing her keys and locking the doors. Leading Colin inside the house, she stopped when she felt dizzy again. “Colin, go get something to change into and put those clothes by the washing machine.”

“All right, Mama,” he looked at her. “Will you be ok?”

She nodded. “I’m fine. Go on, before we’re late.” Sheridan watched him leave the room, his eyes never leaving her. Colin was so much like his father. He was smart and loving and always so worried about everyone he cared for, especially her. Placing a hand on her belly, Sheridan’s heart swelled with love as her daughters moved within her belly. “You two better behave today,” she sighed, closing her eyes. “Because your father is ready to make me quit my job.”

“Mama. I’m ready,” Colin stopped, watching his mother caress her belly. He sighed; part of him was very jealous of the new babies. After all, they were getting toys and clothes and already loved so much by everyone and they weren’t even here yet. Another part of him couldn’t wait to be a big brother and have someone to play with around here. His mother and father were great people, but he really wanted some other kids to play with; the girl next door was starting to get too mushy.

Sheridan opened her eyes. “Come here kiddo, feel this,” she sat on the bench that was home to the snow boots and umbrellas. Colin ran over and put his hand on Sheridan’s stomach.

“What am I feeling?”

“The babies move,” she held his hand gently against the swell of her stomach. One of the babies kicked, the little foot bumping Colin’s hand.

“WOW!” his eyes shot open wide. “That’s so cool!”

Sheridan laughed. “All right, put your coat on. We’re running late enough and your father will kill us both if we don’t get to school in one piece.”

Colin pulled on his coat again, looking at his mother. “Can I give the babies a kiss first?”

Sheridan smiled. “Of course.”

Colin placed his lips against his mother’s belly. “I love you girls.”

Sheridan straightened his hat. “They love you too,” she smiled, a tear rolling down her cheek. “Come on, we’re late.”

Sheridan sank wearily into the chair behind her desk, watching her class dance the hokey pokey with her teaching assistant. March Madness was an idea she had seen in a book, except they called it culture day. Each student was paired with someone and the two presented a culture to the class. Sheridan had the entire day catered with foods from all across the world (though it was all things her class would eat.) The kids loved it, playing games, like busting open a piñata, and learning dances, including a tango. They were all in some form of costume and having a good time.

But she was still tired and the decorations were starting to droop. Her classroom was one of the warmest and most welcoming rooms. She had received permission to build a few things and with some of the Crane money she had built a special reading area. It had a tree painted in the corner of one wall, realistic leaves and branches around and a platform that was actually a tree house. Pillows covered the home’s floor and three CD radios with headsets were tucked away for her children. On the floor was a fake grassland and pillows, rocking chairs and bookshelves, covered in picture and chapter books. Most of the teachers envied her reading center and she often found herself planning ways to improve it.

But today she didn’t even want to think about fixing her room up at the end of the day. The floor was covered in ground tortilla chips and two of the posters had fallen already. The children were covered head to toe in chocolate and tomato sauce, their laughing faces inches away from being unidentifiable…

And there was still thirty minutes until the bell.

“Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald?” one of her third graders tapped her on the shoulder.

Sheridan hadn’t realized she had closed her eyes, the music still pounding in her spinning head. “Yes, Madison?”

“I made you this,” she stuck out a sticky hand holding a pink construction paper card. “For having two baby girls.”

Sheridan smiled and looked at the hand drawn picture of two baby girls sleeping in their cradles. The blankets were made out of pieces of material from the craft center. “It’s beautiful, Madison. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” the girl smiled, brushing some strawberry blond hair behind her ear. “Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald, will you bring the babies to class one day?”

Sheridan nodded. “As soon as they are well enough to go outside, I’ll bring them in so you can meet them. Deal?”

“Good deal,” Maddie hugged her teacher. “You’re the best teacher in the world,” she ran back to her classmates.

Sheridan sighed. That was why she became a teacher. At twenty-one she had been muddling through college as a business major, hating every class she took. For a while she tried English and journalism, both were relatively enjoyable but quite isolating. She felt alone enough in the relationship she had been having with a man she had met in Spain that she wanted something uniting with work.

So she had turned to the one thing that had never failed her: children. As a Crane, positive publicity was important and her father had often enough insisted that she visit an orphanage and spend “a few moments with the ragamuffins there.” Of course, she had decided to take him up on that and toured many orphanages across the European continent, some with her mystery man at her side. Her father pressed AJ, as he called himself, to propose and he had, right in the middle of an orphanage visit.

