AUTHOR'S NOTE: So we've been introduced to Idrial and Morwen, Wilbur's granddaughters, a couple times already in this book. This story is their grand entrance. Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons," the only character I do not own is Wilbur.
STORY #26: The Greatest Gift
STORIES OF REFERENCE: None
NARRATOR: Diana
JUNE 11, 2070 – PACIFIC BAY, CALIFORNIA, USA
I sat at the kitchen table happily sipping my cup of raspberry tea. I was smiling because today was my 3-year anniversary of my marriage to my husband. But, I also had news to share with him, and waiting to share the news was not easy. I was excited to see his face when I would tell him, and I knew he would be delighted.
I walked up to our big triangular window that carried the view of the mountains in White Peaks, and I reflected how far we both have come as a married couple. Berethor and I had gotten married in Todayland three years ago and we shared an apartment together. After two years, Berethor and I had bought this two-story house full of amazing views of the mountains. Berethor was still working as a field officer, but he got promoted to work for the Pacific Bay police. His fellow officers at Jazz Town had thrown him a party to celebrate. I started my career in Ivywood Hills, and I went back to school after a year. I had just earned my master's degree a month ago, and I had just received my license to practice counseling, so I, too, was promoted to work at the Pacific Bay Police Department in Jazz Town. Sometimes, we had hard days, but we were there to guide each other through each obstacle. We had formed a solid foundation of our marriage, and we were both proud of that.
"Good morning, Diana."
I turned around to see Berethor walking into the kitchen and toward me.
"Good morning, my dear husband," I replied, giving each other a kiss. "Happy anniversary."
"I can't believe we've only been married for three years," Berethor replied with a big smile. "It feels longer than that."
"Maybe it's because we've known each other for seven years?" I asked, and we both chuckled.
"You are very cheerful. Did you plan something?"
"Yes, I did. I have some news."
"Oh! Well, me too, sort of."
"You go first," I told him.
"I thought we could celebrate you getting your counseling license and your master's degree by visiting the place we got engaged at."
"I'd love that, actually," I said with a smile.
"So, what's your news?" Berethor asked, returning the smile.
"Never mind. I'll wait until dinner."
"Are you sure? Because with that smile, you look like you can hardly contain the news."
"I'm willing to wait a little longer," I replied with a big smile.
We spent all day at home and enjoyed a nice lunch, even though I had to rush to the bathroom to empty my stomach in the middle of it, something I had been doing for weeks but kept it discreet from Berethor. We ate dinner at the Blue Derby, even though I couldn't eat much, and then Berethor drove me back to the Ivywood sign where we got engaged.
"This view is just as magnificent as it was when we got engaged four years ago," I said in awe as my husband wrapped his arms around me.
"Diana, is it just me, or did you gain weight?" Berethor asked.
I looked down to see where his hands were, let out a chuckle, and I turned around to face him.
"Something wonderful is going to happen to us," I told him sweetly, caressing his cheek and then playing with his copper-brown bangs. "Berethor, I'm pregnant."
I watched Berethor's facial expression change from content to surprise.
"Are you serious?" Berethor asked, and I happily nodded my head.
"Yes! We're going to have a baby!"
Berethor started to laugh with joy as he swept me off my feet, and I laughed along with him.
"Diana, this is wonderful!" he exclaimed happily, not hesitating to place his right hand on my very small baby bump. "How long have you known?"
"I've known for about five weeks. I'm ten weeks pregnant now. I wanted to tell you right away, but our wedding anniversary was coming up. I thought I'd make it a special announcement. We're due to be parents on January 7, but we could have a Christmas baby. The baby could come early or it could be late."
"That doesn't matter right now," Berethor replied, caressing my right cheek with his free hand. "I'm just happy that we're adding a member to our family."
We pulled in for a long, passionate kiss after I wrapped my arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around my waist.
JULY 9, 2070
I was now 14 weeks pregnant. My small baby bump was already growing, and I was very thankful for my mom, who had shipped out all of her maternity dresses when she heard the news. Unfortunately for me, the morning sickness did not go away, and I found myself going to the bathroom every night to empty my stomach of the very little I ate.
But, it didn't stop me from planning my husband's 26th birthday, which was the next day. After I spent all day counseling my teammates at work, I spent all night baking a vanilla-flavored cake with root-beer-flavored frosting, because I knew he liked root beer floats.
