2 and a half months later, March

Elizabeth stood in the doorway of the study, watching Jack type away on his computer. "Honey, come up to bed."

"In a few minutes."

"What has you up so late recently? Work?"

He glanced up at her. "I'm trying to get the next few weeks of lectures ready so I won't have to be working when the babies come. I can just upload the slides for my students."

"The dean is okay with that?" She rested her hands on her stomach.

Jack nodded. "I've already talked it all over with him. I'll work until whenever it is that you'll go into labor, and then I'm taking three weeks off so we can get settled in with the girls. I'll do some work from here, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum."

"Well, can you take a break from prepping lectures for a bit tomorrow? We need to finish getting the nursery ready."

"Of course." He glanced back at the screen. "I'll be up in a few minutes."

"Okay. Don't stay up too late."

She peeked into Micah's room on her way to bed. He was still fast asleep in his bed, Luna curled up on the rug beside him.

"Sleep well, sweet boy," she whispered, pulling the door nearly closed. "Okay, girls," she put her hands on her belly as she walked toward her room, "it's bedtime now, so I need you to relax. I know it's getting crowded in there, but mama needs sleep."

By the time Jack joined her fifteen minutes later, she was already sound asleep.

He kissed her cheek. "I love you, Beth."

...

"So," Jack crossed his arms in front of his chest as he stood in the middle of the nursery, "what still needs to be done?"

"Crib sheets need to go on the mattresses, the curtains need to be hung, and the clothes all need to be put away."

"Sounds easy enough."

"Have you forgotten just how many clothes we have for them?" She pointed at the two laundry baskets that were overflowing with little onesies and pajamas and dresses.

"I'll just let you start on that." He chuckled. "Now, does it matter which sheet goes in which crib?" He held up the two sheets. They were identical except for their colors; one was covered in gray flowers and the other in pink.

"No, it doesn't matter. They probably won't sleep in the cribs for a while, anyway."

He furrowed his brow. "Then what's the point of having the cribs ready?"

"Well, they might nap in them. I really just meant they won't spend the night in their cribs for a few months. Which reminds me, we need to make sure the bassinets are ready to go in our room. And anyway, having the cribs made up helps the room look finished. You don't want our babies to have an unfinished room, do you?"

"No, I guess not."

He slipped the sheets onto the mattresses while she set about folding all the little clothes. After putting up the curtains, Jack joined her in folding.

"It's crazy to think Micah used to be this small." He held up a tiny newborn onesie.

"I know. He's growing so fast." She put a stack of clothes into the dresser. "You know the girls will probably be quite a bit smaller than Micah was. They were measuring between five and five and a half pounds each at my last ultrasound."

"Is the doctor still thinking they'll come early?"

"Yes." She nodded as she reached for a pack of hangers. "She says I need to be prepared to go into labor any day now. It's likely they'll come before thirty-eight weeks."

"I can't believe we're so close to meeting them. It feels like just yesterday you told me you were pregnant."

"Really?" She hung a few little dresses in the closet. "To me, it feels like I've been pregnant forever."

He crossed the room and took her hands. "You're amazing, you know that? Thank you for carrying our babies."

She kissed him softly and laughed. "You don't have to thank me every time I complain about being pregnant."

"I know, but I'm so grateful." He put his hands on either side of her belly. "We're so blessed, Elizabeth. To have Micah and these girls. And each other."

She kissed him again, more deeply this time. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you, too." He rested his forehead against hers. "We should get back to putting the clothes away."

"It can wait a few minutes." She brought a hand to his cheek, her thumb brushing across the scruff on his jaw. "We should appreciate this time we have to ourselves. Micah will be up soon, and who knows when we'll get alone time again once the girls come."

He pulled away, just slightly, and kissed her temple. "Speaking of alone time, where do you want to go for our anniversary? I was thinking we could go for a nice dinner somewhere, maybe in the city."

"I'm thirty-six weeks pregnant with twins, Jack. I'm not really in the mood to get dressed up and go out. It's hard enough for me to get to work every day."

He put his arms around her. "Okay, then how about we put on our most comfortable clothes and order in?"

