Mollie sat nervously on the floor of the room that was supposed to be their nursery the first time she was pregnant.  JC should be home any minute and she hadn’t told him the news.  It had been three months since she found out and she didn’t want to tell him over the phone but she hadn’t wanted him to leave the tour for her.  So when he was talking about flying her out for a mini vacation, she gently suggested that he should come home for a while.  It was fall and the air was chilly but not unbearable.  Mollie was extra careful about everything she did, not wanting any accidents this time.

She was getting pretty antsy when she heard the door open.  She scrambled to her feet when he called out for her.  She had laid a series of arrows leading up the stairs to this room and soon enough he’d spot them and be here.  She laughed as she heard his footsteps coming up the stairs.

“Oh I like games babe,” he said, trying to be cute.

She rolled her eyes and waited until she saw his form come into sight.  He looked at her with one eyebrow raised as he stepped through the doorway.

“What’s going on?” JC asked, noting the envelope in Mollie’s hands.

“I wanna show you something,” Mollie said, holding the envelope out to him. 

He took it cautiously and slid his finger under the flap.  It felt like it was taking him forever to slide the paper out of the envelope but when he finally got it all the way out and realized that he was holding an ultrasound photo, his face was priceless.  His jaw dropped and he looked at her in amazement. 

Mollie couldn’t help but cry.  They’d been through so much in the last year and this was a blessing they never expected to get.  JC swooped her into his arms and she could feel him sob against her shoulder.  They held each other and cried for a while before JC pulled back, bending to place a kiss on her stomach. 

“You are the best gift we could ask for and we’re going to take the best care of you,” he said, speaking to the baby.

The pair laughed and cried as they sat on the floor of the nursery, trying to guess if it was a boy or a girl.  They talked about their fears and about their hopes for the future.  They decided they wouldn’t tell anyone until they were in the safe zone.  Before they knew it midnight had rolled around and JC insisted she get to bed. 

JC had time off during the holidays, his next trip coming at the end of January.  They relished in the times with nothing to do and spent time talking about the nursery.  Mollie was hungrier than usual and they talked about how they’d tell their friends and JC’s family.  After a round of shopping, they were eating lunch at a restaurant nearby their house.

“My jeans are getting really tight.  I didn’t think it would happen this soon,” Mollie said, sipping her water. 

“I didn’t want to say anything because I’m totally looking forward to your big pregnant belly but I feel like you’ve got a bump already and we're not that far in.”

“Maybe I’m just eating more because I think I should be.  We have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow so I guess I’ll ask them where I should be weight wise.”

They enjoyed the rest of their lunch and woke up the next morning, ready to go to the doctor and see the baby on the ultrasound.  The technician dimmed the lights and started moving the probe around her belly.  They saw a few things and the technician kept zooming and snapshotting things.  She didn’t say much and that made Mollie concerned.  At the last ultrasound, they chatted and the technician pointed things out to her.  Before she knew what was happening the technician excused herself and came back in with the doctor.

“Is something wrong?  I’m getting a little nervous with all this silence,” Mollie said, squeezing JC’s hand. 

“Nothing’s wrong, I just want Dr. Garcia to check something,” the technician assured her.

It didn’t help soothe her fears.  The doctor moved the probe around again and her eyes went wide.  She looked at JC and Mollie and took a moment before speaking.

“Well, it looks like you’re not having just one baby,” Dr. Garcia began.

“Twins?” JC asked. 

“Not quite.  It looks like there are five babies in there.”

“Five?” Mollie asked, in disbelief. 

“Yes, this would certainly explain why you’re growing so fast.”

The doctor showed them the five distinct bodies on the screen, printing out pictures of each.  The couple had a moment to themselves while Mollie cleaned off her stomach before they met with the doctor and they were in shock.  JC held her while she cried.  She didn’t know whether they were tears of joy or sadness or fear but she let them out while JC remained her steady partner.  They headed over to the doctor’s office to discuss what this meant.

“Having this many babies at one time, naturally, is a one in a million thing.  It just doesn’t happen without modern technology and help in the pregnancy process.”

“What does this mean for Mollie?  Is she in danger at all?” 

“No, at some point you will most likely have to go on bedrest to prevent early labor.  Multiples tend to come early and we want those babies to stay in there as long as possible.  Overall I would say take it easy from now on, don’t over exercise or lift things that are too heavy.  You will need to up your diet.  We’ll provide you with some information on that.  Just keep in mind you’ve got five little lives to nourish and while it may seem like a lot to you, it’s what they need to thrive.”

The doctor kept going on about various changes that would be coming but Mollie’s head got fuzzy.  She was scared that something would go wrong.  She didn’t think she could handle losing another child and the high risk of this pregnancy didn’t ease her worries. 

“Miss Greenspan, did you have any other questions for me?”

“To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve processed the information yet, I’ll probably call your office tomorrow with a thousand questions.”

The doctor laughed and shook their hands.  The couple head to the car and their drive home was silent as they took in the life changing moment they’d just shared.  When they arrived home, Mollie went up to their room to change out of her tight jeans and into comfy yoga pants.  She lay on the bed, her head still spinning.  JC climbed in next to her.

“I’m scared,” Mollie said, running her hands over her bump.

“I’m not gonna lie, I am too.  But we’ll do it together,” JC said reaching his hand over and placing it on her stomach. 

“What am I gonna do when you’re gone?  Jo’s gone,” Mollie said, panicking.

“Listen, I have a video to shoot, two shows to film and the Pro Bowl.  After that I’m going to slow down and not do things that I can’t do from here.” 

