Stella was at the clinic for her prenatal checkup when her phone started buzzing.

She reached for it, but Ronald gently took it from her.

"Relax, babe. Let's finish up here first," he said with a soft smile.

Stella nodded. "Okay."

They both turned to the ultrasound screen as the doctor pointed something out.

"Right here you can see your little one," the doctor said.

Stella squinted at the blurry shape. "Looks bigger than last time."

At the last appointment, it was barely the size of a peanut. Now, she thought, it looked more like a golf ball.

The doctor frowned and moved the ultrasound wand around a little more.

"Huh..."

Stella's heartbeat picked up. "What's wrong?"

The doctor looked like she'd just stumbled onto a hidden treasure. She started scanning Stella's stomach more carefully, going slow.

Stella instinctively glanced at Ronald, nerves kicking in.

He squeezed her hand and traced his thumb across her palm. "It's okay," he whispered.

Then he shot the doctor a look that could freeze water.

The doctor gulped and blurted out, "Um, it looks like there are three babies." Ronald: "..."

Stella: "..."

The room fell completely silent.

Three? Did she just say three?

Stella stammered, "Three?"

The doctor double-checked, peering at the monitor. "The other two must have been too small to spot before, but now they're clear as day.”

Ronald's tone was serious. "You're sure?"

The doctor nodded quickly. "Yes, absolutely. No mistake."

If she messed this up, she figured she'd probably lose her license.

Stella turned to Ronald, eyes sparkling. "Triplets! Three babies?"

Twins had already seemed like a miracle, but three? This was unreal. Ronald grinned and ruffled her soft hair. "Yeah, three." Stella beamed, happiness lighting up her face.

།

Before leaving, Ronald peppered the doctor-whose name tag read "Dr. Dylan" with questions about how to take care of Stella. Only after he was satisfied did they finally hea@back to the main house.

Stella was practically bouncing with excitement.

"I have to call Mom. I have to tell her!"

Triplets! There was no way she could keep this to herself. Her first instinct was to call Lottie.

Ronald stopped her, handing her a granola bar. “I'll call her. You need to eat something first."

She really hadn't eaten much that morning, thanks to all the bloodwork and tests.

Stella nodded obediently. "Okay."

She was starving, actually.

Ever since her mom had sent over some herbal teas to ease her morning sickness, her appetite had gotten much better.

Ronald dialed Lottie, who'd been busy traveling for work and hadn't been home lately.

When Lottie heard the news, she nearly dropped her phone. "Triplets? Oh my god, Stella, you superstar!"

Triplets! That was practically unheard of.

"You take good care of my girl, Ronald. I'll be back in a few days," Lottie said.

Ronald agreed, reassuring her.

But Lottie wasn't finished. "And listen to me-no funny business at night, you hear me?"

Ronald: "..."

"Triplets are no joke, Ronald. You better be careful."

She paused, thinking it over. "Actually, maybe you two should sleep separately for a while."

Ronald rubbed his forehead. “I know what I'm doing.”

"Yeah, sure you do. Don't think I don't know you ignored my advice last time!"

ét

Lottie scolded him for a bit longer, making sure he understood just how serious she was. Ronald

just

head aching. Convert

Luckily, the conversation didn't drag on forever. But knowing her son's lack of self-control, Lottie decided she'd better catch the next flight home-just to be safe.