"That's not an anniversary celebration—especially for our first anniversary."

"Says who? We can celebrate however we want. There's no rule that says we can't stay home."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." He rubbed her belly gently. "I don't know how it feels to be pregnant, so I'm not going to force you to go out if you don't want to. We'll ask Rosemary and Lee if they can take Micah for a night, and you and I can just relax, maybe watch a movie or two."

"Thank you."

...

"Are you sure you don't want any more?" Jack motioned toward the plate of cake.

"Positive." She groaned. "The babies are taking up too much room. I can't fit any more food in there. It was delicious, though."

"So it's been a good anniversary?"

She smiled and held out her hand toward him. "It's been a wonderful anniversary so far. But it isn't over yet."

He took a seat beside her. "That's right. We still have a movie to watch. Any requests?"

"Mm, something romantic. How about Roman Holiday?"

"Is that one of the sad romance movies?"

"Do you want a sad romance movie? We could watch Titanic."

He chuckled. "No, thank you. You get weepy enough at that movie when you're not pregnant."

"Are you saying I'm a weepy mess?"

"No, no." He kissed her temple. "Maybe I should just stop talking."

She nudged him. "Just wait until the babies are here, and then we'll see who's the weepy mess."

Half an hour into the movie, she fell asleep on his shoulder. He left her there for a while, moving his hand slowly up and down her arm.

He placed his other hand on her belly. "Hi, girls. Are we going to meet you soon? I know you're probably running out of room in there, but you two stay in there as long as you need. Okay?"

"Mm," Elizabeth groaned as she woke. "Don't tell them that. I need them out. I can't get comfortable anymore."

"I'm sure they'll come when the time is right." He took her hands. "Let's get you to bed."

"But the movie isn't over."

He kissed her softly. "It's fine. You need rest."

"I'm sorry this hasn't been the anniversary celebration I'm sure you imagined."

"Don't apologize, Beth. It's been perfect."

She leaned into him. "I love you."

...

Just a few hours later, when the sky was still dark, Jack awoke to Elizabeth sitting upright in bed.

"Beth? Are you okay?"

"I don't know." She swung her legs over the side of the bed and carefully stood up, rubbing her belly. "That might have been a contraction."

He sat up, suddenly very awake. "Might have been?"

"I don't know!" She threw her hands in the air. "I've been having Braxton-Hicks contractions for a while, so it may have been another one of those."

"Shouldn't we take you to the hospital either way? You're close enough to your due date."

She paced the floor. "If this is a false alarm, they'll just send us back home. I don't want to jump the gun."

"But we could at least get you checked out."

She shot him a look. "Jack, I'm pretty sure I'm the only person in this room who's given birth before."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I'll trust your judgement."

"Thank you."

"Do you need anything? Water? Something to eat?"

"A glass of water would be good."

He got out of bed and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll be right back."

When he returned, she was leaning forward, both hands gripping the edge of the bed. He set the glass on the nightstand and moved to rub her back.

"Another one?"

"Mhmm." She had her eyes shut tight as she blew out a breath. "That one was worse."

He handed her the glass of water, and she took a few sips. "Do you want me to text Lee and see if they'll keep Micah with them for a while longer?"

She nodded. "That probably wouldn't hurt. I know I said I wasn't sure if that was a real contraction before, but the one I just had definitely was. I'm pretty sure this is it, Jack."

He grinned and pressed his lips to her forehead. "We're going to meet our babies."

...

Elizabeth groaned. "How are they still in there? I wouldn't want to be crammed in there. I'd be getting out as soon as I could."

Jack pressed his hand to her stomach. "There are only two in there. It's probably more cozy than crowded."

"It feels like there are more than two in there." She groaned again. "This is your fault. I swear, if you get me pregnant with twins ever again…"

"Technically, the fact that it's twins has nothing to do with me. Or you, even, since they're identical. I was reading up on what causes identical twins, and it's just a fluke, a random occurrence."

"Not the time, Jack." She glared at him. "If you want to be helpful, make them come out faster."

"I wish I could, Beth. I really do." He kissed her cheek.

"Can you go get me something?"

"Of course. What do you need?"

"I don't know," she huffed.

