Being on bed rest is worse than I imagined it would be.

At first, it isn't so bad. Someone is always with me, keeping me company. But after the first two weeks pass, I am on my own. Television gets boring after I finish three different shows, and even reading doesn't catch my attention anymore.

Ollie was being supportive, drawing me baths and cooking whenever he is home, but when he is gone, the boredom just comes back. Add in the fact that my body just aches all the time now, and I am at my wit's end. There is nothing Ollie can do to relieve the soreness in my pecs from my milk coming in, or the pinching of nerves in my lower back from all the extra weight of carrying twins.

Thank god I get to be out of the house today. Dr. Romero had insisted on having appointments every week now, instead of every month. She stated that she wants to be able to monitor us more closely, preventing my cervix from dilating if it started to again. It has to be caught early on, since they cannot give me the same medication as before to stop the contractions. Too much of it is dangerous for the babies. The next step would be to sew my cervix shut with a small stitch, preventing it from dilating any further until the stitch was cut.

The whole thing just sounds way too painful, and I am already sore in that part of my body. The thought of a needle touching me there has me mentally cringing.

Suffice to say, I have been diligent in remaining in bed, only getting up to go to the bathroom or grab a quick bite of food. Emmie follows me everywhere, meowing if I am up for too long. Somehow, even she knows that walking around too much is dangerous for the babies.

At twenty-eight weeks, I feel completely swollen, but my stomach hasn't even grown as much as I expected. Dr. Romero said that the babies are actually measuring a little small, something she told me not to worry about as long as they continue to grow. But, I can't help but feel guilty about the impact this divorce has had on my children.

I just keep hoping that they stay inside me for at least a little longer. Every day spent pregnant- no matter the boredom and back pains that ensue- is one more day that they are safe and healthy.

Looking at the clock on the nightstand, I see that it is nearing half-past twelve. Virginia will be here soon to take me to my doctor's appointment, Ollie unable to take the day off. Ever since I went to the hospital over a month ago, Ollie has gone to every doctor's appointment with me. I know he is just as worried about the babies as I am. He was upset when we found out this was the only time Dr. Romero was available this week, but we purposefully scheduled ahead my next appointment, not wanting to risk Ollie not being able to come again.

Emmie follows me as I walk over to the closet, slipping on a pair of comfortable stretchy pants, along with a loose t-shirt. She meows after I wince when I step wrong, putting pressure on a nerve in my lower back.

Luckily, Virginia arrive just on time, making it so that I can just walk to her car instead of sitting down to wait and having to pull myself up again.

"How are my grandsons?" she asks once we are all situated in the car. The warmth inside contrasts with the cold wind blowing outside. Despite it being April, it is still cold most days than not.

"Active as ever," I say, smiling as I smooth my hand over where one of the babies is pressing his foot. It's a familiar gesture, one that comforts me when I worry about them. "There new favorite thing is to fall asleep on my bladder."

Virginia laughs, turning on the windshield wipers as it starts to sprinkle outside. "I remember Morgan complaining about the same thing when pregnant with Ollie's Apa." She pauses, face getting a faraway look. "Both of them loved with all their heart, you know. I think that's why Cameron was never able to recover when his husband died. And then seeing Ollie was a constant reminder." A sad smile twists on her face. "I know how it feels, seeing your soul mate in your child, the ache of their loss coming back every time you lay eyes on them.

"But that's no excuse for why Cameron abandoned Ollie." She looks over at me really quick. "I guess I should just be happy that he realized he wasn't a fit parent and didn't put up a fight when I asked for custody of him."

"That's one thing that Ollie does share with his Apa," I say, returning the small smile. "He loves with all his heart. But I know he would never abandon us. When things get hard, he just clings harder instead of running away."

She laughs then, breaking the sad air in the car. "You're exactly right, Milo. He's his own person, differs from his Apa in a good way."

The rest of the ride to the clinic is spent in speculative silence. Virginia manages to get us there in time, dropping me off before leaving to do some shopping. She mentions that she will be back in an hour, and to call her if I get out early before she drives in the direction the heart of town.

