She would be glad once her children were born now. Everything was ready for them, the room ready, some clothes purchased and house baby proofed.
"I wish they'd just come out now…" Ema whispered as she snuggled up beside her boyfriend.
"I know, I know." He soothed.
It was hard to imagine that five weeks ago, he was worried he was going to lose not only the three unborn children in Ema's womb but Ema herself.
He made sure everyday to tell her how much she meant to him and how much she had changed his world every day since she was admitted into the hospital. She had changed his world in a way he thought wasn't even possible. When he was younger he had always said that he'd never learn how to love someone unconditionally – yet that was how he felt about Ema. Better still, she was carrying his children – three tiny lives whom he would adore – three tiny lives he could give a family, parents, something neither he nor Ema had.
Ema wasn't as open with her emotions as Apollo. It had taken her a long time to tell him about what happened to her parents, and about growing up with Lana playing mum for her. She did this to prevent dredging up bad emotions. Yet she too made sure she told Apollo how much she loved him every day and every night before she slept, she made sure to wish her babies a goodnight too.
She sat with an old children's book she had been given by Lana when she was still little. It was a book called the Gruffalo, which Lana had bought back from a trip to England. Ema was reading it aloud, Apollo listening intently too, as she realised her and him talking (in this case reading) soothed the children.
"Sorry Apollo, I just need to go to the toilet." She felt the urge to go suddenly. In fact, in the next ten minutes she was up and down constantly.
"I'll call a hospital!" Apollo called into her as she cried out for him.
She cried out as contractions started.
"Lana! Lana! It's Apollo! It's starting, what do I have to do to keep her calm until the ambulance gets here?" Apollo yelled into the cellphone.
"Tell her to keep breathing! Keep her calm and make sure she breathes deep breaths." Lana was much calmer than Apollo.
-x-x-
"Where is she going?" Apollo asked alarmed as Ema was taken away.
"Sit down Apollo." The kindly doctor assured. "We're taking her to theatre, she needs a caesarean."
"I want to be with her!" Apollo tried to push past.
"Come here." She took his wrist and led him into the room next door to the theatre. "As soon as those babies are born we'll bring them through here on the way to the care unit."
"T-thanks." Apollo whispered.
It seemed like forever, being sat there, twiddling his thumbs. Twenty minutes into the c-section there was a panic outside the door.
"W-what's happening?" Apollo cried out.
"Something's gone wrong with Ema, look we'll make her better, I promise."
"The babies! Where are they? How are they?" He asked, heartbroken and afraid.
"They've been taken right to the unit. They're going to be ok, they just need a little help is all."
He cried.
Alone in that room, he cried.
He cried until the others came to comfort him. They masked their own fear for Ema and the babies to help him.
-x-x-
"I think she's coming to." The doctor smiled. Apollo rushed to his feet to see Ema. Trucy and Phoenix got up to follow him.
"No." Lana put her arm out to stop them. "Let them be alone for a while."
"But-!"
"Trucy…" Lana said sternly, the same way she spoke to her own children.
She was still out when Apollo came and sat down beside her. Without the three children in her stomach she certainly looked a lot slimmer than she had been before. He was still crying.
"I nearly lost you…" Apollo took her hand, certain that he wouldn't hurt her if he did.
"Mmm…" She blinked. "…'Pollo? I'm hungry…" She smiled.
"Y-you're what?" Apollo smiled. "You've had your babies, I nearly lost you and…you're hungry!" Apollo laughed, still crying.
"Where are the babies?" She tried to sit up but Apollo held her down.
"I think its best you stay lying down, and they're in the care unit." Apollo smiled. "Doc's looking after them." He smiled.
"But I want to see them!" She attempted to sit up once more, only to feel burning pain where the stitches from her caesarean were. "Owww!" She whined.
"The others are outside." Apollo smiled.
"Let them in!" Ema called.
"I'm proud of you." He kissed her as he let go of her hand to open the door.
-x-x-
"Apollo, Ema? We have something for you!" The doctor was one Apollo and Ema had become familiar with over the last five weeks since Ema's illness. When she came in carrying two small children and a nurse behind her carrying the other they felt all the pain and anguish of Ema's pregnancy melt away.
Ema was handed two little boys, Apollo a much smaller baby girl. He smiled as the girl's fragile hand reached out towards his face, and felt fresh tears – those of joy trailing along his cheeks. He looked to Ema who, much to his relief was crying too.
"If you don't mind however, I'd like to keep you guys in the hospital for a while, we want to check to see if Ema's sickness has affected them in anyway, and keep an eye on Ema herself too." She turned to the nurse. "Let's leave the new family be." The nurse nodded and left.
-x-x-
It wasn't that they minded the others fussing over the small babies as much as they did but Ema and Apollo felt very defensive of their new children, and all they wanted to do was spend time alone with them.
They may have decided on names before they were born, but the three perfect little lives before them didn't deserve the name's they'd picked – they deserved better, the best.
The little girl would be named Cadence.
The energetic of the two boys called Aaron.
The quiet one would be named Xavier.
A/N – Hope this wasn't too bad, just to cover my backside a little here – I am a 16 year old with no younger siblings...
And the names are relevant later in the story…