Tears filled her eyes. “I know. I’m very blessed. The hardest thing about the end of this pregnancy is trying to help him not get too worried. His first wife was killed in a plane crash, and she was pregnant. I’m sure those demons are haunting him right now.”
“What about your marriage counselor? Maybe the two of you should ask her.”
“That’s a brilliant idea, but I don’t think he’d want to. I’m afraid I’m going to have to talk to him and get him to admit what’s driving his heightened anxiety. I’ll have to find a creative way to reach him. Thanks for everything, Dr. Hanno.”
“I’ll see you in three days.”
“If not before?” She was so tired of being pregnant, it would be wonderful for it to all be over.
“Maybe.”
That maybe gave her hope. She left his examination room and walked out to the reception area mentally revitalized.
Her aunt had been reading a magazine. When she saw Kellie, she put it down and got to her feet. “How are you doing?”
“Just great. He wants to see me in three days.”
“You’ll probably be going into labor soon.”
“I think so, too.”
“Let’s get you back to the hotel and order a meal. Before long Leandros will be through with work and we’ll fly back to Andros.”
“He’ll be waiting to hear how my appointment went. I’ll call him from the limo.”
When they left the building, the temperature outside was 56 degrees, typical for February. Kellie had been hot for months and loved the cool air. There’d been a little rain on their way to the doctor’s office, but it had stopped.
As soon as she got in the back of the car with her aunt, she phoned Leandros. He picked up after the first ring. “Kellie?” On a scale of one to ten, his anxiety was a hundred.
“Hi, darling. The doctor said everything looks great. I have to keep my legs up for a few hours a day, but otherwise we’re ready to go.”
“That’s the news I’ve been waiting for. I’ll be leaving the office in twenty minutes. Where are you right now?”
“In the limo.”
“You’re going straight to the hotel, right?”
“Yes. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“I love you.” The tone of his deep voice permeated to her insides, thrilling her.
“I love you, too.”
“I’ve decided this is going to be my last day of work.” Oh, help! “I’ve had Frato here in the office. He’s going to take over for me starting tomorrow morning. I can’t concentrate anymore. Mrs. Kostas told me to go home and not come back.”
No doubt he’d been driving her crazy, too. Kellie laughed, resigned to the fact that she was going to have her nervous husband around day and night until the big event. “That’s marvelous news. I’ll see you shortly.” She hung up.
Her aunt smiled. “What was that laugh about?”
“Leandros informed me he won’t be going to work anymore until after the babies are born.”
“Oh, dear.”
They both laughed. “I’ve got to come up with a project for him that will keep him busy for hours at a time.”
“I know just the thing. I want to have some window boxes built on the east side of the house.”
“Perfect! I’ll send him with you to pick things out. With Uncle Jim directing traffic, it ought to keep his mind occupied for one day, anyway.” More laughter ensued.
The limo pulled to a stop in front of the Cassandra. Kellie thanked the driver and they both got out. She took two steps on the pavement and felt her sandal slide in a tiny pool of water. The next thing she knew, she was sitting on the ground, having landed with a hard thud. Talk about a beached walrus that wasn’t going anywhere.
“Are you all right, honey?” her aunt cried.
“I think so. I feel like an idiot, but I’m thankful I didn’t take you down with me.”
“You’re not in pain?”
“No.” She started to get up.
“Let me help.”
“Thanks,” she whispered. But the moment she stood, she felt moisture run down her legs in a gush. It wasn’t from the pool. “Aunt Sybil? My water just broke.”
“Hang on to me, honey. I’ll call the driver and tell him to come back.”
Within a minute, the limo returned. Kellie climbed in while her aunt told the driver they needed to get straight to the hospital.
“Tell him not to phone Leandros. I’ll do it or he’ll freak out completely.”
“Agreed.”
She was starting to have pains that were different than what she’d experienced now and then. Her stomach grew rock-hard. The contractions were starting. While they drove to the hospital, she reached in her purse for her cell and phoned Leandros.
“Kellie?”
“Hi, darling. There’s been a change in plans. My water just broke and I’m in the limo on the way to the hospital. Our babies are coming.” Her voice wobbled. “I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes.” His line went dead.
* * *
Leandros, masked and gowned, sat next to Kellie while he watched the miracle of their firstborn son’s birth. The baby had a tuft of black hair, and according to the pediatrician attending him, he weighed in at six pounds two ounces and was twenty-one inches long.
The excitement in the birthing room was palpable. Leandros didn’t know he could be this happy.
“Here comes number two, slick as a whistle.” The doctor lifted their second son by the ankles. Again they all heard the healthy infant cry announcing his arrival in the world. Leandros felt pure joy in every atom of his body. “You’ve got yourselves another beautiful boy. How are you doing, Mom?”
Tears streamed down Kellie’s face as she beamed at Leandros. “I’m afraid I might die from so much happiness. Are our babies really all right?”
“They’re perfect,” he whispered before leaning over to kiss her lips gently.
