I could tell he was stressed out. The moment we entered the ER, I had to stop because I was in so much pain. Immediately, I was taken up to the Labor & Delivery Unit. I was put in a room and Lucas helped me change out of my clothes and into a gown. A nurse named Ella walked in and hooked me up to the fetal monitor.
“Dr. Lewis is on her way in now.” She smiled. “Just try to relax.”
“I would if I wasn’t in so much pain.”
As I was going through my contractions, Lucas was just standing there holding my hand.
“Why aren’t you talking? Why aren’t you telling me to breathe?!” I yelled at him.
“Because last time you threatened the shit out of me. I think it’s best if I don’t say anything.”
“Oh my God. You’re such an asshole sometimes.”
“I know you don’t mean it, babe. It’s the pain talking.”
Just as I was ready to yell some obscenities at him, a group of people walked in the room. A group of ten to be exact. The first five people introduced themselves and told me they were the team for Baby A, and the other five were for Baby B.
“Hello, Thorne family.” Dr. Lewis smiled. “You just couldn’t wait a few more hours, eh?”
“The babies want out. Like little prisoners who want out of jail.”
Dr. Lewis laughed as she placed her hand on mine. She looked at the fetal monitor and then at her watch.
“How important is it that your babies are born on your husband’s birthday?” she asked me.
“Very important.”
“No, Jenna. It doesn’t matter. I hate seeing you in so much pain. Just get the babies out now, Dr. Lewis.”
“NO!” I shouted. “These babies are going to be born on your birthday.
“We have one hour until midnight. By the time I get you prepped, and we get the epidural in you, it’ll be close. As long as the twin’s heart rates don’t take a dip and they don’t show any signs of distress, I can wait to cut you open at midnight. Sound like a plan?”
“Yes.” I nodded my head.
“Alright, folks, let’s get Mrs. Thorne into the O.R. and prepped for surgery. Lucas, you’ll need to change into a gown and wait here while we prep her. One of the nurses will come get you when we’re ready.”
“Okay.”
Lucas leaned over and kissed my lips.
“I’ll be by your side in a flash. I love you so much.”
“I love you too. I’m sorry I called you an asshole.”
“Don’t be sorry. It’s the truth.” He gave me a wink.
When they wheeled me into the operating room, my eyes focused on the massive bright lights and the line of tools that were laid out. My heart started racing and I needed my husband. They transferred me from the bed onto the operating table. The anesthesiologist walked in, introduced himself and asked the nurses to help me sit up so he could administer the epidural. Once that was done and I was pretty much prepped, Lucas walked in and sat on the stool next to me. He grabbed my hand and brought it up to his lips.
“I’m so sorry for being such a baby after I had my vasectomy,” he whispered.
“It’s okay, babe. I still love you.”
I could see the smile beneath his mask. Dr. Lewis walked in and looked at the clock.
“We have five minutes until midnight, Jenna. How are you doing?”
“I’m pain free at the moment, Dr. Lewis. So, I’m doing great.”
“Excellent.” She looked at the clock again. “Okay. The clock has struck midnight. Happy birthday, Mr. Thorne.”
“Thank you, Dr. Lewis.”
“Happy birthday, babe,” I said to him.
“Thank you, babe. I’m so proud of you.” He ran his finger across my head to distract me. “I can’t wait to meet our daughter and son.”
“Me either. But honestly, I can’t wait to get them out of my body. I’m so over this pregnancy.”
He let out a light laugh, and we heard Dr. Lewis.
“Your daughter is coming out. Here she is.” Dr. Lewis held her up as she let out a scream.
Tears filled my eyes as I stared at her before she was handed off to one of the nurses.
“She’s beautiful, Jenna,” Lucas kissed my forehead as his eyes filled with tears.
“And here’s your son,” Dr. Lewis smiled as she held up our screaming little boy and then handed him off to another nurse.
Suddenly, they raced Samuel out of the room, and a nurse walked over to me.
“Jenna, your son is having a little trouble breathing so we’re going to take him to the NICU for a bit.”
I grabbed my husband’s arm and looked at him as tears filled my eyes.
“Go. Go be with our son.”
He ran out of the room as the tears streamed down my face.
Once the doctor finished closing me up, one of the nurses put Serena in my arms.
“Hi there. I’ve waited so long to meet you, beautiful girl. I’m your mom.”
She was so beautiful and tiny. My heart ached for my son and all I wanted to do was hold him and tell him everything was going to be okay. The pain in my heart was unbearable. I wanted my son and my husband.
I was wheeled to my room and the nurse who was assigned to me brought me a bottle for Serena. I’d decided not to breastfeed the twins since my milk supply wasn’t great to begin with and I had to stop with Scarlett within four months. I was consumed with fear for my son, and I couldn’t think about anything else. Suddenly, Lucas walked into the room and ran over to me.
“He’s fine, Jenna. Samuel is perfectly fine. The nurse said she’ll bring him to the room in a few minutes.”
“Thank God.” I felt as if I could breathe again.
“Hey there, sweetheart.” Lucas smiled as he touched Serena’s cheek.
“Do you want to hold her and finish feeding her?”
“I would love to.”
As soon as I handed her over to him, the nurse brought me my son. The moment she put him in my arms, I started to sob.
“Here’s his bottle.” The nurse smiled at me as she patted my arm.
“He looks just like you,” I said to Lucas.
“You think so?” He grinned.
“He has your lips and nose. And your forehead. I can already foresee him being a little heartbreaker.”
The corners of his mouth curved upward as he stared at me.
“What?” I smiled.
“Thank you.”
“For?”
“For giving me the best birthday gifts of my life.”
The next morning, my parents brought Scarlett up to meet her brother and sister. I wouldn’t lie and say that Lucas and I weren’t a little worried. Her entire world was changing, and we weren’t sure how she was going to handle it.
Chapter 38
Six Weeks Later
Lucas
I couldn’t believe the twins were already six weeks old. This time around Jenna agreed to hiring some help. We hired a full-time housekeeper named Maria. She was an older Italian woman who made the best lasagna I’d ever had, and she could clean like nobody’s business. Jenna and I really liked her, and she was quickly becoming a part of our family. But the most important thing was that Scarlett loved her too. Then there was Gemma. The nanny we hired to help with the twins.