Elizabeth leaned back against the headboard, her fingers dancing across her stomach while the babies seemed to be doing gymnastics inside of her. Luna jumped up on the bed, laying her head across Elizabeth's lap.
"Hey, Looney Luna." She scratched the dog's head. "Are you snuggling with the babies? Will you protect them like you protect Micah?" Luna yawned and nuzzled her face closer to Elizabeth's stomach.
Jack came into the room quietly. "Why are you still awake? I thought you were going to take a nap."
"I was, but the babies are wide awake right now. I dozed for a little bit, but that didn't last long. It feels like they're trying to switch places or something with as much as they're moving." She covered her mouth as she yawned. "What's Micah up to?"
"He's in his crib, almost asleep."
"Good. At least someone in this house is able to get some sleep. Or two someones, I guess." She pet Luna, who was now sleeping across her legs.
Jack climbed into the bed and leaned over her stomach, resting one hand on the top of her belly and one on the bottom. "Hey, girls, give your mom a break, please."
She chuckled when the movement inside her grew stronger. She lifted her shirt just a bit, little bulges clearly appearing on her stomach where little feet and hands were pressing against her. "Look. That's just making it worse. They get so excited when they hear you." She touched his cheek. "They'll be daddy's girls for sure."
He grinned. "Gosh, I just can't wait to meet them. I can't wait to see which one of us they'll look like, and which personality traits they'll get from us."
"Well, if Micah is any indication, they'll get absolutely nothing from me."
He laughed. "He really is like a little clone of Pat. But I see some of you in him, too." He leaned up and kissed her. "I hope our girls are just like you. Beautiful blue eyes, the biggest heart, and so smart."
"You sweet talker." She ran her fingers through his hair, a smile in her eyes. "Hey, since they aren't letting me take a nap right now, why don't we talk about names again? My mom keeps asking me if we've chosen them yet."
"She does know we won't announce their names until they're born, right?"
She laughed softly. "Yes. But she needs their first initials for their Christmas stockings, apparently. I guess she's too impatient to wait and have them made next year."
"Okay. Then let's discuss."
"I know they're twins, but I don't want their names to be too matchy. We'll probably be getting them mixed up enough without their names being similar."
"Good point. So any ideas?"
She sighed. "I don't really know. With Micah, I knew right away when I opened Pat's Bible that that was his name. So far, I haven't come across any names for these girls that stand out like that."
"Well, where's that list we started?"
She pointed at his nightstand. "In the drawer."
"Okay." He opened the drawer and found the sheet of paper with names scrawled on it. "I know it's not on the list, but I still want one of them to have Elizabeth as a middle name."
"Well," she began, "if I agree to that, then you have to agree to let me choose the middle name of the other one. It's only fair."
"I'll agree to that." He handed her the paper. "Are there any you like?"
"I've been leaning toward Victoria."
"Victoria. I like it."
"And I figure, it matches Elizabeth a little bit; they have the same number of syllables."
He absentmindedly rubbed her belly. "Plus, they're both royal names, which is perfect because these babies will be our little princesses."
She smiled and put her hand on his. "You're going to spoil them rotten, aren't you?"
"That's my plan. So are we settled on Elizabeth and Victoria as middle names?"
Elizabeth nodded. "I think so."
"Perfect. So we have their middle names chosen. Now for first names."
"We didn't really do this in the right order." She chuckled. "Now we not only have to choose names we both like, they also have to fit with the middle names."
"Something Elizabeth and Something Victoria. Hm." He reached for the paper in her hand. "Let me see that list again."
...
Elizabeth stared up at the ceiling, just a sliver of moonlight was coming through the curtains. "Jack?"
He rolled over to face her. "Hm?"
"Do you think I talk about Pat too often?"
"No," he answered with no hesitation. "Why would you ask that?"
She sighed. "I mentioned him when I was at work the other day, and one of my coworkers said you must feel bad because it seems like I'm pining after someone who's gone instead of appreciating what I have."
"Elizabeth, listen to me. Your coworker couldn't be more wrong." He took her hand. "I know we've talked about this before. I don't doubt that you still love Pat. I know you'll always love him, and I expect you to talk about him. And nothing changes the fact that he's Micah's father, even him calling me daddy. I want that boy to know about Patrick just as much as you do. And even if he wasn't Micah's father, I wouldn't expect you to just forget about someone who was such a big part of your life. I promise, it really doesn't bother me at all that you talk about him or that you still go visit him. I've never once doubted your love for me. I believe you're completely capable of loving both of us. Think about it. You wouldn't be pregnant with my babies if you didn't love me."
