AN: Here we go, time to have some babies! Hope you like the chapter, let me know…
Disclaimer: Just borrowing. I promise I'll give them back when I'm done.
25 – Welcome
Bella
We both stood just staring at each other for what felt like hours. I could hear the sound from the TV coming from the living room, every now and then interrupted by Lily's or Renée's voice, but neither of us paid any attention to it.
"I think so," I finally concluded. A moment later, there was a sharp, familiar pain in my lower back. "Oh yeah, definitely." I held on to the counter as I breathed through the contraction.
"But aren't the contractions supposed to start before the water breaks?" Edward rambled. "I mean, that's the way it's supposed to be, right? Not…"
"I don't think they care," I snapped as the pain ceased.
"You OK?" he asked, noticing my hand clenched around the countertop just as it relaxed.
"Contraction," I explained. "Pretty bad one, too."
"What's going on?" Renée asked, coming into the kitchen.
"Party's getting started," I told her, glancing down at my now soaked pants. "Crap, those were the only ones that still fit!"
"Your water broke?" she asked incredulously, staring at me like I had just told her aliens were invading the earth.
"Yup. Seems like we're not going with the normal version this time around."
"OK." Renée shook her head, trying to get a grasp on the situation. "Go on upstairs and see if you can find something else to put on, I'll clean up in here."
She disappeared into the hallway, probably in the direction of the closet where we kept the cleaning supplies.
"Seems like you're little encouragement last night worked," I noted, remembering Edward's 'speech'.
"Huh. I guess so." Edward gave me a half-smile. "You need a hand?"
I nodded.
"Might be a good idea."
I let him lead me up the stairs and into our bedroom, where I pulled off the wet clothes and put on a dry pair of underwear while Edward dug around in the closet for pants that might possibly fit.
"Best I can do," he said, offering me the pair that had fit most recently. I pulled them on, not even bothering to try to get them over my stomach. I pulled the t-shirt down on top of the pants, as far down as it would go, and surveyed myself in the mirror. I wouldn't win any fashion competitions, but it would do for now.
"Bring the bag downstairs," I suggested, nodding at the bag we had packed several weeks ago for when this happened. "I've got a feeling this isn't going to take much longer."
"OK." He grabbed the bag and we left the room, heading back downstairs. On the last step, I felt the pain return, and grabbed his free hand with one of mine, the other one closing around the banister.
"Another one," I moaned through gritted teeth, squeezing my eyes shut. I heard him put the bag down and then he pried my fingers from the banister, taking my other hand in his, too.
"Just breathe," he encouraged me. "Deep breaths. Remember the technique they taught us in class."
"I. Am. Breathing."
"Sorry."
I focused on his hands in mine and breathing in and out. The pain slowly started to subside.
"What's wrong, mom?" Lily's small voice came from the doorway to the living room, forcing me back to my surroundings. I took one last breath and then opened my eyes to find her looking at me, a frightened expression on her face.
"I'm fine, sweetie," I said, trying to both look and sound convincing. "It's just that the babies are coming."
"Really?" Her face lit up, but then she frowned again. "Does it hurt a lot?"
She still hadn't asked about the 'mechanics' of where babies came from, so I could only assume that one of her friends had a fairly good idea of how it worked.
"No, it's OK." I smiled at her, hoping that she wouldn't catch my lie.
"I think we should call Doctor Wallace," Edward said, a hint of urgency in his voice. "I don't think those were more than three or four minutes apart."
I nodded. I couldn't agree more.
"Come on." He pulled me along into the kitchen and I sat down on a chair. Renée had cleaned up the floor and now she sat down opposite me. Lily pulled the chair next to mine closer to me and sat down, taking my hand.
"You can hold my hand if it hurts, mom," she told me seriously.
"Thanks, baby." I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
I saw Edward take the cordless phone from the counter and disappear into the living room. A moment later, I heard his subdued voice. He probably didn't want Lily to hear him talking to Doctor Wallace, didn't want to frighten her any more than was absolutely necessary.
"How're you feeling, sweetheart?" Renée asked, reaching over the table for my free hand. I squeezed hers gratefully.
"OK." I smiled again, not wanting to worry Lily. "Glad to finally get the show on the road." I was, really. I was incredibly relieved that it finally got started, and without any help from Doctor Wallace. But right now, it was hard to focus on that relief.
