It was around 7:00 am and Darien still wasn't back from the NICU.
Serena held Rini in her arms and tried to stay calm. After a short while,
Rini got hungry. Serena then nursed her daughter for the first time. Once
Rini was finished eating, Serena burped her. Rini then began to get sleepy.
Serena gently rocked her to sleep. She then placed Rini in the small bed
that the nurse had wheeled into the room. Serena's friends stuck to neutral
topics to try and keep Serena calm. Finally, at 7:30, Darien came into the
room.
"Darien, how's Maggie?" Serena asked.
"She's going to be just fine," Darien said. "She will have to stay in the NICU for the next 24 hours, though."
"Why does she have to stay if she's fine?" Serena asked.
"They just want to keep her under observation, but from what I've seen, she'll be fine," Darien said. Serena then started to cry.
"Serena, don't cry. Maggie's going to be fine," Mina said.
"I know. I'm just so happy," Serena said. Darien walked over to Serena and hugged her.
"How's Rini?" Darien asked.
"She's fine," Serena replied. "I fed her and then she went to sleep."
"That's good," Darien said.
"I want to go and see Maggie," Serena said.
"Sure. I'll take you there myself," Darien said.
"Can you girls keep an eye on Rini?" Serena asked. The girls agreed and Darien took Serena to see their daughter. When Serena saw Maggie, she cried again.
"Oh, Maggie, I'm so glad you're okay," Serena said. She held Maggie's hand through one of the arm holes in the chamber. Maggie looked at her mother and her eyes grew wide.
"She's a beautiful girl, Serena," Darien said.
"And we made her and Rini together," Serena said. Darien bent down and kissed Serena.
"Well, I'll go and keep Rini company," Darien said. "If you need anything, just talk to one of the nurses." Darien then left the room. Serena pulled a chair and held Maggie's hand. Maggie stared at her mother with wide eyes.
"Hello, Maggie. I'm your mommy," Serena said. Maggie cooed. A few minutes later, Maggie began to fuss and hold her arms toward Serena.
"Maggie, I can't hold you yet," Serena said. Maggie began to cry. Serena slowly began to sing to Maggie and she soon fell asleep. Once Serena was certain that Maggie was asleep, she left the NICU and went back to her room. Serena's friends were gone, but Darien was still there.
"I was wondering when you were coming back," Darien said.
"Well, Maggie started to cry so I sang to her until she fell asleep," Serena said.
"With your beautiful voice, you probably put every baby in the NICU to sleep," Darien said.
"Oh, you," Serena said. She sat down on her bed and looked at Rini. She was still sleeping.
"She's a little angel, Serena," Darien said.
"Yeah, she is," Serena said. "Oh, shoot, we forgot to call my parents when the girls were born."
"Well, there's a phone at the desk," Darien said.
"Thanks," Serena said and left the room. The nurse gave her the phone and Serena dialed her parents' number.
"Hello?" her mom said when she answered.
"Mom, it's me," Serena said.
"Serena, how are you? Are you still in labor?" Ikuku asked.
"No, and I'm sorry I didn't call you sooner," Serena said. "The Rini was born shortly after 6:00 this morning and Maggie was born 20 minutes later."
"Oh, that's good. How are they doing?" Ikuku asked.
"Rini's fine. Maggie had trouble breathing when she was born, but Darien took her to the NICU and now she's fine," Serena said.
"That's great. We're on our way," Ikuku said. "Do you want us to call Sammy and Mika?"
"If you want. I know that Sammy likes to sleep in so I don't know if he'd appreciate being woken up this early," Serena said.
"Nonsense. His nieces are here so he'll want to see them," Ikuku said. "We'll phone him and then we'll see you when we get there."
"Okay, Mom," Serena said. "Bye."
"Bye, Sweetie," Ikuku said. When Serena hung up the phone, she walked back to her room where she found Darien holding Rini.
"Did you wake her up?" Serena asked.
"No, she woke up a couple of seconds ago," Darien said. "Are your parents coming?"
"Yeah. They're on their way," Serena said and lay down on her bed. "Darien, are you happy?"
"Of course I am," Darien said. "I've got a beautiful wife and two daughters. Why wouldn't I be happy?"
"I was just checking," Serena said. "I would think that you'd want a son to carry on the family name."
"Serena, I've always wanted to be a father. And it didn't matter whether I had daughters or sons," Darien said. "And it doesn't matter if we have any more children or not, I'm happy."