She laughed softly, cradling her belly. "That's very true."
"It is. So please don't listen to what other people say. They don't know me; they don't know our relationship."
"You're too good for me, Jack." She wiped away the tears that were filling her eyes.
"Now that's where I have to disagree." He leaned over and kissed her. "I love you, Beth."
She touched his cheek. "I love you, Jack. So much."
...
Elizabeth glanced down when she heard her phone buzz. She picked it up and answered it. "Hi, mom. What's going on?"
"Oh, I just wanted to see how you're doing. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
"No. I'm on my lunch break right now. And I'm fine, just tired and feeling huge, but that's just what being pregnant with twins is like. Oh, and apparently morning sickness can come back." She rubbed her belly. "No one warned me about that one."
"You poor dear. I know you've heard this before, but you'll forget about all of those things once those babies are in your arms."
She smiled as one of the babies kicked. "I know."
"In the meantime, try some ginger candies or ginger tea. Those worked wonders for me when I was pregnant with you and your sisters."
"I've tried the tea, but I haven't tried ginger candies before. Thanks, mom."
"You're welcome. Oh, Elizabeth, I was also wondering if you and Jack have picked names for the babies yet. I know they won't be here by Christmas, but I wanted to have their stockings up anyway."
"Mom, you know I can't tell you their names, because then I'd have to tell you if they're boys or girls. Besides, you said before you just need the first initial."
"Darn. I thought that might work." She laughed. "But you're right, the first initial is all I need. Will you at least let me know those?"
"Well, you're in luck, because we finally settled on names a couple of days ago. One baby is A and the other is C."
"A and C. Got it. I guess your dad and I finally need to find a new place to fit all the stockings."
"I guess you do." Elizabeth chuckled.
"So we'll be seeing you soon?"
"Yeah, we'll be there Wednesday."
"Make sure you have lots of extra room in your suitcases. I may have gone a little overboard with gifts for Micah and the babies."
"Mom, the babies aren't even born yet. You didn't need to get them anything."
"They're my grandbabies. Let me spoil them."
Elizabeth laughed softly. "Fine. Go ahead and spoil them rotten. Jack's already planning on doing that, anyway."
"He's a good dad."
She smiled, glancing at the photo on her desk of Jack holding Micah when they were in Ireland. Huge smiles covered both of their faces. "He is. The very best."
"Well, I'll let you get back to your lunch break. You need to keep your strength up to grow those babies."
"Okay. We'll see you in a few days."
"See you then, dear. I love you."
"Love you, too, mom."
...
Jack held Micah on his shoulders as he strolled down the sidewalk, Opal skipping along ahead of them.
"Uncle Jack?"
"Yes, sweet pea?"
Opal paused, turning toward him. "Is my brother going to be okay?"
"He'll be just fine. He has a tongue tie, so the doctor is just doing a tiny procedure to fix it so he can eat better. You had the same thing when you were a baby."
"I did?" She reached for his hand as they continued walking. "When my baby cousins are born, will they need their tongues fixed?"
"They might."
"When are they going to be born?"
"They're supposed to come in April, but Aunt Elizabeth's doctor says they might come a little early."
"Why?" She stopped next to the car, looking up at him.
"You know, sweet pea, I don't really know why that is." He unlocked the car and strapped Micah into his carseat. "Maybe because they run out of room with two of them in there."
"Are they boys or girls?" She hopped up into the booster seat and buckled herself in.
"Nice try, sweet pea. It's still a secret."
"Oh man. Why does it have to be a secret? I knew that Micah was a boy baby before he was born."
Jack shrugged and slipped into the driver's seat. "Your Aunt Elizabeth and I just decided we don't want anyone else to know until the babies are born. We don't really have a reason. Now," he pulled out of the parking lot, "how about we stop by the store and get some things to make chicken and dumplings?"
"Yum! Can we make a pie, too?"
"That sounds delicious. What kind of pie should we make?"
"Apple! With cinnamon in it."
"Apple!" Micah repeated.
"Apple pie it is."
...
"Mm." Elizabeth stepped through the front door. "It smells delicious in here."
Micah came running from the kitchen. "Mama! Hi!"
"Hello, little bug!" She lifted him up, setting him on her belly. "Goodness, Micah Patrick. You're getting so big." She walked toward the kitchen. "I'm not going to be able to carry you much longer."
"There's my lovely wife." Jack turned from the stove to kiss her on the cheek.