"Doesn't seem like there'll be much waiting around this time, does it?" Renée noted. "Not like with this one." She ruffled Lily's hair.
"I took a long time to come out?" she asked.
"Not longer than usual," I told her. "But these two seem to be in a hurry." As I said the words, another contraction started. I closed my eyes, tried to breathe deeply and avoid breaking Lily's hand. I squeezed Renée's tightly instead.
"It's OK, mom," Lily said, patting my back.
I heard Edward come back into the room and felt him gently pry Lily's fingers from mine and take my hand in both of his. I gratefully gripped his hand and leaned my forehead against his. He breathed with me until the pain ended.
"Over?" he asked when I opened my eyes again, and I nodded.
"What did she say?" I took a deep breath and leaned against the back of the chair.
"She said to come in, she's meeting us at the hospital." He stood up and pulled me up from the chair.
"Can I come with you?" Lily asked hopefully.
"I'm sorry, princess, you're going to have to wait here with grandma," Edward told her.
We started making our way to the front door, Renée and a very disappointed looking Lily following behind us.
"Call us as soon as everything's over, OK?" Renée instructed sternly.
"Sure," Edward agreed. "Could you call everyone, let them know?"
"Of course," she assured him. "Go."
He opened the door and led me across the lawn to the driveway, where he helped me into the passenger seat of the Volvo.
"You good?" he asked when he had fastened the seatbelt.
"Yeah." I nodded.
He closed the door and I heard him put the bag in the backseat before he got into the driver's seat. The engine started with a roar and he pulled out of the driveway.
I could tell that he was trying very hard not to drive too fast. It was a good thing the hospital was very close; for both him and me. Halfway to the hospital, I felt another stab of pain and bit my lip. It had been a while since the last time I did this, but I didn't remember the contractions being this painful. That couldn't be a good sign for what was about to come.
Soon, we were at the hospital, and Edward helped me out of the car. We walked through the revolving doors and stopped by the front desk.
"Hello, how may I..." The young man behind the desk cut himself off when he looked up and spotted me. "I'll just call for a nurse to bring you up to the delivery," he concluded, picking up a phone from the desk. He got a form from somewhere and handed it to Edward. "Fill this out while you wait, please."
Edward took the piece of paper and then led me over to a few chairs by a low table. He quickly filled out the form and gave it back to the man behind the desk just as a female nurse came through a set of doors, pushing a wheelchair.
We rode up in an elevator and then I was wheeled down a long corridor to a room at the very end. I changed into a hospital robe and the nurse helped me into the bed before she left, saying that Doctor Wallace was on the way.
I leaned back against the pillows and looked over at Edward, who had sat down in a chair next to the bed. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the bed, and took my hand in his.
"You ready for this?" I asked. Not that he actually had any choice. We were way past the point of no return.
"I'm not the one who actually has to do anything," he pointed out, squeezing my hand a little tighter.
"I was actually referring to what comes after," I clarified. "This will all be over soon, but then we'll be stuck with two screaming kids who will need twenty-four hour attention."
He smiled at me. "Can't wait."
"I don't think you'll have to for very long," I replied, feeling another contraction on the way. I squeezed his hand with my left one and the metal rail with the other. I felt him stroke my hair with his free hand, and knew he was feeling completely helpless. But I couldn't find the strength to tell him I was fine.
"Getting worse?" he wondered when I relaxed.
"Yeah." I nodded. "I don't know if I've just repressed it, but I don't remember the contractions being this painful last time."
"Doctor Wallace will be here soon, she'll get you something for the pain," he assured me.
As if she had heard him, Doctor Wallace came through the door at that moment, followed by a nurse.
"Well, well," she said with a smile. "Finally some action, huh?"
I returned the smile weakly.
"You're about ready for that epidural, aren't you?" she concluded.
"More than ready," I replied with relief. "Is it possible that the contractions are much more painful this time than when Lily was born? Or is my mind just good at suppressing painful memories?"
"It's very possible that it's more painful this time," she told me. "Every birth is different, you can't make assumptions from previous experience."
"Great." That sounded just fabulous.
"Alright, I'll just check out what's going on, and then I'll get the anesthesiologist in here to give you that epidural." She went to the foot of the bed. "Could you move down a little?"
I scooted down on the bed and then turned my head to the side, keeping eye contact with Edward while she did the examination.