“But you’re just getting your solo career off the ground, you have to be out there.”

“Don’t you know that you and these babies are more important to me than anything in this whole world?”  JC turned to face his girlfriend.  “I would give all my obligations up right now if I thought you’d let me do it.” 

“You can’t do that for me.    Besides, we’ve got five babies to raise, you need a job!”  They both needed that laugh and it broke the seriousness.

“We’ll have enough to start a boy band,” JC quipped. 

“Oh god, how are we going to tell everybody that we’re having five babies?  How are we going to tell your mother?  She was already upset about us having a baby and not being married.”

“She’ll get over it and immediately want to move down here to be with them every minute.  Speaking of which, we have two Christmases this week to get ready for.” 

“We should probably make a grocery list.  It’s a good thing I’ve cleaned the house already.”

            They tried to carry on as normally as possible over the next week and having something to keep her busy kept Mollie’s mind off her expanding stomach.  She managed to make some appetizers and prepare some desserts in advance.  When Friday rolled around, she needed to take a break.  She knew she’d be on her feet this weekend and early next week so she wanted to relax today.   Just as she settled into the couch, however, JC came in the room. 

“I brought your jacket and some shoes,” he said, sweeping in like she’d asked him to.

“Thanks?” 

“You’ve got a car waiting for you my girl.  I’m sending you out for a little pampering.”

“What?” 

“Consider it an early Christmas gift.  You have a driver and you’re headed to the salon.”

“Baby, you don’t h…” 

“I want to,” JC said, escorting her to the car door.  He managed to get her in the back and give her a kiss.  “I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Okay,” Mollie said, confused but willing to get pampered. 

She took the ride to the salon where she was told she would be getting a manicure and pedicure.  She was excited at the thought of a foot massage, her feet were tired. 

Back at the house, JC began his preparations.  He had more surprises in store for Mollie tonight.  He figured he had about two hours or so before she would be back so he had to move fast.  He headed to the back yard and rigged up a big screen that he had rented for the night.  He had it facing the woods so that her back would be to the dock.    He moved on to the projector and then the chair he wanted to set up for her.  He strung Christmas lights on the back of the house and along the dock.  When he was satisfied with the outside, he moved inside.  He placed bunches of peonies, her favorite flower, on every surface he could find.  He wrote the notes that would instruct her on what he wanted her to do and then he got himself ready.

Mollie felt so relaxed when she got back from the salon.  She was excited to see a rental car in JC’s driveway, indicating that Johanna and Justin had arrived.  She had the driver drop her off there first and ran in to say hi.  She tried her best to play off their comments about her size and was kind of glad when they turned down her dinner offer.  Something was up with them she could tell and frankly, if they didn’t want to talk, she’d enjoy a nice evening with her boyfriend alone.

She stopped short when she opened the door to her house, finding it filled with beautiful flowers.  She smiled at how romantic her boy could be.  She walked over to the bouquet on the hall table to smell it and found a note sticking out of it.

‘Mollie,

The day of pampering continues.  Head out back and see what I’ve got for you.

-JC’

She smiled to herself and continued through the house, finding Boo asleep on the kitchen tiles.  She found a note taped to the sliding glass door and took it as she opened it and stepped outside.

‘I’ve set up a little something for you to see.  Kick up your feet and press play.’

Now Mollie was confused.  She sat on the adorable love seat that JC had set up in front of this large screen.  There was a projector on a stand and the yard was lit by twinkly lights.  She hit play on the projector and JC’s face popped up on her screen.  She could tell this was from a while ago by his hair.

“Hey Molls.  You’re probably wondering what the hell I’m doing right about now, as you sit up in my childhood bed alone,” he started to ramble.  It clicked for Mollie, his parent’s house last year on his birthday.  “I just finished talking to my dad.  I was asking him about how he knew my mom was the one… because I think you’re the one for me.  He told me that if I knew then it must be right but that I shouldn’t rush it.  If it’s forever then we’ve got plenty of time to be together.  Maybe he’s right.  I’ve just never felt like this before.  Nobody has ever understood me like you do.  Nobody had ever clicked with my family and friends the way you do.  I just wanted to make sure you knew how I felt, in this moment, while I felt it so strongly.”

The video faded to black and Mollie sat in shock.  She knew they had moved faster than most couples due to their situation but she hadn’t realized he’d felt so strongly from that early on.  The video came back up and there was JC with bed head and a sloppy grin.

“So many people would think tonight was a great night because we won a few awards and performed with a legend,” JC said.  This was clearly after the VMA’s.  “And don’t get me wrong, it was pretty awesome but for me, I think being able to introduce you to Michael Jackson, your idol and seeing your face light up was better.  Watching you dance on that stage, proud to be doing your choreography next to one of the biggest stars in the world…it was magical.  I learn more and more about you every day and today I was happy that we got to see each other do what we’re best at.  Again, I wonder why I’m waiting to make you mine forever but you know, I’ll be patient.  Love you.”

Mollie was in awe of his thoughtfulness and his commitment.  She listened to a few more before they got more serious.  Mollie immediately recognized the background as the walls of his room at his parent’s home.

“This silence is killing me.  I have to talk to you on this video because I refuse to believe I’ll never see you again.  You have to make it through this nightmare,” JC said, his voice breaking.  Tears were rolling down his face.  “I know that you and Johanna can do this…you have to do this.  I don’t know what there is for me if there is no you.  You can’t leave me.  We’re a team, bubby.”  Mollie smiled at his little pet name for her but she cried at his overwhelming emotion.  The video continued with a less sad but more anxious video.

