Bedrock by Britney King Read Free Book Online

well.
    Addie’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Dr.
Pierce walked in, followed by the nurse who wheeled in an ultrasound machine.
    Dr. Pierce, who Addie guessed was probably in her early 40s, was
cheery and beautiful. She was petite with jet-black hair, which only made her
sharp blue eyes that much more distinguishable. She had been Addie’s doctor
with Connor, and Addie had fallen love with her bedside manner.
    “Well, hello.” Dr. Pierce said boisterously. “When I saw you on
my schedule, I was a bit surprised. You didn’t mention trying for another when
you came in for your annual a few months ago. I would’ve started you on pre-natals.”
    Addie just shrugged her shoulders and smiled.
    Dr. Pierce instructed her to lie back as she squirted the cold
gooey gel on Addie’s abdomen. She placed the ultrasound wand and moved it
around just a bit. Patrick stood next to Addie, stroking her hand. Suddenly
Addie gasped, causing Patrick to jump. She covered her mouth with her hand, not
taking her eyes from the screen. She registered what she was seeing on the
screen just as Dr. Pierce did. There they were. Two perfect blurry blips up on
the screen, each tiny dot flickering with a heartbeat. “Twins,” Addie said
weakly, afraid she was going to faint.
    “Congratulations! Twins.” Dr. Pierce said with a chuckle.
    “Twins?” Patrick asked, looking back and forth between Addie and
the doctor in a way that told them that he wasn’t privy to what they were
seeing on the screen.
    “Oh my God.” Addie cried as Patrick finally grasped what was
happening and began to rub her back.
    Dr. Pierce went on to give Addie instructions, of which she heard
very little. She nodded and took the paperwork that was handed to her,
pretending she heard what they were telling her. But the room was spinning, and
yet everything was happening around her in slow motion, all at once. Her face
grew hot and chills washed over her. She collapsed just as Dr. Pierce and
Patrick moved in to break her fall.
     

 
     
    Five
    In hindsight, those two bright blue lines that Addie
was surprised to see on the pregnancy test would prove to be very foretelling.
She gave birth to twin boys exactly six months later.
    After several years at home with her children, Addie decided that
she had had enough and began looking for work. While she loved her family
dearly, she had grown tired, feeling bored and unfulfilled. Her days at home
were mindless. She needed a challenge: something, anything, to make her feel
alive again. Knowing how Patrick felt about her going back to work, she decided
not to discuss the matter with him until she found a job. She figured an offer
that she couldn’t turn down would be the perfect solution.
    She hired a professional to tweak her resume, and, thankfully, it
didn’t take long for her phone to start ringing. A few weeks after she started
her search, she landed two interviews. While the first one had been mostly a
disaster, she learned a few lessons and felt better prepared for the second.
    The morning of her second interview was hectic, trying to get
everyone where they needed to be. Always one to prepare, Addie had the kids’
clothes and things packed and ready the night before. Still, she couldn’t have
prepared for the chaos of trying to look presentable herself while getting
three kids out the door at such an early hour.
    She rose extra early, worked out, and showered. Dressed in a
black pencil skirt, crisp white button-down top and peep-toe black pumps, she
checked herself in the mirror and was satisfied she looked the part. She was
surprised that the skirt still fit her, certain that her hips were wider after
giving birth to three children, two of them at once! But it fit, a little
tighter nonetheless. She swept her long blond hair up in to a loose bun,
hopeful that would make them take her seriously.
    Addie fed the boys cereal, got them dressed, dropped Connor off
at school, and waded through traffic on the