Alyssa and Matt were discharged from the hospital with their 4 day old infants. While the girls hadn't required nicu stays they were kept a few extra days to ensure everyone was doing well. Owen, Teddy, Megan, Evelyn and the younger kids waited anxiously on the porch for them to pull into the driveway.
"Alyssa," Leo ran to the truck.
"Babies," Allison squealed.
"Slow," Teddy cautioned, Alyssa had complications and bled heavily after the surgery. They realized it had been a surgical complication but Alyssa had needed six units of blood. Her recovery would take a while. Coming home to Owen and Teddy made the most sense.
"Slow," Megan said going to the passenger side, "get out slowly Lyss."
"I'm okay," Alyssa lied wincing as she got out of the truck.
"Lean on me," Megan prompted, "you had a massive surgery and complications."
"Matt I'll grab a car seat," Teddy offered, "Alyssa shouldn't be yet."
"Sure," Matt replied.
Teddy opened the back door and lifted Celeste's car seat out carrying the little girl inside. Soon Alyssa was settled in the arm chair in the living room with a baby in each arm.
"Can I hold one," Faroke asked sitting on the arm of the chair, "I haven't yet."
"Sit on the couch and we'll put Alex and Celeste on a pillow on your lap," Megan replied, "you still can't lift more than five pounds and they both weigh five pounds."
"Not just yet," Alyssa said, "I need to get up and take them to my room first Faroke."
"What's wrong," Teddy asked.
"It's been 2 hours I'm supposed to feed them every 2 hours until they regain their birth weight," Alyssa answered.
"I'll go get a bottle," Teddy said.
"No," Alyssa replied, "not yet. We will supplement but not until my body has regulated."
"Alyssa," Owen asked.
"I need you and Faroke to take leo and Allison out of the room," Alyssa said.
"Are you going to breastfeed twins," Evelyn gasped.
"I'm going to try like hell," Alyssa replied.
"Have you been," Teddy asked.
"It's all we've had so far and I hurts," Alyssa said.
"It does," Megan remembered, "it felt like you were biting me constantly."
"I need to make sure they switch sides every time," Alyssa said, "Celeste feeds longer but Alex sucks harder."
"Who's who," Evelyn asked sheepishly.
"I colour coded," Alyssa said, "Celeste is in the pink sleeper and Alex is in the purple. It'll get easier as they grow up they're fraternal."
"How do you know," Teddy asked.
"Celeste is O neg and Alex is A neg," Alyssa replied, "identical twins would have the same blood type."
"True," Megan replied.
"Can I have five minutes of space just to get them organized," Alyssa asked.
"Of course sweetheart," Evelyn said, "do you want me to make you some lunch?"
"Please," Alyssa replied.
"What do you feel like," Evelyn asked.
"I really want sushi," Alyssa said, "but that's a better dinner."
"We can do that for dinner," Teddy promised, "are Matt's parents coming?"
"Yes," Alyssa replied, "but they have a hotel."
"There is no more room here," Teddy smiled, "we have a full house. You and Matt both in your room with your girls . And your mom and Faroke in the guest room."
"I wish granny could see them," Alyssa sighed.
"My mom would love them," Evelyn assured.
"I still miss granny," Alyssa sighed.
"I wish I had gotten to say goodbye to her," Megan said.
"She was incredible," Teddy agreed, "I wish she had met our kids."
"She got to meet two of her great grandchildren," Evelyn replied, "she knew Alyssa and then she met Anna's boy."
"Luke was like Leo's age at her funeral," Alyssa remembered, "Grandma can you be granny to my girls?"
"Yes," Evelyn smiled, "I've thought about it but been waiting for you to ask. Look at them home for an hour and already surrounded by mommy, grandma, granny and Oma."
"With their dad, Opa, uncle and cousins in the next room," Megan said, "you came home with me and to Owen and Grandma. These girls are already so loved."
"Fed and asleep I think," Alyssa smiled at her girls.
"What do you need ladybug," Megan asked.
"The bathroom," Alyssa said, 'can someone take the girls?"
'Me," Megan and Teddy both said.
"Mom come grab Celeste and Auntie Teddy can you take Alex," Alyssa asked, "you've both been taking the one with your name, get to know the other."
