Evan walked into the quiet house and began looking for his wife, but when he couldn’t find Mariah, he began to worry. Where she could have gone? He went to the answering machine to check if she’d left him a message on it and saw that there were two messages. He pushed the button and waited for the messages to begin.

“Evan, my sonogram appointment got rescheduled to 3:30 today. I couldn’t get hold of you in time so I called Morgan and he’s taking me. If you get home in time, please join me at the doctor’s office. I love you,” she said.

The second message was for Morgan, but since Evan wanted to get to the doctor in time to see the sonogram, he didn’t stay to listen. He would have to tell his brother about the message when he saw him at the doctors.

* * *

Lesley was in a state of shock as she looked at the sonogram and saw two little babies and was sad that she didn’t have anyone with to share her news, not anyone who cared anyway. Her new co-workers at her new job were nice, but she hadn’t gotten close to any of them and she still wasn’t talking to her mother.

She’d just stepped out into the waiting room when she saw Morgan sitting in the waiting room. Her first thought was he was there for her, and her heart started throbbing against her chest as she tried to find the words to explain about the babies, but before she could move towards him, she heard the nurse call for Mrs. Clemmens. She looked over at the person sitting next to him, quickly realizing he was there with his wife.

She was furious that he had lied to her about not being married, then let out a sigh, thinking she’d probably had left her phone message at his home. She didn’t look at the woman, as her eyes were too busy watching Morgan remove his arm from around the woman’s shoulder as he stood.

Morgan happened to look over towards the door, and when she saw his eyes on her, she panicked and ran out the office. She could hear him calling her name, but she didn’t stop. She was afraid he would stop her, so she ran to the door to the stairs, jerked it open, and commenced running down them as fast as she could. The pain in her side finally made her slow down, but she continued running the best she could. She constantly looked over her shoulder for any signs of Morgan, but she didn’t see him.

When she reached her car, a man was just getting out of the vehicle next to her, but she wasn’t paying any attention to him, as her mind was still on Morgan. She had backed in, so the driver side of her car was next to the man’s car. She had just unlocked her door when she felt a hand on her arm. She turned ready for a fight, her eyes filled with fear as she looked at the stranger.

He looked at her, surprised by her expression, then smiled. “Lesley, wait, I just want to talk to you,” the stranger called.

Lesley panicked, as she wasn’t sure how this man knew her name, but she wasn’t going to give him the chance to hurt her. She yanked her arm from his grip, kicked him in his shin, then pushed him back against his vehicle. She got into her car, slammed the door closed, locking it as fast as she could.

While the man was trying to regain his balance, she started the car, and quickly shifted into drive, pulling out of the parking space without even taking the time to buckle her seatbelt. Her heart throbbed loudly in her chest as she pulled out of the parking garage into the bright sunlight. Her house was just down the street, but since she was afraid, the man might be following her, she drove right pass it as the last thing she wanted was for him to know where she lived.

As she drove, she frequently looked in her rearview mirror, but because of all the traffic behind her; she couldn’t tell if he was following her. She was frustrated when she had to stop at several stoplights as she tried to escape the area without him finding her.

A few minutes later, she heard the sound of a police siren. When she realized she’d been speeding and he was after her, she slowed down and pulled off the highway.

“May I see your driver’s license and resignation?”

“I can explain,” she said hurriedly. “I don’t expect you not to give me a ticket, but a man grabbed me in the hospital parking lot. He startled me and I ran out of there as fast as possible.”

“Really.” The officer gave her a look of disbelief at her statement, but when he looked at her more closely; he could tell she’d been crying recently. “Do you want to come to the station and give a statement?”

She gave him a weak smile. “No. As I think more about the incident, I think I just over reacted. The man knew my name, so I don’t think he meant me any harm.”

“How would he know your name?”

“I’m a nurse at that hospital, so maybe I’d taken care of him or one of his family members.”

“You’ve been crying, so the confrontation must have upset you.”

“No, it wasn’t that. I’ve had a trying morning.”

“Such as?”

She knew it wasn’t any of his business, but she felt as if she had to tell someone her news. “I received news today that I’m expecting twins.”

The young officer wasn’t sure if she was giving him a load of crap or not, but decided he would investigate a little further. “I bet your husband will be excited with the news.” As soon as he spoke, he saw her tear up. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not married. While I was at the doctor’s office, I saw the man who’s the father in there with his wife.”

