Aaron took the afternoon off work at the beginning of December to attend a doctor's appointment for an ultrasound revealing the baby's gender. Keeley, who had recently submitted her dissertation draft and was preparing for her defense, had eagerly anticipated this day all week.

In the maternity ward waiting room, she bounced in her seat while he held her hand, their wedding rings softly rubbing together.

After what seemed like hours, a nurse called, "Mrs. Hale?"

They jumped up and followed her to an examination room. The nurse checked Keeley's vital signs and then asked her to lift her shirt to listen for the baby's heartbeat. After checking several locations on her abdomen for the clearest sound, she paused, seemingly surprised.

"What is it?" Keeley asked anxiously.

"Nothing, ma'am," the nurse replied. "Your baby's heartbeat is nice and strong. I'll get the doctor to perform the ultrasound."

Once the nurse left, Keeley's heart rate remained elevated. "She made a face, right? I'm not crazy; she definitely made a face!"

"She did make a face," Aaron agreed grimly. "But she said the baby's heartbeat is strong, so I'm not sure what that was about. Let's not worry too much yet. Stress isn't good for you or the baby."

He rose from his chair, kissed her forehead as she sat on the exam table, and offered comfort. She was grateful for his support; she couldn't imagine going through this alone.

Dr. Chapman entered with a smile. "Hello again! How are you both feeling today?"

"Nervous," Keeley admitted. "The nurse made a face when she checked the heartbeat."

The doctor sighed. "I've told her a million times to control her facial expressions better Let's ease your anxiety by getting this done right away."

She had Keeley lie down, lift her shirt again, and encouraged Aaron to move closer to see the ultrasound screen. After applying warm gel, Dr. Chapman moved the transducer across Keeley's abdomen.

"Well, I know why she made that face. There are two heartbeats. You're having twins!"

Keeley craned her neck to look at the screen. Two babies lay back-to-back. Tears welled in her eyes. Not one, but two. It felt like the universe was making up for a previous loss.

"Twins," Aaron whispered, dazed. He looked at his wife with a wide grin. "We're having twins!"

She grinned back. "Doctor, can you tell the genders?"

Dr. Chapman examined the ultrasound more closely. "It looks like you're having one of each. See? The one on the right is a boy."

"Kaleb," they said simultaneously, laughing.

"Kaleb and Violet," Keeley said emotionally. "They're so tiny."

"Twins are usually born early, so we'll need to take extra care. You need to come in every two weeks from now on. You haven't gained nearly enough weight to sustain twins," the doctor cautioned, turning to Aaron. "Make sure your wife always has a snack!"

He nodded vigorously. "I will!"

Dr. Chapman advised Keeley to rest once the semester ended, emphasizing that stress was detrimental to her and the babies. Aaron jokingly promised to strap her to the bed if necessary, making Keeley laugh—though she later realized he was serious.

They left with dietary advice and lighter hearts. Twins! This was definitely worth celebrating.

Keeley craved a steak from a restaurant she and her father frequented for special occasions, so they went there immediately. She sighed contentedly, enjoying the warm bread while they waited for their meals.

Her husband gazed at her softly across the table, his head resting on his fist. She blushed; scarfing down bread wasn't exactly glamorous.

It didn't seem to matter to him. His affectionate gaze didn't waver.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, embarrassed.

"My gorgeous wife."

That was an exaggeration. Severe under-eye bags had made her look like a panda for weeks.

"I think you need your eyes checked."

Aaron shook his head. "Tiredness can't detract from true beauty."

Tiredness did detract from many things, including her sanity. Keeley was terrified about her upcoming dissertation defense, but afterward, she would finally be free.

"What if I fail my dissertation committee?" she blurted out.

Dr. Kim had assured her that her research was sound; she just needed to explain it clearly. However, the nervousness persisted. Facing a panel of senior academics was daunting.

"You won't," Aaron said confidently. "You know your work. You've practiced your presentation. You'll be fine."

He hesitated, looking slightly embarrassed. "I've already found a lab willing to take you and your research on as soon as you're ready to return to work."

Keeley hadn't considered her return to work. She wanted to raise her children herself, unlike Aaron's own childhood experience with a nanny. This meant staying home until they were around three years old.

"Actually…I want to stay with the babies until they start preschool. I don't know if that lab would wait that long."

Surprise flickered in his eyes before he smirked.

"Money talks, sweetheart. If they don't, I'll find someone else. I'll build you your own lab if I have to. I'll make sure you can continue your research, no matter what. Are you sure you're okay with postponing your dream that long?"

"I always hoped to stay home with my kids like my mom did. I've waited this long. A few more years won't hurt."

Aaron chuckled self-deprecatingly. "That's what I used to tell myself about waiting for you."

A smile lit her face. "Was I your dream then?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation, leaning across the table to kiss her.

I have removed the promotional sentence. I also made several changes to improve clarity, flow, and word choice throughout the passage.