"Aunt Elizabeth, we're making chicken and dumplings and apple pie for dessert!"
"Yum, I love those."
"It'll be ready in about ten minutes."
"Okay." She lowered Micah to the floor. "I'm going to get changed."
Twenty minutes later, they sat around the table, enjoying their meal.
"Have you heard anything from Tom about Alec?"
"Yes." He set down his glass. "Everything went well. Tom said he's already feeding better, and they'll be by to pick up Opal around eight."
"Good."
"How was your appointment? How are the babies?" He motioned toward her stomach with his fork.
"They're doing great. I'll show you the pictures after dinner. We got some really good ones this time. There's a video, too."
"Can I see?" Opal questioned.
"Sure, sweet pea. Finish your dinner first."
...
Opal snuggled up beside Elizabeth on the sofa. "Can I feel the babies?"
"Yes, you can. Thank you for asking first." She took Opal's hand and placed it on her belly.
"I don't feel anything."
"Wait just a second. They'll start moving again."
They were quiet for a few moments until one of the babies shifted.
Opal laughed. "I felt that!"
"What's going on in here?" Jack came in the room with Micah on his shoulders.
"I just felt the babies move, Uncle Jack!"
"You did? Isn't it so cool?"
She nodded emphatically. "Do they ever kick each other?"
"I'm sure they do." He took a seat on the other side of Elizabeth, settling Micah in his lap. "Now, I was promised a video and some pictures."
"Just give me a second." She reached for her phone, pulling up the video. "It's not the best quality, but here they are." She held it out, making sure everyone could see the screen.
Jack was quiet as he watched, but a smile played on his lips.
"How big are they right now?"
"Just under a pound and a half, and about a foot long."
"That's little."
"Mhmm." Elizabeth nodded. "It is. They have almost four months left to get bigger, though."
"Do you see that, Micah?" Jack pointed at the screen as they continued to watch the babies wiggling around. "You're a big brother to those babies."
...
"Everything is ready in the car." Jack slung the backpack over his shoulders and lifted Micah from the ground. "Now you're absolutely sure you're okay to fly?"
"Positive, Jack." She cradled her belly. "I've talked to my doctor, and she cleared me to go. We're still over three months from my due date, and there have been no major complications. On the off chance that something happens while we're there, my mom is ready to get me connected with her doctor. We've got it all worked out."
"What about the morning sickness? Will the flight make it worse?"
"I don't know. Maybe." She shrugged. "If I get sick, I get sick. I have a bag of ginger candies and some crackers in my carry-on, and we can get some water or ginger ale or something for me to sip on once we're at the airport."
"Okay." He kissed her cheek and headed out to the car, buckling Micah in his seat. "I wish you didn't have the morning sickness. It's not fair that you have to deal with all these symptoms."
"It's not all bad. I get to feel them moving, which is pretty magical. So is the fact that I'm literally growing people. I'm lucky that I have that ability, because not everybody can say the same."
"I still don't understand how you do that," he kissed her softly, "see the good in everything."
"I have my moments." She touched his cheek and smiled. "Now, let's get going. We don't want to miss our flight."
A couple of hours later, they were in the air, somewhere over the Midwest. Micah sat in the seat between them, contentedly watching a video on Jack's tablet.
Jack glanced over at Elizabeth. She was gripping the armrests so tightly that her knuckles were white, and her face looked a little green.
"Beth, are you okay?"
She shook her head. "Feel sick."
They weren't experiencing turbulence, so he knew it had to be her morning sickness. He reached into his bag and grabbed a bottle of water. "Here." He passed her the bottle. "Little sips."
"Thank you." She sipped the water slowly, trying to push down the nausea. "Honey, can you reach my bag and get the crackers, please?"
"Sure." He dug around in the bag, finding the crackers she requested sitting on top of a stack of books. He chuckled. "You and your books."
"Well, I can't do too much with this belly, so I need something to keep myself occupied." She took the pack of crackers and handed one to Micah.
"Tank you, mama."
"You're welcome, little bug." She started nibbling on her own cracker. After a few minutes, the color began returning to her face.
"Feeling better?"
She nodded. "A little."
"We should be landing soon, and then we can get you to your parents' house where you can lie down."
"I haven't been put on bedrest, Jack. I don't need to be confined to the bedroom."
"Fine." He carefully leaned over Micah to kiss her cheek. "But promise me you'll take it easy? Especially if you're feeling sick."
"I promise."
...