"I'm glad," Serena said. Darien put Rini in the baby bed and walked over to Serena.
"I love you, Serena," Darien said.
"I love you, too, Darien," Serena said. The two of them shared a long and passionate kiss.
"Darien, how's Maggie?" Serena asked.
"She's going to be just fine," Darien said. "She will have to stay in the NICU for the next 24 hours, though."
"Why does she have to stay if she's fine?" Serena asked.
"They just want to keep her under observation, but from what I've seen, she'll be fine," Darien said. Serena then started to cry.
"Serena, don't cry. Maggie's going to be fine," Mina said.
"I know. I'm just so happy," Serena said. Darien walked over to Serena and hugged her.
"How's Rini?" Darien asked.
"She's fine," Serena replied. "I fed her and then she went to sleep."
"That's good," Darien said.
"I want to go and see Maggie," Serena said.
"Sure. I'll take you there myself," Darien said.
"Can you girls keep an eye on Rini?" Serena asked. The girls agreed and Darien took Serena to see their daughter. When Serena saw Maggie, she cried again.
"Oh, Maggie, I'm so glad you're okay," Serena said. She held Maggie's hand through one of the arm holes in the chamber. Maggie looked at her mother and her eyes grew wide.
"She's a beautiful girl, Serena," Darien said.
"And we made her and Rini together," Serena said. Darien bent down and kissed Serena.
"Well, I'll go and keep Rini company," Darien said. "If you need anything, just talk to one of the nurses." Darien then left the room. Serena pulled a chair and held Maggie's hand. Maggie stared at her mother with wide eyes.
"Hello, Maggie. I'm your mommy," Serena said. Maggie cooed. A few minutes later, Maggie began to fuss and hold her arms toward Serena.
"Maggie, I can't hold you yet," Serena said. Maggie began to cry. Serena slowly began to sing to Maggie and she soon fell asleep. Once Serena was certain that Maggie was asleep, she left the NICU and went back to her room. Serena's friends were gone, but Darien was still there.
"I was wondering when you were coming back," Darien said.
"Well, Maggie started to cry so I sang to her until she fell asleep," Serena said.
"With your beautiful voice, you probably put every baby in the NICU to sleep," Darien said.
"Oh, you," Serena said. She sat down on her bed and looked at Rini. She was still sleeping.
"She's a little angel, Serena," Darien said.
"Yeah, she is," Serena said. "Oh, shoot, we forgot to call my parents when the girls were born."
"Well, there's a phone at the desk," Darien said.
"Thanks," Serena said and left the room. The nurse gave her the phone and Serena dialed her parents' number.
"Hello?" her mom said when she answered.
"Mom, it's me," Serena said.
"Serena, how are you? Are you still in labor?" Ikuku asked.
"No, and I'm sorry I didn't call you sooner," Serena said. "The Rini was born shortly after 6:00 this morning and Maggie was born 20 minutes later."
"Oh, that's good. How are they doing?" Ikuku asked.
"Rini's fine. Maggie had trouble breathing when she was born, but Darien took her to the NICU and now she's fine," Serena said.
"That's great. We're on our way," Ikuku said. "Do you want us to call Sammy and Mika?"
"If you want. I know that Sammy likes to sleep in so I don't know if he'd appreciate being woken up this early," Serena said.
"Nonsense. His nieces are here so he'll want to see them," Ikuku said. "We'll phone him and then we'll see you when we get there."
"Okay, Mom," Serena said. "Bye."
"Bye, Sweetie," Ikuku said. When Serena hung up the phone, she walked back to her room where she found Darien holding Rini.
"Did you wake her up?" Serena asked.
"No, she woke up a couple of seconds ago," Darien said. "Are your parents coming?"
"Yeah. They're on their way," Serena said and lay down on her bed. "Darien, are you happy?"
"Of course I am," Darien said. "I've got a beautiful wife and two daughters. Why wouldn't I be happy?"
"I was just checking," Serena said. "I would think that you'd want a son to carry on the family name."
"Serena, I've always wanted to be a father. And it didn't matter whether I had daughters or sons," Darien said. "And it doesn't matter if we have any more children or not, I'm happy."
"I'm glad," Serena said. Darien put Rini in the baby bed and walked over to Serena.
"I love you, Serena," Darien said.
"I love you, too, Darien," Serena said. The two of them shared a long and passionate kiss.