Chapter Six Continued

Lyssa went to work Tuesday a lot happier than she had been on Monday. All of that day she had worried about Sabrin and the test results. She had even said a prayer of thanks that Niki was not bringing an unwanted child into the world.

The flowers Sabrin had sent arrived at 10:00 a.m. and caused quite a stir.

"I didn’t know you were seeing anyone, Lyssa? Hmm, Sabrin...that’s an unusual name," Rhonda, the company’s receptionist, smiled coyly.

" I met him when I went to Denver. We're kind of dating."

"Kind of dating? Is that like being a little pregnant?" Kelly, the product manager, chided her.

"Okay then, we're seeing each other,” she admitted. She was glad her co-workers hadn’t connected this Sabrin to the actor she had mentioned occasionally and that they had not seen the story on the Internet. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, I do need to get some work done,” she laughed. She really didn't want to discuss Sabrin with them and they didn’t push her on it. Her co-workers knew she kept her personal life close to the vest, having never really discussed any relationships with them in the past.

Over the coming weeks, Lyssa found she was tiring much too easily, and not just physically, but mentally as well. She was not sleeping well due to missing Sabrin so much. She would lie in bed, wondering where he was, what he was doing and missing him terribly. They talked every few days, but Sabrin was still distracted. Rehearsals were going well and the play looked like it would open well. Lyssa should be happy, but she felt listless.

When Sonny called and asked to see her, she was overjoyed.

They stayed up late Friday night and talked the evening away, but he was worried when she looked so sad the next morning.

"Let's go out for lunch! There were all those billboard for a new cafe on Fullerton. Let's go."

Reluctantly, Lyssa agreed. The food was great and Sonny's animated company did cheer her up. She was actually smiling when they rose to go. As they made their way past other diners, an angry voice called out suddenly. "Oh my God! It’s that home wrecking bitch that was in that picture with Sirus!"

Lyssa was horrified when she heard that and froze in her tracks. Fortunately, Sonny was with her and grabbed her hand.

"Come on Honey, let's just get out of here." Sonny sounded very calm. When they stepped out of the restaurant, Lyssa was relieved. She and Sonny started walking down the street when suddenly Lyssa felt a hand on her shoulder. The woman in the restaurant had followed them out. The woman spun Lyssa around and started yelling at her.

"You whore, first you destroy Sabrin’s relationship with Niki and now you're fucking around on him with this guy! You’re nothing but a slut!" she screamed. Sonny told the woman to fuck off and let them leave but the woman wouldn’t listen.

"Come on Honey, just keep walking," Sonny urged. Lyssa looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a semi. He knew he had to get her away from this woman. As Lyssa turned to walk away she felt a sharp pain on the side of her face. The woman had slapped her. Lyssa had been off balance when the blow connected, causing her to lose it all together and fall, hitting her head on the sidewalk.

"Honey!" Sonny called out. He knelt down next to Lyssa to help her sit up. "Oh my god, you're bleeding!"

At that point Sonny looked up to see there had been witnesses to this woman's outburst. Two of Chicago's finest had witnessed the whole incident and rushed over as soon as the woman laid hands on Lyssa. One officer was talking to Lyssa, telling her everything would be okay. They were going to get an ambulance to take her to the hospital since she had hit her head. The other officer was reading the woman her rights as he put handcuffs on her.

The ambulance arrived quickly and took Lyssa to Cook County Hospital. She was given a string of tests and her head wound, located in her scalp, was stitched up. An officer came to take both Lyssa’s and Sonny’s statement regarding the incident. When the test results came back, another doctor came in and asked the men to leave.

“Is something wrong?” Lyssa asked as the doctor closed the door.

“I just want to do a pelvic exam to make sure your fall did no damage there. At this stage of your pregnancy, the fetus is well protected, but-“

“What?! Pregnancy?” Lyssa gasped and sat up, utterly astonished.

The doctor looked completely taken aback. She sighed deeply. “I thought the attending physician had told you. I’m sorry. Is this bad news?” the woman asked, unsure how to proceed. Lyssa looked up at her, opened her mouth to speak and couldn’t decide what to say.

“Let’s get the exam done and you can think about it, okay?”

Sonny was just outside the door when a technician came along, rolling a strange looking device to Lyssa’s room. “What’s that?” Sonny asked the tech.

“It’s an ultrasound machine.”

