Romantic Nonsense
Chapter 10
Their days become pretty routine. In August, they were told that they would be having a baby boy and girl. Both Mike and Maddie were thrilled. The only decorating they did was the nursery. Shortly before Thanksgiving; Mike's daughters appeared at their door, severely traumatized, beaten and starved. It was a welcome shock and despite the issues, Mike and Maddie were thrilled to have them there. Maddie was a bit unsure of herself and was terrified the girls would hate her. She had never counted on being a wife or mother and certainly didn't have a good example.
"What if I can't be who they need?" Maddie asked Mike one night as they got ready for bed. Mike had bought a king-sized bed as Maddie's pregnancy progressed, more for her comfort than his own.
"You are doing just fine; and I honestly, I don't even know if I can be. I'm not sure what they need right now." Mike said.
"They will get more comfortable. I'm just worried. I guess I'm worrying about…they obviously loved their mom a lot. I can never be her." Maddie remarked.
"No, but they don't expect you to be. Neither do I. Christine had her faults too." Mike said as Maddie laid down next to him.
"I doubt that." Maddie said as she tried to get comfortable. She felt as big as a barn and everything seemed swelled.
"Your back hurting?" Mike asked.
"My everything hurts. Literally, everything." Maddie complained.
"You know, Kara was telling me about those mother's massages. Prenatal apparently. It would be safe." Mike said.
"That is spending money we don't need to spend. In just a bit; we will have four children to support. You're on retirement and I don't have an income." Maddie answered.
"Hey, don't worry about it. I got it. We are fine." Mike said before giving her a kiss. It did nothing to stop her fears, but she had to just trust Mike.
She woke up late into the night and felt like her belly was in a vice grip. Walking didn't help. Mike woke up and turned the light on. In no time; he had her dressed and headed to the hospital. She was in labor and her water broke while she was being admitted. Mike was amazingly calm. He massaged her back and held her hand. He encouraged and breathed with her and she would have been lost without him.
In relative terms, Maddie's labor was short and easy. It didn't feel like that to her. First, Oliver arrived, and then Olivia made her appearance. Both babies were a little early, but both were healthy. Maddie bled a little excessively, but they finally got that stopped. Mike was very insistent on her getting a nap in before the girls arrived, and Maddie had to admit it felt good. The best part was that the babies were in the nursery for some monitoring and Mike let her sleep on his chest.
One of her concerns had been that after the babies were born, she and Mike would lose their connection. It wasn't like they loved one another. Or he didn't. She did. She now knew that actually having a baby with someone was far more intimate than having sex. No wonder Mike still loved Christine as much as he did. He'd had three kids with her that were created in love. Olivia and Oliver didn't even have that going for them.
But despite that, Mike sure seemed to love the babies. Olivia, especially, seemed to have her daddy wrapped around her little finger. Katie and Hannah arrived and loved on the babies for a while. Maddie was glad when they went home, because she liked the time with Mike; talking about the babies and how they already had their own distinct personalities. Her favorite thing with the skin-to-skin contact that Mike was insistent they both did with the babies. It was a favorite moment and she didn't want it to ever end.