Farron was startled awake by the sound of the doorbell chiming cheerfully and, in his opinion, much too loudly. He eased Kara from her resting place against him and rolled over onto his side. He reached for the alarm clock, pulling it closer to him. Groggily, his tired eyes tried to focus on the red digital numbers. 8 a.m. You've got to be fucking kidding me! his mind screamed. He had only just fallen back to sleep less than an hour ago. Who in their right mind would visit the parents of newborn twins at eight o'clock in the morning, only two days after bringing the babies home?
He didn't think he'd slept for more than one or two hours each night since Kara went into labor six days ago. The doorbell chimed again and he released an irritated growl. He'd beat the living crap out of whoever was at the door if they awakened the twins. Damn it. He sat up and rubbed his hand over his face, trying to scrub the sleep away. He heard Kara's pitiful whine and chuckled softly when she rolled over and buried her face in the pillow. "I'll get the door, love. Go back to sleep."
She lifted her head and smiled tiredly. "No...no. I'll go. You were up most of the night with Brittany," she yawned.
"Uh-huh. And you were up the rest of it with Bryce. Sleep, querida. I'll get the door," he insisted as he reached for his robe. He shrugged into the garment and tried repeatedly, without success, to tie the sash around his waist. Finally he just gave up and let the damn thing hang open. He didn't give a crap that he only wore pajama bottoms and those he only wore because he had gotten up during the night to comfort a squalling Brittany.
Kara watched as he padded, half asleep, out the bedroom door and down the hall toward the living room. He swayed a bit as he walked, bumping into the wall a couple times. He had barely been gone five seconds when the sound of two healthy sets of lungs cried out for attention. "Sleep, he says," she groused, although she wasn't upset at all. How could she be? They had wanted children, they had made the miracle of two, and now they were blessed to care for the little darlings. Yes, they were tired, but oh so happy to be just that.
Donovan and Loralei stood with their two children, waiting patiently outside Farron's apartment. It was early, but Rachel had been begging non-stop to visit her Uncle Farron and Aunt Kara. She was very anxious to meet her new cousins. Tristan, on the other hand, was less aware of the new arrivals and hadn't a care in the world. When the door finally opened after many, many minutes, both Donovan and Loralei burst into laughter. Farron stood in the open doorway, eyes half closed. His hair was severely mussed, sticking up every which way, and his robe, that had been put on inside out, hung open exposing his bare chest.
"Nice jammies," Donovan joked.
Farron's eyes cracked open a bit further, taking in the sight of his well-rested brother and his family. "I'd cuss you nine ways to hell, brother, if you didn't have Rachel and Tristan with you," Farron responded, only slightly annoyed. He stepped away from the door, allowing them entrance.
No sooner than Farron closed the door then he heard the wailing coming from the babies' room. He waved a weary hand toward the living room and, without a word to either his brother or sister-in-law, left them to see to his children.
After Farron had left the room, Loralei set Rachel on the couch and took Tristan from Donovan. She winked and smiled as they made eye contact. "And you wanted us to have twins?"
He chuckled deeply. "Well, we may want to rethink that."
"Uh huh, I thought so."
Donovan looked off in the direction Farron had just wandered. For some unexplainable reason, he had a yearning to follow his brother. "Let me go make sure he doesn't diaper the wrong end of the kid."
"Oh God, Frank, that's mean," Loralei admonished playfully.
He shrugged. "Well, he wanted my help." He heard Loralei's soft laughter as he made his way in the direction Farron had gone. When he came upon the nursery, Kara was just leaving the room. He brought a finger to his lips, asking her not to let on that he was there. She smiled and nodded, continuing on her way back to her bedroom. Donovan's eyes followed her momentarily. As he had gotten to know Kara, he had seen similar strengths in her that he saw in his wife. Women amazed him, and Farron's wife was no exception. She had just given birth to twins and was up and around as if it were a common everyday occurrence. Yes, she looked exhausted, but if it were up to a man to give birth, he would bet the human race would meet its end.
