Dream Come True
Family was always a very important part of the Hauser girls’ lives. The Hauser parents had strong family values and they instilled the same in their girls.
As the sisters grew up, they dreamed of one-day having families of their own. They often talked about having kids as close together as possible so their children could grow up surrounded by cousins their own age. Their dream would soon become a reality, but not in the way any of them could’ve expected.
First Love
Try as they might, none of the four girls had experienced a relationship with someone they could see themselves settling down with. They were approaching their late 20s, and their mom’s joking comments about their love lives turned into nagging.
Olivia Hauser was picky when it came to love, but soon she realized her mother had a point. She started to think about dating more seriously, but when she met a professional mountain climber, she had no idea she would fall for someone so quickly.
The Mountain Man
Olivia was always working, but had finally decided to take a month off to travel across Tibet. She desperately needed a vacation, and she was excited to finally do some intense hiking across the beautiful mountains. This is where she met Andrew.
It was his friendliness and humor that drew her towards him, though she saw him platonically at first. He told her how his father’s sickle-cell disease had inspired him to be as active as possible, which is how he’d found mountain climbing. He gushed to her about his past climbing journeys and the next peaks on his list—the Himalayas. His story was fascinating, and Olivia was curious about her new friend.
A Crush
As they continued to spend time together, Olivia’s feelings for Andrew got deeper. His big trek was in a few weeks, so in the meantime, the two saw each other as often as possible. She loved that he was passionate about climbing, and life in general, and he always kept her laughing.
It was when she found herself worrying about his well-being whenever he left to go climbing that she began to think her feelings for him might not be so platonic. She couldn’t stop thinking about him and would miss him whenever she wasn’t with him. Already, she couldn’t believe how much he had impacted her life, and this was only the beginning.
Reaching the Peak
Soon, instead of waiting for him to return, Olivia decided to accompany Andrew on his hikes. As they climbed together, their friendship grew and blossomed. They told each other things they hadn’t told anyone else before, and Olivia realized she hadn’t connected with anyone as much as she did with Andrew.
Towards the end of her trip, she decided to climb the Himalayas with him, determined to be there when he finally completed his goal. The two trekked up the mountains together and were thrilled to reach the top. Then, Andrew had something important to ask Olivia.
Important Question
The sky was bright blue, and the pair were surrounded by gorgeous white peaks and scattered clouds. In the cold air at the peak of the Himalayas, Andrew asked Olivia to be his girlfriend.
This was one of the most beautiful moments in Olivia’s life. She couldn’t believe where they were, how perfect Andrew was, and that he felt the same way about her. There was only one possible answer to this question, and Olivia couldn’t spit it out fast enough. She was on top of the world, both literally and figuratively—but she wouldn’t be there for long.
Long Distance
The new couple only had a few days left together, since Olivia’s vacation was coming to an end, but those days were bliss. Neither of them had felt such strong feelings before, and they were happy to share them with each other.
Soon, though, Olivia had to board a plane and leave the chilly peaks of Tibet for her home in sunny Mississippi. She was sad to leave Andrew, especially since his busy climbing schedule meant he visited infrequently. She convinced herself that their connection was strong enough to persist through long distance, but things wouldn’t be as easy as she thought.
Relationship Problems
It didn’t take more than a few months before Olivia was feeling quite lonely. She missed her boyfriend and was having trouble being okay with their distance. Any time she brought it up, it only led to bickering.
Olivia was mad that Andrew was never home, and when he was, he was distracted trying to plan his next trip. Andrew, on the other hand, wished she would understand how important the point of his career was to him. He just needed her to wait a little longer, but Olivia wasn’t sure she could.
Never Home
Though Olivia had originally loved how driven Andrew was when it came to mountain climbing, she discovered how it seemed at odds with being in a relationship. Not only did it keep him far away from her for weeks on end, but it didn’t support a future in their relationship either.
Olivia couldn’t bear the thought of Andrew out on a mountain where any number of dangerous things could happen—especially if they settled down and had children. These thoughts were loudest in Olivia’s mind, overpowering the fact that Andrew only had about three years left before he retired. Even still, nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to do.
Sad Ending
After trying for a while longer, Olivia couldn’t take it any longer. The next time she and Andrew spoke, she knew what she had to do. He could hear it in her voice that she was done, and though he begged her to reconsider, Olivia insisted they needed to break up.