Megan and Teddy both took a baby, Teddy holding Alex to her shoulder and softly bouncing her while Megan cradled and rocked Celeste . The babies were awake but content in their grandmother's arms.
After lunch Alyssa sat on the couch while Owen and Evelyn held the babies. The girls had not been put down since they came home, constantly being held and loved by the whole family. Leo had enjoyed showing them toys even though they were usually asleep. Only waking for a few minutes at a time to eat.
There was a knock on the door and Teddy went to open it.
"Hi," a blonde woman said, "do we have the right house?"
"You're looking for Alyssa, Matt, Alex and Celeste," Teddy asked.
"Yes," the woman said, "I'm Dianne Wolff and this is my husband Jack."
"Teddy Altman," Teddy introduced herself, "I'm Lyss's aunt."
"Matt said they were staying with you," Jack said.
"They are," Teddy replied, "they're in the living room. I think Lyss might be half asleep on the couch. She's worn out."
"Newborn premature twins," Dianne said.
"Yes," Teddy replied leading them to the living room.
Both babies were asleep on their parents and Alyssa appeared to be asleep herself. Megan sat between Alyssa and Faroke on the couch.
"Lyss, Matt you have visitors," Teddy called softly.
Megan and Faroke got up to allow Matt's parents to sit down. Everyone quickly introduced themselves.
"How are you doing Alyssa," Dianne asked.
"I'm okay," Alyssa replied, "totally in love with the girls."
"May I," Dianne asked.
"This is Alexandra," Alyssa replied, "we're already going with Alex."
"4 syllables is too long," Owen chuckled.
"Full names Matt hasn't sent them to us yet," Jack said.
"Dianne has Alexandra Megan Hunt-Wolff and Matt has Celeste Theodora Hunt-Wolff," Alyssa replied.
"How did you come up with their names," Jack asked.
"Alyssa's family uses the grandparents first name as a middle name," Matt replied, "so Megan is her mom's name then Theodora is for her auntie Teddy."
"Not Dianne," Dianne asked.
"Because my mom and brother were in Iraq as prisoners of war Auntie Teddy and Uncle Owen raised me from the time I was 12 or 13," Alyssa replied, "so I have two moms. Mom and auntie Teddy."
"So one of you is grandma and the other is nana," Dianne asked.
"No," Teddy replied, "I called one of my grandma's Oma which is the german word for grandmother so Owen and I chose to use the German Oma and Opa."
"Then I'm grandma," Megan said, "Lyss and Matt said you use Nana with your older grandchildren so we kept that as your special name."
"And your home now Alyssa," Dianne asked.
"Once we're all cleared to travel we'll come back," Alyssa said, "we need the girls Birth certificates which should take another 3 weeks which will put them at their due date anyway. They need monitoring and we're doing most at home but only because my family are all medical professionals."
"But when you come back," Dianne asked.
"I'm home for the year then will go back to work," Alyssa said, "probably a mix of in person and from home. Limiting travel until their 2 so only travelling if they can come with me. Mountainside is talking about a Seattle office in the next 2-3 years so I'd like to keep that as an option for us."
"But you won't stay home with your kids," Dianne asked.
"I won't be a stay at home mother if that's what you're asking," Alyssa replied, "I would never be happy staying home and giving up my career. I can have both. I was raised by wonderful women who have both. This year home with my girls is important and I'm thankful I get the year of maternity leave but I will go back to work."
"Really," Jack asked, "Dianne didn't until our kids were all in school."
"I want to have it all," Alyssa said, she also knew she had to, she was their breadwinner, she made double what Matt did in a year, them staying in the house was reliant on her working.
"But daycare," Dianne said.
"They'll go and socialise," Alyssa said.
"Ours go to daycare," Teddy said, "and the social skills, they get some beginning academics. They learn to be away from us and to follow directions, to be part of a group. They've made friends."
"Thats what play groups are for and parent and tot classes," Dianne argued.
"Alyssa was in daycare and with babysitters as a baby," Megan said, 'I was in school and I think it helped her. She was a really shy baby and learned to communicate and be with people other than me and Owen. when she was little she would only go to me and Owen, daycare and babysitters helped her learn that I could go or her uncle could go and someone would always come back."
Celeste began to whine. Alyssa slowly got off the couch and took the baby from Jack.
"Is she okay," Matt asked.
