Disclaimer: Anything familiar belongs to JE.

Warning: Adult Language

Chapter 21: Blood is Thicker Than Water

Stephanie's POV

Frank Plum scheduled a viewing for Valerie two days after her death at Mahoney's. Stiva's was too expensive for her, he said. The Burg turned out, completely overwhelming the small funeral home, hoping to get some gossip and to talk about what a horrible mother and Burg woman Valerie Plum was. It made me sick. I, along with Carlos, Joe, and Dani went to her wake. When the priest came, he asked if anyone would like to eulogize the deceased. I stood up.

"Valerie Ann Plum was my older sister. Though we didn't have a strong relationship, she is still my blood, and I still loved her. When we were little, Valerie was always the "perfect child." She wore dresses that she didn't get dirty. She enjoyed cooking lessons with our mother. She took dance and played with Barbies. She was the proper "Burg" child. But where did her perfection get her?

"I was the misfit, the chore, the burden. I, Stephanie Michelle Plum was a disaster from childhood. All because I wanted to fly, I wanted to be Wonder Woman and not Barbie. If I got dirt on my dress, ripped my tights, or tried to play a sport, my punishment was severe. Being sent to bed without dinner or dessert, spankings, and being told I wasn't good enough. I grew up feeling inadequate and unloved. I craved love and attention. That was why, when I was six, I followed a boy into a garage where I allowed him to molest me, thinking that I was special because he chose me, even though I didn't know I was doing something wrong. It is the same reason why when someone raped me at sixteen that I didn't press charges. I accepted my punishment, knowing that I deserved it for being an unruly child.

"I married a man who I thought loved me, only to discover him fucking another woman on our dining room table a few months into our marriage. When I went home, destroyed and broken, my mother told me that a good Burg wife gives her husband whatever he wants whether or not she wants it, overlooks his indiscretions, and never airs their dirty laundry. I was appalled. I was supposed to allow my husband to ignore my wishes, permit him to cheat and keep my mouth shut. My mother slammed the door on my face. A few hours later, I got a call from Valerie, telling me I was a disgrace, that I was slowly destroying the Plum name. I was the reason she moved out to California. She wanted her children, my future nieces or nephews, as far away from me as possible.

"That's when I went to my grandparent's house, and my Grandma Mazur accepted me with open arms. She validated my feelings, told me I deserved to have someone in my life who would love me for me. My Grandpa Mazur informed me that a true man would never cheat on his wife, would never force her to do something that she didn't want to do, and would help her achieve her goals in life, whatever they were. They gave me the money I needed to divorce my husband and get an apartment.

"However, my grandmother shared a story with me. It seems that my perfect Burg sister Valerie was not who she appeared to be on the surface. She had three abortions; she fucked half the guys in the Burg, was caught by my parents having sex in her bedroom at fifteen. I was at my cousin's house at that time and never knew. My parents never planned on having a second child. I was an accidental pregnancy caused when my mother's birth control failed to work. They considered an abortion but didn't because the Burg found out my mother was pregnant. What would you all think if she lost the child? They hoped I was a boy, that would have made my father happy. A little boy to take fishing. Instead, they got me. They never even thought of a name for a girl, so they changed their name for a son and feminized it. Stephen Michael became Stephanie Michelle.

"It didn't matter that I was a tomboy and would have loved to go fishing, or play sports, I was a girl, and that meant I was to dance, to do gymnastics, and play with dolls. When Valerie came home, destitute and broken after Steven left her, my parents accepted her and my nieces with open arms. I forgave her treatment of me, because I deserved it, and I allowed her and her family to stay in my apartment, forcing me to stay with a man that I didn't love but stayed with because the Burg approved. My mother supported us, and I felt loved for the first time in many, many years. I ran away from pure happiness because I thought I didn't deserve it. I didn't deserve the man who loved me unconditionally, who accepted me, who made me feel safe because I was a fuck up, a waste of space, and I needed to be Burg.