“Damn! That got to hurt.”

“Yes.”

“My name is Charlie Miller. Can I meet you somewhere and we can get acquainted.”

She gave him a weak smile. “Just give me my ticket.”

“So, it that a no?” He asked sadly.

“Are you sure you want to get involved with a pregnant woman?”

“Yes, besides I think you’re beautiful.”

“Thank you, but I need to tell the father of my babies about them before I get involve with anyone else.”

“I’ll give you my phone number. If or when you want to meet, give me a call.”

“I will.”

“I won’t write you a ticket this time, but if I stop you again for speeding I will.”

“Thanks.” She watched him in her rearview mirror get back into his vehicle. She made sure her lane was clear, then pulled back onto the highway. When she saw the ramp off the highway, she took it, made a U-turn, and started towards home.

* * *

“Lesley, wait,” Morgan called after her.

Mariah grabbed hold of his arm. “You saw Lesley? My sister, Lesley?”

“She just ran out of here.”

“Mrs. Clemmens,” the nurse called again.

“Go after her,” she told him.

“Mariah, I came here for you.”

“I want you to go after her.”

“Since she ran away, I take it that she doesn’t want to have anything to do with me.”

“Why was she here? Could she be pregnant?”

Morgan thought back to the night the two of them had made love. Since he hadn’t used a condom and if Lesley hadn’t been on the pill, there was a chance she could be pregnant with his child. “Yes, there’s a good chance she could be.”

“I see,” she muttered, thinking that another sister pregnant by a Clemmens. Who would ever believe something like this could happen in one family.

The two walked towards the nurse and then followed her down the hall. Morgan waited outside the room while they got Mariah ready for the test, and then a nurse opened the door to let him in. Morgan kept his eyes off his sister-in-law’s naked belly, looking at the monitor instead as he watched in awe his brother’s child moving inside the womb, but Lesley wasn’t forgotten.

* * *

At first, Evan was surprised to see Lindsay in the hospital parking lot, but when the terror in her eyes didn’t dissipate as she stared at him, he instantly knew this couldn’t be Lindsay. This woman had to be Mariah’s twin sister, Lesley, the last missing one. “Lesley, wait, I just want to talk to you.”

She yank her arm from him, kicked him in his shin, then pushed him back against his vehicle and by the time Evan regain his balance, the woman was gone. “Damn,” he banged his fist against his car. He wanted to follow her, but since he was late for Mariah’s appointment; her sister would have to wait.

When he entered the office, he saw the room was filled with pregnant woman, each with a belly at different stages of the birthing process, but he didn’t see Mariah or Morgan. He went to the window to tell the receptionist who he was and inquire about Mariah.

The young woman smiled at him. “Your wife mentioned you may be showing up. I’ll let someone know you’re here.”

Evan waited by the door and when it opened, he was surprised to see Morgan standing there. “Hey, brother.”

Hailey was returning from her visit with her maternal grandparents today, and if he didn’t hurry, he would be late getting to the airport. “Go down to room three, they’re waiting for you. I have to go because I have to go pick up Hailey at the airport and I don’. I’ll see you all later.”

“Thanks man.” Evan started through the door, but stopped suddenly as he remembered the message for Morgan at his place. “Morgan,” he called after him.

“What?” He turned to look at Evan, anxious to go pick up his daughter.

“There is a phone message at my place for you. The lady said it was very important.”

“Do you know who it was from?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know, I didn’t stop to listen to it.”

“Mr. Clemmens,” a nurse called. “We’re waiting for you.”

“I got to go.” Evan waved as he took off down the hall. When he entered the room, he saw Mariah lying on a table, and a technician was moving a probe across her stomach. He looked over at the monitor next to her and saw his child for the first time.

The technician pointed to the baby’s heart, and tears filled Evan’s eyes as he watched the little pulsating heart on the monitor and in the excitement of the sonogram, he forgot to tell Mariah about seeing Lesley in the parking lot.

* * *

As Morgan drove to the airport, he thought about seeing Lesley at the doctor’s office and wondered what it could mean. Woman went to see these types of doctors for other reasons too and just because he’d seen her there didn’t mean that she was pregnant. Why was Lesley in Kansas City? Wouldn’t she have gotten hold of him by now if she were in the family way? Damn! He slammed his fist on the steering wheel.