"Elizabeth."

"Jack, just please go take a walk or something. I need some space."

"Okay." He kissed her forehead. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

He stepped out of the room and walked toward the waiting room, running a hand through his hair.

"Any news?" Rosemary jumped up from her seat.

He shook his head. "She's up to eight centimeters, but no babies yet. Still waiting." He let out a harsh breath. "Was she like this when Micah was born?"

"Like what?"

"Impatient. A little snippy."

"Oh." Rosie chuckled. "A bit, but I imagine she's worse this time. It's uncomfortable enough to have one full-term baby in you, so I can't imagine how she feels with two."

"I wish there was something I could do to make things easier."

"She'll be fine once they're out. Now," she nudged him, "you should probably get back in there."

"I, uh, think I'll stay out here for a bit longer."

"She kicked you out?"

He nodded. "A little bit."

"How are you, Jack?"

"To be honest, I'm freaking out." He sank down into the nearest chair. "I'm trying to stay calm for her, but I just keep thinking about everything that could go wrong. They keep mentioning how they'll bring her to the operating room to deliver, even though she wants to do it without a C-section. It's just a lot."

Rosemary reached over and put a hand on his back. "Everything will be okay. I'm sure she and the babies are being monitored closely. Anything out of the ordinary, they'll be able to act quickly."

"I know I'm a grown man, but I really want my mom right now."

"Why don't you call her? I know she's been asking me and Lee if there are any updates."

He reached into his pocket. "Crap. My phone is in the room."

"Use mine." She rifled through her purse to find it. "Here. Do you want anything from the vending machine? I think I'm going to get a snack."

"No. Thank you."

He waited until she walked away before he found his mother's number and dialed.

"Rosemary?"

"Mom, it's me."

"Oh, Jack. How are things going? I'm so sorry I'm not there. Darn back injury."

He sighed. "How do I do this, mom? The doctors just keep saying all these things I don't understand, and I'm terrified."

"Take a deep breath, son."

He did as she said, blowing the breath out through his mouth. "She's fine, and the babies are fine, but what if that changes? Anything could go wrong."

"But chances are, everything will be alright. Put It in God's hands, Jack, and just be with her. Sometimes that's all you can do. She's in a good hospital with good doctors, and I trust that everything will go well."

"I wish you were here, mom." He wiped his eyes as tears threatened to spill over.

"I know, son. I wish I was there, too. But you're all in my prayers, and I'll be down to visit as soon as my back heals. Now, you go be with your wife, and let me know when my new grandbabies are here."

"I will. I love you, mom."

...

Jack knocked and opened the door, just a crack. "Can I come back in?"

"Yes."

He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry for kicking you out."

"It's okay. You're dealing with a lot right now."

She reached for his hand. "We're getting close. I'm at nine centimeters now, and the doctor said it's still looking like we can do this without a C-section."

"That's good." He took a seat on the edge of the bed. "I talked to my mom. She says she's praying for us and she wishes she was here."

"I wish she was here, too."

"Your parents should be close." He brushed the hair back from her forehead. "Marie and Leland are with the kids, and Lee is going to get your parents from the airport."

"I hope Micah is okay."

"He's spending a whole day with Lorelei and Leo and the grandparents. I'm sure he's in heaven." He put a hand on her belly. "You just focus on getting these girls out safely."

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "I'm really glad you're here with me, Jack."

...

"One more push, and baby A will be with us."

"Come on, Elizabeth. One more."

She gripped his hand as tightly as she could and focused all her strength on getting her baby out into the world.

The tiny baby screamed as soon as she was out.

"A little girl with a very healthy set of lungs." The doctor chuckled and held up the baby.

Jack kissed Elizabeth's forehead. "You did it. She's here."

"Can I hold her?"

The nurse placed the baby on Elizabeth's chest. "Just for a few minutes."

The doctor let Jack cut the cord. "It shouldn't be long before the next one is ready to come. Just take this time to catch your breath and gather your strength."

Jack leaned down beside Elizabeth, looking into his daughter's face. Tears filled his eyes. "She's so beautiful, Beth. Just perfect."