"Please tell me it'll be quick," I pleaded when she was finished.
"Can't really promise anything, you know that," she told me with an apologetic smile. "But you're at five centimeters, so that's good. Are you sure you didn't feel any contractions before the water broke?"
"No." I shook my head. "I mean, I had some Braxton-Hicks this morning… or at least that's what I thought it was. And my back's been aching pretty much non-stop lately, so I didn't really think about that, but I don't know…"
"Well, you seem to have fast-forwarded through the first stage," she noted. "Just the rest left."
"Right." The rest.
"As far as I can tell, they're both still facing the right way, so I don't think a regular birth should be a problem," she continued. "Of course, we'll keep a close eye on both you and the babies, and if there are any complications, we'll discuss what to do."
"OK." I nodded. I had been expecting that, but hearing her say the words still caused a chill to run down my spine.
She and the nurse hooked me up to all the different monitors, and then she turned to give me a smile again.
"Everything looks good, the babies' heart beats are nice and strong. I'll be back to check on you in a little while, OK?" she said. "And you'll get the epidural as soon as the anesthesiologist is available."
"Thanks."
As she left the room, I moved back up the bed and leaned against the pillows again. It was going to be a long day.
Edward
I felt completely helpless, sitting next to the bed while Bella was in so much pain. I could tell that she was trying not to let on how much the contractions hurt, but she wasn't fooling me. Every time, she squeezed her eyes shut, grit her teeth together and grabbed my hands so hard it felt like she stopped the blood flow. I tried to do what I could; breathe with her like they had taught us in the birthing class, getting a wet paper towel to wipe her forehead. But I couldn't do much.
Forty-five minutes and eleven contractions after Doctor Wallace had left the room, another woman entered. She was a little younger, maybe in her early forties.
"Anyone in here order an epidural?" she asked cheerfully. I gave her an evil glare, not understanding how she could be joking in a situation like this, but Bella seemed to appreciate the light mood.
"Over here," she replied. "A double, if that's possible."
The woman laughed.
"Sorry, no can do." She came over to the bed and stopped on the other side from where I was sitting. "I'm Doctor Lowell, by the way. Can you feel if there's a contraction on the way? You need to stay still while I do this, so it's best to get it done between contractions."
"I know," Bella replied, turning onto her side so she was facing me. "And no, no contraction on the way right now. Just had one about a minute ago, so it should be fine."
"OK, good. I'm going to administer a local anesthetic first." I felt Bella squeeze my hand, knowing that she was trying very hard not to picture the needle the doctor was using. "And now I'm going to put the needle in. Try to stay still."
A moment later, she stepped away from the bed.
"There we go. That should kick in pretty soon," she said with a smile, glancing at her watch. "Doctor Wallace should be back in twenty minutes or so, just push the button if you need anything before that."
"Feeling any better?" I asked when she had left the room.
"Doesn't work quite that fast," Bella replied with a forced smile.
If anything, the contractions seemed to become more painful, and, to top it off, they lasted longer with less time in between. But, after a while, it seemed like the epidural did start working. I noticed it first because Bella didn't squeeze my hand quite as hard during a contraction, and then I heard her breathing start coming a little easier, and her entire body relaxed a little.
"Much better," she noted about twenty minutes after the anesthesiologist had left.
"It doesn't hurt as much anymore?" I asked, hearing the relief in my own voice.
"More of a feeling of pressure than pain," she explained. "It's hard to describe."
I was just relieved that she wasn't in so much pain anymore. It had been heartbreaking to watch, especially since I knew that there was absolutely nothing I could do.
A few minutes later, Doctor Wallace came into the room again.
"How are we doing? The epidural kick in yet?" she wondered.
"Yes, thank God," Bella replied with a sigh.
"Good, good." She checked the monitors they had hooked Bella up to. "And everything looks fine here, they don't seem to be bothered by this at all, so that's good."
I let out another sigh of relief. That was the thing I had started worrying about as soon as I had been able to stop worrying about Bella's pain; how where the babies doing? Like Doctor Wallace had told us months ago, their heartbeats could be affected by the labor, but apparently that wasn't happening.
"You didn't have any problem with the labor slowing the last time you had an epidural, right?" the doctor asked, focusing on Bella.
"No, things moved along pretty quickly anyway," she replied. "I think I got from four to ten in about three hours."