Sonny’s eyes went wide.

Sonny decided he needed to call Sabrin to let him know what had happened. He was holding Lyssa's purse so he pulled out her cell phone and headed outside the hospital doors. He found Sabrin’s New York number on Lyssa's speed dial and rang it. He recognized Sabrin’s voice when the phone was answered.

"Sabrin, this is Sonny."

"Sonny, has something happened to Lyssa?" Sabrin asked. Sonny could hear the concern in his voice.

"Lyssa's in the hospital - Cook County. We were having lunch this afternoon and this woman went psycho on her and slapped her. Lyssa fell and hit her head on the sidewalk. The doctor said they're going to keep her at least overnight for observation to make sure she doesn't have a concussion. They've run tests but I don’t know..."

"Sonny, I'm catching the next flight to Chicago. I'll be there in a couple hours."

Sabrin was true to his word and entered Lyssa's room three hours later. Sonny was sitting with Lyssa, chatting. The head of her bed was raised enough for her to see Sabrin’s hurried entrance. Sonny rose and kissed Lyssa ever so gently on the cheek before discreetly leaving the room. Sabrin stopped him to shake his hand and give him his heart-felt thanks for taking care of Lyssa on his behalf.

"You were right, I shouldn't have ignored that gossip column," Sabrin said painfully as he sat in the chair Sonny had just vacated. "Lyssa, I'm so sorry."

"Sabrin, shut up a minute," Lyssa interrupted. She took his hand in hers and looked very seriously into his eyes. Sabrin paled.

"It's over?" he whispered, terror struck.

"Not by a long shot! Niki may not be pregnant, but I am."

"You're pregnant?" Sabrin asked. He moved from the chair to sit on the side of Lyssa's bed.

"They did some routine tests when I was brought in and told me I was pregnant. An obstetrician came in later to do an ultrasound. They wanted to make sure everything was okay because of the fall," Lyssa explained.

"You're pregnant!" he repeated as a huge smile came across his lips. "We're going to have a baby!"

"Well actually that's babies. The ultrasound indicated two fetuses."

"Twins? Oh my god, we're going to have twins!" He was beaming but, as he looked at Lyssa, he could see she was not. "Lyssa, how do you feel about this?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't know. I'm scared, Sabrin."

He leaned in to hold her and whispered, "I'm scared too, Lyssa. This is so new for both of us but we have each other. Our babies were created by our love. I know you’ll be an amazing mother to our children."

"And you’ll be an amazing father," she smiled. "We're having babies!"

They shared a passionate kiss. Sabrin put his hand on Lyssa's stomach and smiled "Our babies are in here! Damn, I am such a lucky man!"

Suddenly Sabrin let go with a loud laugh. Lyssa shushed him, reminding him they were in a hospital.

“Now, what’s so funny?”

“My mother called me while I was with you in Chicago. I told her about us. She wants to meet you and she was nagging me about...grandchildren.” Sabrin beamed at Lyssa. “You’re going to make my mother very happy.” He kissed her again.

Lyssa blushed and took a deep breath. “Are things ever going to slow down between us?” she asked, grinning and squeezing his hand.

“Maybe, maybe not. Fast and furious has its good points. Now, tell me exactly what happened today. I want to know how the mother of my future children ended up in the hospital and who the hell is responsible!

"You don't want to hear about that." Lyssa didn't want to upset him.

"Sonny's words were that some woman went psycho on you. I need to know what happened. I'd prefer to hear it from you but...do you think Sonny would spill the beans for another pair of boxers?"

"Okay, okay!" Lyssa laughed. "Sonny and I were leaving the restaurant when someone yelled out that I was a home wrecker. We left but she followed us out and decided she wanted to give me a piece of her mind. When we tried to leave, she turned me around and slapped me. I was off balance and fell. There were two police officers that saw everything and they arrested her and called an ambulance. I know Sonny is feeling guilty that he couldn't stop her but Sabrin, if you could have seen this woman, she was bigger than both of us put together."

"She was arrested? Have the police taken statements already?"

"Yes. They thought she would probably plead out on this since the whole incident was witnessed by the two officers."

"So you won’t have to go to court? You won’t have to stay in Chicago?" he asked.

