“Merry Christmas, David. We’re going to have a really great new year.”
Chapter 15
“Are you scared?”
“Are you?”
“You know, David, we’re about to have six kids. One of us is going to have to be the mature one sooner or later.”
“Dibs on later.”
Rebecca grinned up at David while he stood beside her hospital bed, holding her hand and brushing what tendrils of hair that had escaped her braid away from her face. It was four days away from her official due date, but Dr. Martin had decided after her check up yesterday that they were going to go ahead and do the C-section today. So now she was lying in a hospital bed in one of the surgery rooms as doctors and nurses bustled about getting her ready for the operation. All their friends and family were in the waiting room, along with their kids, offering their support, as David and Rebecca got ready to welcome the newest editions to their family into the world. While the pregnancy had progressed better than even Dr. Martin had expected, especially with her carrying triplets, that didn’t stop Rebecca or David being nervous now.
Staring up at David, Rebecca asked again, “Are you nervous?”
Of course he was nervous. He was about to watch the love of his life be cut open so his three youngest children could be pulled out of her. Who wouldn’t be nervous? But he wasn’t going to tell Rebecca that. He could see the terror in her eyes and he wasn’t about to give into it. He was going to be strong for her.
Bringing her hand to his lips, he placed a kiss on her fingers, and assured, “Everything is going to be fine, Rebecca. Just fine. Soon enough the trips are going to be here and we’re finally going to get to discuss some names.”
Rebecca had been adamant that she didn’t want to discuss names until the babies were there. She said there was no point in picking out names that weren’t going to fit the babies, that they had to wait to meet their kids before deciding what to call them. Not wanting to mess with Rebecca’s pregnancy mood swings, David had agreed.
After telling her that everything was going to be fine, and seeing her skepticism, David leaned down to kiss her brow, and promised, “Nothing is going to go wrong, Becca. Everything has gone perfectly so far, and they’re going to keep going perfectly. You don’t need to worry about anything.”
“You’re lying to make me feel better.”
“No I’m not.”
“Yes you are, but I appreciate it. Tell me some more lies.”
“You look so totally hot in your hospital gown. I love the way it accentuates your ass.”
“Oh, that’s good. Give me another one.”
Wanting to keep Rebecca’s mind off of what was about to happen, David said, “Did you hear they invented a new after birth diet pill? Takes 50 pounds off in five days. You’ll be back to your before pregnancy weight by the end of the week.”
“Tell me you bought me a whole bottle?”
“Yep.”
“And chocolate, right? You got me chocolate for when I get home?”
“I bought you Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. We’ll float down the chocolate river with all the kids as soon as we’re back home.”
Rebecca offered David a watery smile. “You’re so good to me.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
“Ok kids,” Dr. Martin interrupted, “it’s time to deliver these three little ones and find out if you’re having boys or girls! Ready to get started?”
Looking at the doctor, Rebecca replied, “As ready as we’ll ever be.”
“Do you want the curtain? A lot of mothers can’t handle seeing the surgery and request a privacy curtain to block the view.” Dr. Martin looked back and forth between the parents to see what their response would be.
David and Rebecca shared a look before he said, “Your call.”
“I don’t want the curtain. I want to see them as soon as they come out,” Rebecca answered.
“Ok then. We have one right over there if you change your mind. If you can’t handle it, just tell one of the nurses and they’ll roll it over real quick. Now we’ve discussed this before, and you already know how the surgery is supposed to go. Your vitals are strong, the babies’ heartbeats are steady, and everything looks good. I’m not anticipating any surprises. If everything goes well we’ll have you in post op in less than an hour. So you guys ready?”
“Yes.” Rebecca squeezed David’s hand and tried to keep her breathing under control as the doctor spread a reddish brown liquid over her stomach to sterilize the area before grabbing the scalpel.
“Don’t watch this part,” David advised as he took Rebecca’s chin and brought her gaze to his. “Look at me.”
When Rebecca’s scared eyes landed on his, David soothed, “It’s going to be ok. Everything is going to be just fine, and very shortly we’re going to have three new babies keeping us up all night and making us want to swear off sex for the rest of our lives.”
Tears filled Rebecca’s eyes. “I’m scared, David.”
He leaned down to press their foreheads together, and their lips brushed one another’s as he spoke. “Shh, baby, shh. No tears. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re going to be fine. The babies are going to be fine. We’re all going to be fine. This will be over before you know it and then I’m going to wait on you hand and foot while you recover. I’m going to be Mr. Mom running around doing everything, and you’re going to get strong again so you can help me.”
“You promise.”
“I promise.”
“Cross your heart?”
“Cross my heart.”
The two parents were again interrupted as the doctor announced, “Here comes the first one. And it’s a boy!”
David and Rebecca were both pulled out of their own little world as they looked at the doctor who already had Rebecca’s stomach open and was pulling out their first triplet. The baby was covered in blood and goo but both parents thought he was beautiful. Dr. Martin held the baby in her hands and asked David, “Do you want to cut the cord?”