His attention turned back to the nursery when he heard the soft cooing voice of his brother. In the midst of diapering his daughter, he spoke tender words of comfort, soothing the infant. Donovan's eyes wandered to the crib where his little nephew lay on his stomach sleeping peacefully. They were beautiful babies; both had Farron's darker skin, black hair, and cocoa eyes. There was absolutely no doubt the two were Donovans, through and through. He watched as Farron lifted Brittany and cradled her lovingly in his arms while he looked down upon her with such obvious love and devotion that Donovan almost had to do a double take. His once selfish twin was now the father of twins himself. It was hard to fathom.
Donovan couldn't give one reason why, but he knew, as he watched Farron place his daughter in the crib next to her brother, that he would be a wonderful father and that he really didn't need his advice after all. He knew Farron's biggest problem was his self-doubt and was frightened of the newest challenge in his life. However, just as he had grown out of his old lifestyle, he would grow into fatherhood. The one thing Donovan could easily admit was that he had never been more proud of Farron in his life. "I'm very happy for you, brother."
Farron's head whipped up at the sound of Donovan's voice. He had been gazing down at his sleeping infants, totally lost in the overwhelming intensity of the love he held for them. His eyes had filled with tears watching them, praying that he could be all that they needed. He wanted the best for his babies. He blinked the tears away and smiled at Donovan. "Thank you, brother." He reached down and gently stroked Bryce's silky soft hair. "I now understand just how precious children are."
"That they are, brother," Donovan agreed, moving closer to stand next to him at the babies' crib. He gazed down at his nephew and niece, so tiny and fragile looking. "They're beautiful, Farron."
Farron nodded and smiled proudly. "I still can't believe they're real. And that you came back... I'm not sure I ever told you just how much that meant to me."
Donovan slapped a hand to Farron's shoulder. "No need. We're family, it's as it should be." He reached down and touched Brittany's tiny hand. "Rachel will be destroyed if she doesn't get to see her cousins, but they're sleeping now."
Farron chuckled. "Give them a couple hours...they'll wake soon enough."
As they left the nursery and entered the hallway, Donovan glanced at Farron, still dressed in his pajama bottoms and open robe. "By the way, Farron...you're robe's on inside out."
Farron groaned and rolled his eyes. "At this point, you're lucky I have clothes on."
Donovan laughed heartily. "I remember a time when you enjoyed my misery. Not so easy is it?" He motioned toward the end of the hallway. "Go clean yourself up. Loralei and I will fix you and Kara breakfast."
Farron's brow rose. "Oh, yeah? Now how can I possibly refuse that?" With a wink, Farron turned and followed the path his wife had taken minutes before. He glanced back at Donovan as he rounded the corner toward the living room. He truly was happy that his brother had made the decision to come back to Chicago, even if he had been selfish in asking him to do so. He hated to think of living so far apart that they rarely would see one another, or that his children wouldn't get the opportunity to know their uncle. What Frank had done for him was immeasurable.
Kara turned from the mirror after straightening her simple pastel blue dress to face him when he entered the room and began to laugh helplessly. "Oh God, baby...look at you."
"Yeah, yeah," he shot back and then began to laugh at himself when he got a good look in the mirror. "It's only going to get worse. Will you still love me when I'm half out of my mind and drooling like a mental case?"
Kara slid into his embrace and tilted her head to accept his tender kiss. "I promise to always love you. And, I'll wipe your chin for you, too," she teased and swatted his bottom for good measure.
"Hey...lay off the ass smacking until you're in a condition to accommodate my needs," he complained good-naturedly, crushing her firmly to his chest. His lips found the tender flesh at the side of her throat. "It's been too long, love."
"Soon, darling Farron. Soon," she promised. Her body still needed a little time to heal. "In the meantime, get your sexy ass dressed and we'll show off our beautiful babies properly."
His head dipped to capture her lips in a swift, demanding kiss. "Promises of things to come," he whispered huskily before releasing her.
Kara moved shakily toward the doorway. No matter how tired she felt, her need for her husband far outweighed it. "A promise you damn well better keep," she teased, smiling invitingly.
Farron answered her smile with one of his own. "Yo nunca le romperé una promesa a usted, querida. (I shall never break a promise to you, dear.)" He knew she didn't comprehend his words, but she understood him just the same. As it should be; as he was sure it would always be.
~finis~
Thanks to everyone for your support! You'll never know how much it truly means to me. --Shel