An army of staff filled the birthing room. The other pediatrician turned his head toward them. “Baby number two weighs in at five pounds fourteen ounces and measures twenty and a half inches. You’ve given birth to healthy fraternal twins. Congratulations.”
In a few minutes they’d been washed and wrapped so Kellie could hold them in her arms. “Oh, darling,” she wept. “Our babies...” She kissed their heads. “They’re gorgeous, just like you.”
Leandros was so full of emotion, he had to wipe his eyes to get a good look. “I can see your beautiful features in both of them. Just think. You and I grew up as only children. They’ll always have each other.”
“I know. Isn’t it wonderful?” But her eyes had closed.
Alarmed, Leandros looked at the doctor. “Is she all right?”
“I’ve given her a hypo. She’ll sleep for several hours. Why don’t you go down to the nursery with your sons and get acquainted with them.”
After kissing his wife’s flushed cheek, he watched the nurses put the babies in carts, and followed them down the hall to the newborn unit. For the next half hour he had the time of his life, examining every finger and toenail. Their sons had made it. His wife had made it. A wave of love for her, for their offspring, swept through him, shaking him to the very foundations.
When he finally went out into the hall, he saw everyone standing at the glass—his parents, her aunt and uncle, Fran and Nik. The celebration could probably be heard throughout the wing. His mother flung herself into his arms and sobbed. As for his father, he was so choked up he couldn’t talk.
Leandros leaned down to give Jim a hug, then swept Sybil into his arms. All everyone did was cry. Fran was no different. She gave him a giant hug. “Hallelujah this day has come,” she whispered.
Then it was Nik’s turn to give him the mother of bear hugs. “Sybil told us you’re on vacation now. Believe me, you’re going to need it with all those two o’clock feedings. I couldn’t be happier for you, Leandros.”
“I f
eel like I’ve given birth. I can’t even imagine what Kellie’s feeling like.”
“She’s blissfully knocked out.”
“You’re right.” He chuckled. “Thanks for being here.”
“We wouldn’t be anywhere else. Have you decided on names?”
“We did as soon as we found out we were having boys. We decided the first one to come out would be Nikolas Vlassius Petralia.”
Nik’s eyes grew suspiciously bright. “You’re kidding me.”
“I swear I’m not. Kellie was adamant about it. She loves you like a brother. I think you know that by now.”
“I’m honored,” he said in a croaky voice. “What will you call your other son?”
“Dimitri Milo Petralia in honor of her uncle Jim, who was the perfect father to her all her life, and of course her birth father.”
“Does Jim know that yet?”
“We had dinner for everyone last week and told them.”
“The Petralia brothers, Nik and Dimitri. That has a definite ring.”
Leandros had to admit that it did. After they were born, he’d told Kellie what it meant to him to have sons. She’d kissed him and said, “Don’t you think I know that? Don’t you know how I watched you suffer each time we knew we weren’t pregnant? It almost killed me to see your pain. After all, you’re a proud Greek male. I’m just thankful you finally got your heart’s desire.”
“One day our children will be playing with your Demi.”
“They grow up fast. You’ve done great work, Leandros.”
“I give all the credit to my angel wife. She’s the one who got us into counseling and saved our marriage.”
Nik shook his head. “I’m convinced you would have made your way back to each other no matter what. I shudder to think that if she hadn’t phoned Fran to come to Greece...”
Leandros patted his good friend on the shoulder. “You would have met Fran at a later date. When you consider the if’s, it makes you realize it was all meant to be.”
* * *
At 6:00 p.m. Kellie tiptoed into the nursery to check on the babies one more time. They’d both been fed and burped. Now they were sound asleep. She got a swelling in her chest. They were the dearest babies on earth, and that wasn’t just because she was their mother. Their Petralia genes made them beautiful.
She looked down at each one, feasting her eyes on their darling faces and bodies. The sky-blue of their little sleepers with feet brought out their dark hair and olive skin, just a few of Leandros’s striking assets. They bore a strong resemblance to each other, but there were distinct differences she was happy about.
Kellie wanted them each to grow up being their own person. Leandros felt the same way. It would be fun to play up the twin thing once in a while, but it was important they had their own identities.
They were seven weeks old today. She remembered back to the time when Dr. Creer had told her she was pregnant and seven weeks along. “Big as blueberries,” he’d said. Children had brought a whole new meaning to her life.
Lately she’d found herself thinking a lot about her parents. Unquestionably, they would have loved Kellie the same way. What a lucky girl she’d been to be raised by her aunt and uncle, whom she looked upon as her heroes. They’d not only raised her, they were now helping her and Leandros raise the children.
With everyone in both families pitching in, the exciting, chaotic and exhausting experience of having twins hadn’t been quite as overwhelming as she would have imagined. Fran and Nik had spent several weekends with them. With their precious Demi walking around, getting into everything she could touch, while the babies lay on the floor watching her, they had hilarious times.