“You just told me you’re pregnant and I can’t believe it.  I’m so excited.  If you had asked me if I wanted to have a child right now before you said it, I probably would’ve said no.  But hearing those words, my immediate thought was joy.  I can’t wait to see your belly get bigger and to plan things and pick out names.  Most of all I can’t wait to see this baby…the living proof of our love.”

“Mollie.  It’s been a few days since we lost the baby and you won’t talk to me.  I don’t think I’ve ever felt more lost.  My instinct in life is to protect you and make sure that you’re safe.  I couldn’t do that this time and now there’s nothing I can do to make you feel better.  I know there will be sunshine at the end of this darkness.  When we get through this, we’ll be stronger than ever.”  He paused, fiddling with something in his hands.  He held up the small velvet box.  “I was going to surprise you with this when I got home from the trip.  I went back to the store where I saw the ring I thought was perfect for you and I was going to ask you to marry me.  Now you won’t even look at me…”  He bit his lip to hold back tears.  “I just hope you remember how much I love you...maybe that will lead you back to me.”

Mollie was a mess at this point.  He’d had a ring for months? This was a lesson in underestimating him, she’d never do it again.  The video continued and we finally got to happier times.  He made her laugh few times and she started wondering where he was.  She wanted to hug him and love on him.  Finally the video cut to him in what she was sure he had been wearing when she left.

“In case you couldn’t tell, I’ve been hopelessly in love with you for a very long time…turn around.”

Mollie turned and saw him standing out on the dock.  She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as she walked to meet him.  She did both and when she got to him, he dried her tears.

“Mollie, I think I’ve loved you since the moment you ran into my kitchen in a bikini,” he said, as they both laughed.  “And I knew I wanted to marry you not long after that,” JC said, getting down on one knee.  “So will you make all of my dreams come true?  Will you marry me?”

Mollie cried and covered her mouth as he got down on his knee.  She thought the video might be leading to this but she wasn’t prepared for the sight of him in front of her.

“Yes!” she managed to get out.  She bent down and kissed him long and slow.  When she pulled back to dry her tears, JC slipped the ring on her finger.  It was gorgeous.  Not too big, simple and elegant, it was exactly what she would have chosen if she picked it out herself.  “You’ve really had this ring for a year?” 

“Yes.  I’ve wanted this for so long and after hearing about the babies, I knew I couldn’t wait one more minute.  Those babies deserve the world and I want to give that to them with you by my side.”

“I can’t believe you.  Whatever I did to deserve you, I hope I keep doing it forever,” she said, kissing him again and pulling him close.

 “Just be you,” he murmured against her lips. 

Waking up the next morning, Mollie held her hand up to her face and stared at the ring.  She couldn’t believe it was real and it took her a while to get up and start the day.  She had plenty to do, so upon finding a dress that fit over her sizeable stomach, she headed down to the kitchen.  She started on the pies and once they were in the oven, she moved on to peeling potatoes for dinner.  She was glad to see Johanna appear as she was mashing the potatoes.  She was getting tired on her feet and ordered her friend to transfer the potatoes to a baking dish and cover them and put them in the fridge.  Mollie sat herself on one of the high stools that lined the island in the kitchen and started chopping veggies and cheese for appetizers.  She’d already discussed with JC that she was going to tell Johanna about the engagement before the party.

“So, something happened last night,” Mollie said, holding up her left hand.  “Jayce proposed.” 

“Can I be honest?”  Johanna asked.  “I know, we saw you guys out the window.”

She ran around to hug her friend and the two giggled and talked excitedly about possible wedding plans.

“Well I definitely don’t want to be a pregnant bride.  I mean nothing fits me now as it is, I would never find a dress.”

“Well how long after you have the baby do you want to wait?” 

“I feel like Jayce and I have never been in a rush to do anything so for me, I’d like to fully experience the parenting thing before tackling a wedding and that stress on top of it.”

“Yeah, I mean a crying baby is kind of a buzzkill for a party.”

 “Hey!”

“Well your kid I’m sure will be great…”

 “Yeah,” Mollie said, knowing she was keeping another secret.

 The girls continued to get ready and before they knew it people were arriving.  Mollie flitted from group to group, trying to be a great host.  Dinner was great, she’d outdone herself but by the time they were clearing the dishes she began to get super nervous.  Everyone gathered in the great room and was chatting and laughing.  JC called for everyone’s attention and Mollie was excited to not have a secret anymore.  He started with the proposal which elicited cheers from everyone.

“But that’s not all.  By now you all know that Mollie is pregnant and some of you have made comments about her size,” JC started.

 “Jerks,” Mollie added, laughing.

“So we’ve decided to share with you guys that we’re pregnant with quintuplets.”

Instead of the cheers from earlier, they were met with dropped jaws.  Everyone had wide eyes as they processed the news.  Then they all ran up to them with hugs and congratulations.

“You could start your own boy band,” Chris joked.

 “Or girl band,” Kelly, Joey’s wife, added.

Mollie basked in the glow of the happy news.  She felt so loved and nothing in the world could break the bubble she was in at the moment.  She refused to let the nagging negative thoughts breakthrough.  Tonight, she was invincible.

Preparing for the in-laws was less stressful than it seemed.  As soon as Karen and Roy touched down in Orlando, Karen took it upon herself to take over the kitchen and that was perfectly fine with Mollie.  Her feet were still swollen from the night before and she could use some time to put them up…which is exactly what Karen ordered her to do when she saw her feet.  Propped on the sofa with her feet up on some pillows, Mollie offered help in any way she could but Karen wouldn’t hear of it.  The next day was more of the same and when Johanna showed up in brand new heels and a scarf covered neck, Mollie knew something was up.