"Well, look at you!" Grace pulled Elizabeth into a hug. "You look great!" She put her hand on Elizabeth's stomach. "How are my grandbabies?"
"Doing great." Jack stepped through the door with their bags. "We brought some ultrasound photos for you and William to see."
"Wonderful." She reached for Micah. "And how's my sweet boy?"
"Hi, gamma!"
"Let's go find your cousins. Okay?"
Jack turned toward Elizabeth after Grace walked off with their son. "Well, I see where we rank in this house."
She laughed. "I mean, Micah is very cute. I'd rank him pretty highly."
"And where do I rank?"
"That depends."
"On what?" He raised his eyebrows.
"Whether or not you carry my bags up to our room."
He kissed her cheek. "Of course."
He headed up the stairs to Elizabeth's childhood room, while she meandered into the living room to find the rest of her family.
Micah was in the middle of the living room, playing with Liam and Nicholas and his uncles, while Grace and William spoke with Viola and Julie.
"Look at you, big sister!" Julie smiled as Elizabeth stepped into the room.
"You all act like you've never seen a pregnant woman before." Elizabeth chuckled, resting her hands on her belly.
"But you're pregnant with twins. That's a big deal! May I?" Julie reached her hands toward Elizabeth's stomach.
"Go for it."
"When are you going to tell us whether they're boys or girls?"
"We'll tell everyone once they're out of me, so you'll just have to be patient."
...
After the Christmas Eve service, they all gathered in the living room to watch a movie together. With bellies full of hot chocolate and marshmallows, Micah, Liam, and Nicholas fell asleep beside each other in their matching Christmas pajamas.
Jack and Elizabeth excused themselves for the night. He grabbed Micah, who didn't even stir as they headed upstairs.
"Sleep tight, little man." Jack kissed Micah's forehead and lowered him into the portable crib before slipping into the bed beside Elizabeth. "It's hard to believe that next Christmas Eve, we'll be putting three kids to bed."
She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "It's even harder to believe the girls will already be eight or nine months old by then."
He kissed her softly. "We're getting closer to meeting them. I can't wait." He scooted down and kissed her belly. "Hi, girls. Tomorrow is Christmas, so you need to let your mama get some rest tonight, okay? I love you both very much."
Elizabeth ran her fingers through his hair. "They love you very much. So do I."
He leaned up and kissed her again. "I love you, Beth."
...
Elizabeth laughed as she looked at the pile of gifts in front of her and Jack. "We left some room in our suitcases, but I don't know if we have this much room."
Grace waved her off. "Don't worry about it. If you can't fit some things, we'll just have it shipped to you. Now everyone get to opening."
Half an hour later, the three boys were happily playing with their new toys, and Julie and Viola were showing off their new jewelry to each other. Meanwhile, Jack and Elizabeth were surrounded by piles of baby clothes, blankets, pacifiers, and toys.
"Mom, you do realize we're only having two babies, not ten."
"Take it from me, you can never have enough baby things."
"Apparently." Jack laughed. "Thank you, Grace and William. These are great. I don't know what half of these things are, but thanks."
Grace chuckled. "Just ask Elizabeth. She'll know what everything is."
He looked over at her, noticing she had grown quiet. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I'm going to lie down for a bit." She patted his leg, then carefully stood.
"Is she okay?" William questioned after she had left the room.
Jack nodded. "Her morning sickness came back, and it can hit her pretty suddenly. I'll go bring her something to drink."
...
Jack knocked on the door frame. "Beth? I brought you some ginger ale." He entered the room, setting the glass on the nightstand beside her.
"Thank you." She took a sip and groaned. "After these babies are born, I don't want anything with ginger in it for a very long time."
"I'm sorry. Maybe one of these Christmases, we'll both be feeling good." He laughed softly, brushing the hair back from her forehead.
"Oh, that's right." She smiled weakly. "Your appendix decided to come close to bursting last Christmas."
"Thank goodness I had the prettiest lady waiting for me when I woke up from surgery." He took a seat on the bed beside her, placing a hand on her stomach. "How are the girls?"
"Fine. I'm convinced they never sleep, or at least they never sleep at the same time."
"So we should be prepared to get absolutely no sleep once they're born?"
"Probably." She sighed and took his hand. "Thank you for being so wonderful, Jack. I'm sure I haven't been the easiest person to deal with lately."
He kissed her softly. "Bringing you ginger ale and crackers is really the least I can do."
"I love you, Jack Thornton."
"I love you, Beth. Merry Christmas."