"It's food or diaper," Alyssa answered, "I'll take her up and do it. Keep your eye on Alex she seems to be about 10 minutes behind Celeste."
Matt decided to take the other baby and follow Alyssa upstairs.
"Is your mom ever going to drop the stay at home mom thing," Alyssa hissed.
"No," Matt replied, "she doesn't understand it. You could freelance like you were until you got pregnant."
"It's not reliable," Alyssa said, "I make double your income. Matt we won't survive and have the lifestyle we do if I don't go back to work. I'll have to sell the house and move somewhere smaller or you're going to have to work more hours and do less search and rescue. I can't support our family on my own."
"This place," Matt asked.
"Uncle Owen bought it when I was 12," Alyssa replied, "Matt if I don't go back to work when the year is up we won't be able to afford the mortgage. The girls' medical bills are higher then we thought so was mine and we're only paying 10% of the total cost. Dr Deluca isn't charging for her time because of her relationship with Uncle Owen and Auntie Teddy but we're paying the rest. You need to pay ⅓ of the medical bills for the girls. I'll do it all upfront from my savings but you have to pay me back. If we pay cash or from a bank account within 30 days they discount it 15% again. I can negotiate a little but not much."
"I will," Matt said, "just tell me how much."
"I will when they email the final bill," Alyssa replied, "they had my visa but I'd rather do it from my bank account."
"The girls," Matt asked.
"I think Celeste was overwhelmed," Alyssa said, "she's been with us, we've had one or two visitors at a time. But your parents are here and everyone is home. She settled when we came up. I might just sit here with them for a while. I need time."
"Do you want me to," Matt asked.
"If you could run down and ask my mom to come up quietly," Alyssa said, "my incision hurts and it's worse than it was this morning."
"You've also been sitting and walking," Matt said.
"Just ask mom to come up," Alyssa said, "and come back with her."
Matt walked downstairs and came back up with Megan.
"Mom my incision really hurts," Alyssa complained.
"Lay back and let me look," Megan said.
Alyssa slowly laid back on her bed and Megan checked the incision.
"It's red," Megan said, "I think you need to rest for a bit. You've been sitting up a long time and these leggings are tight on it Lyss. you need looser ones."
"No," Alyssa said, "it's my loosest prebaby pair."
"Alyssa put the maternity ones on," Megan said, "take the pressure off your incision and your belly."
"No," Alyssa said, "I can't still look how I feel."
"Alyssa you have to accept that your body has changed my love," Megan said, "you just gave birth to twins. Your body grew two more humans. You need to give yourself time. You had a huge surgery with complications. Lyss you had six units of blood. Wear the comfy pants and tops. We're not judging."
"Dianne," Alyssa said, "she's kinda judgemental and she already doesn't love that I won't let my ambition take a back seat to his ego."
"Stand your ground," Megan assured, "you're right to follow your ambition and be a mom."
Owen sat in the office with Jack, "so Alyssa's dad?"
"Derek hasn't been around," Owen replied, "him and Megan weren't a match. He couldn't support her dreams and ambition. When Meg got pregnant he wanted her to drop out and she wasn't prepared to give up who she is. My sister has always been incredibly confident in herself and what she wanted for her life and we all taught Alyssa that."
"She's a driven young woman," Jack agreed.
"She is," Owen replied.
"We worry she'll move them down here," Jack replied.
"Lyss has talked about it especially in the last few months," Owen replied, "Teddy and I are here Megan is in Malibu and Alyssa has talked about going to California and spending some time with them."
Megan joined them.
"Where's Alyssa," Owen asked.
"Laying down," Megan said, "she's exhausted. The girls are in their bassinet beside her and lyss needs an hour."
"Is she alright," Jack asked.
"There were complimentary with her surgery," Matt said, "she's had blood transfusions and is still on antibiotics."
"I can go get the girls," Dianne offered.
"No," Matt said.
"You'd wake her up," Megan replied, "Dianne it was a really rough pregnancy especially at the end."
"She was sick from day one," Dianne said, "she needed her mother."
"I know," Megan said, "the border made it hard. "
"Your kids have different fathers because Alyssa is the spitting image of you," Dianne said.
"Lyss is taller," Megan replied, "and Faroke is adopted. I adopted him in Iraq."
"His father," Dianne asked.