“Who gave you those?” Mollie asked, pointing to the shoes.

“Justin.” 

“Gave you those.  $600 shoes?”

“He wanted to thank me for helping him out this year as he started his solo project,” Johanna said cavalierly.  “I’m going to London in a few days to celebrate New Years with him.” 

“And the scarf?  Johanna have you being carrying on an illicit affair with Justin Timberlake?”

“You’re such a virgin.  I haven’t been carrying on an affair…I’ve just been having sex with him occasionally…frequently…” 

“Oh my God!”

“Keep it down please,” Johanna said, making sure no one heard.  “We’re not telling anyone because it’s not a big deal.  We’re just having fun.” 

“And how much do you love him?”

“I don’t…there’s no love involved.” 

“There is.  Otherwise he wouldn’t be giving you $600 shoes and flying you out to London and you wouldn’t be blushing like a little girl when I mention his name.”

“Maybe I’m blushing thinking of all the hot sex I’m having.  I don’t want anything complicated and neither does he.  We both want to have fun and its working.”

Mollie raised an eyebrow at her friend.  She knew this was all headed for disaster and if she knew Johanna at all, then Johanna knew it too.  It confused Mollie why she would want to risk the heartache if she didn’t care at all. 

The rest of the holidays were uneventful, they spent a quiet New Years at home.  JC went on quick trips for promotional things and to film his video but was always back as soon as possible.  They invited their friends over for a Super Bowl party since Justin would be appearing on the half time show and it was hard for Mollie to get out now a days since she was getting so big.  They had been talking and socializing throughout the game but everyone stopped talking and turned their attention to the television when the clock signaled that it was half time.  They jammed along, bobbing their head to the songs and different artists.  When Janet Jackson hit the stage, they knew it was almost time for Justin.

When he came out everyone cheered and danced along to the music but as soon as the last note hit, the room fell silent.  As artist themselves, JC, Lance and Chris knew what this meant for Justin.  There would be immediate backlash and they too would get some unwanted attention and questions.  The three of them agreed not to make any comment without talking to Justin first.  The excitement was all too much for Mollie, who excused herself to bed.  She was upset enough worrying about Justin but her back was killing her as well.  With a kiss on the cheek, she said goodnight to JC and headed to bed.  When she crawled in, she shot a text to Johanna and waited.  When her phone rang, she knew who it was.

“Molls, I don’t know what to do.  Justin won’t speak to anyone and Janet’s people aren’t answering their phones.  Johnny has been blowing up my phone but I’m afraid of what he’s going to say.  I don’t know what to tell him except Justin didn’t want to do the bra thing in the first place…” 

“Jo…Johanna,” Mollie said, trying to get her friend to calm down.  “First off, let Justin mope.  He’s freaking out just like you right now only worse because it’s his career on the line.  Second, if Janet’s people aren’t talking to you guys, it’s probably because they knew it would happen and want to see how he’s going to handle it with the press.  And third, you tell Johnny exactly what you know.  Justin didn’t want to do it, he felt backed into a corner by one of his idols and he’s upset about what happened.  You defend Justin.  He’s your friend and you are the closest person to him and his career decisions as his assistant.”

“And if he won’t listen?” 

“Hang up.  You’ll probably be on a plane out of Texas before he can get himself there to yell at you in person.”

“Thanks Molls.” 

“Anytime kid.”

Mollie hung up and had her own worries.  Justin’s album had done better than JC’s out of the gate.  Now Justin had screwed up first and in a big way and Mollie wondered what that would do to JC.  Since they were long term friends from the same group, the backlash might fall to him as well; especially since his latest single was all about sex.  There was a lot that kept her tossing and turning that night.  The morning was a new day and they would figure it all out as it came at them.

And it came at them quick.  The phone rang at 7 am and though JC assured her she could go back to sleep, she had a bad feeling about the call.  Sure enough, when he came back to bed, there was bad news from the organizers of the Pro Bowl.  They wanted him to change the song from his new single to “Blowin’ Me Up” and they also wanted him to change or leave out two words they felt were too explicit for the game.

“I can’t blame them, I know they’re under pressure after last night so I said I would do it,” JC stated as he slipped under the covers.

“Alright, you’ll deal.  It’s not as bad as I thought.”

They spoke too soon.  Two days later when JC’s bags were already packed and his flight was scheduled to leave later that day, they received another call from the NFL. 

“With all due respect, I agreed to change my art to fit your standards and now you’re assuming without seeing even one rehearsal that the performance will be too sexually charged.  So I’ll have to decline your offer.”

He listened for a moment more before shutting his phone and kicking his suitcase.  It was frustrating to be judged due to someone else’s mistakes.

“They don’t want me to do halftime but they offered me the anthem.  I told them to shove it because it’s bullshit to say it’s going to be an inappropriate performance when you haven’t even seen me rehearse.  I just can’t believe I gave up the Grammy’s for this.” 

“So go to the Grammy’s.  Even if you can’t go to the show you can be out there, promoting yourself and going to the parties.”

“No, maybe this is a sign that I should just give it a rest.” 

“Nope.  Go.  You’re already packed and your flight lands in LA, just skip the connection.”

“I don’t want to go if you’re not there.  This was supposed to be my last trip until the babies come, I don’t mind cutting it a little short,” he insisted. 

“Don’t cut it short for me.  You’ll fly out, stay for a few days and come home after the show.  Besides, it might be nice for Justin to have a friend by his side.  If they see you’re supporting each other, this whole thing might blow over quick.”

