“So, your baby boy has already stolen the hearts of all of the nurses in the nursery. He is healthy and well and ready to go home as soon as you are,” she says. “And your little daughter will need to stay with us a bit longer. She's healthy for her size, momma, no need to worry there, but the doctor wants to make sure everything is working before she gets to go home. She’s making lots of improvement and is doing well. She shouldn’t have any lasting effects from her slightly tumultuous entrance into the world.”
“That is all wonderful news!” I exclaim. “When can I see them?”
“Right now, if you’d like!”
The first time that I get to sit and hold both of my babies at once, with Chad beside me and Lilly reading aloud from one of her favorite fairytales, is the best moment of my life.
The very next day, Chad managed to perform some sort of miracle and we are all discharged from the hospital and able to go home. Evidently, he’d arranged for a neonatal nurse to make house calls, along with whatever equipment necessary to make sure that the babies would be safe at home.
It isn’t until we are leaving the hospital and getting into Chad’s car, that I realize something.
“Oh no!” I say, startling both him and Lilly and accidentally waking up one of the babies.
“What is it? Did you leave something in the hospital room?” he asks.
“No, I just remembered that I sold my cottage. All of my stuff is packed up in my van,” I say. “I know we just talked about all being together now, but I don’t think that either of us have anything ready for that.”
Chad smiles at me mysteriously and gives Lilly a wink as if they have a surprise secret that I’m not privy to.
“Don’t worry,” he says as he helps me into the car. “I’ve got it all taken care of.”
I have no idea what to make of that ambiguous answer and am just about to ask him to explain how we are going to make all this work, but Lilly asks me a question.
“Are we going to still need to keep calling themboyandgirlwhen we get home?”
“No,” I laugh. “Sorry, Lilly, we forgot to tell you. We’ve given them both names.”
Lilly clasps her hands together in anticipation as she stares at the two babies in their car seats.
“Meet Alexander and Brenna,” I say.
“Oh, Ilovethose names,” she squeals.
As we pull away from the hospital, all crammed inside Chad’s car and heading back to his house where there is alotto work out, I peer behind my shoulder to see both babies sound asleep in their car seats with Lilly sitting between then and holding each one by hand. Brenna’s tiny hand is wrapped around Lilly’s finger, and I don’t think that I have ever seen a more beautiful sight in all my life.
Chapter Twenty
Chad
I amthrilledwhen Seraphine and the babies are finally able to leave the hospital. I have someverybig surprises for Seraphine and after a few phone calls placed to Tom, Eric, and Lorna, I am confident that everything is ready by the time we pull out of the hospital.
I glance in the rearview mirror back at Lilly, who is sitting in the back seat of the car wearing a giant grin on her face. She knows about at least one of the surprises that I have planned, and I can tell that she is bursting at the seams for Seraphine to see it so that she doesn’t need to hold onto the secret any longer.
Lilly has done a great job with everything though, not only keeping the surprise a secret, but also with helping me plan and get everything ready, spending time with her new siblings, and generally being awesome all around. I have definitely learned that I have been underestimating her and her ability to be a big, contributing part to all of this. And I no longer feel as though I need to shelter Lilly from everything. She is much too smart and too capable for that anymore, and I couldn’t be prouder of her. I know that Bella would be so proud of what a wonderful young woman she is growing up to be.
When we reach the house, I help Seraphine out and we bring the babies inside.
“Lorna?” Seraphine says as soon as we step in and she sees the woman sitting there at the table with a cup of tea waiting for us to arrive. “What are you doing here?”
She walks over and gives Lorna a hug, and then Lorna fusses over how sweet the babies are for a few minutes. Lorna makes a new pot of tea and the three of us sit and talk while Lilly dangles a teddy bear over the babies’ heads and whispers promises to them.
It feels good to be home, and I hope that it doesn’t take long for Seraphine to feel at home again here too. I think that a part of my surprise is going to help with that.
“Lorna, you didn’t say why you are here,” Seraphine asks as she thinks about it again. “Don’t get me wrong, I am delighted that you are, but since when did you and Chad become fast friends?”
Lorna laughs and then gives me a meaningful glance.
“It’s all ready,” she says to me with a grin.