Blue clothes for boys. Pink clothes for girls. Grey clothes for the middle. "The colour range here is really pathetic," I grimaced as we fingered through the layers of clothes. "And what happened to pink being a masculine colour?"

"Maybe we just wait on the clothes then until we find out the genders?" Cory replied, busy grinning at a dinosaur shirt in size 0000. "I can't believe how small they get!"

"Yeah, well, if what our OB said is true, there's a chance these babies may come before the 40 week mark, which means we will need a smaller size than that."

"What's this size?'

"Newborn, I believe. We would need preemie," I responded, holding up a pink premature baby onsie in front of me as an example.

"Oh my gosh the mittens!" he cooed.

Unable to stop the cackle that erupted from me, I went to put the clothing back then stopped. "Oh no..." I sighed.

"What's wrong?" Cory was by me in an instant, arms wrapping around me.

Cheeks in flames, I met his blue gaze and whispered, "I think I just peed myself a little."

He was doing his best to suppress his smile as he said, "Need me to run and find you a change of clothes?"

"I don't think it was too much but... I do think I'll need a toilet."

"Come on. Let's find you one then."

After dabbing off as much residual pee as I could and popping on one of the ridiculously sized pads Cory had found for me (I was never sending him on a shopping run for sanitary products again), I waddled out feeling gross and wondering if I smelled of urine.

"Pregnancy sucks," I grimaced.

"Well you look cute," he smiled. "And you're creating life."

"Then you do it."

"Gladly."

I rolled my eyes. "We spent too long looking at clothes when we aren't even out for that."

"I know. But they're just so cute..."

"We can get one as a memento sake but we need to look at cribs."

Walking back into the baby store, we headed straight for the back where all the furniture laid. Portacots, bassinets, cribs, co-sleepers. Cribs that convert to toddler beds. Moses baskets.

Strollers, prams, two-in-ones.

Baby slings, baby carriers, baby wraps.

The ranges of products went on and on, the shop assistant explaining all the pros and cons for each.

"How many babies?"

"What is your colour scheme?"

"Are you co-sleeping?"

"Breast or bottle feeding?"

"Exclusive breast feeding or pumping?"

"Will you be freezing your milk?"

My late afternoon burrito began to make its way up through my esophagus. First trimester morning sickness was long gone, but that didn't mean I wasn't immune to nervous nausea.

A glance from the corner of his eye, Cory seemed to notice the green tint to my face. After asking the store assistant to give us a moment, he wrapped an arm around me and guided me over to the nursing chair display, lowering me into a plush grey one.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.

"There's too many decisions."

"I know. But we don't have to decide today. We just have to think about it. We still have twenty weeks until they arrive and--"

"Could be less, remember? Twins sometimes come early or have to be taken out early."

"I remember. But, I'm just saying we still have plenty of time."

"I don't know if I want a stupid two-in-one car seat or a standalone stroller. I don't know if I want a double breast bump or a single or whatever. I've never done this stupid shit before. How can I possibly know?" And then the tears started coming out, my words mixing with blubber. A gentle smile on his face, Cory nodded in all the right moments, though I was sure he didn't really understand what I was saying because I wasn't sure if I did.

But at the end of it all, he said softly, "Got it all out now, my love?"

I shook my head, pouting my lips as I sniffed the snot back up.

Using the sleeve of his jumper, he wiped away my tears and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. "How about we call it a day and then come back next time with our mums? They've done this before and they might be able to make the executive decisions for us."

Taking a few deep breaths, I mulled it over then nodded. "That's not too bad of an idea, actually."

"I have them sometimes. Probably why I got the promotion."

I laughed then wrapped my arms around him. Cory wound himself around me, patting a hand over the length of my hair as he remained in his crouched position on the ground by the chair.

After some time passed, us in our awkward embrace, I whispered, "Cory?"

"Mmm?"

"I need to pee again."

As I sat at my usual spot in the back of the library on Friday, a familiar face in my peripherals caught my attention. I looked up from my computer as he trudged up the stairway, head turned down in a slump.

Then slowly, he glanced around the library, probably for a place to sit, when he saw me. He gave me a small sad smile, hesitating in step.

I beckoned to him with my hand and the smile got a bit warmer as he adjusted his bag over his shoulder and began walking my way.

But he didn't sit straight away. He just stood a couple of steps by me, not really meeting my eyes.

"You can sit with me," I said.

"I thought we weren't being friends anymore?" Tyler replied.

I let out a sigh and closed my laptop for the time being. "We weren't. But after almost two weeks away from you and reconnecting with my partner, I think I'm doing better. And I missed hanging out."

He pressed his lips together as he finally met my gaze. After some moments of just staring at me, he eventually took his bag off his back and sat in the seat opposite me.

"What are you working on?" he asked.

"The chem prac report."

"Gross. I haven't even started that one. I keep hoping if I ignore it long enough, then it will just write itself."

"You know it doesn't work like that, right?"

"I can dream."

Laughing, I reached for my laptop and opened it back up. "Oh I needed a laugh..."

"Why? What's wrong?"

After entering my password, I hesitantly looked up at him.

"Am I not allowed to ask that still?"

"You are. Um... Cory and I went baby shopping last night and I'm like super overwhelmed by all the options and have no clue what to do."

"Ah yes. There's a plethora of options out there. Good ol' capitalism. My advice is to get all sorts of bottles and dummies too because babies can reject certain nipples."

I let out a groan. "Seriously? There's different bottles and dummies too?"

Shaking his head, a grin spreading across his face, he said, "There's at least five ways to make a baby product differently for each one. And you, with all your hormones, have to somehow decide which product that is only marginally different from the last is the best fit for two people you haven't met yet."

"This is just bullshit."

"Basically. I can help if you want? Maybe ask my sister for some tips and tag along, tell you which--"

"This is a me and my partner thing, Tyler," I cut him off straight away, watching as his face fell. "Thank you, though," I said.

"It's all good. Found out the genders yet?"

I shook my head. "PArty is this weekend."

"You're having a party?"

Biting my lip, I anxiously met his eager gaze. I was not supposed to tell him that. "Yeah, but just close friends and family."

"Am I not a close friend?"

"Um... I don't know if it's quite... we are friends... you see--"

"You haven't told Cory that I exist have you?"

"No."

But I regretted the admission immediately. Because in that moment, a flicker of desire and hope echoed in Tyler's gaze, stirring that little part of my heart that was still intrigued by him.