“Why am I always getting him out of trouble?” 

“Because you’re practicing to be a dad,” Mollie said with a smile.  “Now calm down, your car will be here in a little bit.”

JC went everywhere he could during Grammy weekend.  He shook hands, posed for photos and talked about his album to anyone that would listen.  Most of all, he just missed Mollie.  If this incident had taught him anything it was that fame really was fleeting and he didn’t want to waste anymore time away from her.  He would make his life decisions around her and the kids.  He hung out with Justin and they walked the red carpet near each other, they were seated together as well.  He celebrated with his friend as he won and smiled at the cameras though inside he was angry.  Justin was and always would be the golden boy.  He could never really do wrong, he’d still win the awards and have the number one songs.  JC had him beat though.  Justin didn’t have everything he’d ever wanted waiting for him at home.  JC skipped the after parties, wanting instead to head back home. He booked a red eye.

When he got home, he’d been expecting to find his fiancé sleeping peacefully in bed.  Instead he found her sitting up, moaning in pain.

“Hey babe, I didn’t know you were coming home so early,” she said, smiling weakly, trying to play off her pain.

“I took the red eye.  What’s wrong?” 

“Oh nothing, I’ve just been having these shooting pains every now and then.  Aghhhhh!”  Her scream was horrible to hear.

“You mean contractions?  Mollie it’s too early for that.  We’re only at 5 months.” 

“5 and a half,” she groaned.

“I’m grabbing your shoes, we’re going to the hospital.” 

“I’m sure it’s nothing.”

JC wasn’t listening after that.  He found her sneakers and tied them on her feet for her.  He held her hands, pulling her up off the bed and slipped a sweater on her arms.  They took the stairs slowly and JC drove fast to the hospital.  When they got there, they were ushered right into a bed in the emergency room.  The hospital was prepared for them, they’d met with the team there when they’d found out about the quintuplets.  They knew the situation and began asking her questions to assess the problem at hand.

“How long have you been feeling these pains?”

“Since yesterday morning,” Mollie admitted. JC glared at her. 

“And have you timed them?  Are they close together?”

“Umm, maybe 8 to 10 minutes.” 

“Okay, not bad.  If you had waited longer, we might not have been able to stop them.  Now you’re about 22 weeks right now and that’s way too early. We want you to hold on as long as you can so we’re going to get you some medication to stop these contractions and get you up to a private room.”

Mollie was quickly hooked up to an IV and her doctor was called.  They were moved up to the maternity floor and put in a private room.  The sun was coming up but Mollie was exhausted.  She’d been up half the night and once the medicine kicked in, she fell asleep.  JC was shot.  He’d been up over 24 hours.  He pushed back in the reclining chair and nodded off.  When he woke a few hours later, Mollie was talking to her doctor.

“Stress plays a large role in how long this pregnancy lasts.  We need you on complete bed rest if I send you home.  We also need to up your diet.  You’re smaller than I’d like for 22 weeks.  The best course of action is definitely to keep you here.  You’re to eat at least 4500 calories.  It will be difficult but we want healthy babies and we have to make sure they are strong.  In about two weeks or so we’ll want you to check in for monitored bedrest and then you’ll be here until the babies come.  But if anything happens before then, like contractions, come in immediately.”

Mollie nodded along and sighed when the doctor left.  She looked over to JC.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you when you called.  I just didn’t want to ruin the night for you.”

“A night I didn’t want to go to??  Never think that this is a burden or bother to me.  You’re my number one baby.  I need you and these babies healthy, everything else is just background noise.” 

“I know.”

“Now, what do you want to eat when we get out of here?  You can have everything you want,” he said.  He smiled devilishly. 

“You’re not going to be a fun nurse are you?”

“Nope.  You’re following the rules and I’ll make sure of it.”

A week later, Mollie was in her bed, up to her ears in food.  She struggled with eating so much.  As a dancer, it was always important for her to have a healthy diet and now being sedentary and forced to eat, she was miserable.  At least she had Johanna back to entertain her.  It was hard seeing her friend go through such a hard time but it was nice to spend more time together.  Ever the faithful nurse, Johanna enforced all eating and came up with inventive ways to get in all of the calories. 

Johanna threw her a lovely baby shower, where she felt like a whale but was happy to have her friends and family around.  She got to stay home longer than doctors originally anticipated but after about a month at home, she was forced into the hospital.  On the bright side, she’d progressed and the babies were now at 27 weeks.  Her nurses assured her it was all about small goals now.  It would make the time go faster, they said.  A week later when they brought her a cupcake to celebrate getting to week 28, she was restless.

“I’ve never read more books in so little time.  I need something else.  Something that will at least make my brain workout if I can’t work my body out.  The body that just keeps getting more rotund…” she trailed off. 

“Stop…” JC warned, snuggling closer to her.

“I’m roughly the size of the house.” 

“More to love.”

“Shut up,” she replied, whacking his arm. 

“How about I get you a laptop?  Maybe you can write, start a blog.”

“That’s an idea…” She was already thinking of what she could put on it. 

“In the meantime, you should work on getting more sleep, you were tossing and turning last night.”

“You try sleeping with this huge stomach.  I don’t like sleeping without you anyway.” 

“But rest is important for the babies.  For your sanity.”

“Well, for my sanity, I think it’s best you go home and shower,” she joked, pulling at his unruly mane. 

“Is it that bad?”

“It’s pretty bad.  I think you should do something with this hair.  It’s getting way too long.  I miss seeing your handsome face, get rid of this scruff.” 