No matter how necessary she felt it was, Olivia was still devastated. She couldn’t get out of bed for a few weeks following the breakup. Her three sisters came out one by one to comfort her and nurse her back to some normalcy now that Andrew was out of her life. None of the Hauser sisters knew that, meanwhile, Andrew was plotting a way to stay in their lives forever.
His Pain
Andrew was shattered by the breakup. He had never felt this way about someone and had already been thinking about how he wanted to ask Olivia to marry him a few months down the line. She was beautiful, loving, and smart, and he wanted to live the rest of his life with her.
He only had a few years left of his career, and after meeting Olivia, he couldn’t wait to retire so he could live the perfect life with the perfect girl. When she broke up with him, she ruined that chance for him. His pain was immeasurable, and soon it turned into anger.
Hatching a Plan
With pain and devastation in his heart, Andrew began to think of a plan. He couldn’t let Olivia go, and he wanted her to feel the same way that he did.
She had told him about her sisters, who she loved more than anything. If he was going to make her feel the pain he was feeling, he’d have to come up with something that involved them. The Hauser sisters had no idea what was coming their way.
The Healing Process
A few months passed after the breakup and Olivia was slowly becoming herself again. Her tears had stopped coming every day, and she felt herself wanting to get back out onto trails and move her body, even if the thought of mountain climbing still hurt her.
She was a far cry from the devastated girl who had chosen peace of mind over the man she loved. She was doing her best to move on with her life. Then, one night, while walking home, she almost ran right into someone.
Down From the Mountain
Olivia looked up and stared straight into some very familiar hazel eyes. Having finished yet another journey up another mountain, Andrew himself was standing in front of her, and she was overwhelmed by emotion.
He smiled down at her, and she took his appearance in. He was still the rugged, muscular guy she remembered, but he had let his hair and beard grow a little bit to give him the look of a true free mountain man. Immediately, Olivia found herself falling once again. With Andrew, it was like she had no control over her feelings, and she heard herself inviting him to come to hers.
Stay a While
Andrew, of course, agreed. He couldn’t say no to her either, and the two found themselves picking up where they left off. There were a few months before his next trip. In the meantime, Andrew happily stayed with Olivia, and the two enjoyed falling back into a blissful routine together. Then, they learned she was pregnant.
The two thought about what to do and ultimately decided to have a child together. One month later, Andrew was leaving for his next climbing trip and Olivia was busy preparing for the mini-Andrew she would welcome into her life in eight months. However, she wasn’t the only one preparing.
Christmas Miracle
Andrew was still out of the country by the time Christmas came, but Olivia decided it was the best time to break the news to her family.
Olivia tried to find the right time to bring it up, but every moment felt awkward—until Miranda spoke up and told the family that she had an announcement. She was pregnant! Before anyone could react, Julie announced that she too was expecting. Their parents got up to congratulate the two girls, but Sandra had her own news.
Utter Disbelief
“This might sound planned, but I am too,” Sandra said. This was becoming too much for their parents to handle. In a moment of discomfort, their dad joked to Olivia, “Let me guess, you’re pregnant too.”
When she told them that she was, in fact, one month pregnant, the whole family was silent as they struggled to process this. Though their pregnancies were happening exactly how they’d dreamed they would, the seriousness of the matter began to settle in. The sisters held their breath as they waited to see their parents’ reactions.
Mixed Reactions
Both their mother and father were happy for their daughters and the prospect of becoming grandparents, but these emotions were mixed with panic and worry. Their dad couldn’t help but feel upset that none of the men who had gotten his daughters pregnant had the sense to marry them first or have the guts to meet the family.
Meanwhile, their mother had gone right into panic mode as she realized she had much less time to prepare for one grandchild—much less four—than she would’ve liked. Time seemed to move at a snail’s pace as their parents slowly came to terms with the news of their daughters’ pregnancies, but the Hauser parents had no idea they were worrying about the wrong things.
In it Together
Once the parents began to realize how exciting this coincidence actually was, the Hauser family turned into a baby-welcoming frenzy. The sisters grew even closer than they once had, and their parents were a big support in helping to get all of their homes ready for the addition of their babies.
The sisters were the biggest help to one another and would travel in pairs to the doctors’ appointments, grocery stores, and any other baby-related errands. On one such day, Sandra and Olivia went to the doctor’s office for a regular checkup, but this checkup would be far from the usual.
Doctor’s Advice
The nurse checked the progress of the two sisters’ pregnancies and told them everything was looking exactly as it should. She gave them information about what supplements they should be taking and what they should be avoiding and sent them on their way.