There is only one other couple in the waiting room, an older omega and her alpha, who looks at least a decade younger than her. But they both have wide smiles on their face as they feel their baby kick. I am not one to judge, especially since my partner and I are considered out of the realm of normal.

Dr. Romero's nurse calls my name about ten minutes later. She helps me to stand, guiding me into the back one of the few rooms in the clinic. After taking all my measurements, she leaves me alone, a steaming hot cup of tea waiting on the table next to me. That just shows how often I have been here, that the nurse knows to prepare tea for me before bringing me back.

The tea is wonderful, making my body shiver as the warmth runs through me. With it being spring, the world has decided to start its annual downpour, only letting up to a light mist before starting all over again.

A knock comes from the other side of the door, drawing my attention away from the downpour outside.

Dr. Romero steps into the room, a smile on her face. "Milo, so good to see you." She closes the door behind her before going to sit on the chair she always occupies. "How have you been feeling?

"Sore, but no more contractions."

She nods her head. "That's great to hear." She looks down at the clipboard in her hands. "Last week when you were here, you were already starting to dilate. You were around 1.5cm dilated, which isn't too concerning, but I would like to see if you have dilated anymore."

Biting my lip I nod my head, watching as she gets up from the chair and walks over to one of the cupboards in the room. She opens it, pulling out one of those gowns the opens in the back.

"Go ahead and put this on."

After handing the gown to me, she steps out of the room, allowing me some privacy. I don't even know why, seeing as she has seen the most intimate parts of me, being my doctor through my pregnancy and all.

Dr. Romero seems to know when I am ready, since she comes in not even a second after I am lying back on the bed. She washes her hands before snapping on a pair of gloves.

"Alright, Milo, I am going to measure you now," she says. She waits until I nod my head in consent before her fingers touch me in a place that has been sore for weeks. The contact has me wincing, and I just stare at the ceiling, waiting for her to be done.

A minute later, she rolls away on her chairs, patting my legs for me to put them down. Throwing her gloves in the trash she goes to wash them again before sitting back down with her clipboard.

"Well, it seems that you have progressed to two centimeters," she says, scribbling away at her clipboard before looking back up at me. "Your body is slowly dilating, which isn't too surprising, since you have two babies pressing down on your cervix instead of just one."

"Do we have to do that stitch procedure?" I ask, face twisting at just the thought of having a needle where her fingers had been.

She shakes her head. "No, not right now, at least." She sets the clipboard down, giving me her full attention. "We have been keeping track of your dilation ever since you had the contractions. You have been progressively dilating, an estimated half a centimeter each week. If this continues, then there is nothing to worry about. In fact, the slow dilation over a period of weeks has been shown to reduce the chances of tearing during labor."

Her words have me sighing in relief, even though the mention of tearing has me wincing. Before getting pregnant, I never thought about labor as something other than contractions, but I have learned that there is a lot more to it. But, it will all be worth it in the end, when my baby boys are here in the world.

"Now, let's see if they have flipped head down yet."

She easily feels along my stomach, eyes focused as she locates both of the twins. After a few minutes, she even pulls out her special stethoscope, the one made especially for hearing the heartbeat of a fetus.

Eventually, she puts the stethoscope back inside her coat. "Well, it seems that Baby A is turned down already, but Baby B is still breached." She must see the worry on my face, because she shakes her head. "Nothing to worry about. He still has a few weeks to get turned around. If he hasn't turned by next week, I am going to give you a few stretches and exercises to encourage him to turn. We'll go from there."

She smiles then, helping me to sit up. "Do you have any more questions for me, Milo?"

"No, I think all of my questions have been answered already. But I am sure that I will think of one as soon as I leave."

She laughs at that. "Well, if that happens, don't hesitate to email me. I'll see you next week, Milo."

With that, she walks out the door, leaving me on my own. Changing back into my own clothes, I catch sight of myself in the mirror that sits about the sink. My stomach is not nearly as rounded as I feel it should be, with how swollen I feel. Resting my hands on the bump, I press where I know a baby's bum to be.

"I can't wait to meet you two," I whisper, already picturing what the two of them will look like. "We love you both so much."

One of them kicks me in return, a quiet response, something that brings a smile to my face.