The day when Livy had to leave her babies at the hospital was the hardest thing she ever had to live through. Part of her heart was left behind and it felt wrong. So very wrong.

So the next day, as much as Matt wanted her to stay and rest at the Inn, she insisted that she needed to be with her babies.

Matt went with her so he could spend time with them too, knowing he would need to go home in a week to go back to work.

Amber was crying when they arrived. The nurse was adjusting her wires and humming a soft melody.

"What's wrong? Why is she crying?" Matt asked after washing his hands and putting on his gown.

"She's getting hungry."

"I'll feed her." He didn't understand why they waited to feed her. He didn't want her to be hungry.

"Perfect timing then." He sat down in the rocking chair and held his arms out. "Please hold her at an incline. She has reflux after eating so she can't be laying down right away."

"Reflux? Is that painful?"

"It can be and it's a common issue preemies have. She should grow out of it by the time she leaves here."

Matt smiled as his beautiful Amber was handed to him. She was still crying but he shushed her and sang to her and she calmed down enough to eat as soon as he put the tiny nipple in her mouth. "That's right, sweetheart. Daddy's here."

He didn't see Livy around but he was sure it wouldn't be long and she would be holding one of them. After about fifteen minutes, Amber's nurse helped him burp her.

"Do you know where my wife is?"

"Yes. Karen, Wesley's nurse, is helping her pump." Up until now, she had struggled with it.

"Oh that's good. Too bad she can't breastfeed them."

"She will be able to eventually but for now, we will give them breast milk from your wife and supplement with formula. They'll be ready to go home before you know it."

"I hope so."

Then he saw her following Karen to see Wesley and Beckett.

"Can I hold both of them at the same time?" Livy asked, not wanting to choose between her sons.

"We should be able to do that," Karen told her.

Livy smiled and slowly sat, holding her sore tummy. Then she waved at Matt. He smiled and waved back.

"Love you," she mouthed.

He winked and held up teeny Amber. "Beautiful, just like you," he told her.

Holding her boys was perfect, even juggling all their tubes and leads. Little Beck had a feeding tube and an IV in addition to his oxygen. Wes was doing well, still breathing well. The only thing he had was an IV.

She had worried that breastfeeding wouldn't be possible but Karen told her that the more times she pumped, the more milk she would make. The same would be when they finally came home and she could feed them at her breast.

As the next week went by, Clara and Elizabeth had come with Livy to the hospital when Matt had gone home to start work again.

At the end of the second week, the nurses and doctors gave Livy a shock.

"Looks like little Mr. Wes is ready to go home today," the nurse said with a smile. "He is gaining weight and eating well and keeping his temperature up."

"What about Amber and Beck?" Livy asked.

"Well, they aren't quite ready yet, sweetie. But probably in the next few weeks."

The thought of having them away from her scared her. They all needed her but she couldn't be in two places at once.

Elizabeth touched her shoulder. "I know what you're thinking, Livy. That is why Clara and I are here. We will take care of Wes while you are here and when you want to stay home with him, we will spend time here. It will work."

"Livy, let's take Wes into the room over here and you can try breastfeeding him," the nurse suggested.

"Okay." This was the thing she had been looking forward to next so it shouldn't scare her. But it did. "What if he won't do it?"

"He will. He's hungry, dear. Just stay relaxed."

The little guy did just as she had said. He was a champ and it was wonderful.

Livy used Skype to call Matt while she was feeding Wes.

"Hi, babe."

"Hey, guess what?"

"What?"

She angled the phone down so he could see. "I'm feeding Wes." She couldn't help the smile on her face.

"Oh, Liv! That's great."

"Yeah and they said he's ready to come home." She felt her tears building as her nose burned.

"That's so great. I can't wait to see him."

"Are you coming up here tonight?"

"Yep and I'm bringing you and our boy home."

"I need to stay here, Matt. The babies need me."

"Honey, you know we can't afford to keep the room at the Inn anymore. Neither can our parents. We need to be at home."

This was going to be a true test of Livy's patience and her love for Matt and the babies.

"I'll be up in two hours. Love you."

"Love you too."

Wes let out a squawk so she put the phone down. She gently moved him to her shoulder and burped him. She wanted all three babies home by Christmas but it didn't sound like it was going to happen.

A bit later, the nurses were kind enough to give them use of a conference room where Matt, Livy, and both grandmothers could talk about scheduling.

"Until Livy can drive, I will drive her here every other morning, giving her a day off in between each to have with Wes," Clara offered.

"On the opposite days, I will come up and feed and rock Amber and Beck," Elizabeth told them.

"I don't need every other day off," Livy said, crossing her arms.

"Yes, you do," Matt, Clara, and Elizabeth told her in unison.

"You have been up here almost every single day for the last three weeks, babe. You need to finish recovering," Matt told her. "On the weekends, you and I will come up here together."

Livy nodded, wiping her cheeks. "Christmas is next week, Matt."

"I know and it's a blessing that Wes will be home with us." He put his arms around her. "I know you want them all home."

"I really do," she said, crying into his shoulder. "I love my babies."

"Of course you do, sweetheart. And they love you."