How was he going to find her and explain about Mariah? He arrived at the airport just as the plane he was to meet was unloading. After he picked up Hailey, said good-bye to his in-laws, he started for the parking lot, with Hailey telling him about her trip, and Lesley was forgotten.

It wasn’t until Hailey had fallen asleep on the way home that he started thinking about Lesley. Remembering the phone message that Evan had mentioned, he decided to stop at their place before going home, as just maybe, the message would be from Lesley.

Mariah was surprised when she opened the door to see Morgan and Hailey standing on her front porch. “Morgan, what are you doing here?” she asked, giving him a worried look.

“Did you get a chance to listen to the message for me on your answering machine?”

“I wasn’t aware there was one on it for you,” Mariah responded to his question.

“May I come in?” He wasn’t sure if she would have anything more to do with him now that she knew about his relationship with her sister.

“Of course,” she replied, with a smile, moving back and let them in. He put Hailey down and she ran head of them into the living room. Mariah grabbed hold of Morgan’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze. “We’ll find her.”

“If only I had already met Lindsay before my trip, then I would have known who Lesley was when we met.”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it. I don’t blame you,” she said to reassured him.

They went into the living room and found Hailey sitting on Evan’s lap telling him about her trip with her grandparents. Morgan went to the answering machine, pushed the button, and the messages began. The first one was Mariah’s message, then the second one started.

“Hello. My name is Lesley Arrington. I’m looking for Morgan Clemmens and this is the only number I had for him. It is very important that I speak with him. My phone number is . . .”

In the excitement of hearing Lesley’s voice, Hailey jumped off her uncle’s lap and ran to the machine. When Morgan saw where she was going, he called out to stop her, but he wasn’t in time. She pushed a button on the machine thinking it was the volume control, but instead of it getting louder, the message stopped.

He felt like screaming when he heard the machine click and quickly erasing the message. Morgan wanted to stomp and yell at his child, but he didn’t, as he knew she hadn’t done it on purpose. He looked at his brother for help.

“Do you have caller ID?”

“We haven’t gotten around to buying new phones with that capability on them.”

“Did you happen to have written the phone number down?”

“No, I’m sorry I didn’t. When I heard Mariah’s message I was sort of sidetracked. So much has been going on here that I forgot to check the machine when we came home, so neither of us had even listened to it. I’m sure when you don’t call her, she’ll call back.”

Morgan shook his head. “You don’t understand. She saw me earlier in the doctor’s office with Mariah, and I had my arm was around her shoulder when the nurse called out Mrs. Clemmens. She probably thought I was there with my wife.” Morgan saw Evan’s mouth dropped at his statement. “What’s wrong?”

Evan turned to his wife. “Oh honey, I forgot to tell you, I saw Lesley in the parking lot when I was getting out of my car at the hospital today. I called out her name and put my hand on her arm, but she kicked me and got away.”

“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell me you saw her?” Morgan asked, holding his breath as he waited for his brother’s answer.

Evan looked strangely at his brother. “Why would you want to know about me seeing Mariah’s sister?”

“I thought you knew Lesley was the woman I stayed with in Columbia.”

“How was I to know they were the same person? I don’t remember you mentioning her name to me. Besides, when I saw the sonogram of my baby, I forgot all about even mentioning her to Mariah.”

Mariah put her hand on Morgan’s arm to calm him. “You saw her at the doctor’s office. Maybe we can get them to give us her phone number,” she excitedly told the two men.

Morgan shook his head. “You know they won’t do that.”

“Maybe they could get a message to her for us. If I explain the situation to them and tell them that she’s my long lost sister, maybe they could at least give us a number.”

“Maybe twenty years ago they could, but now the Privacy Act prevents them from giving out that kind of information.”

“It won’t hurt to try,” Mariah said, hopefully.

“Call them.”

Mariah called her doctor’s office, explaining the situation to the receptionist, saying all she wanted was to get a message to Lesley Arrington, who was a patient of one of the doctors. When the receptionist said she would do her best to get a message to Lesley, Mariah thanked her and hung up.

The woman called Lesley’s number and left Mariah’s message, but as soon as the message finished, her new kitten walked across the answering machine, erasing the message. As Lesley had done when she’d left the message for Morgan, the three Clemmens sat there, waiting for the phone to ring.