“What are you planning?" she asked, suddenly tense. Sabrin lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

“What I should have done before now. I want you with me. I’ve wanted you with me and I was afraid to invade too much of your life. It has just been made clear to me that you are a part of my life and I am a part of yours. Come with me to New York, Lyssa. Stay with me. I need you.” He sounded and looked so earnest. But Lyssa was just not sure.

“You said you needed to be alone for this part of the job.”

“That lasts for about a week and then it over. It’s long over and I’ve been missing you. Haven’t you missed me?”

She sighed. “Of course I have, but- This is all moving so fast. I can’t keep up.” She looked tired, but the doctor had said for her to stay awake for another hour when Sabrin had spoken to him.

“I want you to think about it then. I’m staying until you’re out of the hospital.”

The doctor came in to check on Lyssa's condition. He asked Sabrin to wait outside the room while he examined Lyssa and asked her several questions. He was happy with the responses she gave and with the examination.

Sabrin approached Sonny who was still in the waiting room and sat down next to him.

"Thank you for being there for Lyssa, Sonny and thank you for calling me. Lyssa is so lucky to have a friend like you."

"They won't tell me anything, Sabrin. How is she?"

"Why don't you come in after the doctor finishes his examination. We'll find out what the doctor says and then I think you should go back to Lyssa's to get some sleep."

"I saw them take in an ultrasound machine. I know they can be used for different things but...is Lyssa pregnant?" Sonny asked.

"Yes, Sonny, she is. We're going to have twins!" Sabrin was beaming.

When the doctor finished his examination, he called to Sabrin to re-join them. Sonny followed behind Sabrin to find out what was happening.

"It's looking good. Ms. Page, you aren't exhibiting any signs of a concussion, which is excellent. I want you to get some sleep now. You look exhausted. I'll be in to see you later and let you know when we can spring you from this place."

Sonny was so relieved. He kissed Lyssa on the cheek and wished them a good night and headed back to Lyssa's condo. Lyssa moved over in the bed so Sabrin could lie next to her. They quickly fell asleep in each other’s arms.

The nurse came in about two hours later to check Lyssa and shooed Sabrin out of her bed.

"I can get an orderly to bring you in a cot or you can use that chair, it reclines. You just keep yourself out of her bed!" the nurse scolded Sabrin firmly. He gave her a sheepish grin and said he would use the recliner.

When morning came, Sabrin was snoring and Lyssa was grinning at this. He was loud, but he was here and that was all that mattered.

The doctor soon came to sign her release after one final check and Sonny arrived with Lyssa's car to take them all home.

"I guess I have to come clean with my parents. I haven't told them a thing. This is going to be quite a shock for them," Lyssa told Sabrin on the way home. They were in the back seat, holding each other.

"You can let them yell at me for getting you into this. You can be the innocent one." Sabrin caressed her cheek and chin, smiling with love.

"Who was the one who broke into your room again? I can hardly claim innocence."

"Honey bunny, I know your parents. All you need to tell them is the three words they long to hear – successful, Jewish and grandbabies. They'll be thrilled!" Sonny laughed.

"I wonder if your parents know my mother," Sabrin joked. They all shared a much needed laugh.

Once they arrived at her condo, both men ushered Lyssa to the couch. Sonny insisted Lyssa have something to eat and headed into the kitchen to start preparing lunch for them all. Lyssa sat quietly on the couch. She didn't even realize she was caressing her stomach. She was deep in thought about what Sabrin had said at the hospital about her going to New York.

She needed to call her parents and no doubt Sabrin wanted to call his mother. Would Rose want to talk to her, Lyssa wondered. She knew her parents would want to meet Sabrin and he had already told Lyssa his mother wanted to meet her. All this and going to New York with Sabrin too?

The handsome man she was thinking about came back into the room looking distracted.

“What’s wrong?” she asked him.

He sat down beside her. “Nothing’s wrong, just thinking. I need to make plane reservations, Lyssa. Are you coming with me?” He gave her a very serious look.

“You realize you’re asking me to get my job to grant me vacation time at the drop of a hat?”

Sabrin shook his head. “No, Lyssa. I’m asking you to quit your job.”

“What?!” Lyssa, turning sharply to face him, looked at him irritated. “Quit my job! I can’t just up and quit! I’ve been there for eight years. That’s irresponsible!”

“You’re going to have to quit your job and leave Chicago sooner or later, Lyssa. We’re having twins. They’re going to need their mother full-time and...I don’t want to be a part-time father. I want us all together.”