"Two centimeters an hour then," Doctor Wallace concluded, nodding. "Could you turn onto your back and move down a little for me?" Bella did as she said.
"How's it looking?" Bella asked when she was done.
"Like this'll be a lot faster than we had thought," the doctor replied with a smile. "You're at seven centimeters, so that's three centimeter in a little more than an hour. If you keep this up, it'll only be an hour or so before it's time to start pushing."
"Great." Bella let out a sigh of relief, and so did I. She moved up a little on the bed again and turned back onto her side.
"You're more comfortable like that?" Doctor Wallace asked.
"Yeah." Bella nodded.
"OK then. Now, normally, I'd say that I'll be back in an hour, but with things going this quickly, we'd better make it half an hour."
"Maybe we'll be out of here before lunch," Bella joked.
I looked at the clock on the wall. It was ten thirty now, we'd been here for an hour and a half. Weren't these things supposed to take much longer? Not that I was complaining.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you were." Doctor Wallace laughed a little. "As long as everything keeps going this well, I'm sure we'll be able to move you into an OR in an hour or so."
"OR?" I asked nervously and saw an anxious look on Bella's face.
"Just normal procedure with twins," the doctor assured us. "In case something happens, we'll be right there and won't need to worry about moving you. But nothing will go wrong."
"OK." Bella nodded, but looked far from convinced. Neither was I, to be perfectly honest.
"Besides, after pushing one of them out, you might be begging me to get number two out."
"Probably," Bella agreed, seeming to relax a little. "But don't listen to me. I don't want a c-section unless it's absolutely necessary, OK?"
"Sure, that's the plan." Doctor Wallace nodded. "And don't worry, I've done this before. I know better than to listen to anything you say when you're right in the middle of it. I'll be back soon."
As she left the room, I pondered the brave and strong woman that was my wife. She didn't even think about taking the easy way out, she was dead set on doing this the way she wanted to. I wished I was as strong.
"OK, babies, just keep cooperating and we'll be out of her soon," she now said, patting her stomach.
"You sticking with the persuasion strategy?" I asked, a little amused.
"Well, yesterday I wouldn't have believed it, but it did actually work," she replied. "But maybe that's just because it was you."
"Want me to try again?"
"Couldn't hurt."
I put my hand next to hers on her stomach and leaned a little closer.
"OK guys, got one more favor to ask of you and then I'm done, OK? Just try to work with mommy, OK? She needs your help today. Just go with whatever happens, move towards the light and all that. And no messing around, you hear me! We don't want any complications, OK?"
Bella was laughing a little when I finished talking, and the sound made my entire body a little warmer.
"Who wouldn't listen to that?" she asked – rhetorically, I assumed.
"Just glad if I can help a little," I replied. "Not much I can do."
"Being here helps," she told me. "Just having you be a part of this means everything. Renée was supportive and all when Lily was born, but it wasn't the same."
"I can't tell you how glad I am to be a part of this," I said with a sigh. "I know it won't make up for missing so much with Lily, but at least we'll get another chance to do it all together."
She smiled at that, but didn't answer. I saw that she was breathing deeply and the hand that was resting against her stomach curled into a fist.
"Is the epidural wearing off?" I asked nervously. It wasn't supposed to work like that, right?
"No, no, just a lot of pressure," she assured me. "It feels like I want to push, but I can't do that yet, so just have to breathe through it."
I held her hand and tried to help her breathe, but couldn't do much more. Doctor Wallace came back soon and did another exam, but said that it wasn't time to move just yet. But after the next exam, half an hour later, she told the nurse accompanying her to get another bed.
"Almost ten now, time to go," she announced. "You hanging in there?"
"I just really want to push now," Bella told her.
"I know, but you can't, not yet."
Bella only nodded and then focused on her breathing again. The contractions were almost constant now, with only a small window of maybe thirty seconds between them.
The nurse came back into the room, bringing a colleague with her. They helped Bella move to the new bed and then rolled her out of the room and down the hallway. We passed a waiting room, and I spotted Alice and Jasper on two of the plastic chairs. I waved at them in what I hoped was an assuring way and then we headed down another corridor. Soon, we were in a new room, surrounded by people. I didn't particularly like the look of all the surgical instruments and other things that I didn't even know what they were for around the room, but tried to tell myself that it was just precaution, and that it was good that they were prepared. Just in case.