Weeks later, AJ and Sheridan had called it quits and Sheridan returned to her work with children and her education classes. She had never felt more important than the moment a student learned what she had been teaching them. The glow in his little eyes, the smile on his face…he totally and completely trusted his teacher and learned something from her in the process. It would be a moment she never forgot.

But few schools wanted to hire the Crane heiress, especially with her father so vehemently opposed to her working as an underpaid teacher. Still, she had applied to many schools, getting accepted to none. She went back to school, obtained a Masters to go with her certification and then tried again without luck. So she settled into the jet-setting life knowing she would always have that degree should she ever need it.

And she had needed it when she married Luis.

“Class,” she stood, looking at the clock again. Fifteen more minutes. “I think it’s time we clean up our mess and get our books together for the extended weekend.”

“But Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald,” they whined, giving her the cute little pouts her son had become known for. She sometimes wondered if there was a book on faces parents just couldn’t resist.

“Guys, school is over soon. We have to get ready to leave,” Shannon giggled, fixing her unruly dirty blond hair, her big blue eyes twinkling. “Now clean up your places and I’ll put on our clean up music,” she headed for the radio.

The kids all huffed, looking disappointed and unsatisfied, but they all headed for their desks and started to clean up the party dishes. Sheridan started organizing her books while Shannon, the miracle worker she was, started to remove decorations and organize the room.

Once the books she needed were stacked, Sheridan walked to the coat closets and opened them, smiling when the students all sped up their cleaning. Soon the first student had finished, then a few more, and before she knew it the entire class had returned to their seats, the room completely in order.

“All right, rows one and six may get their coats and backpacks,” she waddled out of the way, quickly making room for the swarm of students that were grabbing their things.

“Not that their in a rush to leave,” Shannon laughed, packing one of her own books into her brief case. “Are you alright Mrs. LoFitz? You look pale.”

“Just tired,” Sheridan smiled. “Today has been a long day. My poor son had a bit of an accident so I have laundry waiting at home on top of all the papers I need to grade.”

“Is there anything you’d like me to do?” Shannon asked. “I can grade some of the spelling tests.”

“That would be an immense help,” Sheridan smiled. “All right rows two and five, go for it,” she called as the first two rows were finally at their desks. “I’ll give you the papers before you take the walkers outside.”

“All right.”

“Shannon, thanks for all the help you’ve been so far this year! I am so thankful you were assigned to my class.”

“Me too,” she replied, smiling.

Sheridan took a step to walk away, but started swaying. Shannon immediately caught her by the arm. “Rows three and four may go get their things,” Shannon permitted, leading Sheridan to her desk. “Careful, Mrs. LoFitz. I wouldn’t want to explain anything to your husband. Cops frighten me.”

Sheridan laughed tightly. “I’m fine Shannon. Why don’t you help the students outside and I’ll have the tests waiting for you when you return.”

“Are you sure?”

Sheridan nodded, closing her eyes for a second while Shannon took control of the children in the room. She rubbed her stomach again, feeling her daughters move slightly. Luis would have a fit if he found out she nearly fell again and if he heard that she blacked out during her lunch break…well making her quit until after the babies were born would be the least of her worries. She sighed, feeling a tear roll down her cheek. She had been so careful today, so relaxed. What did she have to do to keep from harming herself and her unborn children?

“Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald, the bus bell rang. Can we head outside?” asked Thomas, one of her very overactive boys.

Sheridan opened her eyes, catching the look of one of her fellow teachers from across the hall. The woman nodded, letting Sheridan know she would walk out with her kids. “All right, guys, go ahead. Follow Mrs. McKinney out and don’t cause any problems for her!” she insisted. “I’ll see you all on Monday.”

“Bye!” they all rushed off, leaving behind a lunchbox or a mitten that would spend the weekend in the classroom lost and found

She sighed, grabbing the spelling tests out of her bag and leaving them on her desk. Now all she needed to do was claim Colin from the kindergarten class and bring him home. She needed to do the laundry, start dinner and then get some rest or else Luis would easily tell that she had been too tired today and put herself at risk. The last thing she needed was an ‘I told you so’ lecture from her husband. Those were worse than arguments! In fact, she would skip making dinner and order pizza; it would save her the trouble and Luis would just think she was craving it.