Lyssa turned again, staring straight ahead, repeating the words ‘twins’ and ‘mother’, not even realizing she had said it out loud. With a slight bit of hesitation, Sabrin sat down next to Lyssa again and wrapped his arms around her. He was relieved when she cuddled in next to him but she was still staring off into space thinking. Sabrin didn't disturb her thinking but just kept holding her. Lyssa always felt so much better when Sabrin held her. At that moment she knew where she was supposed to be - in Sabrin’s arms and if that meant New York then that meant New York.

"I'll talk to my boss tomorrow to find out how much notice they want. I'd like to see my parents too to let them know. I need at least a week, maybe two before I can join you."

"What you're describing sounds more like three weeks." When Sabrin lifted her chin, Lyssa gave him a guilty look. "Lyssa, opening night is March 14th. I need you there. Will you be there?"

She thought for a moment. "I may have to head for my parents’ house that Monday, but I can make it."

Sonny called them for lunch, so they joined him in the dining room.

"You going to keep the condo, Honeysuckle?" Sonny asked, pouring Lyssa some juice.

"I'm selling my house," Sabrin reminded her.

"Are you saying you want me to keep it, or asking me to plunge into homelessness with you?" she asked.

Sabrin snorted a laugh. "We won't be homeless. Once I finish with this play, we'll go back to LA and pick out a house together," Sabrin told her.

"Can I come too?" Sonny asked, eagerly.

"Oh that's just what I need, Sonny. Me, Sabrin and three babies!" Lyssa teased. Sabrin smiled as he could tell Lyssa was starting to become more comfortable with impending motherhood.

"Sonny, if you ever decide to move to Southern California you know you already have two friends there in Lyssa and me," Sabrin smiled. Sonny was touched that Sabrin thought of him as his friend.

"You better watch out. My company's head office is in Silicon Valley. I might just have to watch for any openings there," he smiled.

Sabrin smiled at this and Lyssa looked excited.

"Sonny, I would love it if we lived close together again. You could be Uncle Sonny to the babies," she said, trying to entice him.

She needn't have bothered. The idea of living closer to his best friend in all the world was all the enticement Sonny needed. His human resources department would be getting a call in the morning.

Sonny and Sabrin cleaned up from lunch while Lyssa headed for the bedroom to use the extension in there. It was time to break the news to her parents.

"Hi, mom. Can you get daddy on the extension, I have some pretty big news for you both. You need to be sitting."

Mr. and Mrs. Page were very surprised to hear their little girl was dating an actor, but the news about the babies sent them into shock.

"Is he going to marry you?" Her father asked once he had accepted this turn of events.

"We haven't talked about marriage, daddy," Lyssa admitted.

"Then it's time to start!" her mother said firmly.

"There's more that I need to tell you. I'm selling my condo and leaving Chicago. Sabrin is in rehearsals for a play that’s scheduled to run until the end of August. He wants me to be with him in New York. I said I would go. Once the play has closed, we'll be going to LA to find a house."

They were silent for a few moments before Lyssa's mother finally spoke.

"Lyssa, let me make sure I understand what you’re saying. You’re giving up your job, selling your condo and moving across the country to be with this man who has impregnated you. Is that correct?" her mother questioned.

"I love him so much, mom," Lyssa replied.

"Will we be able to see you before you leave?" her father asked.

"I would like to come visit you some time in the next couple of weeks. Is that okay?" She was unsure of their response.

"You know you’re always welcome, Lyssa," her father said. "Let us know when you’re coming. And when are we going to meet this Sabrin? We will come to New York if we have to but we want to meet him soon."

"He won't be able to leave New York for a while after this, so it may be necessary for you to come. The play has a three month run to start, but it may be longer if it’s successful.” Her parents agreed to come to New York and “give this man a chance”, but Lyssa was sure she could hear the unsaid “before we roast him alive for knocking up our daughter and not even talking about making her an honest woman”.

Lyssa was just lying there, staring at the ceiling ten minutes later when Sabrin knocked on the door.

“You okay?” he asked upon entering.

“My folks are a bit miffed that they had no idea any of this was going on. They want to meet the man who has ‘dishonored’ their daughter,” she told him with a sigh.

Sabrin looked stunned.

“Dishonored? I think I’m in trouble.”

"Not with me, you aren't," she smiled as she motioned him to come to the bed. "They think you should make an honest woman of me," she laughed. "They can be a little old fashioned about some things."

