It was tight, like someone had placed a heavy stone there. What happened to their father? Anita hesitated. He used to visit sometimes. Then one day, I heard he passed away. Naomi’s breath caught, her eyes locked on her. What did he look like? Anita pointed to the twins. Naomi didn’t answer.
She turned her face away quickly. That night, the babies were placed in one of the guest rooms in a clean, soft crib, a staff brought down from storage. They were covered with warm blankets. Anita was given a warm bath and a new change of clothes, an old outfit from Naomi’s wardrobe. She ate rice and stew like someone who hadn’t seen food in days.
Then she fell asleep on a small couch near the baby’s room. But Naomi didn’t sleep. She stood by the window in her bedroom staring at the swimming pool below. She kept thinking about Fei, her late husband. They had been married for 10 years, 10 whole years. He told her he loved her. He told her they were in this together.
He told her it didn’t matter that they couldn’t have children, that they would travel, grow old together, be happy. Could it be what I am thinking? She whispered to herself. Femi cannot betray our wedding vows. The worst part was he was not even alive to explain. At midnight, Naomi opened her drawer. She brought out an old photo album, the one she hadn’t touched in years.
She flipped through it slowly. There he was, Fei, smiling beside her at their wedding. strong, tall, handsome, with those same hazel eyes. Eyes she used to fall in love with, eyes she now saw in those twins. Her hand trembled as she closed the album. She sat down on the bed, her face buried in her palms. “I need to be sure,” she whispered.
She stood up, picked her phone, and dialed Dr. Andrew again. He answered sleepily. “Doctor, I need a DNA test.” He sat up quickly. Madam, I want you to run a DNA test on those babies. Compare them with Femi’s sample in the records, the one we submitted when doing his autopsy. Okay. Yes, I remember. We have it on file. Good. Start tomorrow. All right.
Ma, are you okay? She didn’t answer. She ended the call and stood still in the dark. She had just taken the first step, one she was not prepared for. The house was quiet. a calm kind of quiet that made you feel like something big was coming. Naomi sat alone at the long dining table. She wasn’t eating. A plate of untouched toast and scrambled eggs sat in front of her.
Her fingers were locked together tightly. Her phone was beside her, face down. She kept staring at the table, but her mind was far away. Last night, she had ordered a DNA test. This morning, she was waiting for the doctor to collect the samples. She hadn’t told anyone. She wanted to be sure first. She needed proof before she even allowed her heart to feel anything.
But the truth was her heart had already started to feel things and that scared her. Footsteps came from the hallway. She looked up. Anita entered the dining room holding a baby in each arm. She was barefoot, still wearing a pair of jeans and a beige t-shirt slightly oversized, which Naomi had given her last night. The twins looked much better, clean and quiet.
One of them was sucking his thumb. The other had his head resting on Anita’s shoulder. “Good morning, Ma,” she said softly. Naomi gave a small nod. “Sit,” she said. She moved slowly and sat at the far end of the table. She didn’t reach for the food. “You can eat,” Naomi said, her voice low. “There’s more in the kitchen,” she looked unsure. “Go ahead,” Naomi added.
