Silent Beginnings

Tartosa
Viale delle Palme
Russo Vineyard

Noah leaned against the cool granite countertop, swirling a glass of deep red Tartosian wine, one of the first good batches from his twin brother Nolan’s very own vineyard, a smirk playing on his lips. “You know, Nolan, you’re setting the bar pretty high here,” he said, nodding towards the ultrasound photo on the corkboard on the wall across from him. “First you end up with this amazing home which looks like a painting from any angle, now a soon-to-be dad. What’s next? You gonna start a dad blog and become an influencer?”

Nolan chuckled, his deep blue, almost purple, eyes twinkling with mirth that seemed to shift shades under the kitchen lights. “Ha–I just might! Oh, come on, you’re just jealous because I am 5 minutes younger than you, but barring disaster I’ll beat you in the race of being the first to give mom and dad a grandbaby, which has them very excited. I’ve seen you and Holly pant at each other like horny teenagers. You’re not exactly being subtle with your attempts at family expansion. Yet, looks like I will be the winner of this race.”

“Yeah, well, it’s definitely not for lack of appetite or practice, but still, no two bars on any of those damn test wands, and nobody knows why,” Noah shot back, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “But seriously, man, any tips? You and I are genetically the same, identical, so since you clearly aren’t shooting blanks, I wouldn’t be either, and Holly has always been the epitome of health. So why are we not getting pregnant when you guys are?!”

“Don’t know what to tell you. It’s all about timing and… well, a bit of luck, I guess,” Nolan replied, his tone light but understanding. “Don’t worry, your time will come. And when it does, Alessa and I will be right there to show you the ropes of nocturnal diaper changes right when you were about to hit your REM cycle.”

“Your word in God’s ear canal, my brother,” Noah sighed.

Nolan raised his glass, a silent toast to the future. “To timing and luck then,” he said, the warmth in his voice belying the coolness of their undead nature. “And to diaper changes—may they always be before and after REM cycles.”

A soft smile touched Noah’s lips. “I appreciate that, brother. On the bright side, if your kid comes out ugly, Holly and I can still pull the plug and just adopt or something.” Noah chuckled, as Nolan flipped him off as brothers would.

San Sequoia
Grainger Residence

Some weeks later, now at Noah’s home in San Sequoia, Noah slumped onto the sofa, the negative pregnancy test lying discarded on the coffee table.

He ran a hand through his dark hair, his deep blue eyes with the purple cast clouded with frustration. “Another month, another no-go,” he muttered, the words barely a whisper, “I just don’t know how many more setbacks we can take. I am starting to dislike intimacy, knowing a few weeks later my girl will be crying in the bathroom, thinking I can’t hear her. But I do and it’s tearing me apart. I just wish I knew why this is not working.”

Nolan, ever the teasing brother, looked over at Noah, a playful grin on his face. “Oh, come on, bro, none of that! You’ll get there, eventually, just stay strong. Just in case though, do you need me to explain female anatomy to you again? I am starting to wonder if you are missing the bull’s eye. Only one way to do this will bring the desired results, my brother, the others are just for added fun in between family planning. And just for completion’s sake: you both aren’t using birth control, just out of habit?”

Noah shot him a glare, but the corners of his mouth twitched, betraying his amusement. “Ha-ha, very funny. As much as I appreciate your attempts to make light of all this, I’m just… tired, you know? We’ve been trying everything, and it’s like we’re chasing our tails. Somehow, I feel as if I were letting Holly down. Her nephew is 6 now and started school. We should be close behind with his cousin. But nothing. Still. And if we can’t get this show on the road, your kid will be in school too before we catch up.”

Nolan clapped Noah on the shoulder. “Hey, give my son a chance to be born before sending him off to school, please! Noah, don’t beat yourself up. These things sometimes take time. And hey, if you’re really desperate, I could always give you a couple of pointers. You know, the motion of the ocean and such.”

Noah chuckled, shaking his head. “Pointers, right. Because baby-making demos are totally in the twin bro code. I am gonna pass, in my and Holly’s name, but thanks anyway.”

“Absolutely,” Nolan agreed with a nod. “Twin bro code, chapter one, paragraph three: ‘In the event of procreation difficulties, the twin with successful experience shall provide counsel and mockery in equal measure. Step One: You do know to take your pants off before you go at it, right? Just asking.’”

They both laughed, the tension easing from Noah’s shoulders. “Thanks, man. I needed that.”

“Anytime,” Nolan said, his tone warm. “You could always go see Connor. I mean, he lives here in your town. Surprised you haven’t talked to him already. He’s a known genius and one of the best doctors around. Couldn’t hurt to have him kick your tires.”

San Sequoia
Sequoia Grace Medical Center

Connor reentered the room, a stack of papers in hand. The air was thick with tension as Noah and Holly looked up expectantly. Connor’s face was a mask of neutrality, but his eyes held a spark of something unreadable as he pulled a desk chair around to sit facing the young couple.

“I have your results,” Connor said, pausing for effect. “And I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”

Noah, a knot forming in his stomach, braced himself. “Give us the bad news first.”

Connor sighed, leafing through the stack of papers in his hand. “Well, the bad news is, unfortunately, I won’t be able to help you conceive.”

Noah’s heart sank, and Holly’s grip on his hand tightened. They shared a look of despair, their dream slipping away.

But Holly, ever perceptive, noticed that Connor’s demeanor didn’t match his words. There was no shared sorrow, no sympathetic frown. Instead, there was a barely contained mirth dancing in his eyes.

“Connor,” Holly ventured, her voice a mix of hope and confusion. “What’s the good news?”

The corners of Connor’s mouth twitched upwards. “The good news,” he said, his professionalism giving way to a broad grin, “is that you don’t need my help because you’re already pregnant. And not just with one little miracle, but three. Holly, you little overachiever, you’ve been hiding triplets! For about 6 to 8 weeks already, actually.”

The room erupted into a cacophony of emotions. Holly’s hands flew to her mouth as tears streamed down her face, and Noah let out a laugh that was half disbelief, half pure elation.

“Triplets?!” Noah exclaimed, his mind racing. “But how? All the tests…”

“They were wrong,” Connor interjected, his grin now unstoppable. “Sometimes, life has a way of surprising us. And your little ones are quite the surprise. They’ve been hiding out, but they’re there, and they’re healthy.”

As they left the clinic, the world outside seemed brighter, the possibilities endless. Noah and Holly walked hand in hand, their hearts full, as they laughed about how to tell their parents and siblings the news.