The nurse walked in the room. "Someone is ready to go home," she said, cradling Wes in her arms.

"We have his going home outfit and his carseat right here," Matt said.

Livy laid out a blanket on the table and gently placed Wes on top to change his diaper. Then she dressed him in a light blue and white sleeper with elephants and a matching hat. "You are so handsome, Wesley Jack. Just like Daddy." He grunted in response and squirmed a bit as she placed him in his seat.

"Ready to go?" Matt asked her.

"I just need to say goodbye to Amber and Beck." He nodded and kissed her softly.

Clara stayed behind to be with the babies for a bit while Elizabeth left with Matt, Livy and Wes.

An hour into the trip, Wes was getting fussy so Matt pulled over into a parking lot and Livy fed him.

"It's a beautiful thing, watching you feed your own child," Elizabeth told her. "I'm so proud of you, Liv."

"Thanks, Mom."

Elizabeth handed her a bottle of water. "Here, it's important to stay hydrated to keep making enough milk. I always tried to drink water while I nursed."

"Thanks." Elizabeth took the bottle back and twisted the cap since Livy only had one available hand. Then Livy took a long drag of water and handed it back to her mom.

"I bought some formula, Liv," Matt told her. "The kind for preemies. It's supposed to be gentle on their stomachs and it's what the nurse suggested. Just for supplementing if we need to."

"Okay." She hoped she would be able to keep pumping and nursing but if something changed, formula was a good backup.

When they got home about an hour later, Matt carried Wes and his seat into the house.

Livy smiled as she walked in the house. "It's good to be home." She was looking forward to sleeping in her own bed.

Ann Arbor

Ava was grateful to be an at-home-mom. Her morning sickness was present all the time and even though Kinsey was more mobile than before, she wasn't as fast as she would be if she was walking. Currently she was napping in her crib so Ava was trying to do laundry and start dinner.

She walked into the tiny laundry room and sighed. They were out of detergent. She really needed to go grocery shopping but she had zero energy. She could ask Ben to get some things on his way home but he was working all day and would probably be tired too.

She picked up her phone and called Jack. "Hi, Ava."

"Hi, Jack. Um, I need a favor."

"Sure. Anything."

"I need to get to the store. Would you be able to come over and watch Kinsey? She's taking a nap right now."

"Of course. Unless you want me to go to the store for you."

"No, that's okay. Thank you, though. I should only be gone an hour or so."

"Alright. I will be right over."

"Thanks, Jack."

"No hardship here. I love my grandbabies."

She knew it was true. He never hesitated to watch them or hold them.

She looked down at her clothes. The same sweats she had been wearing for two days. They had baby food and other substances on it…she really needed to shower.

Jack knocked on the door and she opened it. "Ava. How are you, sweetheart?"

"Oh, tired."

"Why don't you write up a list and I will go for you? You really need to rest. I don't mind, I promise."

"I would love that." He had no idea how much.

"Great. I can even take Kinsey with me if you wanted to have some time to yourself."

"That's okay. Shopping with a baby is a lot."

"I used to take my kids all the time to give Elizabeth a break. Just give me some diapers, a set of clothes, a toy or two and a bottle and I'm good to go."

She burst into tears at that moment. He stepped forward and gave her a big hug. "It's okay, Ava."

"I know…I just don't know what to do first. I don't remember when I showered last and I'm hungry, I think. But I'm so tired."

He kissed the top of her head and stepped back. "Eat, shower, and then sleep. I will take two bottles for Kinze and keep her at my house for a few hours when we get back."

"But…"

"No, buts. You need time to yourself."

"Okay." She went in and made herself a sandwich and grabbed a bottle of water while he headed upstairs to the nursery and packed a diaper bag.

Jack brought Kinsey in to say goodbye and then he left. The house was so quiet. Almost too quiet. Quiet was amazing though. She walked upstairs, took a hot shower and then went to bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

"Babe," Ben said, gently touching her shoulder.

"Hmm?" she asked, her eyes closed, not moving a muscle.

"Where's Kinze?"

"Jack," she mumbled.

"Dad has her?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Go back to sleep." He kissed her forehead and headed downstairs and down the sidewalk to his parent's side.

"Dad?"

He walked into the house and up the stairs to the living room. Jack was sleeping in his recliner with Kinsey asleep on his chest, an empty baby bottle next to them.

"Dad?" he whispered, waking Jack up.

"Ben?"

"Hey. Thank you for watching her."

"Of course. Son, can we talk? I'm concerned about Ava."

"Concerned? Why?"

"She's exhausted, for one."

"Yeah, well, Kinsey is exhausting sometimes."

"She broke down in tears, Ben. If I didn't know any better…I would think she is acting like your mother did when she was…"

"Was what?"

"Pregnant."

Ben avoided Jack's gaze and picked up Kinsey.

"Is she?"

"It's supposed to be a secret until Christmas, Dad. So please don't say anything."

"Okay."

"Look, it wasn't planned but we love that new little one already."

"Of course you do. I'm not judging, Benny. It's your family and we will be here to help you, just like we promised."

"Thanks, Dad."