“I’ll go do that, if you promise to sleep.”

“I can promise to try.”

He was back later that night armed with a brand new laptop, a shaved face and short hair.  She smiled at the new do.  It suited him.  He had great bone structure and should never hide his face with all of that hair.  He ordered up some dinner from the hospital cafeteria and Johanna showed up after with ice cream sundaes, extra hot fudge.  Mollie did her best to stuff it all down and after watching a few shows, she ordered them both home for sleep.  JC hadn’t gotten a good nights’ rest since he insisted on staying here.  Neither had she but one of them needed to be well rested for these kids.

When they left, she fired up the computer.  After doing a little research, she found a domain, a website builder and started blogging. 

            What a Wild World

            If you told me two years ago when my journey with my fiancé started that we’d be pregnant, for the second time, I would have thought you were nuts.  If you mentioned that we would be having quintuplets, I would have fainted.  But, alas, here we are.  I’m 28 weeks in, 29 as of tomorrow and each day is getting harder.  I thank God for every day these babies are not born.  That might sound crazy but they need to develop more.  They’re not strong enough to handle the world just yet. 

As for me, I’m terrified.  I was nervous when I thought it was just one baby.  The thought of five at one time is something I can’t even imagine.  Are we blessed that we have everything we need, in terms of clothes, diapers, food?  Yes.  Do I have any experience with babies?  No.  All of my nurses keep telling me that it will come naturally.  I’m not so sure.  Jayce will be fine.  He’s been so at ease with all of this.  It’s like he was born to do this.  How is it possible that he can be so good at everything?

I know it’s normal to be nervous.  I just want to be the best mom possible.  I wish my mom were here to help me with this.  She’d have all the answers. 

I think it will be good for me to let this all out.  Maybe if I get rid of all the nerves now, I’ll feel more prepared when the babies are born.

Speaking of which…we should probably start picking out names.  We don’t know if they are boys or girls or a combination of both yet.  So I guess we need 10 names just in case, five for each gender.  Great, more things to worry about.

Until tomorrow,

Mollie

She didn’t know if anyone would ever read it.  Maybe no one ever would but for now, she felt a little better.  Maybe this would be like therapy.  She shut the laptop and pushed the tray away.  If nothing else, it cleared her mind and made her sleep peacefully that night.

She kept up writing, trying to post something every day.  Sometimes she posted two or three times, depending on what was going on.

            Almost to the big 3-0

We’re getting pretty close to the 30 week mark.  From this point on, it could happen any moment.  The doctors feel confident now about the babies being born and having good chances of doing well.  They’re shocked I’ve held on this long but I am bound and determined to take these babies as far as they’ll let me.  The closer we get to full term the better.  I’m still up to my ears in food, but the nurses are getting creative.  They’ve taken to making me protein smoothies packed with all the good healthy stuff but they’ve managed to make them taste so good!  The chocolate peanut butter banana one is by far my favorite.  It’s so much easier to suck down a shake or smoothie.  All the solid food is tough.

Jayce is getting antsy.  He’s finished the construction on the house.  We knocked out part of the wall between the two spare bedrooms.  Instead of taking out the whole wall, we put in two sliding doors that hide in the wall when open but can close and create two separate rooms for when the babies are older.  He’s put together all five cribs but is leaving some of the organizing and decorating for when I get home.  We know that no matter when the babies come, they’ll probably be in the hospital longer than I will so I can help finish.  That’s really important to me.  I know being in the hospital and monitoring the babies and their growth is the best thing I can be doing for them right now but it’s hard to feel like a mom when I haven’t been able to prepare my home for them.

Word has spread, mostly through this blog to JC’s fans and the press.  We want to thank all of you for your kind words and wishes and thank those who have sent gifts.  We are extremely fortunate and would like to ask that in lieu of gifts you make a donation to March of Dimes, St. Jude’s or any other children’s charity you like.  These babies are already so blessed to have what they’ve been given and to be loved not only by JC and I but by all of you who are reading and supporting. 

To the media, we understand your curiosity but ask that you please respect our privacy during this personal and highly stressful time.  If we choose to make a statement, or speak out, we will but please, after extending your invitations, allow us time to think it over. 

She sighed and hit post.  The blog had taken off, found out by an Nsync fan site.  They were getting flooded by mail and phone calls.  Mollie tried to respond to a few comments every day but it was impossible to keep up.  She smiled and shook her head as JC came back in the room.

“So, that was a very interesting phone call,” he said, waving his cell phone. 

“Who was it?”

“Oprah.” 

“Like her show?  For what?”

“No, not her show.  Oprah herself called.” 

“What?!” Mollie had little to look forward to and had made it a habit to tune into the Oprah show every day as a way to mark the time.  She’d become slightly obsessed with it.

“She would like to offer us an opportunity to be on her show.  She wants to make it a multi part series.  She’ll be here tomorrow, if we want, to document the pregnancy and talk to us about how everything is.  Then she’ll come back when the babies have been home for a few weeks and then check in with us at a year.  After that it’s up to us.” 

“What did you say?”

“I said, it sounded like the best offer we’d had so far but I’d have to talk it over with you.” 

“Well, yes!  It’s Oprah!”

“Are you sure?” 

“Well, I feel like ever since I started this blog, I know it’s only been like 2 weeks, but it makes people feel involved in this.  Your fans, they feel like they know me better and approve of me and now they want us to succeed.  They can’t wait for these babies to come.  I just feel like if we’re going to do it, we should do it with someone as reputable as Oprah.”

“You’re not just doing all of this so you can meet Oprah?” 