"Hey, Diana."
I looked up to see Berethor walking down the stairs just as I finished frosting the cake.
"Berethor, you're filthy!" I exclaimed, noticing his dirty shirt.
"I promise I have a good reason," he replied with a smile on his face. "Come with me."
"Just don't forget to wash your shirt in the bathroom," I said as I followed him up the stairs.
When we got up to the second floor, Berethor led me into the spare room, and I gasped at what I saw. On the left side of the room was a crib that our baby would sleep in when he or she would arrive, and right next to that crib was a rocking chair. On our side was a diaper-changing station, and right next to it were pictures of the two of us, plus the ultrasound of our baby. Across from us was the big triangular window with another view of the mountains, but nothing on that side or the wall on our right.
"Berethor, did you do all of this?" I asked.
"Well, you're already growing, so I thought I'd help you out with the big stuff," Berethor explained with a smile as I walked around.
"You didn't have to go through all of that trouble," I replied, turning toward him.
"I wanted to. I spent my whole day off making all of this."
"You made all of this?"
I put a big smile on my face as he walked up to me, returning the smile. I caressed his right cheek before giving him a kiss on the other one.
"Our baby is going to absolutely love you."
"She's going to love you, too."
"She? Berethor, did you just have a vision?"
We both laughed.
"No, but you did. I have to have faith that our firstborn is our daughter."
I watched Berethor put his right hand on my baby bump and the other on my right shoulder, and we pulled in for a kiss.
"So how come you didn't decorate the nursery?" I asked in amusement.
"Because I need the confirmation. And besides, I was hoping we could do it together."
"I would love that," I replied, pulling him in for another kiss.
"So, what was that you were making downstairs?" Berethor asked with the smile I fell in love with.
"Your birthday cake. You're going to love it."
"What kind is it?"
"You'll find out tomorrow, Mr. Wheaton, and I promise you, you'll love it."
AUGUST 20, 2070
I was now 20 weeks pregnant, and I looked like I was carrying a soccer ball underneath my dress. But I was thrilled. I spoke to my baby everyday ever since I announced to Berethor that I was pregnant, and I told the baby everything: how Berethor and I first met, our walks together, how we got engaged and married, and about our jobs. But the one thing I always told the baby was how much we both loved him or her.
Today was a special day, for Berethor was coming with me to my doctor's appointment. We got to find out if we were carrying a boy or a girl. Berethor had a lot of confidence that I was carrying a girl, but we wanted an ultrasound done to be sure.
"Diana?"
We both looked up to see the nurse calling our name, but I felt my husband tugging me back.
"Berethor, what's wrong?" I asked with worry, sitting back down.
"Just… give us a minute," Berethor told the nurse, and then he brought his voice down to a whisper. "I've never been so nervous in all my life, I mean except for when I proposed to you."
"Why are you nervous?"
"This will be the first time I'll be seeing our baby."
"Berethor, all we're doing is a sonogram and watching the baby move inside my belly," I told him with a laugh. "I'm not giving birth to him yet."
"Him?"
"Just play along for a few more minutes," I replied with a wink. "I've done a sonogram twice now, and seeing our baby both times… it was so magnificent and precious. You don't get to see this every day. I promise you, Berethor, you're going to fall in love with our baby."
We leaned in for a kiss, and then we got up and followed the nurse into a room.
"Is this Daddy?" the nurse asked with a smile.
"Yes, he is," I answered, returning the smile. "This is my husband, Berethor."
"That is a very interesting name, Berethor," the nurse said, shaking his hand.
"I get that a lot," Berethor replied.
"How do you spell that?"
After my husband spelled his name out, I got myself comfortable on the bed.
"Alright, Mom, any changes in your body lately?"
"Besides this?" I asked, rubbing my belly. "The morning sickness is finally over and I can finally eat again."
"Any pain or fatigue?"
"I feel great."
"Let me measure you really quick and then I'll get the doctor in here."
After the nurse measured my belly, she walked out of the room.
"Are you ready?" I asked my husband, holding his hand.
"Let's do this," Berethor answered with determination.
"Well hello, Diana!" the doctor enthusiastically greeted as he walked in. "And you must be… Bear-thor? Interesting name."
"It's Berethor," my husband corrected him. "You forgot the 'eh' sound."
"Oh! Like Denethor. I understand. Now, are you ready to see your baby?"
