The countdown to the due date was on, and Romi could feel the excitement building. With only a few weeks left, the anticipation of welcoming their three little ones was becoming overwhelming. However, there was one thing that Sebastian and Romi had decided from the beginning: they weren’t going to find out the gender of their babies ahead of time. They wanted it to be a surprise.
This decision had sparked an ongoing debate in their family. While Romi and Sebastian were excited about the mystery, everyone else wasn’t as thrilled about being left in the dark. The preparations for the babies were already in full swing, but the uncertainty about whether to prepare for three boys, three girls, or a mix of both was causing a bit of chaos.
Romi sat comfortably in the living room, her hand resting gently on her swollen belly. Sebastian was beside her, his hand over hers, as they both watched their families prepare for the babies' arrival.
It had become a bit of a family tradition for each of them to prepare their own way for the babies, but the uncertainty about the triplets' gender had led to a bit of a comical situation. There were three sets of baby boy clothes and three sets of baby girl clothes stacked high in the nursery, each neatly labeled with names that the family thought might be fitting. But no one knew what to expect.
“I can’t believe you two are keeping it a secret,” Catherine—Romi’s mother—said as she folded baby clothes with a laugh. “It’s making this much harder, you know?”
Raph, sitting across from her, nodded in agreement. “Honestly, I’m all for surprises, but it would have been nice to know if we’re getting nephews or nieces. We could’ve been more prepared.”
Romi chuckled softly, rubbing her belly. “It’ll be worth the wait, Mom. Besides, it’s not that hard to prepare for both, right?”
“Well, that’s where the fun part comes in,” Raph said with a grin. “We’re going to make this interesting.”
The room went quiet as everyone turned to look at him. Raph leaned back, crossing his arms as if he were about to make a grand proposal. “Here’s the deal. Since neither Romi nor Seb is telling us the gender, we should make it a bet.”
“A bet?” Sebastian asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “About what?”
Raph grinned, looking around the room. “We’ll each make a prediction. Boys or girls. The ones who guess wrong will have to take on the extra responsibility of the babies. Whether it’s diapers, bottles, or helping with the midnight feedings. Whoever guesses right gets to sit back and relax.”
There was a moment of stunned silence before everyone burst into laughter.
“Wait,” Romi said, holding up a hand. “Are you saying the losers will take care of the menial tasks? Like… changing diapers?” she asked, her tone playful but skeptical.
Raph nodded. “Exactly. If you guess wrong, you’ll be responsible for the less glamorous parts of parenthood.”
“Fine,” Sebastian said with a laugh. “We’ll take you up on that bet. But be warned, I’m confident we’ll be having all boys.”
Raph grinned widely. “And I’m betting on all girls,” he said with a chuckle.
Romi, who had been quiet up until this point, smiled mischievously and placed a hand on her stomach.
“Well, I think it’s going to be a mix—two little boys and one little princess.”
Everyone looked at her in surprise.
“A little princess?” Raph repeated, raising an eyebrow. “You’re not even going with the safe bet of one boy and two girls?”
Romi shrugged. “I’m going with my gut. I think we’ll have two boys and one little girl.”
Sebastian chuckled, squeezing her hand gently. “Well, if you’re right, you might be right about who gets to spoil her.”
“Either way, we’ll be happy, right?” Romi said, her voice soft but filled with joy.
Raph smirked. “Yeah, but I’m betting I’ll be the one who wins, so I’ll be the one on the easy side.”
Romi laughed, her smile as bright as ever. “Guess we’ll see about that!”
 
 
Later that day…
Romi and Sebastian decided to take a trip to the mall to buy a few things for the babies. With the gender still unknown, they decided to get something that would work no matter the outcome—a neutral theme that would be perfect for either a boy or girl.
“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” Romi said, her voice filled with awe as she browsed through the baby aisles. “Three babies, Seb. This is really happening.”
Sebastian smiled warmly, placing a hand on her back to support her as they walked through the store. “I know. And I can’t wait to meet them. But I’ve got to admit, this whole surprise thing is kind of exciting.”
Romi grinned up at him. “We should get a little of everything—some blue and some pink. That way, no one will be disappointed.”
They continued to pick out a mix of clothes, blankets, and toys. They even bought little onesies in both colors, just in case. As they made their way to the checkout counter, the sales lady behind the register smiled at them.
“Oh, what a beautiful little family you have there!” she said, eyeing their purchases. “Are you expecting one baby or twins?”
Romi laughed, her hand resting gently on her belly. “Actually, we’re expecting triplets.”