"I found out a while ago that Steve wasn't the one who left Valerie, he wasn't the one who squandered their money. That was all Valerie. She continued to fuck whoever she could whenever she could. She had her fuck buddies all over town. When Steve found out, she took the girls and left him. She stumbled into a marriage with a good man, Albert, and continued her old ways. When her world blew up, and Val finally had her secrets revealed, she became our mother, drinking herself into oblivion. She drank even though she knew it wasn't safe for the child she was carrying. She was pregnant at least eight times that I know of, and she killed half of her children.

"I'm lucky to be pregnant right now, blessed to be growing my children. They may be my only chance at having children. I take my job of developing these children seriously because they are proof of the love between my husband and I. It angers me that my sister was so flippant about her ability to conceive and carry children to term.

"Why am I telling you all this now? You, the Burg busybodies, the nosey housewives who have nothing better to do than gossip about your neighbors, your friends, your family, and your enemies, have destroyed this family. Valerie was Burg, through and through. She kept a clean house, had dinner on the table promptly at six, produced Burg offspring, and hid her secret life. If I share the secrets, I have discovered about your husbands and wives, who is fucking who will turn this town upside down. Continue to live with your heads in the sand, casting your stones at your glass houses, because you are all a bunch of phonies who only care about appearances, and not about what is truly right or wrong.

"Anthony Morelli, I see that you are here. Joe's wife, Daniela Manoso, is your sister-in-law. Your sister married Daniela's brother, Carlos Manoso, aka Ranger. Yes, you are my brother. Had I married Joe, we would have been brother and sister and in-laws. How creepy. Frank Plum is your father, not Rocco Morelli. Frank and your mother, Angie, have been fucking each other for years. My father was on my side until I discovered him and your mother, the day that I left your garage with Joe. We've both known since that day but didn't fully comprehend what we saw until recently. Now, the poor widow and widower are finding comfort in each other, or so you think in the Burg. Instead, they have been seeking support in each other for almost forty years.

"I am thankful I'm not a Plum anymore, and I choose not to associate myself with Frank. I have my family in my colleagues, my brothers at Rangeman, who accepted me for me from day one. My in-laws accept me as a daughter, loving me without qualifications. My adopted parents, Ella and Luis, love me as parents should love their daughter. I don't need the Burg and your gossip. I don't need your acceptance. I hope, through the tragedy of my sister's death, you can learn what is important in life, and learn to stop judging others with silly standards. Love and acceptance is the most important rule."

At the end of my speech, I walked away, with my hand in Carlos'. When we got outside, he told me he was proud of me and then showed me how proud he was when we got home.

That was two months ago. Since then, I have seen my nieces twice and spent time with them around Christmas. They are doing great. Of course, they are sad about Valerie but have accepted it better than I would have at their age. Especially Angie and Mary Alice. Angie learned about DNA and genetics in school, so she wanted to take one of those DNA tests. She did, and I did at the same time. Through these tests, we discovered that she is not related to any of our Plum cousins, and only distantly related to me. It turns out that Valerie's father was none other than Rocco Morelli. Now I understand why I was hated. I was the child of Frank and Ellen Plum, two people who hated each other.

Dani and I finally reconciled, and we are building a positive, loving relationship with each other, which I know is making Carlos happy. My doctor scheduled my c-section for two weeks from today January 25th, and I'm scared more now that the day is almost here. I'm afraid something will happen to the babies or me in the last two weeks. Things have been too easy for me.

We have the nursery set up, decorated with a Mickey Mouse theme that will work for either gender. We decided against finding out the gender, preferring to be surprised in the delivery room. We are both hoping for one of each. Carlos wants his daughter to spoil, and I want my mini-Carlos to teach how to show emotion and not have a blank face all the time. However, since we've been together, Carlos' blank face rarely makes an appearance when it is the two of us alone.