"Yes!" we both answered at the same time.
I shivered at the touch of the gel at the bottom of my belly, for I had forgotten how cold it felt. I felt the doctor spreading the gel around with the doppler, and we heard something.
"Diana, what is that?" Berethor asked, and I gave him a big smile.
"The heartbeat," I answered.
"Now look on the screen," the doctor told us.
We both turned to the screen, and we saw our baby!
"Oh my gosh…" I heard Berethor say.
I turned toward him and his jaw was dropped. Then, I turned back to the screen where our baby was moving quite a bit, but I couldn't feel it yet.
"I do have one concern," I spoke up. "My mom told me that she felt me kick when she was seventeen-eighteen weeks pregnant. I haven't felt this baby kick yet."
"Well, Diana, this is your first time being pregnant," the doctor explained. "First time mothers often feel their babies kick for the first time later. But, seeing as you are 20 weeks along, you should feel your baby kick soon."
"Thank you."
"Now, did you want to find out the gender today or did you want to do a gender reveal?" the doctor asked.
"We want to find out," Berethor answered with confidence.
"Berethor pretty much already got the nursery set up," I explained with a smile. "We might as well find out so that we can start decorating."
"Hopefully this baby will cooperate," the doctor said, moving the dobbler around my belly. "So we have the head."
Berethor and I continued to watch the baby in awe.
"Here are the hands… oh, here are the legs… Come on, baby."
I watched Berethor close his eyes in nervousness, and I squeezed his hand.
"Diana, Berethor, are you ready?"
"You found out?" I asked with excitement.
"I have and… your first baby is a girl!"
I watched Berethor open his eyes in surprise, and we both laughed in amazement.
"It's a girl!" Berethor exclaimed happily, putting his right hand on the top of my belly.
"And I have the perfect name, too," I replied. "Idrial."
OCTOBER 8, 2070
I was now 27 weeks pregnant, and I was sitting in the rocking chair Berethor had built for us.
"Where the north wind meets the sea," I sang sweetly. "There's a river full of memory. Sleep my darling safe and sound, for in this river all is found."
I felt a hard kick coming from inside my baby bump.
"You really like that song, don't you, Idrial?" I asked with a chuckle, giving my belly a gentle rub. "In her waters, deep and true, lie the answers and a path for you. Dive down deep into her sound, but not too far or you'll be drowned."
I felt more movement before I continued.
"Yes, she will sing to those who hear, and in her song, our magic flows. But can you brave what you most fear? Can you face what the river knows? Where the north wind meets the sea, there's a mother full of memory. Come my darling homeward bound. When all is lost, then all is found."
Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I shot out of my chair screaming. I turned around to see a surprised Berethor with his hands on the rocking chair while I was clutching my medium-large baby bump.
"Dude! How did you get in here?"
"I just walked in!" Berethor cried out. "You were so focused in here that you didn't notice!"
We paused, taking deep breaths with each other while the baby kicked inside me.
"I'm sorry for scaring you," Berethor said, emerging from behind the chair. "The reason I came in here was to see if you were ready to decorate the nursery."
"So, where are the decorations?" I asked with a perplexed look.
"I was so focused on your singing that I left them out in the hall. You're an amazing mother already."
"Well, don't say that yet," I replied, hanging my head down.
"Diana, what's wrong?"
"Do you have baby jitters? Like you're scared of doing something wrong and then your child will hate you because of it?"
"Honey, come here."
We walked toward each other before we embraced each other tightly.
"Whoa, hello!" Berethor exclaimed.
"Yeah, Idrial's been active since I started singing. She must really like it."
"Anyway. I highly doubt our daughter is going to hate you. You're already an amazing mother, Diana. Otherwise, Idrial would have been miscarried. You'd fed her well so far, and you'll feed her more than just your milk. You'll be feeding her knowledge, strength, and confidence."
"I never thought about it that way," I replied in awe, rubbing the top of my belly. "So, you're not nervous at all about parenthood?"
"Oh, I am. But I have to take care of you, too. If I can't take care of you, then how am I supposed to take care of our daughter?"
"Touché."
"To me, if you're confident, then so am I. I can do anything with you by my side, Diana."
We pulled in for a kiss, and then we started decorating the nursery. When we finished, we had painted the walls a lilac purple and had our baby's name on the wall in huge letters over her crib.