“I’m totally doing it to meet Oprah but I also mean everything else I said.”

“Then I’ll call them back.”

She spent the rest of the day making sure her hospital room was neat and showering and doing her hair.  They would be arriving tomorrow afternoon and she’d made JC go get her a nice shirt and sweatpants.  It was really the only thing that fit her anymore but that didn’t mean she had to wear a ratty pair.  She was nervous, the spotlight had never really included her. 

Johanna arrived early then next morning, while the crew was over at Mollie’s house, filming the babies’ room and a few shots of JC getting ready to come see Mollie.  Johanna painted Mollie’s nails for her and they were anxiously playing cards when JC entered the room, followed by cameras.    He greeted her as he normally would but Mollie’s heart raced.  This was easy for him.  Nsync had cameras around all the time.  She knew they wanted her to act naturally so she tried.  She updated him on what the nurses had said while he was gone and he updated her on how his songwriting was going.  When the nurses came in to wheel her down to the sonogram room, the producers turned the cameras off.

“We’re just going to hang here, set up some lights and prepare for the interview.  When you get back, we’ll go over what you do and don’t want to talk about.”

So they headed down to the sonogram, which was just routine for them now.  She had them twice a week to keep track of the babies and who was where.  Everything was normal but her blood pressure was a little high.  They attributed it to the stress of the interview but told her they’d be monitoring her closely throughout the day.

When they arrived back to the room, everything was bathed in light.  The windows had been covered and the bright lights were shining.  She climbed back into her bed and got settled into a comfortable position.  There was a chair positioned at her bedside.  Makeup people descended on her, powdering her face. 

The producers went through how the interview would go, what kind of questions would be asked.  They explained that after Oprah spoke to both of them together, she would talk to Mollie alone and then go back to their home and speak with JC there, while touring the babies’ room.

Most of their questions were obvious.  How did they meet?  What did they think when they found out about the quints?  What were their expectations for the future?

They asked to speak to Johanna as well and arranged to speak with the other Nsync guys.  None of the preparation could make Mollie’s nerves go away.  She tried to calm down, for the sake of the babies but she couldn’t.  It wasn’t until the producers announced that they would begin soon that she felt a sense of calm.  The anticipation had come to a head.

Oprah was here.

The cameras followed her in and when Oprah entered the room, she greeted them warmly.  She gave them big hugs and they all settled into their chairs as cameras readjusted.  The director gave a countdown and they were on.

“So, JC, Mollie, thank you for sitting down with us,” Oprah said. 

“I suppose we should start with your relationship.  The media thinks you two are so mysterious.  We don’t see you out and about, we don’t hear much about what goes on, we only found out Mollie was pregnant a few weeks ago.  How did Jollie, as your fans are calling you, come to be?” 

“Well, we met when I moved in next door to Mollie.  Her dog ran into my house and, for me at least, it was love at first sight.  She was charming and beautiful.”

“You were a dancer on tour with Nsync, right Mollie?  How did that come about?” 

“Not long after I met Josh, I was going on auditions.  To be honest, I had no idea who Nsync was, I was probably the only person in the world who didn’t know them and he didn’t tell me that he was in a band.  So when I went on the audition, I got selected by the choreographer and when it came time for rehearsals, I found out just who the group was.”

“And how did you react?  Did love just grow from spending so much time together?” 

“She wanted nothing to do with me actually.  We’d been flirting a bit before she knew who I was but once she knew she wanted absolutely nothing to do with me.  She didn’t want people to think she was chosen because we were friends or in a relationship.  She wanted people to respect her for the dancer she is.”

“It wasn’t that I wasn’t attracted to him, I just wanted the respect of everyone on the tour.  It didn’t last too long though, I gave in.  And here we are a bit over two years later,” Mollie added. 

“And here we are.  I want to move forward a bit.  How long had you been together when you found out you were pregnant the first time?”

“We’d been together about a year.  It was something we planned but it was definitely a surprise we welcomed,” Mollie said, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. 

“Most people would be scared or nervous.  Dating for almost a year, not planning a pregnancy and then suddenly you get this life changing news…”

“We were definitely nervous but our relationship was solid.  Our connection is strong and even then, at least for me, I knew this was the person I would be with forever.  Even if we weren’t planning a family so soon, it was definitely I something I wanted with Mollie someday.” 

“This is where the story gets sort of crazy.  Your ex-boyfriend, who was in prison, gets released.  By the time you get the call about it, he’s already tracked you down.  Now he was in prison for a violent attack on you, can you tell us about that?”

“Yes, we dated throughout college and toward the end of college we both felt pressures, as most college seniors feel, to make decisions about our lives and our careers.  Mike played hockey and was determined to go pro, so he started using performance enhancing drugs, which led to him takin other drugs to focus in class.  It was a secret part of his life I was unaware of.  Um,” she said, taking a break to breathe as the babies kicked extra hard.  “His personality started changing, becoming angrier and controlling.  Eventually it led to violence.  He hit me and I covered it up.  Wrote it off as a one time mistake.  He apologized…the typical abuse story.  It continued and one night he assaulted me so viciously in his dorm room that I was hospitalized.  I had multiple broken bones, bruises…they said if my friend Johanna hadn’t found me, it could have become much worse.” 

“That’s scary.”

“Yeah, for a young woman just trying to figure herself out, it was terrifying.  Eventually I had to face him in court, where he managed to verbally abuse me some more and they put him in prison.  Unfortunately, I was not notified of his release until it already happened.”

“How did you feel when you had realized he found you?”