Sabrin lay on his side, next to her on the bed, resting his hand on her stomach.

"What if they don't like me, Lyssa? We kept our relationship a secret from them, now news of our babies, moving you to New York and then LA..."

"Don't worry Sabrin. Once they meet you, they'll love you. They're a little upset now but they'll be fine." She leaned in and kissed him.

He kissed her, but he held back and she noticed.

"What's wrong?" she asked, puzzled by his lack of response.

"You're pregnant...with twins...and you just got out of the hospital with a blow to the head. You're very fragile to me right now, Lyssa. I don't think I can do this now. I want to, but I don't think we should. I can't hurt you."

Lyssa sighed. "You won't hurt me, but you may be right about waiting a little until my head feels better, but you realize that it will mean waiting until I get to New York before we'll be together again?"

Sabrin pulled her tight against him.

"You, my love, are worth the wait."

Lyssa and Sabrin had been lying in each other's arms for a few minutes when there was a gentle knock at the door and Sonny poked his head in.

"Honey pie, there's a Michael Smithson here from the DA's office to see you."

Sabrin and Lyssa got up from the bed and followed Sonny into the living room.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you. I've been assigned your file and I need to discuss a few matters with you. I live in this area so I thought it would be more convenient for you if I stopped by rather than making you come to my office."

"That was very considerate of you. Please sit down. Would you like something to drink or anything?" Lyssa asked.

Mr. Smithson declined and began to explain to Lyssa what was going to happen in the case against the woman who had struck her. As this was her first offense, she would most likely receive community service. The woman's lawyer had contacted Mr. Smithson regarding a plea bargain and he had wanted to talk to Lyssa about it. Mr. Smithson explained the offer made was for fifty hours of community service and completion of an anger management program. Lyssa asked if could specify that the woman do her community service for the local food bank and a local battered women's shelter. Mr. Smithson said there would be no problem with stipulating that in the plea. He asked if they had given consideration to obtaining a restraining order, which he offered his personal advice against at this time as there would be much personal information regarding Lyssa that would be made public if she did. They thanked Mr. Smithson for stopping by and he assured Lyssa he would contact her once the court had finalized the arrangement.

Once the man had left, Lyssa told the men she loved most in this world that she was going to take a bath and then maybe sleep for a little bit. However, she wanted to go out to dinner with her two favorite men before they both had to leave her. The males exchanged pleased glances and nodded back at her. Lyssa kissed them both and headed for her bedroom.

Sonny smiled at Sabrin.

"I envy you. Being in love with someone as wonderful as my Honey Bunny and having her love you in return," Sonny told him.

Sabrin patted Sonny on the back. "And I envy you. You and Lyssa have been friends for years. You've had all this time with her and it seems like I’m always leaving her. You’ve known her since you were teenagers, right?"

Sonny grinned. "Right, since just before we left high school. We went to the same temple."

"So you’ve been there to watch her turn into the wonderful woman we see today and I bet you even helped her to become a lot of what she is. I know you helped her learn to pick locks." Sabrin could not help but smirk. "Sonny, tell me about the Lyssa you've know all these years."

"Are you sure you want to know?" Sonny laughed. "I'll only tell you about our friendship. Anything else you want to know about will have to come from her. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Sonny started with how he and Lyssa had become friends. She had been one of the few people willing to be his friend back then, because of his sexual orientation. While Lyssa was soaking in the bathtub, she could hear their voices and occasional laughter but not what they were talking about. When she re-appeared from the bathroom, they stopped and smiled. She had an uneasy feeling as she closed the door to the bedroom behind her and crawled into bed. She could hear their voices but they were talking quieter.

Sabrin had made a reservation at an exclusive Mexican grill. He had to do a bit of name-dropping to get in, but it worked and they had a table for three at 7:30. He went in at 6:00 to wake Lyssa so she would be ready. He sat on the bed as she got dressed. Passing the mirror, she stopped suddenly and stared at herself. She was clad only in bra and panties so she had a good view of her midsection. She studied it for a moment.

“What are you doing, Lyssa?” Sabrin asked, moving closer so he could touch her.

“Trying to imagine just how much damage TWINS are going to do to my figure. I’m not going to be a slim woman anymore, Sabrin. You’re aim took care of that.” She turned around and looked him straight in the eye. “But did you have to hit TWO eggs?”