I'm waiting for Carlos to get back from checking on a new installation so we can go to Joe's for dinner with him and Dani. I'm exhausted and decide to take a nap, seeing that I have about an hour before I need to get ready. I settle in the middle of the bed, attempting to get comfortable when my cell phone rings. I answer it without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello."

"Hello. I'm looking for a Stephanie Plum Manoso."

"This is she. Who's this?"

"I'm Seargent Tyler Huggins from the Scarsdale Police Department. I'm calling to inform you that Frank Plum was in an accident. His wife, Angie didn't make it. He's in the ICU. The doctor doesn't think he'll survive beyond twenty-four hours."

"Seargent, I appreciate you are doing your job and calling me, but Frank Plum is no longer my concern. I am currently thirty-four weeks pregnant with twins in New Jersey. My father hasn't spoken to me in over a year. I believe Angie's son, Anthony, is in Scarsdale as well. Frank Plum is his father. Let him handle everything. Please don't contact me again. I don't want or need anything from that man."

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Ma'am. Mr. Plum had you down as next of kin. I will speak with Anthony Morelli next. Good luck with your pregnancy. If you need any additional information, please don't hesitate to call." Seargent Huggins finishes before hanging up.

I hang up the phone, feeling relieved. I no longer have to deny my family. My family no longer exists. I never have to hear that I'm an embarrassment, a disaster, or unwanted. I smile and lay back down. I think I'll visit Grandma Mazur tomorrow. I close my eyes and sleep peacefully for the first time in my thirty-five years.

Daniela's POV

After hearing Stephanie speak at her sister's wake, I realized how stupid and stubborn I have been. Carlos had asked me several times to have a joint therapy session, but I always denied him. Having Stephanie as the villain in my mind made it easier to forgive my brother. I finally agreed, six weeks ago, to having Carlos join me in a session.

Flashback

"Daniela, I see your brother is here with you today. Why did you decide to allow him to join you?" Dr. Wilson asks.

"I invited Carlos because he wants to understand why I don't accept his wife, my husband's ex-girlfriend and ex-fiancé."

"Ah, Stephanie. Before we discuss Stephanie, I want to discuss your relationship with your brother." Dr. Wilson states. "Carlos, describe your relationship with Daniela."

"I'm the third child in our family, the second son. I was always quiet, introverted. I allowed my older sister and brother to torment me the way older siblings do. I worked hard in school, wanting to outshine my perfect brother in some way. I was scrawny, tiny, and thin. I had long straight hair. I'm a Cuban boy named Ricardo, Ricky. I learned to shut out the bullies and ignore them in school. When I was four, the twins were born, Rosa Maria and Daniela. Dani was the smaller of the two, the actual baby of the family. I immediately felt drawn to her and needed to protect her. When she went to school, she only spoke Spanish. She could talk and understand English but preferred not to use that language. She was incredibly shy. The kids used to bully her. When she told me what the kids said to her and did to her, I started to defend her. She was my Princesa, my princess. Then, I heard that the local gang leader's brother took a liking to Dani, and I knew they would pressure her into their lives in a few years. I joined the gang to protect my sisters. My oldest sister, Celia, had dated the leader, only to have him rape her when she refused his advances while they were dating. I found out about her rape after I made the gang. I didn't want Dani to face that same fate. I made a name for myself, gaining the street cred to protect my family before I got busted for stealing a car. My parents sent me to Miami, to my Abuela Rosa's to get me away from the gang and to straighten me out. I resented them because I was unable to protect Dani. She became depressed, and I often talked her off the ledge because she thought everything was her fault. One night, I was out with my cousin Lester and missed her call. I wasn't there to talk her down, and she attempted suicide. My parents found her, got her help and therapy, but I was still her support.