The woman’s eyes widened in surprise. “Triplets? That’s amazing!” she said, her face lighting up with genuine happiness. “Are you hoping for three boys or three girls?”
Sebastian, who had been holding the baby clothes, couldn’t help himself. “Well, we’re not sure yet. We’re keeping it a surprise. But I’m betting on three little boys.”
The sales lady smiled. “That’s a lot of energy! You’ll need all the diapers you can get, that’s for sure.”
Romi smiled, squeezing Sebastian’s hand. “We’ll be ready, no matter what.”
That evening, after a long day of shopping, the family gathered once again in the living room, ready to share their bets.
“So, everyone has their guesses?” Raph asked, looking around the room.
Romi and Sebastian stood together, holding hands, watching as the family members took turns offering their predictions.
“I’m betting three girls,” Catherine said, a knowing smile on her face. “It just feels like that’s what we’re going to have.”
“Three boys,” Nicolas said with a confident grin. “I just know it.”
Sebastian chuckled. “You’re all going to owe me big time when we find out it’s all boys.”
“And I’m guessing two girls, one boy,” Mia said, crossing her arms. “It just seems right.”
The bets went on for a while longer, each family member making their predictions, and Sebastian and Romi couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. There were guesses about twins, some crazy predictions of both genders, and everyone was excited to see who would win.
In the end, everyone agreed on one thing: no matter what the outcome, they were ready to welcome three beautiful babies into the world.
And as Romi and Sebastian exchanged a glance, they both knew one thing for sure—the gender didn’t matter. What mattered was that their babies were on the way, and their family was ready to support them through every step of the journey.
The hospital hallways were unusually quiet for such a busy place. But for Romance, everything felt louder—her heartbeat thundering in her ears, the steady rush of her breath, and the soft shuffle of hospital staff moving in and out of rooms.
Romi’s eyes were fixed ahead as she clutched Sebastian’s hand, feeling the tight grip of his fingers around hers. The moment had arrived. Their babies were coming, and with it came a whirlwind of emotions: excitement, fear, anticipation.
She glanced up at him, trying to offer a reassuring smile, but the worry etched on his face mirrored her own.
His eyes were wide, filled with a mixture of wonder and concern, and she could tell that the weight of the moment wasn’t lost on him either.
“Seb, are you okay?” Romi asked quietly, squeezing his hand.
He nodded, his voice soft but steady. “I’m fine. It’s just... I can’t believe this is happening. We’re about to become parents to three little ones.”
Romi chuckled, though it was faint. “I know. It feels surreal.”
They reached the delivery room door, and Romi’s heart skipped a beat. She could hear the distant sound of nurses talking, the beeping of machines, the frantic shuffle of preparations. But all of that seemed muffled to her. Everything was about to change.
She stopped for a moment, taking in a deep breath as the door swung open. A nurse stood in the doorway, giving them a soft, reassuring smile.
“Romi, Sebastian, right on time. Let’s get you settled in,” she said, guiding them into the room.
As Romi was helped onto the delivery bed, she felt the gentle pressure of the contractions, the tightening of her stomach that she had been feeling off and on for hours. They were becoming more frequent now, and the reality of it all was setting in—this was it. Their babies were coming.
Sebastian leaned down to kiss her forehead, his touch tender but filled with unspoken worry. “I’ll be right here. You’re doing amazing, okay?”
Tears welled up in Romi’s eyes. “I’m scared,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
Sebastian gently wiped away a tear, his smile soft but full of love. “You don’t have to do it alone. We’re doing this together. You’re strong, Romi.”
As the nurse adjusted the equipment around her and the doctor arrived, Romi’s thoughts drifted to her family—her mom, her brothers, and her grandmother—who had been there for her every step of the way. They would be waiting for the news outside, anxiously hoping for everything to go smoothly.
Sebastian held her hand as the doctor took his place at the foot of the bed, offering one last glance at Romi.
“You’re doing great. Just take a deep breath and focus on getting through each contraction,” the doctor said gently.
Romi nodded, but she could feel her heart racing as another contraction came, the pain intense and sharp. She squeezed Sebastian’s hand harder, her body trembling as the pressure built.
“I’m here, love,” Sebastian murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “We’re going to meet our babies soon.”
With a soft gasp, Romi braced herself, trying to breathe through the pain as another wave of contractions rolled through her. She closed her eyes, leaning into Sebastian’s comforting presence, drawing strength from him.
The doctor gave her a reassuring nod, and Romi squeezed her eyes shut, focusing all of her energy on bringing their little ones into the world.