This Too Shall Pass (28 page)

“She has a small amount of fluid in her lungs, a slight infection. She’s going to have to stay here for the antibiotics for a few days.”

“I’m staying with her,” Alexis assured him, placing the tiny hand around her fingers. Her eyes turned back to the other baby when she cried out.

“Do you want to hold them?” Cory asked.

“Uh, yeah! Wait. Can I breast feed two babies?”

“Of course you can, but more importantly. We need names.”

Alexis sat in the rocking chair and the nurse placed baby A in her arms and she was instantly in love. Guilt once again took over and she shed one small tear. They could have died because of her selfishness. She could have died and left Riki and Kinley without a mother. Cory handed her the other baby and she fell in love again. Twins? Alexis had twins.

The tap on the window pulled her attention from the babies. Alexis smiled at Bernie. “Can she come in?”

“I can’t let her in here, but the doctor here can,” the nurse admitted with a smile and a nod right toward Dr. Baker.

Cory waved a hand and met her at the door. There was only one other baby in there and he was with his mother, and honestly, he didn’t really care about the hospital rules.

“Oh my, God, Lex. You have twins! Is this real life?”

“I don’t think so.”

“They look exactly alike. Are they identical?”

Alexis looked to Cory for the answer.

“Yes, both babies roomed in the same sac for the past nine months or so. You avoided the prenatal care, so we can’t say for sure how long that really was. I’m guessing they’re a couple weeks early.”

“How much did they weigh?”

“Thing one weighed five, one, and thing two weighed four, nine,” Cory explained. Alexis smiled at his clarification, or was it at him. Something happened while she was out cold, something she couldn’t explain, maybe another miracle, but she didn’t hate him. She was too grateful, too happy, and too proud for hate.

“Do you want to hold them, Bernie?”

“Let’s go back to your room. I don’t want to get in trouble for having a party in here,” Cory suggested. He took the baby with the tube and the nurse took the other one. Bernie helped with the wheelchair and then both babies were placed back into Alexis’s arms. Her eyes went from one baby to the other. Twins? She still couldn’t believe it. It did make sense when she thought about it. There were lots of times she could feel a butt, and then a head, but they were too close together, and then there were the times where she swore she could feel three feet. Those were the times she worried something was wrong, the baby was deformed or something. She promised herself every time that she was going to call Dr. Dalton, and she never did. How could she have been so stupid?

“Where are we going?” Alexis questioned when Cory pushed the button for the double doors, in the wrong direction.

“We’re going to get rid of your family. They’re never going to leave, not until you tell them you’re okay.”

“My family? Do they know? About the twins? Two babies?”

“Yes, they’ve all seen them through the window.”

One worried mother, three brothers, three sisters, four of their spouses, and Paige, all came to their feet.

“You can’t touch them yet, but here she is. She’s fine,” Cory announced.

Lola was the defiant one who didn’t listen. She strolled right to them and hugged Alexis with tears. And then the threat came. “If you ever do something like this again, I will personally kick your ass.”

Everyone in the room laughed, but not at the threat. It was the curse word. Lola didn’t say that word or any other cross words. She did that time and she meant business. After a short visit to show her family she was okay, Cory wheeled her back to her room. Bernie followed.

“When did you get here, Bernie?” Alexis wondered as the babies were once again snatched from her arms.

Bernie held her elbow and helped her into bed. “I followed the ambulance.”

Alexis frowned, eyebrows turned in while her shoulders straightened, trying to ease the pain. “You’ve been here all day? I’m so confused. I don’t remember anything. I think I remember going into the operating room, and,” Alexis paused while she remembered, “Cory, I remember you yelling at the doctors. Is that right? You were mad.”

“Yes,” Bernie answered for him. “I thought he was going to kill someone.”

“Did you ride with Cory?”

“No, Cory went in the squad. I was right behind it.”

As soon as Alexis was back in bed, the babies were handed back. Tiny little grunts and squirms melted her heart. “Should I feed them?”

“Not, yet. They both just ate. Let’s let the pain meds wear off. Next time we’ll give you something nonnarcotic,” the nurse explained.

“I’m going to give you and Cory your time. I’ll come back in the morning,” Bernie explained.

“Don’t you want to hold them?” Alexis didn’t want her to leave. She was afraid of her time with Cory. Especially with the hate she’d been carrying for so long being omitted from the picture. She didn’t trust herself.

“I’ll hold them in the morning. Oh, and I’ll have Paige follow me to your house to drop off your car.”

“Why do you have my car?”

“Mine was on empty,” Bernie smiled. She hugged Alexis and kissed both tiny babies on the forehead before heading out.

Silence was not only heard, but felt as well when the nurse left them too. Alexis stared down at her tiny miracles in shock, and disbelief. Two babies.

“Two newborns, an almost two year old, and a five year old. Whose life is this? How the hell am I supposed to take care of all these kids?”

“You’re going to let me help. And I don’t mean every Wednesday and every other weekend either.”

“You couldn’t feed them anyway,” Alexis joked in a sad tone while her mind and eyes stayed focused on her babies. She wasn’t ready for any sort of real conversation with him. Not yet.

“Can we name them?” Cory asked as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He wasn’t going to make this easy.

“Riki wanted Paisley.”

“I know. I love it. Which one?”

Alexis studied the dainty features. That didn’t work. They were the same. Exactly the same. “This one,” she decided, picking the baby with the tube.

“Okay. What about a middle name.”

Alexis looked up to his eyes, staring intently at her rather than his baby girls. She looked back to Paisley and replied, “Bernice.”

“Paisley Bernice Baker. I love it.”

“Now what about thing two?”

“I want them to match. What goes with Paisley?”

“Elvis.”

Alexis frowned, eyebrows instantly toward her nose. “We’re not naming her Elvis. Can you be serious?”