Grabbing her shoulder bag and heading out of the room, Sheridan shut off the lights and rubbed her lower back. Tonight she was going to take a nice, long, hot bath and forget that she even had to do anything but rest for the next four days. Monday she would be back to normal and ready to deal with her students until their Spring break in April…

And then maternity leave would be looming ahead.

Four more months and she would be able to see her feet and bend at the waist but she would also have breast feeding, three am wake up calls, dirty diapers and three children, not including her incredibly childish husband. But she couldn’t have asked for a better life than the one she was having right now. Five months ago she had become pregnant; three months ago she had married the man of her dreams and just about a year ago she had found the son she hadn’t remembered. Life was sweet and for Sheridan even the bad things seemed insignificant.

Bad things like Beth Wallace who had been her maid-of-honor.

“All right, girls,” she whispered as she walked down the hall. “Time to go home. If you’d kindly behave for the next four months, Mommy would really appreciate it.”

She noticed how they didn’t seem to move, meaning they were finally asleep. Figured!

“MAMA!” Colin darted out of the classroom the second he could see her in the hall. His tiny arms hugged her tightly. “I thought you wouldn’t come!”

“Hey, you know I would never not pick you up sweetie. I love you,” she smiled gently. “Where’s your hat?”

“In my backpack, it’s wet,” he chuckled. “I found a puddle at recess.” His eyes twinkled deviously.

Sheridan laughed. Far be it from her son to ignore a mud puddle when he had the chance to run through it. “Well then you’re just going to learn to do laundry so that you can clean up your own messes,” she teased, taking his hand and leading him from his classroom.

“Oh, Mama, I know you’d never make me wash the clothes,” he rolled his eyes. “I’m only five.”

“And far too smart for your age,” she ruffled his thick black hair. “You are just far too much like your father.”

“No, I’m not,” he insisted as she pushed open the door to the school. “I don’t boss ya around.”

She laughed. “You’ve got me there.”

“Got you where?” he looked around.

She shook her head. “No where,” she shivered in the cold air and opened the door to her car. “Climb in, sweetie.”

“Mama,” he blushed, catching a group of the other kids laughing. “Could you not call me sweetie with the guys around?”

Tears filled Sheridan’s eyes as her hormones took control of her body. “Don’t you love your old Mom anymore?” she begged, sniffling.

“Oh Mama,” he sighed, hugging her tight. What had his father called this? The joys of being with a pregnant woman? What was there to be happy about when she was blubbering in his little shoulder? Patting her back, Colin let his mother cry for a while. “Mama, I love you so much. I just…we’ll I’m getting older and…”

Sheridan started to giggle; her son was trying to sound so grown up right now. She felt terrible that he sometimes ended up in these situations, especially when she and Luis often ended up arguing. Her son was always the one to sooth her afterwards and care for her when his father was at work. If there was ever a time she worried about Luis’ job, Colin would sit beside her and remind her his father was coming home soon.

“It’s not funny,” he huffed, pulled away a little.

“Sorry,” she tried to stop laughing, but only succeeded in laughing more. “Mommy wasn’t laughing at you, I promise.”

“Ok,” he climbed into his seat of the car and buckled up.

Sheridan climbed in as well, closing her door and buckling herself in. “So how was school today?”

“Boring, the teacher taught us the letters I know already,” he rolled his eyes. “Kindergarten is easy, Mama.”

Sheridan smiled, ruffling his hair. “Only because you’re so smart. Plenty of children haven’t learned these things yet.”

“Yea, but why do I have to learn them again?” he whined.

Sheridan laughed. “We all…”

“Have to do things we don’t wanna. I know,” he sighed, his mother was getting redundant in her old age.

Sheridan sighed. “Colin, when we get home can you keep yourself entertained while Mama takes a nap?”

“You were sick again?” he looked at her, worried.

“No, no,” she lied, driving down the street to their house. “I’m just tired.”

“All right. I’ll watch The Lion King!”

“Oh boy,” she feigned excitement. She knew the words to that movie by heart now! How could a child possible want to see the same thing over and over again? She couldn’t bare watching that cartoon once more!

“Mama! You’ll watch it too before you fall asleep?”

“Oh, sure,” she forced a smile, pulling into the driveway. Oh yea, she could feel the love; she rolled her eyes. Her only hope was Luis getting home soon!