“Yes.” He kept tight hold of one of Rebecca’s hands while a nurse handed him a sterile pair of scissors so he could cut the umbilical cord. As soon as it was done, Dr. Martin handed the baby off to one of the waiting nurses who went to clean the now crying baby up.
As soon as she stepped away Martin was pulling the second baby out and announced, “It’s a girl!”
“Oh my gosh! One of each!”
Rebecca was crying happy tears now as she watched David cut the umbilical cord of their second triplet. They’d never gotten to find out the sexes before because the babies had never been in the right positions during her ultrasounds. She and David had begun to speculate they were doing it on purpose, wanting to surprise their parents.
When the second nurse left with their new daughter, Martin reached down saying, “Last one. Let’s find out what you’ve got.” There was a moment of silence, except for the two new crying infants farther back in the room, before she pulled out the final triplet and declared, “Another boy!”
David and Rebecca were both crying happy tears now, and he eagerly accepted the scissors to cut the last umbilical cord. When he was done he leaned down to kiss Rebecca, whispering against her lips, “Two boys and a girl! Baby, you did so good!”
“We did good.”
Neither paid much attention as Martin delivered the afterbirth and began sewing Rebecca up while the nurses cleared the throat and noses of the babies and wiped off all the birthing fluid from the squalling newborns. They also got the footprints on the birth certificates and put the electronic ID tags on their ankles. When they were done the nurses brought the three babies over so that David and Rebecca could see them. Rebecca was laughing and crying as she reached out one of her hands so she could trail her finger along the cheek of her new daughter, saying, “Hi guys, I’m your Mom.”
“And I’m your dad,” David added, tears slipping down his cheeks as he gazed at his new children. His heart fe
lt like it was going to burst in his chest, and he couldn’t wait to hold the babies.
“Alright you two. I’m going to finish up with Rebecca while the nurses take the babies to the nursery for their full checkup. David, you can go update everyone and when Rebecca is in her room I’ll have one of the nurses send for you all.”
David looked down at Rebecca and asked, “Are you going to be ok? Do you want me to stay?”
“No. You should go tell everyone we’re alright. They’re probably worried. Go let the kids know they have two new brothers and a sister. I’ll see you soon.”
Focusing on the doctor, David asked, “How long will it take?”
“She should be in her room in about twenty minutes. Everything is going great. No need for concern. You’ll have your wife and kids back with you soon. I’m finishing up the last few stitches and then we just have to clean her up and bandage her. We’re just about done.”
“Ok.” David kissed Rebecca’s brow and allowed one of the nurses to escort him from the room.
He was still in his scrubs, though he’d taken off the surgery cap, when he came into the waiting room and smiled at everyone. Gran, Sandy and her family, Nadira, their kids, Joseph and Roberto, Tommy, Richie, Hank, and Stephanie were all waiting for him, each with some type of stuffed animal or balloon, and he smiled at everyone and said, “Two boys and a girl. They’re all doing great and Rebecca should be in her room in about 20 minutes so you guys can see them.”
There were lots of well wishes and congratulations as everyone either hugged David or slapped him on his back, but he was most interested in Alex, Mattie, and Cat’s reactions. They stayed seated together and after finishing with the adults he knelt down in front of his oldest children and asked, “Are you three excited to see the new babies?”
Cat voiced the fear that all three of them had. “Are you going to forget about us now?”
“Of course not, Cat. You, Alex, and Mattie mean the world to your mother and me. We love all of you, and while the babies will require a lot of attention that doesn’t mean we won’t have time for you guys. Remember how we talked about adding and not subtracting to our family?”
“Yeah.” Cat didn’t look entirely convinced.
Alex wasn’t either. “Bobby said his parents never did anything with him after his little brother was born.”
“Didn’t his dad take him to the football game just last week? Just the two of them? Doesn’t sound like he forgot about him to me,” David countered.
The three older kids shared a look and David tried a new approach. “Guys, you know babies take a lot of work, and it will take us all some time to figure out how to do everything now that there are eight of us instead of five, but we’ll get it right sooner or later. Rebecca and I just want you guys to give this a chance. Do you think you can do that?”
Again the older kids shared a look before Alex offered, “We’ll try.”
“Good. Now remember when you see Rebecca you have to be careful with her. She had a C-section so that means they had to cut her stomach to get the babies out. She’s going to be in a lot of pain for a while.”
While Cat cringed at the news, Alex and Mattie both got really big smiles as Mattie asked, “Can we see it? Can you see inside her stomach? That’s so cool!”
“Can I get a picture and take it to school? My friends will love it,” Alex added.
David just shook his head and replied, “Maybe Rebecca will let you see her surgery scar, but that’s up to her. Just remember to be careful with her.”
“Johannessen family?”
Everyone’s attention was drawn to a nurse as she beckoned them forward. “Mrs. Anderson has been transferred to her room and she and the triplets are waiting for you.”
A few minutes later everyone entered Rebecca’s private room to see her sitting up in bed. She was clearly worn out, but still smiling brightly. Beside her were three hospital bassinets with the triplets. Giving a little wave, Rebecca greeted, “Hey guys.”