"I've always had good aim," he laughed "Don't worry about a thing. When I look at you I will always see the most beautiful woman in the world." Sabrin slid his arms around her waist and kissed her.

"Good answer," she laughed.

She finished getting dressed, thinking about her wardrobe as she did. None of her clothes would fit soon and she hoped they would fit again one day.

They arrived at the restaurant a little early but were seated immediately.

The food was wonderful and the drinks were good too. Lyssa was somewhat irritated to realize her new status meant no drinking for her. The men did not seem the least bit reluctant to tease her about this. Coming back to Lyssa's condo was sobering, since they knew only one of them would be sleeping here tonight. Both Sonny and Sabrin had late night flights, but they refused to have Lyssa drive them. One taxi was called for both men and, after a very teary goodbye, Lyssa was left alone.

Lyssa went to bed after watching the taxi pull away. She had a restless night as she missed Sabrin so much. To make matters worse, she was discovering that Mexican food and pregnancy didn't go together for her.

The next morning, she went through her routine for getting ready for work and drove in. Instead of getting her usual coffee, she decided to have orange juice with her muffin instead. Frank Shirer, her boss, didn't get in for another half hour so Lyssa ate while working at her desk, hoping he wouldn't be late. Lyssa's co-worker, Elizabeth Bradshaw stopped by to chat. Elizabeth worked in the same area as Lyssa and had filled in for her whenever she took vacation or was sick for more than a day or two. She always did a good job. When Frank arrived. Lyssa rose from her chair and followed him into his office closing the door behind her.

"I have something important to talk to you about. Are you free now?" she asked, as she sat down in one of the chairs in his office.

"Sure Lyssa, what's on your mind?" He had never seen Lyssa looking so serious.

"I want you to know how much I've enjoyed working here. The company has been very good to me and I appreciate everything you have done for me too," she started.

"Lyssa, this sounds like a quitting speech."

"It is. I'm not going to leave you in the lurch though. I think Elizabeth would be an excellent replacement. She has a good grasp on the position and wouldn't need much training. If you require two weeks notice I can do that but I would prefer to leave sooner. I have so much to do before leaving Chicago."

"You're leaving Chicago?" Frank said with surprise.

"Yes. Many things have happened and I will be making a huge change."

Frank agreed this sounded huge, but respected Lyssa's private nature and didn’t ask for details. Elizabeth was eager to learn the finer details of Lyssa's job. The down side for Lyssa was that spending so much more time with her, Elizabeth began picking up clues as to what was going on with Lyssa's personal life. Sabrin would call her at lunchtime most days and she saw all of Lyssa's new odd behaviors. She seemed to get sick to her stomach at the drop of a hat, she was always tired and she was easily distracted.

Two days before Lyssa was going to leave, Elizabeth finally just came out with it. "You're pregnant, aren't you?"

Lyssa was stunned. She had been trying so hard to hide this fact but, in a way, it was a relief to have it out. To Lyssa's own surprise, she gave Elizabeth a giddy grin and said "yes."

Elizabeth started to pepper Lyssa with questions regarding her condition. Once Lyssa elicited Elizabeth‘s promise that she would not tell anyone, she told her she was expecting twins and that her due date was October 21.

"I won't tell anyone but I'm surprised no one has picked up on it already. You are positively glowing!" Elizabeth remarked.

The workdays seemed longer now and the hectic evenings didn't help. Lyssa had been busy sorting through her belongings trying to decide what to bring to New York and what to have the movers take. She and Sabrin had already discussed having her things shipped to LA and put into storage with his. She had found a realtor to handle the sale of her condo and he was bringing a couple by that evening for a viewing. He strongly suggested that Lyssa not be there when the prospective buyers arrived. She left as soon as the realtor got there and headed for the mall a mile away. Normally she would have headed straight to her favorite lingerie shop but, as she passed a store that specialized in baby clothes, she felt herself being pulled in to look.

“It would help if you two volunteered your genders so I would know what to buy,” she told her tummy. A sales woman overheard her and came over to help.

“Are you expecting?” she asked.

“More than I bargained for, yes.” Lyssa said with a laugh.

“You must have just found out. You can’t be very far along.”

“Just a few weeks, but I’m having twins so I found out a little earlier.” This seemed to excite the woman as she then rushed Lyssa over to a special section of clothing. Lyssa found two cute little sleepers that said ‘Twins...Twice the fun!’ Lyssa bought one in yellow and one in green just to play it safe.