"Legally my ex," Megan replied, "his biological father was killed by insurgents."
"Your ex is also Alyssa father," Dianne guessed.
"No," Megan answered, "her step dad."
"Are they close," Jack asked.
"Not overly," Megan said, "they liked each other but haven't spent much time together. "
"Is she alright," Evelyn asked.
"Tired," Megan assured, "she was doing the same rubbing her eyes thing she did as a little one and her ears were red like when she was little."
"That's always the tell " Teddy laughed, "red ears and rubbing her eyes. She'll rest for a bit with the girls then we'll order sushi?"
"Yes," Matt agreed, "she wants the raw stuff she hasn't had in months."
"I wanted wine after mine were born," Dianne said.
"Lyss says she doesn't miss it," Teddy replied, "we'll wait for her to say she wants it. She's on antibiotics and is breastfeeding."
"She's nursing twins," Dianne gasped.
"We're going to try," Matt replied, "we bought formula and bottles but she's pretty determined."
"Ours all had formula," Dianne said, "so have my daughters kids. "
"It's Alyssa's choice," Matt shrugged.
"Considering you haven't proposed or married her yet," Jack said, "when will you?"
"I don't know," Matt said.
"We weren't married when we had Leo and Allison," Teddy said.
"Marriage is nice but it's not the only way to be committed to each other," Owen added, "they'll decide together when the time is right."
"But we Christian's," Dianne said.
"So are we," Owen replied, "Lyss went to youth group and Sunday school but it's not the piece of paper that matters it's the commitment to eachother."
"How do you know," Dianne asked.
"This is my third marriage and Teddys second," Owen replied, "and this is the first time it's felt right because I'm with my best friend. We were friends for years first. She helped me raise Alyssa and we were friends."
"We did what was best for her," Teddy said, "and sometimes it lead to debates and heated discussions but she was always the priority and take care of."
"Debating her stuff then way you did meant she was better cared for because it was thought out," Evelyn said, "curfews, what she could wear, going out, her grades and homework."
"The great nail polish argument," Teddy laughed.
"What happened," Megan asked.
"She was at a friends and they were trying to be edgy so painted their nails black," Teddy said, "he lost it I didn't care it's nail polish. But we had a long discussion about nail polish and hair dye and makeup."
"She won," Owen shrugged.
"I was the expert," Teddy answered.
"Her upbringing is so different then how we raised our kids," Dianne said, "I stayed home. I have my grade 12 but that's it. I had put oldest a year after we graduated and got married the summer we graduated. We have 4 kids and Matt is our youngest. Jack built his framing business from the ground up. Alyssa is an only child in a lot of ways."
"She was," Teddy agreed.
"And she had multiple care givers and it sounds like varying expectations," Dianne said.
"Owen and I had the same rules for her," Teddy replied, "we debated so that we could have the same rules and expectations. We co parent very well. Her coaches and teachers never could tell who she was with that day."
"Her volley ball coach said he only knew because I had her run to the parking lot and Teddy pulled up to the sidewalk outside the gym," Owen replied.
"Alyssa did have a different childhood than Matt," Megan agreed, "but it made her her. Independent, strong, driven, loving, compassionate, loyal to a fault, respectful, kind."
"To driven," Michelle replied.
"She's on her own path," Teddy tried.
"We can't control them," Megan offered, "if I could she would stay in Seattle or come to Malibu but she's chosen Burnaby and to make her life there. I miss her I want her around more but it's her life. We got to choose for our lives we have to respect them enough to choose theirs."
Evelyn had slipped upstairs to check on Alyssa.
"Hi sweetheart," Evelyn smiled seeing Alyssa laying on the bed staring at her daughters.
"Grandma," Alyssa smiled.
"You okay Lyss," Evelyn asked.
"Sore and tired," Alyssa said, "I wish Jack and Dianne would leave. I can't do her today. I don't have the fight in me for her manipulative behavior and judgement."
"Your mom and aunt are trying to knock her off her high horse," Evelyn said, "how are Alex and Celeste?"
"Sleeping," Alyssa said, "they'll sleep if they're together."
"They've been together since day one," Evelyn said, "but as they grow you have to let them be their own people. Their own sports and activities own friends. They are two kids not half of a whole. I hated when Elizabeth and I were treated as one person."
