The silver Porsche drove up the blacktopped driveway as they parked behind the moving vans. Two large men were carrying in the large white dog in the front door. The twenty was still sticking out of his pocket. "Damn it." Cursed Monica. She then realized that maybe she would miss it after all.
The car stopped and Monica unfastened her seat belt. She got up and turned around to see the two little angels fast asleep in the two car seats. "Jack, Erica , we're home." She whispered. She jumped from the car and opened the back door. Chandler was already prepared with the stroller from the trunk.
"Easy , easy." He said as he lifted little Erica from the seat into the stroller. Her eyes were now wide awake and she stared at the man she now called Daddy. He was a father now and he liked the sound of it. It made a man feel good to know that he had little people who depended on him. He would not let these two kids down. He could make up for the life he had as a child.
"Are we ready , Mr. Bing?" Monica said as she put her hand on his on the handle of the stroller. She pushed it towards the front door and then pushed it open. Boxes covered the floor as the contents of apartment 20, had been transplanted from the city. The white couch and the brown recliner now were shoved against the wall. Her precious wall pictures were laid against a door, wrapped in paper. They had just uprooted and changed their whole life within twenty four hours. With each of them holding a baby, they climbed the stairs to the second floor where the bedrooms would be.
In the middle of the room, were two cribs. Word had been spread of the double birth, so presents had begun to arrive. Monica walked over and saw the card on the cribs. "Congratulations we are so happy , love Mom and Dad." Tears came to her eyes as she realized that she had brought joy to her parents. In all of her years, she always felt unloved and that her parents were never really proud of her. She would always play second fiddle to her brother , the miracle child and straight A student. She stood holding her own medical marvel. Jack laid in her arms as she sighed and put his in his own little crib. Tears came to her eyes as she watched her baby. The moving could wait , she just wanted to stare at her son.
Ross let the sun wake him with its warmth. It was the first day of the rest of their lives. He sat on the side of the bed and stretched . No yoga this morning, then he saw her still asleep. Her golden hair covering her face. It was just like he was living in a dream, but last night the dream came true.
"Daddy." Said the little girl running into the bedroom. "Sssh Emma, Mommy is still asleep." Ross said as he ushered her out of the room. "But hey , why don't we surprise Mommy and make her breakfast." Emma nodded her approval and ran to the kitchen.
He never really had occasion to entertain or cook. Bachelors didn't really cook unless they were trying to impress a woman. Once in a while Ross would feel creative and make himself something like fajitas or an omelet. He opened the cupboard and took out a tray. When Rachel was living with him and she was pregnant , he would often make her breakfast in bed. He arranged the tray and then opened the refrigerator and took out some eggs.
"Emma, I want you to stir these for me, while I make some coffee." Ross then started a more familiar ritual , the morning cup of coffee. He put in the grinds and turned on the machine. He opened the bread drawer and put in some slices in the toaster . next came the George Foreman for some bacon.
The smells were so intoxicating that they woke up Rachel. She opened her eyes slowly and realized where she was. She looked over at the indention in the sheets and the messed up pillow. The familiar hum of the air purifier was the next thing she heard. It almost gave her a feeling of security. Looking down at her body, she saw she was naked. She grabbed a t shirt from the drawer and pulled it around her. It was him, it was comfortable and warm, and familiar.
The shirt hung to her knees. It must have been one of his older ones , but she didn't care. A door opened and a small blonde haired girl leaped on the bed and following her was a tall, dark haired man wearing a blue robe.
"I made you breakfast ." Ross said simply. Rachel stared at the plates in front of her. "You did this for me?" Ross leaned in and then he kissed her on the cheek. "I wanted to because this is our first day together." He said sweetly. "Our first day as a family." A tear came to Rachel's eye as she heard him say the words. A long time ago , he said that they would be together. Now she looked at the people next to her . Emma was nibbling at the toast and Ross was staring at this incredible woman.
"Your stuff should be coming this afternoon. They called this morning." Ross announced. "I guess I can try to make some room in the closet."
Monica took out a hammer and started pounding. Her Jouettes poster was going up in their room. Chandler had gone out back to see the yard . A real yard with grass and trees.. He had went into the garage and seen the tractor and the lawn mower. Now what was he supposed to do with them?
Ross opened the door of his closet. Suits , shirts and ties hung organized inside. He then looked down at the rows of tennis and dress shoes . He stared over at the boxes and suitcases and with a sigh started taking clothes out to make room for her work clothes and dresses. He made a mental note to call Pottery Barn for a couple dressers for the other room and this one. Rachel arrived attired in her Frankie Say Relax shirt and shorts. "Well Geller, let's move me in.: she said with a smile. She kneeled down and started to pull things from the boxes and he took out some of his dress suits.
The sun was setting on the house in Westchester and it was beginning to feel more like a home. Two little babies were asleep in their cribs. Erica clutched a stuffed duck , courtesy of her Uncle Joey and Jack laid next to a stuffed red dinosaur courtesy of his Uncle Ross. The frame on the wall had the paper in it… the declaration of when his life changed .
Erica Rachel Bing….born May 6, 2004……..
Jack Joseph Bing….born May 6, 2004…..
It had been a long time coming, a friend he met and a promise he made but as Chandler Muriel Bing stood over that crib, he realized that the journey was far from over ….it was only beginning….
They had been together for about a week now. All of her clothes were now put away. She lazily laid in the bed with her hair in a clip as she munched on her muffin and sipped her coffee. With a pair of reading glasses on his nose, he scanned the Times and enjoyed the quiet before the storm. It was the perfect picture that a week ago , he couldn't even imagine. She was still her and he was still in denial.
"Daddy." Screamed Emma as she leaped onto the bed and his stomach. He immediately pulled her down and began to tickle her and she giggled . A smile came to his face as he began to think. The paper was spread all over the bed and each section was separated from the rest. His other child, his oldest came in much quieter.
"Dad, I need an article for school. Something for one of my science classes." Ben announced . Ross searched through the papers and found the science section and handed it to him. "Wow cool, thanks Dad." He said as he ran to the living room.
A tear came to his eye as he looked over at her reading her fashion section and Emma pretending to read the funnies. Then he realized something , Ben had asked for the science section. … a memory came back to him…
Then we would be in bed with my wife and my kids reading the Sunday paper. And my kid would come in and we would argue over the science section
Suddenly things seemed very clear …….
