Faithful and true, Angel spent every available moment with his wife and newborn children. He couldn't be there every hour of every day, nor could Zara, but he was there as often as life would allow.
Even within the first week, Reina and Wyatt gained weight and slowly seemed less fragile. Zara held them more often and with much more ease but when EZ and Bishop came by for a visit, one that took longer than Zara expected, she found herself unusually anxious. Neither of them wanted to hold the babies, they were too new and too small, but Zara made it a point to tell Angel they were not going to be allowed.
"Z, it's the guys," Angel huffed. "No ones got baby fever, no one's gonna try to touch em' or even look at them for too long, I promise."
She agreed, embarrassed by her irrational worry. "Yeah, you're right, I'm just," she shook her head.
"A psycho?"
"Let's not call the one-week postpartum woman a psycho, okay?"
Angel nodded shamefully. "My bad."
"Okay, Coco," she huffed.
Rolling his eyes, Angel ignored the comment and waited quietly for his brother and Bishop to arrive. Once they did, Angel met them in the hallway and hugged them each enthusiastically.
"I shoulda came down before," Bishop said apologetically.
"Nah," Angel said dismissively. "We didn't wanna do the whole thing until they're gone but I get it, get you wanting to come down, pay your respects and shit."
"And shit," EZ laughed, "Those are your kids."
"Tio EZ," Angel said happily. "Lucky they don't look like you."
Zara watched them from the other side of the glass as the three men chatted and laughed before turning their attention to the babies.
"Reina and Wyatt," Angel said, his chest puffing out with pride as he pointed each one out. "He's a little slow with the weight shit but she's doing well."
"How are they're lungs?" EZ asked the much more serious question. "They still have the tubes." He added, touching his nose.
Angel tensed a little. "Not as great as they hoped after the steroids but Doc said with time they'll be good. They just need a little bit of oxygen."
"How's Zara?" Bishop asked as he and Zara finally made eye contact. "Doesn't seem thrilled."
"She's scared," Angel explained. "She wants em' home. Now. I think the longer they're here the better."
Both EZ and Bishop nodded, both opinions on the subject making sense in their own ways.
"Angel," Bishop said quietly, moving away from EZ. "Got a second?"
He nodded and the two of them stepped back from the glass while EZ moved closer, meeting Zara at the door for their chat.
"You good?" Bishop asked Angel. "Zara good? Really?"
"Yeah," he said too eagerly to be believable. "Why what's up?"
"I need an extra body on this run," he sighed heavily. "I know you've been here a lot with the kids and Zara, it's understandable, but I really need you on this one."
Clicking his tongue, Angel glanced over at Zara and nodded slowly. "Just a couple hours?"
"Yeah, production bumped up and I want someone else with all the added volume."
"I got you, Prez," Angel said dutifully. "I'll be there."
"You gonna run it by Zara, first?" He suggested, knowing the situation was much different than normal.
"Nah, it's all good, Prez."
It was not all good which was why Angel wasn't completely honest with Zara. Once EZ and Bishop said their goodbyes, Angel slipped back into the NICU nursery.
"Hey," he spoke hesitantly.
"What's up?" She asked, knowing that tone.
"Bish needs me tonight," he said apologetically, "Just a couple hours."
"As long as you're not gonna be too far," she shrugged, "I guess I'm good with it."
Angel leaned over and kissed her, "I love you." Then said a quick goodbye to the twins before heading home for a nap before the run.
—
The run was a success, so much so that it was boring and Angel didn't get the rush he had hoped from doing a job. When he returned home he found Zara sleeping on his side of the bed, phone clutched tight, out of fear for her children and husband. Guilt surged over the lie so he showered, scribbled a note knowing a text would wake her, and sped off toward the hospital.
"I wanted you to sleep in. I'm with the kids. Shit, Z, we have kids! Love you, Mami."
When Zara arrived at the hospital later that morning she saw Angel with Wyatt on his chest, skin-to-skin as she and the staff always suggested. A smile spread across her face as she stood, watching silently from the other side of the glass. Finally, she announced her presence with a gentle knock on the glass before joining them.
"Hey," she beamed, kissing Angel's cheek and Wyatt's head. "How are they?"
"Great," Angel said proudly. "His numbers aren't up as much as Reina's but they're getting better."
"His pulse ox?" She asked, tenderly stroking the hair on his head.
"Yeah," Angel nodded. "Hairy little animal."
"Don't be some mean," she chided.