"I know and that's why we chose very different names," Alyssa said, "the only activities both have to do are swimming and skating lessons. Those are for their safety and I won't negotiate that. And they're fraternal not identical which will help. You and auntie Liz look a lot alike still."
"As kids we weren't allowed to be our own people," Evelyn said, "Lyss they are their own people. They need their own clothes and not to match every day."
"I know," Alyssa agreed.
Allison wandered into the room from her own where she had been having her afternoon nap.
"Hi Allison ," Alyssa smiled.
"Story," Allison asked.
"You go get a book and I can read with you," Alyssa promised, "bring me a book."
"Lyss," Evelyn asked.
"I can cuddle and read to Allison while my girls sleep," Alyssa smiled, "I know auntie Teddy and uncle Owen don't care if I feed the girls in front of their kids."
"You should come down soon," Evelyn scolded, "I know you are exhausted and you don't want to see Dianne and Jack and maybe even want some space from Matt but you need to come down and use your good manners."
"I can't today," Alyssa whined, "I'm tired, I'm in pain and overwhelmed."
"What hurts," Evelyn asked.
"The incision and my boobs ," Alyssa said.
"That's supposed to happen," Evelyn said, "feed your babies and it will help."
Allison came back with Leo and they crawled onto Alyssa's bed. Faroke appeared in the door looking for the little two.
"Story time," Alyssa smiled, patting the bed beside her.
"I guess," Faroke agreed.
"I need to hold a baby who's staring to wake up," Alyssa said, "I'll read Faroke you hold the book."
"Can we read together," Faroke asked.
"Yes," Alyssa agreed, "I have Celeste granny can you get Alex?"
"I can," Evelyn smiled.
Downstairs Teddy made tea for herself Megan and Dianne.
"I worry about Alyssa's pro military stance," Dianne said.
"We're both veterans," Teddy said, "Evelyn served. Owen and I did Megan still is."
"We're a military family," Megan said, "Alyssa is an army kid. I started yes ma'am and no ma'am when she was 2."
"We used ma'am and sir through her high school years," Teddy said, "she was taught loyalty, respect and to do the right thing even if it's the hardest choice."
"Why," Dianne asked.
"We wanted her to be a great person," Teddy said, "reliable, dependable always there for her firends and family. The person her friends and family go to in a storm. Her choosing to do search and rescue made us proud."
"We all wanted her to be a strong woman," Megan said, "because strong women are the back bone of their community. When things get tough it's the women who pull together. Alyssa is strong and independent she's well educated. These are all things that now will benefit their daughters. I hesitated finishing my education a few times with Alyssa being so young but her seeing me follow my dreams, getting an education and getting stronger showed her that she can accomplish her dreams. She's 29 years old it's time we let her fly she knows where she's going."
"Dianne Alyssa was raised by confident accomplished women," Owen said, "she had the best role models in her mom and her aunt. She's the person we raised her to be. And it's not about her career it's about her character."
"We see that," Dianne assured, "and we know Matt is hard headed. He's our only boy. Maybe we were too soft on him."
"Tea," Teddy offered Owen and Jack.
"I'm going to see what happened to all the kids," Owen said.
"Upstairs," Matt replied, "I just ran up her and Faroke are reading to all of them and Evelyn."
"I'll go up," Teddy said trying to keep Jack and Dianne downstairs, "Allison is still in pull ups for naps I'll need to go take her to the bath room. She's been hard to potty train."
Teddy went up and paused in the door taking a picture of the group sitting on Alyssa's bed. She smiled Alyssa looked relaxed for the first time in weeks, Allison was curled up against Alyssa while Leo sat in Faroke's lap.
"Teddy," Evelyn smiled.
"Lyss Dianne and Jack really want to see you and the girls," Teddy said, "come down its 5:30 we'll order your sushi soon and we'll try to make it an early night."
"Okay," Alyssa agreed, "we just finished the story anyway."
"You look very cute,' Teddy smiled, "but Allison and Leo lets go use the bathroom and brush our hair then we'll go down and it's sushi night."
"Sushi," Leo asked.
"We'll get your california roll," Teddy promised.
"Shrimps," Leo asked.
"We can have shrimp tempura," Teddy agreed.
Alyssa went back down stairs with Evelyn who helped her carry the babies downstairs.