“I was incredibly scared.  It’s definitely the one thing about Jayce’s career I hate.  The paparazzi does not care how much personal information they reveal about you and it made me a target that was easy to find.” 

"I'd been hanging out with Johanna and Justin.  Johanna needed to catch a flight so I asked Justin to drive her and I decided to stay home and cook dinner.  I was just about done cooking so I figured I had time to feed the dog before Justin got back.  When I went to look for Boo, I couldn't find him anywhere.  He's a very affectionate dog, when you call his name he always comes running."

"But he was gone?" 

"Yes.  I noticed the back door was slid open.  If anyone had left it open just a crack, it was possible that Boo shoved it open the rest of the way to get outside.  But when I yelled for him I just heard the most horrible voice."

"What did he say?" 

"He said, 'Miss me?' and then everything went black."

"He'd hit you." 

"Yes he punched me so hard I passed out.  When I woke up, I was tied to a chair.  He was sitting across the table from me and eating the dinner I'd made.  He started saying some awful angry things.  He said he wished JC was there so he could get him too.  JC called my phone and he made me talk to him like nothing was wrong."

"And when you heard her voice did you know something was wrong or did you believe her?" 

"I could tell something was wrong.  I didn't know the extent but her voice was shaky and she just wasn't acting the way she normally would."

"What did you feel in that moment, being so far away?" 

"Helpless.  I didn't know what was wrong but I knew I wasn't there to fix it.  I called Justin because I knew they were spending time together and I told him to hurry up and get back there."

"Justin saved your life, essentially," Oprah stated. 

"Absolutely.  I had managed to get myself out of the chair and tried to run away.  He just kept coming at me.  All I could think was I have to save this baby.  But he took me down.  I'd almost made it to the door but not quite.  The last thing I remember is Justin's voice yelling.  He'd come just in time."

"The police report said that Justin had, quote, 'used justified force against the attacker, causing bodily injury, incapacitating the attacker.'  This doesn't doesn't sound like the Justin Timberlake we've come to know and love." 

"Justin is a loyal guy and him and Mollie have been fast friends since they met," JC explained.

"Justin would do anything to protect the people he loves and his thought was to stop the violence.  He was able to do that and get me help very quickly and that's something I'll always be grateful for," Mollie added. 

"But the beating you took caused you to lose the baby.  What were the days after the attack like?  Having to deal not only with physical injury but the emotional stress of miscarrying?"

"It was torture.  I blamed myself, as most domestic abuse victims do.  If I'd never met Mike, never dated him, none of this would have happened.  But in the end, I accepted that there are some things I can't change and I can't control how people act.  I think these babies are a blessing and God's way of telling me, it wasn't my fault."

“As an abuse survivor myself, I know how hard it is to see the positive after being abused and how hard it is to not blame yourself.  I think it’s powerful that you’ve found a way to turn a bad situation around.  Now what do you plan to do with five newborns?!” 

“I have no idea,” JC said, loosening up.  “I was terrified at the thought of one so five is going to be absolutely insane.  I think we’ll just have to learn as we go.”

“It’ll definitely be an amazing journey,” Mollie added. 

“Do you have names picked out?” Oprah asked.

“Not really,” JC said.

“Idon't know what you're witing for but Oprah is a great name, it’s unique.  There aren’t too many Oprah’s out there.”

They all laughed and the interview wrapped up.  As the crew worked to break down all the equipment, Oprah wished them well.  They chatted for a few moments and she left.  Once everyone was gone, Mollie climbed back in bed.

"How cool was that?!" Mollie squealed. 

"Pretty cool," JC said.

"Oh you're just jaded because you do these all the time.  That was cool."

The nurse came through the door with her next meal.  Mollie was getting so tired of eating all of this food.  They had her on 5,000 calories a day and at first, she felt like it would be no problem.  But after a while, it became a chore.  She slowly put bite by bite in her mouth.  When she finished she felt like a balloon ready to pop.  They watched some television and a few hours later she was supposed to eat some more.  JC suggested they get out of the room and go down to the cafeteria, just to get a change of scenery.

"Babe, I don't want you to get stared at...and I don't want to get stared at." 

"People will get over it.  I think there's a certain level of privacy that people respect in a hospital," he said, steering a wheelchair her way.

She grabbed his hands and hoisted herself up.  She held onto his shoulders as she eased herself in the chair.  The walk was nice.  It was a good change of pace to just move around.  They ate some dessert and talked for a while.  They took the long way back to the room and JC lovingly helped her back into bed.  He crawled in next to her, slinging an arm as far over her stomach as he could, the other one under her neck.  They lay quietly for a while before JC noticed tears.

"Hey," he said, reaching up to wipe her cheeks.  "What's a matter?"

"Nothing.  It's just me being selfish." 

"Talk to me."

"Is it horrible that I wish I could have these babies so I can sleep next to you again?  I miss that.  I want to hold you and love on you.  I want to wear my engagement ring again and not have fat swollen fingers." 

“It's not horrible.  You're tired, you've done everything for these babies.  I miss you too.  I don't sleep much when you're not next to me.  I spend most nights that I'm not here in the studio."  He leaned over and gave her a long slow kiss.  "I can't wait to hug you and spin you around."  He kissed her again.  "And love you all night long till you whisper my name."

"Jayce, that's what got us into this mess," she whispered, fingers threaded in his hair, smoothing out the messiness.  

She pulled him towards her and his hand cupped her face.  She kissed him with everything inside her that missed him.  She almost forgot about where they were and her huge belly when she felt a ripple of pain.  She cried out, but JC kept his hands where they were and calmed her with his words.  

"I think this is it," Mollie said.