Luis arrived home, smiling when he saw Colin on the living room floor watching The Lion King and singing Hakuna Matata softly enough so that he wouldn’t wake his mother. Sheridan napped on the couch, her hand on her stomach and her lips parted slightly. He loved scenes like this where they were a family and relaxing together but he did miss the days where he and Sheridan lounged around making love and making plans. Now they were painting a nursery and chasing a son.

Silently he closed the front door, softly walking past the pair and into the bedroom for a moment. He turned down the bed, setting it up for Sheridan after dinner. His only hope was that Sheridan actually ate something today. She hadn’t been eating nearly enough in the past few weeks and Dr. Hamilton had told her she lost three pounds. Of course, Sheridan thought that was fine, considering she was starting to feel like a beached whale; but it made Luis worry. If she was losing weight it meant that she and the babies were hardly getting enough to eat.

Heading back into the living room, Luis went over to his son and sat on the floor. Colin looked over, not immediately realizing his father had joined him. Suddenly his eyes widened and he dove into his father’s arms. “Papa!”

“Shh,” Luis put a finger to his lips. “How was school?”

“Don’t ask,” Colin rolled his eyes. “Mama’s been sleeping since I Just Can’t Wait to be King,” Colin pouted. “I wanted her to watch with me.”

“She doesn’t get a lot of sleep, kiddo. She needs rest for the babies.”

“Stupid twins,” he mumbled. “She didn’t make dinner.”

“We’ll order pizza or something,” Luis promised. “Or would you rather have hamburgers?”

“Pizza!” Colin cheered. “I want just cheese, none of that yucky stuff you get!”

Luis laughed. “I’ll go order a pizza in a little while, deal?”

“Deal,” Colin hugged his dad. “Can we have an indoor picnic?”

“I think that sounds like a wonderful idea,” Sheridan yawned.

Luis went over to the couch, kneeling beside it and caressing her cheek. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

“Mmm, good,” she smiled. “I really needed the nap. Where’s my kiss?”

He chuckled, leaning in and kissing her sweetly and then kissing her stomach twice. “You three feeling all right? No problems today?”

“None at all,” Sheridan smiled, hating that she was lying to him. “How was work?” She was tempted to ask if he had seen Beth, but bit her tongue. They had never discussed what happened the month before, especially once Sheridan started feeling ill and going right to bed at night.

Luis sighed. “It was all right. We have a big case right now and it’s hard to solve cases with no evidence or witnesses. I brought the files home to look over.”

“You’re going to work tonight?” she pouted.

“No, I promised my family and indoor picnic. Now I’m going to go order a pizza and then I’m going to set up our picnic, complete with some music,” he got up.

Sheridan smiled, watching him head over to the phone. His pants were so tight and she definitely loved what lay beneath them. She smirked. If she were sure that sex wouldn’t push her over the edge and made her pass out, she definitely would have jumped her husband. Sometimes life was very unfair and now was one of those times.

Luis blew her a kiss as he took the portable phone over to the radio and fished through some CDs. Colin shut off his movie and hit the rewind button, scampering off to get the picnic blanket. Luis popped in a CD as he finished ordering a plain cheese pizza, joining his wife on the couch. He wiggled his eyebrows as one of Sheridan’s favorite songs began to play.

Sher’s eyes met his and she smiled, taking his left hand and placing it on her stomach. She didn’t have to say a thing for him to know the babies were kicking and she wanted him to feel it. He also hadn’t any need of say a word as he looking into her eyes and silently told her just how much he loved her and how excited he was that they were going to be parents again. He leaned in a kissed her lips, just as one of his daughters kicked his hand so hard he had to pull it away. Sheridan laughed.

“She’s been doing that quite a bit today,” she smiled, her blue eyes sparkling as Luis’ hand began to rub her stomach.

“That’s not very nice of her,” he teased, leaning down and kissing her stomach.

Sheridan blushed. “How can you possibly stand to look at me sometimes?”

“What?” he was surprised.

“I’m huge!” she pouted.

Colin stopped dead in his tracks. He knew where this was going. First, his mother would start crying and then his father would get all mushy and try to make her stop. Finally, they would kiss and forget he was around. Dropping the blanket he slowly backed into the hall. He wasn’t sure he could stomach this before dinner.

“Sheridan, I love you and I find you just as attractive, if not more, than when you weren’t carrying the twins. I’ve always wanted to have a family and now I finally do. I have you and Colin and two beautiful daughters on the way,” he kissed her stomach again. “I can hardly wait for them to be here.”