Bella was moved to a new bed again and hooked up to some more machines. I didn't even want to start thinking about what they all were for. I stood beside her, not letting go of her hand, and tried very hard not to panic. Bella needed me to stay calm. Everything would be fine.
Time seemed to start moving faster, and before I knew it, Doctor Wallace told Bella that there was a contraction on the way and to push when it started.
"Do you want to try to push on your side?" the doctor asked, and Bella nodded. "OK, grab your leg and go."
I held onto Bella's free hand as she squeezed mine, gritting her teeth together. Not sure what else to do, I tried to encourage her through contraction after contraction.
"You're doing great." I honestly had no idea how she was doing, but it seemed like the right thing to say. "Just a little more."
At the moment, it almost seemed like Bella was more in control than I was. With every contraction, she took a deep breath, squeezed my hand and pushed as hard as she could. Her entire face scrunched up with the effort, but she didn't let any of the pain she must be feeling show. So it caught me off guard and almost made me jump when she suddenly cried out in pain.
"What's wrong?" I asked nervously, desperately looking around at the doctor.
"The head's crowning, that's why it hurts," the doctor said, more to Bella than to me.
"Oh God," Bella moaned, grabbing my hand harder.
"Just push through the pain," Doctor Wallace instructed.
"I'm trying."
"A little more… a little more… take a breath and go again… and one more time… and again…"
I could see Bella's energy waning, and was about to ask Doctor Wallace what was going on.
"OK, stop pushing, the head's out. I need to check if the cord's wrapped around the neck."
Bella's hand closed like a vice around mine, and her breathing became shallow and rapid.
"Can I push yet?" she asked desperately after a moment. "I really have to…"
"Wait… OK, now you can push."
She did, her hand squeezing mine, her teeth grinding together. And then I could both see and feel her relax. Her hand let go of mine and she let out a deep breath.
"It's a boy," the doctor announced, and a rush of warmth flooded through me.
"Is he OK?" Bella asked breathlessly. Just then, a piercing cry filled the room.
"He's just fine," Doctor Wallace assured us. She put two clamps on the cord and handed me an odd looking pair of scissors. "Go on, dad."
I cut between the two clamps, and she quickly handed the baby off to one of the nurses.
"Where are they taking him?" Bella wondered anxiously.
"Just over there," Doctor Wallace replied, pointing to one of the corners of the room, where an incubator was set up. "We need to get ready for number two."
"I can't," Bella objected weakly, leaning back on the bed. "Just get it out, please."
"I thought you didn't want that," the doctor pointed out.
"I've changed my mind. I can't."
I was torn between her distress and the crying baby in the corner of the room. But he was well taken care of; the nurses would make sure he was fine. I again took Bella's hand in mine and she looked up at me, her eyes tired.
"You can do this," I told her, wiping some hair from her face. "It'll be over really soon, I promise."
Somehow, she found encouragement in my words, because she nodded, a determined look appearing on her face.
"OK, here we go," Doctor Wallace said. "Push."
Bella did, and it only took five pushes before another cry joined the first.
"It's a girl," Doctor Wallace declared a moment later.
"A girl?" I looked up and saw the baby she was holding up.
"One of each," she said with a smile.
I could only stare as she cut the chord and then handed the baby to another nurse.
"Go with them, make sure they're OK," Bella ordered.
"Are you sure?" I did want to go with them, but I also wanted to stay and make sure Bella was OK.
"Go, I'm fine."
"I've got everything under control," Doctor Wallace assured me.
"OK." I leaned down and gave Bella a soft kiss. "I love you."
She just smiled in return.
And then my feet carried me, as if of their own accord, towards the sounds of my son and daughter crying.
xxxxx
Soon, we were moved to another room. The babies had been checked out and declared perfectly fine. They didn't need any help breathing at all, and Doctor Wallace told us that we would probably be able to take them home in a day or two.
"Go let Alice and Jasper know," Bella told me as soon as we had gotten settled in the new room. She had the baby girl, wrapped in pink blanket, in her arms and shifted her a little so I could put our son in her other arm.
"OK." I reluctantly helped her arrange the babies before giving her a kiss on the forehead and leaving the room.
Alice and Jasper had been joined by Emmett and Rosalie when I got into the waiting room.
"How did it go?" Alice asked as soon as she spotted me, jumping to her feat and wringing her hands nervously.
"It went just fine, everyone's great," I told them with a big smile.
