Christmas Secrets Collection. Laura Iding

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СКАЧАТЬ through OB, but was hardly an expert.

      “Alyssa, I think we need to talk about the future, maybe not right now but soon. Once you’re discharged and back home.” His serious, earnest gaze warmed her heart.

      Home as in back at his house? She thought so. She saw his willingness to talk as a good sign. “I know.”

      “So that’s settled,” he said with satisfaction. “How about if we go and visit our daughters again?”

      “I’d like that.” She threw aside the blanket and grimaced a little when she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

      “Are you all right?” Jadon asked, noticing her discomfort. “Do you want me to get you a wheelchair?”

      “No wheelchair, I’d rather walk.” She bent down to grab the suitcase he’d brought in. “But first I need a few minutes in the bathroom.”

      “Sure.” He relaxed in his chair, not seeming to be in the least bit impatient. “No rush.”

      In the bathroom she quickly changed into her own nightgown and robe, feeling a little better wearing her own things. The nightgown had a lace-tie in the front that would help if she tried nursing the girls again.

      Jadon lightly clasped her hand as they walked down to the level-three nursery. Jadon led the way straight to Grace and Gretchen’s isolettes.

      “Are you here to hold your babies?” Carla asked, crossing over to them. “Let me grab a couple of warm blankets for you, all right?”

      “Okay.” Alyssa leaned forward, dividing her attention between both babies. “Aren’t they cute, wearing those little pink hats?”

      “They’re adorable,” Jadon agreed in a husky voice. “Beautiful, just like their mother.”

      Her heart swelled with love as she gazed at her daughters. Jadon had created these wonderful miracles with her. “Which one do you want to hold?” she asked him.

      “I’ll take Grace this time. I feel like we should alternate so we don’t play favorites.”

      “I think it’s a little early to worry about playing favorites,” Alyssa said with a small laugh.

      Carla returned with the warm blankets and quickly wrapped up both babies and handed Grace to Jadon, and Gretchen to Alyssa.

      They sat in side-by-side rockers, content to simply hold the babies.

      “Lys?” Jadon said, glancing up at her. “You are going to come back home with me after you’re discharged, right?”

      “Yes.” She frowned a little because she’d thought that was what he’d meant earlier.

      “I knew you’d be discharged in the next day or two, but I also know that Louis thought the babies would be here for maybe a couple of weeks,” Jadon explained. “So I wanted to make sure.”

      “A couple of weeks?” It was hard to hide her dismay. “He really thinks they’ll need to stay that long? I was hoping we’d have them home by Christmas.”

      “Christmas is just over two weeks away, so don’t be discouraged. We may get to take them home by then. Depending on how much weight they gain. And how well their breathing progresses.”

      “Alyssa?” Denise, her postpartum nurse, came into the nursery. “You have a couple of visitors, and there’s one little boy especially who would like to see the babies.”

      “Kylie and Seth must have brought Ben,” she said to Jadon before turning to Carla. “Do you think we could hold the babies up in the window for Ben to see? I’d hate to disappoint him.”

      “No problem,” Carla said. “We’ll just have to momentarily disconnect them from the monitors.” At her panicked expression, Carla hastily reassured her. “Don’t worry, we do that from time to time anyway, like to give them a bath. It’s not a big deal for a few minutes.”

      “I’ll bring the group over to the window,” Denise said as she turned to leave the nursery.

      Carla disconnected the twins from their monitors so that Alyssa and Jadon could hold the babies up in the window for Seth, Kylie and Ben to see.

      “Wow, they’re so tiny!” she heard Ben exclaim.

      “Very tiny,” Kylie agreed with a wide grin. “They’re beautiful, Alyssa,” she called through the glass.

      “Thanks.” She and Jadon only stayed for a minute, before turning back so that Carla could reconnect the babies to their monitors. Then they tucked the girls back into their isolettes and headed out to visit with Seth and Kylie.

      “Hey, congrats to both of you,” Seth said when they met up in the hall. He held out a hand to Jadon, who looked somewhat bemused as he accepted the handshake. Seth then turned to give Alyssa a hug. “You didn’t call us,” he complained in a light, teasing tone. “I had to hear the news from the ED staff.”

      “Yeah, and I thought I was supposed to be your birthing coach?” Kylie added, giving both Alyssa and Jadon a hug. “Looks like you did fine without me.”

      “I’m sorry, Kylie,” Alyssa said. “Everything happened so fast.”

      Kylie rolled her eyes. “I’m only kidding, it’s not a big deal. I’m just glad they’re both doing all right.”

      “How come I can’t hold the babies?” Ben wanted to know.

      Alyssa reached down to give him a hug. “They’re too little yet. We need to restrict visitors until the babies grow bigger and get stronger.”

      Ben looked disappointed.

      “Ben, don’t forget to give Alyssa the card you made for her,” Kylie reminded him.

      “Oh, yeah.” He looked down at the rather crumpled piece of paper that he’d been clutching in his hand as if he’d forgotten all about it. “Here.” He thrust it at Alyssa.

      “Thank you, Ben. It’s beautiful.” He’d written a crooked “Congratulations, Alyssa” on the front with what she assumed were two babies in cribs and not tiny people in jail drawn on the bottom of the page. Inside the card he’d painstakingly penned a short message that she read out loud. “‘Thanks for saving my life. I love you, Ben.’”

      For a moment the words swam in her vision as her eyes misted. She drew him close for another hug. “This is my favorite card in the whole world, Ben. Thanks so much.”

      “Welcome,” he muttered, giving her a tight hug and then breaking away, his attention already moving to the next thing. “Can we get something out of the vending machine, Mom?”

      Seth and Kylie exchanged a questioning glance and when Kylie nodded, Seth dug several quarters out of his pocket. “Sure, here you go, sport.”

      “Cool!” Ben dashed off.

      “Jadon, I picked up your Saturday-night shift for you,” Seth informed him.

      “Thanks.” СКАЧАТЬ