NOVEMBER 26, 2070 – TODAYLAND, NORTH MONTANA, USA
Berethor and I had just arrived at my grandparents' house in Todayland. The train doors opened to reveal my parents, waiting for me in front of the garage doors.
"Hi, Mom," I greeted them wearily but happily. "Hi, Dad."
"It's so nice to see you, Diana," Mom replied, giving me a tight hug. "Diana, you look like you're going to pop any day!"
"Are you almost due?" Dad asked, hugging me after Mom let go.
"Well, the baby's due in January, but we're getting close," Berethor explained.
"With the way Diana's carrying, I highly doubt the baby will last until January," Mom replied with skepticism. "How far along are you?"
"I'm 34 weeks today," I answered with a smile, rubbing the top of my big belly.
"Diana, you look like you're 40 weeks," Mom replied, pulling me aside, and she brought her voice down to a whisper. "Either that is a huge baby you have in there or you're having twins or triplets."
"Oh my gosh, Mom! Every time we had an ultrasound done, we only saw one baby."
"Diana, I'm just observing," Mom replied. "But if you do end up having twins, don't say I didn't warn you."
She paused, and we walked back to the two men.
"Alright, I'm sure Diana is very tired from traveling and carrying her baby," Mom announced. "And Grandma Franny already has everything set up at the table."
"Perfect!" I exclaimed, rubbing my belly. "We're starving."
I felt Berethor kissing me on the cheek as I waddled with him to the dining room.
"Guess who's here?" Wilbur happily announced, and six of the eight family members at the table gathered around me.
"Look at you, Diana!" Grandma Franny happily said while approaching me and giving me a hug. "You look fantastic!"
"Why, thank you!"
"Would you mind if I feel around?"
"Go right ahead," I answered with a smile.
I looked down at my huge baby bump and watched my grandma's hands move around until we both felt movement.
"You have a strong baby in there!" Grandma exclaimed happily after we both gasped. "You're just like your mama, little one. Is it a girl or a boy?"
"Baby Wheaton's a girl," Berethor answered.
"And her name is going to be Idrial Elisabeth," I answered.
"Well, that's perfect, because I have a gift for you!" Mom chimed in, running out of the dining room.
"While Karena's getting that, why don't we all take a seat?" Dad suggested.
"Diana, look at you!"
I turned around to see…
"Wesley! Hey, you made it!"
"Made it? I live here!"
We both laughed as we hugged each other.
"I forgot that you go to school at Todayland University," I replied before rubbing my belly. "Gotta love having baby brain, right?"
"You look amazing though," Wesley replied. "You're going to be an amazing mother, just like Mom."
"It means a lot to hear you say that," I said in awe.
"Oh, there's someone I want you to meet."
I watched Wesley beckon the last person joining us for Thanksgiving: a woman with blonde hair and green eyes.
"This is my girlfriend, Maggie Stevens," Wesley introduced each other. "Maggie, this is my sister Diana, her husband Berethor, and their unborn baby girl Idrial."
"It's very nice to meet you, Maggie," Berethor replied, shaking her hand.
"Wesley's told me a lot about you two," Maggie said. "Especially you, Diana. You look absolutely beautiful, baby bump and all."
"Thank you so much, Maggie," I replied with a big smile.
"When's the baby due?"
"Six weeks from now," I answered.
"But Karena seems to think that she'll come earlier than that," Berethor chimed in as we all took a seat.
"Thanksgiving dinner is served!" Carl, my robot godfather, announced.
"So, Maggie, what do you do?" I asked.
"I'm attending school at Todayland University to become a physical education teacher. I literally ran into Wesley while we were trying to get to class, and I couldn't stop thinking of him since. He felt the same way, we exchanged numbers, we had a successful first date, and here we are after one year of dating."
"Well, over one year," Wesley corrected her.
"Anyway, I'll be graduating next spring," Maggie finished her story. "So, how did you two meet?"
"Kind of the same way you did," I answered.
"Diana and I both attended college in Pacific Bay in southern California," Berethor explained. "Diana had just moved there and I just came up to her while she was exploring. We hit things off right away, but it took us over eight months before we finally went on our first date."
"Why did you wait so long?" Maggie asked as I grabbed double servings of everything.
"I was grieving for my high school boyfriend, who had died in a car accident the year before," I explained, and Maggie let out a gasp.
"I'm so sorry!"