"So?" Rosalie said expectantly.
"One boy born at 12.35, nineteen and a half inches and six pounds seven ounces, and one girl, born at 12.51, nineteen inches and six pounds four ounces."
"One of each," Rosalie exclaimed. "Have you picked out names yet?"
"No, not yet."
"I'm so happy for you," Alice said, giving me a hug.
"Yeah, congratulations, both of you." Jasper patted me on the back.
"Can we see them?" Emmett asked eagerly.
I hesitated.
"Just for a minute," Rosalie pleaded. "We'll leave right away."
"OK, come on." I led them down the hallway but paused before I opened the door. "Let me just check that it's OK with Bella first."
They obediently, if impatiently, waited in the hallway while I went into the room.
"There are a few people who want to say hi," I told Bella.
"Let them in," she said immediately.
"Emmett and Rose are here too," I warned her. "But they have promised to just stay for a moment."
"It's fine," she assured me, then raised her voice and called, "Come in, guys!"
The door opened at once and they piled into the room.
"Oh, look at them," Rosalie gushed with tears in her eyes. "They're perfect!"
I had to agree with her.
Bella
"Has anyone called Carlisle and Esme?" I asked when Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie were about to leave.
"Yeah, I talked to dad before," Alice replied. "After your mom called us. I'm actually surprised they're not here yet." She checked her watch and I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost three, and I understood what she meant.
"They probably figured out that you're here," Edward suggested. "They wouldn't want to crowd us."
"You're probably right," Alice agreed. She looked down at the little girl in her arms. "I suppose I have to give this one back before leaving? I think mommy and daddy might notice if I try to hide you in my purse."
"Come back in a few weeks, we might let you have her," I joked.
"She's amazing," Alice told me, gently placing her in my arms.
"I know." I looked down at the sleeping baby. She had a lot of hair, the same color as mine.
Rosalie handed the other baby to Edward.
"You try to get some rest now, OK?" she told me, giving me a hug. "I've got the feeling you'll need it."
I was sure she was right about that.
"See you soon," Alice said, waving goodbye. "We'll call your mom and let her know that she can bring Lily here."
"Thanks." I smiled at her.
She must have called as soon as they left the building, because Renée peeked into the room less than five minutes later.
"Hi," she greeted with a smile, opening the door wider to reveal Lily, Charlie and Sue next to her. "I brought a few extra visitors, hope that's OK."
"Of course, come in." I held my free arm open for Lily and she climbed into the bed. "Hi, baby."
But her attention was focused on the infant in my arms.
"She's really little," she said after a moment, carefully stroking the baby's hair.
"She'll get bigger soon," Edward told her, drawing her attention to the baby he was holding.
"He's so cute," she said, leaning over the edge of the bed to get a better look.
"How are you feeling, honey?" Renée asked, coming up to the bed and giving me a kiss on the forehead.
"I'm good," I assured her. "Tired and pretty sore, but good."
"They're beautiful," Sue told me, caressing the baby's cheek with her finger.
"Yeah, good job, Bells," Charlie piped in from the other side of the bed and I laughed.
"Carlisle and Esme are in the waiting room," Renée said after a little while. "I'm sure they're eager to get a look at these two as well."
"I don't want to go yet," Lily objected. "Can't I stay?"
"Tell them to come in, too," I suggested, though the thought of six people in here at once was a little overwhelming."
"We'll get going," Sue offered. "We need to be heading back soon, anyway."
"Why don't you stay at the house?" Edward suggested. "Unless you have to get back to Forks."
Sue shot Charlie a look, and the hopeful expression on his face couldn't be mistaken.
"Sure, we'd like that," she agreed. "And we'll come by again tomorrow." She and Charlie both hugged me goodbye – Charlie pulled away quickly, but it was a hug, and in front of other people – and they left.
A moment later, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Edward called, and Esme and Carlisle entered the room.
"Oh my goodness," Esme exclaimed quietly. She came over to the bed and gave me a hug. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"
"I'm good," I replied, hugging her back.
"And they're both doing OK?" she shifted her attention to the baby in Renée's arms.
"They're perfect," Edward assured her.
I didn't have to participate much in the conversation, so I just leaned back in the bed and watched my family.
AN: Well, they're here! Next chapter will reveal the names. I have gotten some suggestions, but I'm still open for more, so feel free!