They were so enthralled by the tiny little baby that they were unaware of what the doctor was seeing on the monitors.

"Okay, Elizabeth." The nurse put a hand on her shoulder. "We need to get her cleaned and weighed."

She reluctantly handed the baby over, watching as she was carried to the other side of the room.

"Elizabeth. I need you to listen to me." The doctor's voice was serious, and she waited to continue until Elizabeth met her eyes. "The monitor is showing that the other baby's heart rate is falling. I think the safest thing to do would be to get her out by cesarean."

"C-section?" Jack's eyes went wide.

The doctor nodded. "The baby is in distress. We need to get her out as soon as possible."

Elizabeth squeezed Jack's hand. "What about the other baby?"

"She'll be just fine. We'll take her to the nursery, and we'll get her back to you once the surgery is over. We need to move quickly, though."

Within minutes, Elizabeth was prepped for surgery. A sheet was hung across her chest, blocking her view as the doctors worked at delivering the second twin. Jack sat by her head, his hand on her cheek.

She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes. "I'm scared."

Though Jack was more terrified than he had been all day, he tried to stay calm for her. "Everything will be okay, love. She'll be just fine."

"She's out," the doctor spoke up.

"Why isn't she crying?" Elizabeth's voice shook with fear. "Is she okay?"

Jack looked toward the doctors. They quickly whisked the baby to the side of the room. The silence was deafening.

"What's going on, Jack? Why isn't anyone talking?"

Before Jack could answer her, a cry pierced the air.

"Oh, thank God." He leaned down and kissed Elizabeth's forehead, tears streaming down his face. "She's just fine."

A nurse carried the tiny swaddled baby over to them, letting them get a glimpse of her sweet face. "You have another healthy little girl."

"We'll just get you stitched back up, and then once you're in recovery, we'll get your girls back to you."

...

"You're amazing, Elizabeth. I can't believe these little princesses were inside of you just a few hours ago." He smiled down at the baby in his arms. "They're so beautiful. Just like their mama."

Elizabeth stroked her daughter's cheek. "They have your dimples."

"Which is which again?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I expect you to be able to tell them apart eventually. You have Ava."

"They're barely a few hours old. How can you tell them apart already?"

She fixed the baby's hat, making the letter B visible again. "Remember? Ava is A and Claire is B."

"What happens when we take the hats off?"

Elizabeth laughed softly. "Well, I plan on keeping the hats on for as long as possible, but Claire has a little birthmark by her left ear. Right here." She touched her finger to the little mark.

He sighed contentedly. "I just can't believe they're finally here. And I'm so thankful that they're healthy. And that you're healthy, too. I've never been so scared in my life."

"Me neither."

"How are you feeling?" He met her eyes. "Are you having any pain?"

"Not too much pain, since they have me on medication. I do feel like I had all my insides pulled out of me and shoved back in, though."

"Well, you basically did. I accidentally caught a glimpse of what was happening on the other side of that sheet, and well, let's just say I'm glad I hadn't eaten in a while." He chuckled. "What a way to spend the day after our anniversary."

"But it ended with these little ones. So all in all, not a bad anniversary."

"Should we let everyone know they're here?"

"Okay." She shifted the baby in her arms, wincing a little when the movement tugged on her incision. "But can you ask them to wait a while before coming back here? I just want it to be the four of us for a bit longer."

"Of course." He kissed her and each of the babies before lowering Ava into one of the bassinets. "I'll take some pictures of the girls so they can see them."

"Send them to your mom, too."

"I will." He grabbed his cell phone and snapped a few pictures of Ava sleeping in the bassinet and Claire wide awake in Elizabeth's arms. "I'll be right back."

...

Jack stepped into the waiting room, a grin on his face. "We have two perfect little girls. Ava Elizabeth and Claire Victoria. There were some difficulties that I'm sure we'll tell you about later, but Elizabeth is doing great, and the babies are both healthy."

Grace pulled him into a hug. "Congratulations, Jack."

William clapped him on the back. "So, two daughters. Good luck with that, son!" He chuckled.

"Thank you both for being here." He wiped the tears from his cheeks, relieved and exhausted and so very happy. "Who wants to see pictures?"