"It's alright," I assured her. "Berethor played a huge part in my overcoming my grief. Anyway, this whole time we've known each other, we'd go on a walk every day, and he proposed to me after we dated for two years. We got married after I graduated from Pacific Bay University, and now, as you can see, we are expecting our first baby over three years later."
"Diana is a counselor for the Pacific Bay Police while I'm a patrol officer," Berethor continued. "It's actually nice working in the same place, so that we're there for each other at work too, not just in the home."
"I had considered going back to school to get my doctorate in forensic psychology, but then I found out I'm pregnant, so I decided to wait until after the baby is born before deciding to go back to school."
"What is your ultimate goal, Diana?" Maggie asked. "I mean, aside from being the best mother out there."
"Oh, I'm not sure about that," I replied with humility and laughter. "My mom would be holding that title. No offense, Grandma." I paused to see my grandma holding her hands up. "Anyway, I want to be a profiler. You know, study the criminal mind."
"There aren't a lot of criminals anymore," Maggie replied. "That is until Wilbur – your father, that is, told me about what he does. Have you thought about going to TIME?"
"I've interned there, actually," I answered. "It helped me decide what I want to do with my life. But Berethor and I both love Pacific Bay, and we don't want to leave. We're hoping to raise our kids there before making the decision to move either to Todayland or back to my hometown in Westport. Or even stay in Pacific Bay."
"Diana, how can you eat all of that?" Berethor asked with shock in his voice.
"I'm pregnant!" I answered angrily, giving him a stern look. I looked around to see everyone surprised at my tone of voice. "Sorry. Hormones. They've been so bad for a few months now."
"I'm calling it," Mom announced. "Diana's having twins!"
"Mom!"
"Actually, Diana, I agree with your mom," Grandma Franny chimed in. "Your belly is very swollen, and I felt two babies in there."
"You can't be serious," Berethor replied with a flat expression on his face.
"Mothers know best," Grandma and Mom replied at the same time.
"Mom, wasn't there something you wanted to give me?" I asked, changing the subject from my possibly having twins.
"Oh yeah!"
I watched her get out of the chair, and she gave me a big bag.
"Mom, what is all of this?" I asked.
"These are your baby clothes," Mom answered with a smile. "I've kept them after all this time because Tallulah made them."
"I was going to make new clothes for your baby girl," Tallulah, my godmother, finally chimed in. "But your mom insisted she give you the clothes I made for you, so you can share memories with your baby. Of course, I can make you some new clothes—"
"Auntie Tallie, this is perfect. If you want to make new clothes, go for it! You've always been motivated."
"What does the nursery look like?" my great-uncle Gaston asked.
"The walls are a light shade of purple with a white tree on one of the walls," I answered. "Berethor and I worked together to decorate it. Why do you ask?"
"I love that you mentioned the white tree! Hold on."
I watched Gaston leave the dining room.
"What is with everyone and getting presents?" Berethor asked.
"We've always been excited when we're expecting a new member of the family," Grandpa Cornelius answered. "Karena revealed the news that you and Diana were having a girl, and we all contributed somehow to making gifts for her."
"I'm going to cry," I replied, actually being on the verge of tears.
"Diana, are these sad tears or happy tears?" Berethor asked.
"Definitely happy, pregnant tears," I answered.
"Here we are!" Gaston said, walking in with a rocking horse.
"Oh my gosh!" Berethor and I exclaimed at the same time.
"A little bird told me Berethor used to ride," Gaston explained. "We wanted your daughter to get a first glimpse of it."
"Well, I still ride," Berethor corrected him. "Our house came with a farm, so now we have two horses, plus some chickens, cows, and goats."
"You made it farther than we did, that's for sure," Dad replied. "When we first moved to Connecticut, I had a horse that Justine gave me for my anxiety, and we raised chickens to make some extra money."
"So you're both officers and farmers?" my other great-uncle Art asked. "That's impressive. How do you find the time for all of that?"
"We get up early," Berethor answered. "My best friend Greg will come over and help, and he earns money that way. Especially more so now because of Diana's condition."
"I miss riding," I chimed in, rubbing my belly. "But I'll get back to riding soon after I have the baby. This gift is perfect, Gaston. Thank you."
We continued to eat our Thanksgiving dinner and receiving many gifts for our baby girl, and we ended up enjoying our weekend in Todayland.