"She was angry with me when I joined the Army. She was sixteen and didn't understand why I wanted to join. For me, I never felt I belonged in our family. I didn't want a nine to five desk job. I had no ambitions to be a doctor or lawyer. I didn't want to run the family restaurant. I wanted adventure, to see the world, to help people. I thought about law enforcement, but with my juvie record, it would have been hard for me to get into the academy. Instead, I went Army, hoping to be able to leave and apply for some police force a few years later. What I never expected was to love the Army, the comradery, the feeling of belonging. I took several college courses in high school. Maxed out credits the two years I attended Rutgers and was able to get officer training early on. Lester, our cousin, who's two years older than me, enlisted with me. He had already graduated, though after the traditional four years.

"When I returned from my first tour, I was a changed man. I was battle-hardened and a little bitter. I started to withdraw from my family, except for Dani. Then I decided to join the Rangers. During training, I met Bobby and Tank, my two other partners besides Lester. The twenty of us who started training together became fast friends, but Lester, Bobby, Tank and I were inseparable. I began to go on more dangerous missions, making more enemies. I further withdrew from my family and started to pull back a little from Dani as well.

"When I semi-retired, starting my security business, I started to reconnect only with Dani. She fell in love with one of the men I trained with, Juan Garcia. He was a good man, and they married quickly. Juan worked for my company, in Boston. He was my number two there. Bobby and Tank were supposed to run Trenton, Lester and I Miami, and Javier, my other brother Boston.

"Then, about a week before I was to head back to Miami, I met Stephanie. She became my world, my reason for living. She somehow managed to eke her way into my heart and my brain, though I wasn't ready to commit to her. From the first moment we met, a felt a duty to protect her, much like I felt the moment I met Daniela. Stephanie saw through my bullshit, didn't get flustered when I poured on my charm and put me in my place more than once. Most importantly, she made me smile.

"When I decided to stay in Trenton, to be near Stephanie, the other moves didn't happen. Javier stayed in Miami; Tank, Lester, Bobby and I in Trenton. I was planning on going to Boston to help with a bust when someone kidnapped Stephanie. I felt a fear grip my stomach and my heart as I never felt before. When I found her, stuffed in a cabinet, I felt as though my world was finally back on its axis. That night, the bust in Boston went bad, and my sister became a widow. Then, to make matters worse, she lost the baby she was carrying.

"Since I met Stephanie, she has been number one in my life, over my family, over my daughter, over my company. I need her to live. She is the oxygen my soul needs to survive. I guess Dani feels I have abandoned her, but I still love my sister. I love Stephanie differently."

"Dani, do you feel that Stephanie has stolen your brother away from you?"

"Yes, she did. Then, she constantly berates and belittles my husband, accusing him of horrible things."

"Like what, Dani, give me specifics." Dr. Wilson presses me.

"She called him a rapist, and molester, and an abuser. He's none of those things."

"Dani, mi hermana, did Joe not tell you that he molested Stephanie when they were kids in his father's garage? Did Joe not admit to raping Stephanie when she was sixteen? Did he not admit to being verbally abusive to her throughout their relationship? Did he not sabotage a major client by discounting Stephanie's expertise?"

"Well," I start.

Dr. Wilson interjects. "Dani, answer honestly with a yes or no."

"Yes."

"So how is Stephanie wrong for telling the truth. She still allowed your brother to hire Joe, though she had veto power. Steph still allows him to work for their company. She is his boss, and Ranger's treated him no differently, in fact, a little better than some of the other employees would have been treated because he was your boyfriend, and now your husband. I understand the anger Stephanie still holds against Joe. And after meeting your brother, I'm surprised your husband is still alive."

I can't believe my doctor is against me. "But she took him to the mats and beat him up!"

"Princesa, you know why. He purposely went against her advice and offered the wrong contract to a client. They refused to choose us for their security firm. I had to contact the family and returned with Stephanie to offer our apologies to save the sale. Her punishment was right, and in my opinion, too lenient. She wasn't happy about it, but the way he taunted her during the match, well, he's lucky Bobby had to sedate her otherwise he would have faced me next."

"Daniela, your brother loves you and the rest of your family, but he has a wife, and soon to be children. They will always be his priority. How would you feel if Joe ran to help his brother or sister-in-law and left you alone?"

