The OB on duty ran the sonogram stick over Lily's stomach, pressing and capturing pictures at all angles.

"Both baby heartbeats are strong," she said, continuing to move the wand around.

We both sighed in relief. They were still alive, which meant perhaps something could be done.

After what felt like endless minutes of her looking further, she cleaned off the wand and tucked it aside, handing Lily a cloth to clean up the remaining gel while the OB took a seat. She smiled at us. "Nothing to worry about," she concluded. "It's just a cyst. We will do further tests while Lily is here to see if there are any underlying conditions that made her susceptible to one, but the babies are fine. Bleeding in pregnancy can occur. But you did the right thing coming in to get it checked out."

Lily's head dropped onto my shoulder and she cried happy tears. "I didn't lose them," she sobbed.

The OB picked up the tissue box and handed it over to Lily. "I heard you had loss in your last pregnancy," she said.

Lily nodded. "I'm so scared I will lose these babies..."

"You've made it through your first trimester, Lily. And they have shown no problems with their blood tests or in the imaging. They seem to be healthy babies. But of course we will keep a regular eye on them and you will have to come more frequently because managing twins is more complex. More importantly though... do you want to know the sexes of the babies?"

"You can tell that now?" I asked.

She smiled. "Mhmm."

Lily and I glanced at each other. "What do you think?"

She bit her lip then turned to the doctor. "Maybe you can write it down and we can decide later if we want to look?"

The doctor smiled. "Of course." So she pulled out the sonogram again, checked Lily's womb, then wrote down the results on a piece of paper before slipping them into an envelope and handing it to us. "Now go back home and get some more sleep."

"You look wrecked," Jessica commented when I turned up to work.

"I feel wrecked," I said back, putting my bag in my locker.

"Everything good?"

I grinned. "Yes, thankfully. We had to go to the emergency last night because Lily was bleeding."

"Oh no!" A look of horror washed over her face.

"Babies are fine though. Just a cyst and nothing serious."

A hand on her heart, Jessica said, "That's a relief. Should you be here today though?"

"I need the money," I sighed. "And I want to make sure they don't cut my shifts."

"Don't tell me that's a thing that happens here..."

"I'm afraid so."

"Ugh!" She shrugged her vest on. "Let's go collect some trolleys then."

After skipping my classes again, I went home and ran inside, pulling Lily into my arms the moment I saw her, despite the fact she was hunched over her uni work. "I missed you," I mumbled into her hair.

She giggled. "One hiccup and you're very affectionate."

"I don't like scary things. Reminds me to appreciate the small things more. Like how beautiful you are," I kissed her head, "and how much I love these two already," I kissed her belly, "and how you complete me," I kissed her mouth.

Laughing, she gently pushed me back and turned back to her task.

"No. No study. Play with me."

She frowned at me. "You sound like Jojo. How is she by the way?"

Pursing my lips, I replied, "Not sure. Haven't seen her."

"If you're bored, study. Or go see your sister."

"I'll go see Jojo."

Mum's car was home when I got there, so I knew Jojo would likely be there too.

"Cory!" mum exclaimed when I walked in, pulling me into a hug. "How's the babies? Any pictures?"

I pulled the newest one out of my pocket and handed it to her. "We have the sex of each of them written in an envelope at home. Can't bring ourselves to look yet."

"Oh I'd love to know."

"Not that it changes anything. If I have two girls, they will still wear dinosaur shirts and play sports with me. And if it's boys then they can surely wear pink shirts and play with dolls." I shrugged. "I think I just like knowing whatever I can about them before they are here."

Mum shook her head at me.

"What?"

"Parenthood is good for you, Cory. You glow."

I smiled. "I'm just so happy I'm going to be a dad. I'm really ready this time."

"How's uni?"

I groaned and slumped onto the couch. "Don't ask."

"Why?"

"I hate it, mum."

"Do you want to change degrees again?"

I looked down. "Why bother. I hate study. I prefer pushing trolleys. I just don't know what I want to do with my life right now."

"Then drop out and get full time work."

"Lily wouldn't like that..."

"Lily doesn't have to decide for you."

"It's just... she's so smart and studying to be a doctor and I feel like I can never compare."

"But you could provide money for her and a bigger home faster if you went into full time work more quickly. And as long as you're good to her and your children, what does it matter if you get a degree? We place too much pressure on kids to think they must get a degree or they are nothing. There are avenues into work without them."

I nodded. She was right. But how do I tell Lily what I wanted without breaking her? And when was the right time? I shook my head. "Is Jojo here?"

Mum sighed. "In her room."

"What?"

"You'll see. Go up."

I ran up the stairs and threw her door open. "Hey sis, wanna..." I said as the door opened, stopping when I saw her. All the posters of sports stars and bands that she previously had around her room were gone. The white walls now blank. Her lion king bed sheets gone, replaced with a lavender bed set. But worst of all, Jojo's appearance. The long black hair had been chopped short and bleached blonde. A thick line of eyeliner surrounded her eyes, her eyebrows filled in intensely, and her lips smeared in lipstick. The usual baggy shirt and pants gone, replaced by short shorts and a singlet.

"Where's my sister?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Gone. Get out of my room," she snapped.

"Jojo... are you doing this because of Mikey?"

"Get out!" she screamed at me, grabbing the door and slamming it in my face.

I took the stairs two at a time, finding my mum folding the laundry in the back. "What happened to her?" I asked.

Mum sighed. "She wanted a new look apparently. Wouldn't say why. She's got a new group of friends now that her and Mikey split up. Apparently he took her friends in the breakup."

My jaw clenched. That little shit was going to get it...

"Don't think about stirring up trouble, Cory Peterson," mum said, predicting my actions. "You're an adult now so you can't be getting in fights with minors. Also, you have children on the way. Don't do anything that would mess up your stability at home."

After mum calmed me down and distracted me with talk about her current issues at work, I finally decided to head home for dinner. But on my way out, the outside bin caught my eye. Poking out was a wheel. Lifting the lid, my heart dropped. Jojo's skateboard was in the bin. I pulled it out, shook off the disgusting rubbing that clung to it, and walked back to the house. Lifting up the garage door, I rolled her skateboard inside and closed the door again.

As I got into my car, I worried about my sister the whole way home. I hope this is just a phase...