Just as with David, all the adults offered Rebecca congratulations, hugging her softly to make sure they didn’t hurt her while the three older kids crowded around the newest additions to their families. The adults all gave them a moment, and Alex finally announced, “They’re really small.”
“Tiny,” Cat added.
“What are their names?” Mattie asked, gazing at his new brothers and sister.
David and Rebecca shared a look before she said, “We haven’t decided yet. We wanted a chance to get to know them before naming them.”
Sandy produced a baby name book from her designer bag and passed it to her brother. “Well, you’re lucky I picked that up on my way here. Rebecca may have the creativity and taste to pick a good name, but you’ll definitely need some help.”
“Hey!” David laughed while accepting the book.
Gran moved to smile down at the triplets as she told Rebecca, “You did wonderful, honey, just wonderful. They’re beautiful.”
“Thanks, Gran.”
Tommy moved forward to look down at his new niece and nephews as well while asking, “So how many are you going to have after this? If you have six you might as well go for ten. It’s a more even number, and you’re apparently pretty good at popping them out.”
“Tommy!” Rebecca shook her head at her brother’s antics. “I think I’m done for a while. I’m not looking to have my own football team. If you think more is better perhaps you should get started on a few of your own.”
“Now don’t go giving him ideas,” Gran interjected. “Your brother needs to learn to take care of himself before he goes off having any babies.”
“Hey! I take care of myself just fine!”
“Of course you do, dear.”
Everyone laughed and soon the older kids were all sitting in chairs while the adults helped them hold the babies. Gran took pictures, and soon everyone had their chance to hold the triplets. After about an hour David suggested that it was time to call it a day, that Rebecca and the babies needed their rest and they’d see them all tomorrow. The kids gave Rebecca a kiss on her cheek and allowed Gran and Nadira to take them away, and the other adults left their gifts before taking their own leave, telling Rebecca they’d see her soon.
When everyone was gone David went to pick up their oldest son who was squirming in his plastic crib, and moved to perch himself on the side of Rebecca’s bed where she was holding their daughter. Offering her a smile, he said, “You did really great today, Becca. I’m so proud of you.”
“I think we both did a pretty good job.” She smiled down at the tiny bundle in her arms before saying, “So I guess we should start talking about names. Any favorites?”
“Not really. I’ve really been focusing more on them being born healthy. I got that wish.”
Rebecca got a secret smile and admitted, “I actually have a girl name picked out. Well I had three girl names picked out, but my favorite is Jordanna.”
“Jordanna huh? I like that. It’s very pretty.” Looking down at his son in his arms, David said, “What do you think about Jagger for his name?”
“You are so obsessed with the Rolling Stones.”
“Hey, our official song is ‘Honky Tonk Women’, so I think it fits.”
Shaking her head, Rebecca argued, “Our song is ‘Wild Horses’ by the Stones, and you’re right, Jagger does fit.” Nodding her head towards their youngest son, she said, “So what do you think we should call him? If both of their names start with a J, his should too.”
“Jeffery?”
“No. What about Jason?”
“Nah. Jeremy?”
“I hated Jeremy Shlamansky in school. So no. What about John?”
“I always think of John Doe when I hear that name. We could name him Jackson.”
“I don’t think so.”
Rebecca got a pensive look on her face as she considered her youngest son before suggesting, “How about Jayden?”
Looking at his three kids, David tried, “Jagger
, Jordanna, and Jayden? I think I like it.”
“I like it too. So what about middle names?”
* * * *
It was a few hours later that David was standing at the vending machines, getting himself something to eat while Rebecca and the triplets slept that he saw the two people in the world he wanted to never see again. His parents were walking down the hallway with three stuffed bears, a balloon bouquet, and a large rose flower arrangement. They were headed towards Rebecca’s room, and they obviously hadn’t seen him in the vending machine alcove as they walked right past him. They didn’t get very far before he stepped out into the hall and hissed, “Don’t you dare go into Rebecca’s room.”
Sven and Laura both froze at the icy tone of their son’s voice behind them. They shared a worried look before turning to face their oldest child who stood with his fists clenched at his side. Sven shifted the bears he was holding in his arms nervously and began, “We don’t want any trouble. We just wanted to see our new grandkids. We just want to see them for a few minutes and then we’ll leave.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you two want. You’re leaving right now, or I’ll call security and have you thrown out.”
Tears built in Laura’s eyes, as she begged softly, “Please, David. Just let us see them. We’ll only stay a moment and then we’ll leave. We promise.”
“Your promises mean shit to me. I don’t want you anywhere near Rebecca, and you’re damn sure not getting anywhere near my kids. Ever.”
David’s tone was so laden with anger and disgust his parents actually recoiled from him, before Sven tried again, “We know we hurt you, son, and we’re sorry—”
“Don’t you call me that. You lost the right to call me son a long time ago. I don’t want to hear any of your excuses. You don’t belong here. Now leave.”
Laura was crying now, and they were actually beginning to draw the attention of several of the hospital staff, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to be able to see her grandkids. “We know we hurt you, and we’ll do whatever you want us to in order to make up for it, but please don’t keep us from our grandkids. Please.”
Reclaimed Love Page 5
