5.

                                    

                                          
Chapter Five • Family Over Everything 
Aphrodite had been eagerly anticipating her latest doctor's appointment, as she was now well into her second trimester of a high-risk quadruplet pregnancy. 
At nearly 17 weeks along, she was finally at the point where she could discover the genders of their four babies. 
Of course, Jonathan, Trinity, and Joshua - were all desperate to accompany her to the appointment and find out the news firsthand. 
However, Aphrodite knew that with her sister Ariadne being the one planning a grand gender reveal party, it would be best to keep the appointment more intimate. 
So Aphrodite opted to only bring Ariadne along, much to the disappointment of the three. Little did they know, Jonathan had already struck a deal with Ariadne to reveal the genders to him privately ahead of the party. 
But true to form, Aphrodite was one step ahead - she made Ariadne promise not to divulge the information to Jonathan, insisting that he would have to wait and find out along with everyone else. 
Aphrodite hadn't had an ultrasound in nearly two weeks, and she was anxious to see how her quadruplets were progressing. 
When the nurse began the routine intake questions, Aphrodite reported a mix of good and bad symptoms. 
While the persistent nausea was improving slightly, she was still relying on medication to manage it. Sleep had become increasingly elusive, and the tightness and pressure in her abdomen were growing more pronounced by the day. 
However, Aphrodite did note that the babies had undergone a significant growth spurt in the past week, evidenced by her rapidly expanding belly, voracious appetite, and intensifying discomfort. 
Along with the physical changes, Aphrodite was also dealing with a whole host of other pregnancy-related woes - from head-to-toe aches and pains to constant fatigue. 
The nurse assured her that these were all normal side effects as her body worked overtime to support the quadruplets. She explained that Aphrodite may soon start feeling fetal movement, and cautioned her to expect additional challenges like round ligament pain, congestion, and heartburn in the coming weeks. 
After the nurse completed her assessment and drew some blood for testing, Aphrodite's obstetrician arrived to perform the highly anticipated ultrasound. 
Throughout the 50-minute procedure, the doctor meticulously examined each of the four babies, taking measurements, checking their spinal development, monitoring their heartbeats, and observing their movements. 
To Aphrodite's delight, all four were progressing beautifully, with fully formed limbs, fingers, toes, and even distinct facial features visible in the 2D images. 
And in a moment of both excitement and trepidation, the doctor was able to determine the genders - information that Aphrodite's sister Ariadne discreetly jotted down on her phone, per Aphrodite's request to keep it from Jonathan for the time being. 
With the reassurance that her pregnancy was on track, Aphrodite left the appointment armed with printed ultrasound photos, ready to head to Joshua's house for the rest of the day. 
But not before voicing her usual protests about being babysat, insisting that she was perfectly capable of being on her own - a claim that Joshua, of course, knew to be only partially true.