Lyssa resisted the temptation to buy more. Buying the sleepers made this notion of pregnancy seem more tangible to her but she didn't want to buy anything else alone. She wanted Sabrin to be with her and hear him say how cute something is or how adorable that will be. Lyssa continued down the mall to visit the lingerie store she had been heading for in the first place. She started to look at a few items. She wanted to have something special for that first night in New York - their first night of living together. She found a really sexy short-sleeved long robe with g-string in pink and ivory that she was sure Sabrin would love. Lyssa, hoping the realtor was finished showing the condo, headed home. She was feeling tired and still had to go to work the next day - her last day. All she could think of was getting some sleep.

The weekend had finally arrived and Lyssa was delighted. She could relax and get some needed sleep in between packing. Sabrin had firmly cautioned her not to over do it and to let the movers do the packing, but there were things she just had to see to herself. The condo was to be shown again today and she was told it had been shown three times while she had been at work yesterday.

By Sunday, Lyssa had completed the ‘I need to do it’ packing and was just stepping into the tub, when the phone rang. Wondering if it may be Sabrin, Lyssa ran to answer it.

"Can I show your condo? We're only about a block away?" asked the realtor.

Lyssa sighed. "I was just stepping into the tub," she told the man.

"You may want to consider letting the water drain. This is the third time this man will be seeing your place. He's very interested."

The tub was drained.

Lyssa got dressed quickly and prepared to leave as soon as the realtor arrived. At a little coffee shop down the street, she enjoyed a glass of milk and a piece of pie until she saw the realtor's car go by. When she arrived home she found a note from the realtor saying he would be calling her shortly as he thought the man was going to make an offer. Lyssa was excited at this news and sat by the phone waiting for the realtor to call. It was an hour later when he showed up at her door with an offer in hand.

"I'm sorry to not call first but I think you'll be very pleased with this offer so I brought it right over." He handed the offer to Lyssa.

Lyssa couldn't believe her eyes. The offer was for $200,000.

"Sold!" Lyssa exclaimed. The realtor had her sign a few places on the offer and told her it was basically in the hands of the lawyers now. Lyssa had already contacted the lawyer who handled the purchase to let her know to expect paperwork on the sale. The realtor left and Lyssa picked up the phone to call Sabrin to give him the good news.

"That's great! It means you’re one step closer to being mine!" he chided her.

"I'm already yours. I'm carrying your children and they are already making my life hell! I have never been so sick in my life!" she complained.

Sabrin chuckled. "I haven't had but two people look at the house, so count your blessings. We may have to live there for a while if it doesn't sell."

"I don't like that idea at all!" she told him firmly.

"I know, and I know why. It's why we need to hope it sells. I want something with only memories of you and our family."

"Our family...now that I like the sound of!"

"So do I, Lyssa. When are you going to your parents?" he asked. He was still worried about her parents’ reaction on the phone to the news regarding the babies and him.

"I'm going to fly out late tomorrow afternoon. The movers are supposed to be here early. I have to stop to see the lawyer to give her the keys to this place. I'll have to give her the New York address and phone number. There will be papers I have to sign. I can't believe I'm getting more than the asking price for the condo. It should be enough for a down payment on our new home, shouldn't it?" she asked.

"A down payment! But Lyssa, that's your money..."

"Sabrin, I want this money to go towards our home. I want to contribute to purchasing it. Please don't say no."

"Okay. We can discuss it when the time comes. You're amazing. I love you, Lyssa Page."

"I love you too, Sabrin Berry."

They concluded their call and Lyssa went to bed happy knowing she would be with Sabrin in about a week.

The movers came only an hour late, but they didn’t have much to pack up by that time, so things proceeded quickly. It was evening before she was in the air to Southern Illinois. Her father met her plane and seemed to look her over carefully before hugging her warmly.

“How far along are you?” he asked as they made their way to baggage claim.

“Almost six weeks, daddy. I don’t get another ultrasound for a while, but I will have to find a doctor in New York, since Sabrin will be there with his play until close to when the babies are born.”

Her father jumped at the mention of Sabrin.

“You’re sure about this man, child? An actor? How will he support you? Are you going to be home in a year or two with your children needing a place to stay? I’ve raised my children, Lyssa. Your mother and I are not raising yours!” her father said in his commanding voice.