“I am. Not the Elvis part.”

The features on her face softened and her eyes went back to the sleeping baby in her arms. “Paisley and Presley. I love it. Do you want to pick the middle name?”

“Ellen’s middle name is Rose.”

“Hello Paisley Bernice and Presley Rose Baker,” Alexis quietly spoke. Presley opened one eye and closed it right back. The smile at Cory caused a gaze, a trance between them. Alexis held his stare, feeling emotions she wasn’t sure how to relate to. Feelings she wanted, yet didn’t, knowing it could go either way, good, or bad.

****

Coming home with two babies was twice the fun as coming home with one. Alexis already couldn’t imagine her life without them. They were so much alike, yet different. Cory already wanted to paint their fingernails different colors to keep from mixing them up. Alexis wouldn’t let him. Not even one. She had zero problem telling them apart. Paisley’s little arm went over her eyes when she nursed, her hands were always opened, and she squeaked like a little mouse. Presley nursed like she was starving to death, her little hands were always in fists, and when she cried it was like a lion, not a mouse.

Riki ran to the front porch as fast as she could, Sam right behind her with a coat. Cory didn’t bring her to the hospital like he had when Kinley was born. Riki was just getting over being sick, and Cory didn’t want her spreading her germs around the hospital. As much as Alexis and Riki both begged, he wasn’t having it. He made her wait.

“Hurry up!” she squealed while bouncing up and down, flailing her hands in excitement.

“Let me come around and help you. It’s slippery. Wait there,” Cory ordered.

Alexis briefly lost the smile toward Riki. “I’m fine. I know how to walk on ice.”

Cory ordered her to stay put again and got out of the truck, and then he ordered Riki. “Get in the house, it’s freezing out here.”

“I can’t. I’m too excited. I’ve been waiting for months.”

Alexis laughed and let Cory take her hand. Damn. She was sore. Way more than when she had Kinley. “Thank you for letting me be here,” he said while helping her out of the too tall truck.

“Nobody else would come and get me, but you could have brought my car. It’s not as tall.”

“I wanted to bring my babies home in style,” he teased with a dimpled smile.

Alexis pulled her hands from his. He was crazy if he thought he was going to jump right back in where he left off. Crazy! “Bring my babies in before Riki has a heart attack.”

Cory took her hand again without an explanation and walked her all the way to the top step. Alexis let him without protest.

“Lexis!” Riki squealed.

“Hi, baby. I missed you so much. I can’t bend down yet. Come inside so I can sit down and hug you. Where’s your sister?”

“She’s sleeping. She’s grouchy.”

“I think she just misses her mommy,” Sam suggested, holding the door open, stopping her long enough for a hug. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Thank you. I’m fine, stupid but okay,” Alexis admitted, happy she had her.

“I’m going to take a peek at these little girls and then get out of here. Doug’s making his famous chili,” she said with an eye roll. Alexis wanted to ask, but refrained, saving that conversation for a later time, when there wasn’t so much excitement going on.

Cory came in with a car-seat on both arms, sitting them right in front of the couch. He took Alexis’s elbow and then her hand, helping her ease on to the sofa.

“I’m sorry, Lex. I could have helped,” Sam said, apologizing for not knowing how much pain it was for her to sit that low.

“It’s fine,” she said with a huge smile toward Riki, uncovering each babies face. She didn’t think about the pain of sitting either. Cory did.

“Oh my, goodness. Oh, my goodness,” Riki chanted. “Can I hold them? Which one is Paisley and which one is Presley? They look the same.”

“This one is Presley. Sit down,” Cory said, unable to hide the smile. Riki moved beside Alexis and opened her arms. “And this one is Paisley.”

Cory laid both babies side by side in Riki’s arms. The joy on her little face while she held her new baby sisters’ for the first time was priceless. Paisley’s little arm went over Presley’s neck and they both settled little squirms, relaxing, right back to sleep.

“They’re hugging,” Riki announced.

“They’re used to being really close together,” Alexis explained while her hand helped support their heads.

“I want Kinley,” Alexis requested, looking up at Sam and not Cory.

“Oh no you don’t. Take my advice let her sleep. She’s like a bear with a splinter. Nothing makes her happy right now. Not even M&M’s.”

“M&M’s? Are you giving my baby chocolate?”

“Yes, it’s my go to for Kinley. Works every time.”

“Not this time,” Riki offered.

“Right, not this time. I would let her sleep.”

Sam held both babies and then left, leaving Alexis with her family. Lola called and offered to bring supper, but Alexis told her no. It was freezing outside. Cory could take care of that. Sam was right about Kinley. She was a grouch, but it didn’t last long. Alexis held her, rocking her back and forth in the recliner, rubbing her back, and kissing her little head. She only missed her mommy.

Riki couldn’t get enough of the babies. She was the proudest big sister in the entire world, and she didn’t have a bit of problem telling the little creatures apart. Cory did take care of supper, making the best homemade pizza ever. The rest of the day was spent devoted to the four little girls. Not many words were exchanged between the two of them, only to the babies and the Riki and Kinley.

Once the girls were bathed and in warm pajamas, Alexis held her lower abdomen and walked up the stairs to read and put them to bed. Riki helped Kinley climb into her bed and covered her up and Alexis crawled in the middle. The short chapter book was a little much for Kinley. She was bored without the colorful pictures. She was standing up on the bed and then dropping to her butt, trying to get a reaction out of Alexis and Riki.

“Maybe we should read the baby book first,” Riki suggested.

“Good idea. Go find one.”

The owl sounds and the theatrical way Alexis told the story settled her right down. Kinley was yawning in no time, sound asleep by the last page. Riki also yawned, situating her little body into Alexis’s chest. Alexis kissed her head and told her again how much she missed her.