"He's like a goddamn bear," he chuckled, "Shoulda named him Teddy."
Zara glared at him playfully. "You're the worst."
"That's me," he smirked. "Did you sleep?"
"I did, finally," she beamed. "It feels good. Every go well?"
"Yeah, it did," he nodded. "Before you get Reina, Can you help me?" He asked, gesturing to the baby on his bare chest.
Together, Zara and Angel got Wyatt back into his incubator. She looked at him with uncertainty as he buttoned his shirt up again and pulled his phone from his pocket.
"We never got a real first dance," he explained. "I know Poison wasn't your pick."
"It wasn't," she laughed. "Do you even know what my pick was?"
"Something real hipster," he teased her.
"Whatever," she rolled her eyes.
"I got a good one though," he said, tapping away on his screen. The beginning of Selena's Dreaming of You played quietly from his phone.
"Oh," she laughed a little, not recognizing the song.
"You don't know this?" He balked. "It's Selena, Z, she's a fucking icon. She's Selena."
Zara's face lit up. "Ohh, yeah," she laughed a little. "I know Selena."
"I loved her growing up," he admitted, offering Zara his hand. "Thought we could have a real dance though."
"Oh Angel," she whinnied, taking his and moving closer. "You're so sweet."
He was but he was also feeling guilty over the lie and wanted to do something cute for her. "I guess," he said with a shrug.
"You're a dork too though," she added, resting her head on his chest.
They swayed in the tiny NICU nursery, not really dancing, while the twins slept close by. The dance ended but Zara and Angel stayed close until one of the monitors went off, startling them.
"It's Wyatt," Zara said as the nurse came out from her office.
"It's his pulse ox," she told them, "I'm going to need you to wait in the hall."
"What's wrong?" Angel asked forcefully. "Is he okay?"
"I'll be right there," she huffed, gently shuffling them out of the nursery.
"Fuck," he grunted, kicking the wall by the elevator bay.
"It's fine," Zara said sharply. "He's gonna be fine. It's probably something dumb. Crossed wires or some shit."
"I gotta get some air," he suddenly said, moving toward the elevator.
"Please don't go," Zara begged.
"I can't watch it," he said gesturing wildly toward the nursery. "I'll be right outside. I just need air."
"Angel," Zara complained.
"Z, I can't," Angel said shamefully as the elevator doors. "I'm sorry," he whispered but only after the elevator started moving.
It was only a few minutes but it felt like hours before Wyatt's doctor found Zara in the hall, her head in her hands, to bring her some comfort.
"Mrs. Reyes?"
"Yes?" Her head shot up eagerly. "Is he okay?"
"He's okay," the doctor smiled. "His oxygen saturation is slightly low but the alarm was actually because a wire came loose, maybe when he was put back down."
"Shit," she hissed. "My husband had him out, when we laid him down again we just have messed it up."
"It's good that you did," he said positively. "It was a nice heads up that his numbers are lower than overnight."
She pursed her lips and nodded, it was good that they knew but her heart was still pounding out of her chest and wouldn't stop for quite a while.
"I'm gonna tell Angel," she said quietly. "Then I'm gonna want to hold him until he's ten years old."
"I'm a father, I understand," he smiled. "Hopefully this is the worst of the scares he has planned for you."
"If he's anything like his father, I doubt it," she laughed ruefully. "I'll be right in."
He nodded and smiled again. "I'll let the nurses know."
Zara hit the elevator button, waiting impatiently, but when the doors opened Angel was standing in the elevator with a red face.
"Hey," he said, slightly out of breath. "Is he okay?"
"He is, I'm not you asshole, but he is," she glared at him. "Don't do that again," she grumbled, pulling him out of the elevator and wrapping her arms around him. "This isn't about you anymore."
"Yeah, I know," he sighed, resting his chin on the top of her head as he held her. "I'm sorry."
"Come on, let's go see them," she said, feeling Angel's reluctance.
"Okay," he said, nervously clearing his throat. "What if that happened at home? I wouldn't know what to do."
"You would," she said, hoping it was true. "Instinct would take over."
"My first instinct is always my gun, Z," he grumbled.
She huffed. "If anything ever happened at home, call 911, okay?"
"911," he mumbled quietly. "Aright."
His uncertainty wasn't as endearing as usual but she just ignored it as she pulled him into the nursery.
"Fresh start, Teddy," Angel said with embarrassment while Zara tended to Reina. "Not scared of much, mijo, but you, your sister and your mom scare the shit outta me."