"But it's her fault Juan died."

"There we have the truth finally. Daniela, you are blaming the wrong person for your husband's death. Stephanie didn't pull the trigger. She didn't ask for someone to kidnap her. She didn't ask Carlos to save her. He went after her, to find her because he needed to do so to survive. Didn't you hear what he said? Stephanie is his lifeline, his everything. Your brother would be the shell of a man without her in his life. She is the reason he opened up to your family, started to come around more. She brought him back home. It is unfortunate that the night Juan need your brother to back him up, Stephanie needed him too, but that's life. If you were still married to Juan, you would not have met Joe. Think of how different your life would be right now. God works in mysterious ways; with you and Joe destined to be together."

XXXXXXXXXX

That day, I finally let go of the pain and anger I felt after Juan's death. I fully absolved Carlos of any blame or wrongdoing, and I stopped blaming Stephanie. Tonight, they are coming over for dinner. I'm making my favorite Cuban dish, Fricase de Pollo. It is one of the dishes Joe enjoys the most because it reminds him of his Burg food. It is a Cuban style chicken stew with alcaparrado. Alcaparrado is a mix of pimento-stuffed olives and capers. I add raisins to mine as well. Carlos has informed me that this dish is also one of Stephanie's favorites. For dessert, I made flan, which I know Carlos loves. Joe is outside, getting the shovels and snow blower out for the snow that the meteorologists forecast for tonight into tomorrow. He comes into the house and sits on the couch, staring at the wall.

"What's wrong, Joe?" I ask.

"I hung up with a Seargent from Arizona. My mother and Frank Plum had a car accident. She's dead, and Frank is barely hanging on to his life. I'm in shock."

I sit beside my husband, hugging him. "Do you want me to cancel tonight?"

"No. I think it will be better for Stephanie to be here because I'm not sure if my emotions are proper."

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain. When Carlos and Stephanie arrive, I'll explain. I don't have the words to explain it right now."

I walk back into the kitchen, a little hurt, but then again, he is estranged from his mother and Steph from her father, so I can imagine they might be feeling the same way. I know I would be devastated if something happened to Mama or Papa, so I guess things are different.

I hear a car pull up and Joe opened the door. I hear Carlos' voice before I see him. "She fell asleep on the way over. The last few days she's been sleeping a lot more. She got the call, and I think her lack of reaction weighs on her." He says as he places her on the couch, carefully taking her coat off and her boots.

Once she's settled, he walks over to me and kisses me. "Hola Princesa. La comida huele deliciosa. Fricase de Pollo?" (Hello, Princess. The food smells delicious.)

"Gracias. Si, fricase de pollo."

"I'm sure once the aroma hits Steph's nose she'll wake up, though her appetite has diminished these last few days as well."

"You look worried, mi hermano."

"I am. We have two weeks to go before they are full term. Though I know that they will be fine if born at thirty-four weeks, I still would prefer making it to the scheduled c-section."

"I'm sure everything will be fine, Carlos."

At that moment Stephanie stirs, awakened by the food, as Carlos predicted. "Mmmm, something smells wonderful."

Stephanie opens her eyes, apparently surprised to find herself lying on our couch. "Carlos, why didn't you wake me?"

"Querida, I tried, but you wouldn't stir. I carried you in, took off your coat and boots, and you didn't move a muscle."

"I'm sorry. I'm always exhausted lately. Joe, did you get a call too?"

"Yes, I did. I'm sorry Stephanie."

"No, Joe. I'm sorry. I know you're mother loved you. You were the perfect son, the 'good Morelli man.'

"Until I left TPD, that is, then I was worthless. Not to mention, choosing Daniela, a non-Burg woman who isn't even Italian or European for that matter."

"It's okay not to feel bad. Our parents were horrible to us. We both deserved better."

"You're right. I feel relieved, to be honest, and that scared me." Joe admitted.

"I felt the same way after my mother, Val, and now my father. I don't care what happens to him. He's placed Anthony above me, written me completely off. To him, I'm dead; I wasn't even born. So he is the same to me."