“Good night, my darlings,” she whispered. “Forgive me if I don’t see you for the next twenty-four hours, but I’ve got special plans for your father he doesn’t know about. All these weeks he’s been waiting on you and me. Now he needs some personal attention. Both your grandmas will be taking care of you until we come back tomorrow night. Be good for them. I’ll miss you.” She kissed each one and tiptoed out of the nursery.
Thea and Sybil were settled in the living room watching television. Kellie walked over to give them each a hug. “I’m leaving now. Call us if there’s an emergency.”
Her aunt nodded. “Of course. Now you go on. If you don’t come back for a week, we won’t mind, will we, Thea?”
“We wish you would stay away more than twenty-four hours.”
“I couldn’t bear to be separated from them that long. And you know Leandros. He’s so crazy about them, I’m not sure he’ll last until tomorrow night.”
The two women gave each other a knowing smile, causing Kellie’s cheeks to go warm. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” She blew them a kiss, then let herself out the front door into the April evening. The helicopter would be bringing him home from work any minute. Her plan was to be there the moment he jumped out.
She was wearing a new pair of jeans and a short-sleeved, oatmeal-colored cotton sweater he’d never seen before. Though she still had ten pounds to lose, she’d gone down enough sizes to fit into non-maternity clothes. To her satisfaction, she could tuck in the sweater. She wanted to make sure he knew she was getting her shape back. He liked her hair long, so she’d left it loose after blow drying it. A little perfume, lipstick and makeup did wonders for her spirits.
When she heard the helicopter coming, she began to tremble, anticipating the night to come. Two weeks ago she’d had a checkup. The doctor told her she could have relations with her husband at seven weeks. Tonight was the night, only Leandros didn’t know it yet.
She hid behind a tree until the helicopter touched down and Leandros got out. He spoke with the pilot for a few minutes, then started down the path to their villa, throwing his suit coat over his shoulder. She sneaked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, clutching him tightly against her.
“Don’t turn around if you know what’s good for you. Do everything I say, and you won’t get hurt.”
His shoulders started to shake with silent laughter. “Don’t I even get a peek?”
“You talk too much, Mr. Petralia. Just keep walking down to the pier. I’m right behind you.”
He went along with her little game and began walking. “What do I do when I get there?”
“We’re going sailing. Just you and me.”
“It’ll be dark soon.”
“We don’t have to set sail tonight. We can wait until morning.”
“That’s good, because I’m starving.”
“I plan to feed you.”
“I’ll need a shower first.”
“That’s all been arranged.”
They reached the dock where her sailboat was tied up. She’d spent part of the afternoon making the bed and getting things ready belowdecks. After going to the store, she’d stocked the fridge with his favorite goodies. On her final trip, she’d brought down his toiletries and laid out a new robe for him. He wouldn’t want for a thing.
“How soon can I turn around?”
“After you go below.”
He stepped into the boat. She stepped where he stepped and trailed him down the stairs.
The lights of several dozen votive candles placed around the ledge beckoned him from the small bedroom. He stopped in place when he saw what she’d created. Suddenly he swung around. His eyes blazed as he took in the sight of her. She felt his desire reach out to her like a living thing.
“Kellie—”
“The doctor gave me the seal of approval. I thought it was about time the man who holds my heart was paid a little attention for a change. Tonight there’s no one but you and me. I’m dying to make love to you, Leandros.”
“You look so beautiful, I’m staggered.”
“Good. Now you know how I feel every time I get near you. What would you like to do first?”
“I want to devour you over and over again,” he said in a husky voice. “Come here to me, darling.”
Kellie didn’t need those words to reach for him. His mouth was life to her. The touch of his hands on her body was a revelation to her. They fell on the bed, desperate for the closeness after having to wait the last two months for this moment.
Hours later they surfaced long enough to eat, then they went back to bed. During the night he pulled her into him. “I think I love you too much,” he whispered into her hair. “You have no idea how divine you are.”
“You took the words out of my mouth.” She kissed his hard jaw. “I got so excited waiting for the helicopter to arrive, I almost had a heart attack.”
“I would have come home sooner, but I had three unexpected visitors in my office before I left.”
She cupped his face in her hands. “Who?”
“The Paulos family. Karmela has been in therapy for months. She came to apologize.”
Kellie sat all the way up. “It must have been so hard for her to face you.”
“I’m sure it was, but she did it.”
“How is she, darling?”
“There’s a definite change in her. She’s not on the attack anymore. How much medication plays a role in this new behavior, I don’t know, but it’s welcome. The day you went to the hospital, she saw the news about our twins on TV. She wanted me to tell you she’s very happy for us and sorry for any pain she’s caused.”
“That’s a huge step in the right direction.”
“I think so, too.”
Kellie nestled against him again. “I’m glad you told me. We can finally leave all that in the past where it belongs, and concentrate on our new lives. I love our boys so much. I love you so much.”
“Show me again how much, agapi mou. Show me again and again.”
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from Little Cowgirl on His Doorstep by Donna Alward
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Along Came Twins... Page 15