However, on their way out, one doctor stopped the two women. “Miranda, remember what I told you yesterday? Make sure to schedule your visit to test for sickle cell. We’ll see you next month.” While Sandra was busy laughing that Olivia had been mistaken for Miranda, Olivia’s mind was spinning.
An Odd Coincidence
As the two sisters walked out of the doctor’s office, Olivia tried to make sense of what the doctor had just told her. Andrew had told her before he left to have their baby tested for sickle cell. Maybe it was just an unfortunate coincidence that Miranda’s boyfriend also was a carrier for sickle cell.
Still, something seemed off about this—Olivia just couldn’t put her finger on it. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the only weird coincidence that week.
No Mountain High Enough
All of the sisters’ boyfriends were busy working out of the country, so the girls were left to progress on their own. Andrew himself was finishing his career and wouldn’t be able to return for a few months now.
He eased Olivia’s mind by promising to be there for the weeks leading up to the birth itself. No mountain would keep him from the most important event of their lives. Olivia was relieved to hear Andrew’s sweet words—that was until she heard what Julie’s boyfriend had told her about the birth of their baby.
Sounds Familiar
Julie’s boyfriend was working as an engineer in Berlin. He had a crazy work schedule and a strict boss who would only give him time off for the few weeks around the expected delivery date.
He wasn’t worried though, and Julie had gushed to her sisters that he told her he’d move mountains to make sure he was there for the birth of the baby. Olivia couldn’t help but think there was something familiar in the phrasing he’d used. Once again, something felt off. Then, Sandra showed them what her boyfriend had sent her.
Eerily Similar
Yet another man working outside of the country, Sandra’s boyfriend was messaging her from the depths of the Congo basin, where he was doing research. He needed to finish his project but would be home for the birth, also using a mountain analogy to reassure Sandra.
The girls looked at each other, confused. Their stories were too similar. They turned to Miranda, hoping for her to break the pattern. There had to be some explanation for this many coincidences.
Ease Our Minds
The three sisters explained to Miranda the facts and asked her to help ease their worried minds. She told them her boyfriend actually did live in the country, unlike the other three, but he wasn’t around because he had to rush to Brazil for a few months to handle something for his company.
They encouraged her to call him, and she was happy to do so. But his answer would do nothing to soothe the Hauser sisters’ minds.
The Himalayas
When Miranda called him and asked about his plan for the day she would give birth, he too promised he would be there. No mountain was high enough to keep away. He even had been thinking about names while he was away and thought one of the peaks of the Himalayas would be the perfect name for a little girl.
The other girls’ heads whipped around towards Olivia as she let out an unexpected sob. She covered her mouth as she frantically reached for her phone to call Andrew. There was simply no possibility that this was all the same guy—was there?
Radio Silence
Olivia waited anxiously as the dial tone rang and rang, but there was no response. The other girls called their boyfriends as well, but none of them picked up. The fear settled in their stomachs as they tried to wrap their heads around what was going on. “I don’t like this,” Olivia whispered.
They continued to call the father of their children all that day, and all the next day too, but their lines remained dead for an entire week. Olivia knew that the stress wasn’t good for the baby, but she couldn’t help but feel as if this was all her fault.
Seven Whole Days
Seven full days passed without a word from any of them. Not even Miranda’s boyfriend called her back. The Hauser family was a mess, each of the members full of rage, disgust, and humiliation—especially Olivia, who felt she had brought this on her family.
She hadn’t been able to do much but sit in her parents’ house, crying and sitting around as she tried to wrap her head around the next steps. After seven days of this, she thought her mind was playing tricks on her when she suddenly heard a familiar voice outside the front door. Then she heard it more clearly. Andrew.
Behind the Door
Her sisters heard it too, and the four girls raced to the door. All four called out a different name, and as their mom opened the door, they held their breath.
There, standing on the front porch were four identical brothers, all calling the names of their respective girlfriends. Andrew had never told Olivia he had three identical brothers. One set of quadruplets falling for another set of quadruplets? None of the girls could believe this crazy coincidence, but introducing his brothers to Olivia’s sisters had been Andrew’s plan all along. The room was filled with sighs of relief and even a few tears as everyone took in the scene in front of them.
Looking to the Future
When Olivia fell for Andrew, she had no idea he would soon become the father of her baby. But when she and her sisters became pregnant at the same time, and odd coincidences kept popping up, Olivia expected the worst. When trust is all you have, it can be difficult not to let your mind wander. Luckily, life often has a way of working out.
We’re glad that the Hauser sisters all found love with these men. We wish them all an easy birth and a healthy life for them and their families.