"I'm proud of you, Stephanie, for finding your strength. The woman you have become amazes me every day." Joe tells Stephanie.

"I always knew she had this woman inside her. I'm glad Wonder Woman can shine through." Carlos adds, taking her hands to help her stand. "Come, Dani made your favorite. Let's eat."

Dinner is a jovial affair, with everyone laughing and sharing stories of our youth. We finish dessert when Stephanie rises to go to the bathroom for the umpteenth time. When she comes out, she's pale, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

"Blood, Carlos. I feel strange; lots of pain, cramps." I go to the bathroom to see if I can determine anything. I don't see any evidence left behind.

"Stephanie, you might be in labor. You need to go to the hospital." I tell her.

"But it's too early. The twins still have two more weeks."

"Stephanie, did you pee a lot tonight or very little?"

"I went to the bathroom a lot, but not much came out. Just now, though, was a huge release."

I look at her and my brother, and I smile. It seems her water broke. "Stephanie, I think your water broke."

I watch Carlos pale, panic taking over before Joe intercedes. "Carlos, help Stephanie into her coat and boots. Dani, get a few towels or sheets for the car. Place them in the back. Carlos, give me your keys. I'm going to drive you to St. Francis."

"No, Princeton General." Ranger replies.

"I texted Bobby, Lester, and Tank. They're on their way over. We don't want them beating the two of you there."

"I don't have my bag. I don't have the clothes for the babies." Steph states.

"I'll text Lester and let him know. I'm sure Ella will be able to put something together for you and probably will be able to get the bag for the babies." Joe replies.

I help Stephanie into her coat while Carlos keeps her steady on her feet. He lifts her and carries her out to the Cayenne. They sit together in the back seat. "Do you want me to call Mama?"

"Babe?"

"No, not yet. I don't want a crowd. Once we find out if these babies are coming tonight or not, then we can make the call. I don't want to worry everyone." Steph replies.

"Okay. Let me know when to alert the family."

Once Stephanie is settled in the car, Carlos comes over to me. "Thank you for being so understanding, and thank you for allowing me to steal Joe for a while. Dinner was great, and the flan was better than Abuela's, but I'll deny saying that if you ever tell her."

"Go on, Carlos. She and your children need you."

As I watch them drive away, I place my hand on my belly. I'm ten weeks pregnant. I found out today and was going to share the news with Carlos, Stephanie, and Joe tonight. I guess I can wait another day or two to enjoy my secret.

Mama Manoso's POV

Three hours ago a received the call I've been waiting for since two days ago. I have two more grandchildren to spoil. Stephanie gave birth to a boy and a girl after thirty-two hours of labor. When she arrived at the hospital, they thought it was going to be a quick delivery, but my newest grandson was stubborn, not wanting to leave his mother's womb, not that I can blame him. Poor Stephanie was exhausted and was too far along so she couldn't get an epidural. She slept for no longer than thirty minutes at a time, battling through hard labor. Carlos was beside himself, not knowing how to make his Babe more comfortable or content. He didn't get much more sleep than her. Finally, after thirty-one hours, Ricardo Carlos Manoso, III debuted. His sister, Isabella Rosa, followed a mere ten minutes later, impatient at her long wait. Tears flowed from both Stephanie and Carlos' eyes when they saw their children briefly before the nurses whisked them away to the NICU, the neonatal ICU. At least that's what Lester told me. Finally, they can get some sleep.

I'm looking through the window of NICU, seeing my grandchildren for the first time. They are beautiful, like their parents. I can already tell Isabella is going to look precisely like Stephanie while RC is a clone of Carlos.

A nurse walks over to me. "Good morning. Who are you here to see?"

"Good morning, my dear. I'm here to see my grandchildren, Isabella, and RC Manoso."