“I have no intention of asking you to, Daddy. Sabrin is very excited about the babies. He wants me with him as soon as possible. It’s going to work out. Wait until you meet him, you’ll see.” Her father only grumbled at this.

Lyssa’s mother was also a bit snippy when Lyssa arrived. This caused her to lose it! Lyssa got up for the table, announcing she would be in her room until she had to leave or her parents decided they could accept the fact she was an adult and capable of making her own damned decisions. Once in her room, she realized locking herself in her old room was not the most mature step to take, but it worked out anyway. Her mother was at her door within twenty minutes.

"Lyssa, can we talk please?" her mother said after gently knocking on her bedroom door.

"Come in mom."

"Oh Lyssa." Her mother sat next to Lyssa on the bed, giving her daughter a hug. "You know your father and I love you very much. You understand why we're worried about you? You don't tell us anything about this relationship until you find out your pregnant. What are we supposed to think, Honey?"

"I'm sorry mom. It was a little complicated for a while but the complications are resolved now."

"Tell me about New York and...beyond."

Lyssa gave her mother the address and phone number for the New York apartment and described it as Sabrin had done for her. Her mother started to realize this Sabrin Berry fellow wasn't the starving actor they had assumed. Lyssa remembered the pictures in her bag from when they met and from Sabrin’s visit in January. She retrieved them to show her mother so she could see how happy she and Sabrin are in the pictures. Her mother was surprised to see he was much older than Lyssa but she could also see how happy Lyssa looked in the pictures.

“How long had you known him when these pictures were taken?” her mother asked.

“Ahhh, some of them hours actually. Well, a day and a half, I think and the others were taken in January. We had a lot of fun when we first met. He knows Sonny. They really like each other.” Lyssa absently fingered the picture of Sabrin, as though she was caressing his face. Lyssa kept talking about him as she stared at the picture. She missed him desperately.

“He’s Jewish?” Ruth asked, making sure.

“Yes, mom. He’s a good man. He loves me and I love him. But this isn’t going to be easy and I really need your support,” she told her.

Ruth took her daughter’s hand in her own. “You have it, Honey.”

Lyssa sighed with relief. If her mother was satisfied, her father would be too. Lyssa threw her arms around her mother, hugging her tightly.

"Lyssa, you must be so tired. Get some sleep. I'll talk to your father tonight. Can I take the pictures? They'll help him understand."

Lyssa handed the envelope of pictures, save one, to her mother. Lyssa could hear the voices of her parents talking in the living room as she changed and climbed into bed. The voices were calm so Lyssa was certain her mother had worked her usual magic with her father. She drifted off to sleep.

It took a few days for her parents to fully come around, but it was a lot to assimilate so Lyssa gave them the time. The thing that really helped them to understand Sabrin was not a poor, struggling actor was when she rented a copy of the ‘Time and Space’ movie for them the fourth evening she was there and pointed out Sirus.

"There was a television series too? How long did he do this show?" her father asked.

"Ten years, daddy. You can still see it on television on sci-fi channels and in syndication. He has been in other movies, television shows and has done theater in the past too." Lyssa listed the others and noted how big or small Sabrin’s role had been. She then went on to tell them about his roles on Broadway. By this time, her parents were giddy with excitement. Their daughter was carrying the progeny of a FAMOUS MOVIE STAR! And he was JEWISH!!!!

They decided they approved.

As Lyssa had brought all of her belongings that she had planned to take to New York with her, she had no reason to return to Chicago. Her flight from Southern Illinois to her new temporary home was Monday morning. She spoke to Sabrin briefly Sunday night to make sure he had the details of her flight. Sabrin was relieved to hear that Lyssa's parents now not only accepted their relationship but also approved. Sabrin had news for Lyssa as well. He had heard from Paul, he and Deborah would be arriving in New York later in the week and wanted to have dinner with Sabrin and Lyssa Thursday evening. Paul had also asked whether Lyssa would like to join them in attending opening night of the play.

She agreed to attend with Paul and his wife, but once she hung up the phone, everything began to seem surreal again. So much had happened in so short a time. Lyssa understood how her parents could get lost in all of this, there were many times when it all seemed too far fetched to be real to her. When Lyssa fell asleep that night, she had her hand on her belly, still trying to wrap her mind around the fact there were two tiny new lives, growing within her.