With shaking hands, she finally loosened her grip. “Look, Henry,” she whispered.
I did. And I went still.
Josh: pale, pink-cheeked, looked like me. But Raiden: deep brown skin, dark curls, and Anna’s eyes… was just as much ours.
“I only love you,” Anna sobbed. “They’re your babies, Henry! I swear. I don’t know how this happened! I’ve never looked at another man that way! I didn’t cheat!”
I stared at our sons, speechless, as Anna fell apart beside me.
“They’re your babies!”
“My goodness.”
I knelt by the bed, hands shaking, searching my wife’s face for anything I could anchor to.
“Anna, look at me, love. I believe you. We’re going to figure this out, okay? I’m right here.”
She nodded. Josh whimpered. Raiden clenched his tiny fists, already fierce against the world. I stroked both their heads.
A nurse slipped in, clipboard pressed to her chest.
“We’re going to figure this out.”
“Mom and Dad?” she said gently. “The doctors want to run a few tests on the babies. Just standard checks, given the… um, unique circumstances.”
Anna tensed. “Are they okay?”
“Their vitals at birth were perfect,” the nurse said. “But the doctors want to be sure. And… they’ll want to talk to you too.”
As soon as she left, Anna whispered, “What do you think they’re saying out there? They probably think I cheated on you…”
I squeezed her hand. “That doesn’t matter. I’m sure they’re just trying to figure it out. Same as us.”
“Are they okay?”
Hours blurred. Doctors came and went, their voices a mix of professional and puzzled.
One doctor pulled me aside. “Sir, you’re certain you’re the father?”
My jaw clenched. “Positive. Run whatever test you need. I’m not worried.”
He nodded, almost relieved. “We’ll do a DNA test. These things… sometimes, science surprises us.”
Waiting for those results was torture. Anna barely spoke, flinching if I reached for her. She watched the boys with tears in her eyes.
When I called my mom to share the news, her voice dropped: “You’re sure they’re both yours, Henry?”
My chest tightened. “Mom — Anna’s not lying. They’re mine.”
“We’ll do a DNA test.”
By that evening, the doctor returned with the results.
He glanced between us. “Your DNA results are back. Henry, you are the biological father of both twins. This is… rare, but not impossible.”
Anna let out a sob, her whole body shaking with relief. I finally let myself breathe; everything was right there, in black and white.
But nothing was really simple after that. When we brought the boys home, the questions didn’t stop.
Anna let out a sob.
Anna took it harder than I did. I could brush off a look or a question, but Anna… she had to live in it.
At the grocery store, the cashier glanced at our boys and gave a thin smile.
“Twins, huh? They sure don’t look alike.” Anna just gripped the cart tighter.
At daycare drop-zzzzzzzzzz