She smiled, though tears rolled down her cheeks. “I love you so much.”

“Love you too,” he kissed her again.

The doorbell rang and Luis sighed, his eyes meeting hers once again. He really wanted to continue the moment, but he couldn’t ask his son to starve. Getting up, he headed to the door the get the pizza and Colin decided now was a safe time to enter. He walked into the room, dragging his blanket behind him.

“I got the blanket, Mama.”

“Thanks, sweetie,” she pushed herself up and took the blanket, spreading it out in front of the fireplace. Colin smiled at her and then smoothed out the blanket and set up the pillows. Sheridan felt Luis’ hands slide around her waist and leaned back in his embrace as his fingers massaged the sides of her extended belly.

He smiled against her neck. “Do you wanna sit on the floor or on a chair?”

She held his hands on her stomach. “I should be all right on the floor. It’s not a picnic otherwise.”

Luis nodded, helping her sit on the floor before retrieving the pizza from a nearby table and opening it in the middle of the blanket. Colin immediate dove into the open box making his parents laugh.

“I think he’s hungry,” Sheridan giggled, picking up and slice and eating the crust first.

Luis eyed her curiously, watching her bite into the crust of the pizza instead of the opposite end.

“What are you doing?” he laughed.

She shrugged, not even realizing she had done it. “I guess I’m eating my pizza backwards,” she giggled.

He shook his head. Sheridan was an amazing woman and every time he looked at her he fell in love all over again.

All day he would sit at the office and listen to people go on and on about cases and crooks, wives and kids. He sometimes couldn’t stand all the noise he dealt with. But the second he came home and Sheridan greeted him with that beautiful smile and those stunning blue eyes, he couldn’t seem to stop himself from wanted to please her. For their entire relationship they had a special bond that surpassed any distance. He knew when she was hurting or in trouble, and she knew she could calm him with just a simple look. Words were never necessary…

Even now.

“Luis,” she blushed. “You’re staring.”

“Sorry,” he chuckled, leaning in to kiss her lips. “Love you.”

“I knew that already,” she winked, going back to her pizza.

He laughed.

After the pizza, the trio cleaned up the mess in the living room and got Colin into bed. Sheridan laughed when she watched him fight sleep as Luis read to him from one of his many favorite picture books.

“It was bad enough the cows had found the old typewriter in the barn, now they wanted electric blankets! ‘No way,’ said Farmer Brown. ‘No electric blankets.’ So the cows went on strike. They left a note on the bard door…Sorry. We’re closed. No milk today.”

Sheridan giggled, that book was just the cutest one she had ever seen. Shannon had recommended she pick up Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type for Colin when she learned how old he was. It was definitely a good idea. Colin had loved the story about the cows protesting the Farmer’s cold treatment when they found a typewriter. And the ending! It was all too much!

“Luis, I think he’s asleep,” Sheridan whispered, watching her husband continue to read the book.

“But…” he looked at the page. “I’m not done!”

Sheridan tried not to laugh. “Come to bed and I’ll read the ending,” her eyes twinkled.

Luis immediately dropped the book on Colin’s desk and shut off the light, rushing for his wife. She squeaked in surprise, trying to get away but easily being caught by her husband. He started kissing her neck.

“Luis…Luis we can’t…”

“You’ve been all right all day, right? The doctor said as long as you felt well…” he looked into her eyes. “Unless you don’t want to.”

“It’s just that…” she hesitated. “Luis, I wasn’t well all day. I got dizzy again and had a headache…”

“That’s it. You’re going to go see her again Sheridan and we’re going to make sure this isn’t something serious!”

“Luis,” she pouted. “It’s…”

“No, we’re going so you schedule an appointment tomorrow and tell her it’s an emergency, Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald! That’s an order!” he stormed into the living room.

She sighed, rubbing her stomach and making sure Colin was all right before she went to bed. She didn’t want to go to the doctors…

She was afraid of the truth.

Changing and climbing into bed, Sheridan closed her eyes and whispered a prayer as a tear rolled down her cheek. ‘Please Lord…protect my daughters.’

And then she fell asleep. She didn’t hear her husband enter the room and slide into bed, his arm coming around her waist and rub her stomach. She didn’t hear him whisper the same prayer or see the tear that rolled down his cheek. And she certainly didn’t hear him add.

“God I love her, please don’t take her away from me.”

Chapter Three