“They’re beautiful,” she said. “You might be worried about how much work twins can be, but I’ve never seen a mom who wasn’t able to step up and handle them. And two babies means double the love.”
“I can already tell,” I replied.
She turned to me, folding her hands in front of her.
“So, I’m sure the nurses let you know that they’re a little underweight. Nothing to worry about – all pretty standard stuff for delivering this early. The rest of their physical results were great, so it’s just a matter of keeping them close at hand for a few days in the event that they need any special care. Most likely, it’ll be uneventful, and we’ll send you on your way forty-eight hours from now.”
“I understand. That all sounds good to me.”
She nodded. “Right now, however, we need to take the kiddos to run some tests.”
I knew there were good reasons for the doctor doing so, but just the idea of being apart from my babies was enough to make my blood run cold.
Dr. Lana raised her palms. “I’m a mom; I know what it’s like – it seems unbearable to be apart from them.”
I smiled, pleased she was on the same wavelength as me. “I know. They’ve only been here for an hour and already I can’t stand the idea of them being away.”
“Welcome to being a mom,” Mom said with a smile. “This is how I felt when you were born.”
I loved hearing that – it made me feel connected to Mom in a new way; like we were now both members of a very important club.
“Oh, I understand totally. But we’ll be right down the hall, and you’re more than welcome to pop by if you want to take a peek at them. If you want my advice, though? Take the time to rest, maybe get some sleep, because you’re not going to be getting much of that once you and the little ones are home.”
“I agree,” Dad said. “Get your Zs in while you can.”
Mom and Dad and Dr. Lana were being so calm and mellow about everything that my anxiety melted away.
“OK,” I said. “But let me give them a couple of kisses first.”
Mom and Dad were happy to bring them over so I could plant a smooch each on Andy and Emmy’s foreheads. Mom and Dad did the same before loading them into the double carrier in the room.
Already Mom and Dad were thrilled to be grandparents. There was so much love around me that I felt on the constant verge of tears.
“We’ll give you a little time to relax,” Mom said. “But we’ll be near if you need anything, OK?”
“OK. Thanks, guys.”
As soon as they were gone, I was alone for the first time since I’d gone into labor. I let my arms drop to my sides, fatigue washing over me.
I hadn’t planned on sleeping, but as my eyelids grew heavier and heavier by the second, a warm tingling spread through my body, and I drifted off into the slumber I’d been craving for hours.
* * *
I awoke to an unexpected sight.
Flowers.
On the little table next to the bed was a small vase with half a dozen gorgeous, red roses.
I was totally confused. Half certain I was in the middle of a dream, I reached out toward the flowers and touched them. The deep red petals were soft against my fingertips.
They were real.
“Hey.”
A deep, but gentle and familiar voice spoke out to me through the silence. I turned and, to my surprise, there was Noah.
He was seated in a chair on the far side of the room, a clipboard on his lap. He wore a white doctor’s coat, and between that and his neatly styled hair and glasses, he looked the perfect combination of handsome and professional.