"The twins. They are doing great. Their stay here in NICU should be fairly short. They are big babies. RC weighs 5 lbs 8 oz, measuring 19" long, while Isabella weighs 5 lbs 4 oz, measuring 18" long. RC is a quiet baby so far, while his sister is feisty."

"Sounds a lot like their parents." I chuckle, "my poor son and daughter-in-law don't have any idea what they are in for as these two grow up."

"What's your name? If your name is on the list of approved visitors, you can come in and hold them if you'd like."

"My name is Maria Manoso, but I'd rather wait until my daughter-in-law has a chance to hold them before I have that honor."

"I understand. My name is Sandy. If you need anything, please let me know."

I decided to head to the cafeteria to have a cup of mud that hospitals call coffee and a stale donut. I'll give my son and his wife another hour or so to sleep before I visit.

Joe's POV

I dropped Carlos and Stephanie off at the hospital. I stayed for about two hours, then returned home to Daniela when Tank left to go back to Rangeman. Since I didn't have a car, I needed a lift. Knowing that Stephanie was about to give birth made me yearn for children. When I arrived home, I made love to my Daniela.

Stephanie gave birth at five this morning, almost a day and a half after I dropped her off. We decided to go and visit her at five after I get off work. Once we arrive, we find a party in her private room.

"Where are my niece and nephew?" Dani asks.

"In NICU. They are 12 days early. I think they are going to be released early, though. They are doing well." Stephanie says.

"So, when are you having your next kid?" Celia asks, half joking.

"Never. Thirty-two hours of labor is more than enough for me. I never want to experience that again. Besides, we are blessed to have them. I don't know if I can have another."

"That means that it's up to you, Daniela, to give me more grandchildren to spoil. Rosa Maria is due in two months. You are the only one left." Mama Manoso states. I feel the pressure.

"Well, I didn't want to say anything yet, but considering you are all pushing and asking, I guess I'll tell you now. I'm ten weeks pregnant with triplets." Daniela responds.

"Triplets? As in three at once? Are you sure?" I ask, feeling light-headed suddenly.

"Yes, Joe. Three."

Bobby helps me to sit, telling me to breathe. I am happy, but I'm in shock. Then it hits me. The Italian Stallion one-uped the Cuban. I guess I have the superior sperm.

Mama laughs, and I look at her. "Joseph, my dear, you men have nothing to do with multiples, as much as you'd like to think so. It is Daniela who released three eggs. Had she only released one, you'd be having a single birth."

Shit, I'm turning into Stephanie. I can't believe I said that out loud.

"Hey, not fair! I don't do that as often anymore." Stephanie replies indignantly.

"Dani, why didn't you tell me? When did you find out?"

Dani sighs. "I was planning on telling you, Carlos, and Stephanie the night she went into labor."

"I'm sorry, Dani. I didn't mean to ruin your surprise." Stephanie says.

I reply, "It's okay. Telling everyone at once was better. Besides, Manoso men have minds of their own."

A nurse makes her way in, coming to check Stephanie's vitals. "My dear, it is almost time to feed the children again. Do you want to give nursing a try?"

"I guess. I haven't thought about it until now." She replies.

"We have a lactation specialist available to help you navigate your first attempt. We'll help guide you. Come. Let's get you into the wheelchair so I can take you to your babies. Dad, you can come as well, though everyone else will need to stay here. Mom will be back in an hour."

I watch as Carlos helps Stephanie into the chair. I see the fear in her eyes. I have a feeling she won't be nursing those babies. Mama stops in front of Stephanie, taking her hands.

"Mi hija, look at me." Stephanie looks at Mama. "It's okay if you don't want to nurse. The babies will be fine. I nursed Celia and Javier, but Carlos refused, preferring the bottle. I nursed Juliana and attempted Rosa Maria and Daniela, but couldn't keep up with the demand. It was exhausting. Do what your body tells you is right for you. Whatever you choose, the babies will be fine."

I watch some of the stress and tension leave Stephanie's body as she hugs Mama. I see her whisper something, then pull away so the nurse could bring her into NICU.