DECEMBER 24, 2070 – PACIFIC BAY, CALIFORNIA, USA
Today, I was 38 weeks pregnant, which meant that our baby girl would be coming any day. I was excited for her to come, but I was also very ready. My baby and my belly both grew significantly the last month. I had taken pictures of my baby belly every week to scrapbook my first journey through pregnancy, and while it was a marvelous adventure, I was worried. My mom suggested that I may be carrying twins. Berethor had also made a comment about my belly, and he said that I was bigger than I was supposed to be. I shrugged both comments off and I continued feeling every kick this baby was throwing at me, which I very much enjoyed.
"Hey, Diana, I'm going to pick up your parents from the airport," Berethor said, putting on his black coat.
I glanced up from my chair by the Christmas tree and turned toward him.
"Alright, honey, be safe."
"You too."
Berethor walked out the door, and I glanced back down at my belly, which looked enormous. Wondering if the baby was awake yet, I gave my belly a small rub. I felt two movements in response, and I smiled, watching the baby move inside me.
"Daddy and I are going to meet you in just two weeks," I said blissfully to my belly. "We're so excited! We have the nursery all ready for you, Idrial. You are going to be so loved by Daddy and me, and I promise to give you the best life you can imagine."
Just as I finished talking, I felt a small tinge of pain on the top of my belly. I rubbed that part of my belly, hoping that the pain will go away, and it did after a few seconds. I felt pain again after ten minutes, and I got up to walk. But the pain did not go away. I grabbed my phone and started the timer just in case I was having contractions. I found it hard to walk around, so I sat back down and stared at the Christmas tree, full of ornaments that Berethor and I had collected over the years from our childhoods.
"Berethor, what is taking you so long?" I asked out loud. "OOOH!"
I felt the same pain again, and when I tried to get up to walk, I found myself on the floor on my hands and knees. I grunted my way through the contraction before resetting the timer on my phone. I used the chairs to help me get up, and I walked to the bathroom to set up a bath full of warm water. When it was filled to my desired height, I took off my dress and got settled in the tub. The warm water felt amazing, even with all the contractions I had.
"Diana, we're here!" I heard Berethor say.
"I'm in the bathroom!" I yelled.
"Okay!"
After five minutes, I felt another contraction, but I could not handle it any longer.
"BERETHOR!"
I grunted through the pain before I heard knocking on the door.
"Diana, is everything alright in there?"
"For heaven sakes, get in here!" I angrily yelled.
The door opened to reveal Berethor, wearing a red sweater and black pants, and he carried a smirk on his face.
"So that's what's taking you so long," he said. "You're taking a bath. Does it feel good?"
"Wipe that smirk off your face, Berethor Joseph," I angrily replied. "I've been in pain since you left."
"Wait, what?"
I watched the smirk immediately disappear from his face as he closed the door, and now he looked worried.
"Where's the pain at?" Berethor asked, and I pointed to the top of my belly before he started to gently rub it. "So you've been in pain for two hours?"
"Has it been two hours?" I asked. "It seems like you were gone a long time."
"Your parents' plane came in late. That's why it took me so long. But they're in the kitchen enjoying hot chocolate."
Berethor's eyes widened as if he realized something.
"Diana, you know how you've gotten practice contractions the past few weeks?"
"Yeah, but they didn't hurt."
"What if this pain you're feeling is the real deal?"
"I think so, too," I replied.
"We need to get to the hospital," Berethor said with determination, but I stopped him by putting my right hand on his left shoulder.
"Berethor, the contractions have only been eight minutes apart. Chances are, we'd probably be sent home."
"Diana, White Peaks is expecting a blizzard. I'd rather have you delivering the baby at the hospital than here at home where something could go wrong."
"Berethor, nothing is going to go wrong," I said with a smile. "I've taken birthing classes. I have a suitcase packed for the hospital. They have a room under reservation for me, should I get into labor, which I probably am now. Okay, I see your point. Let me put my dress on and we can go."
"Let me help you."
Berethor helped me out of the tub just as another contraction hit me. I placed both my hands on his shoulders and moaned through the pain.
"Breathe, Diana," Berethor said soothingly, and I started breathing out with him. "That's it, keep going."
"You sound like you've had experience," I said when the contraction ended.
"Actually… I've delivered a baby before."
"Wait, when was this?" I asked with shock as he finally got me out of the tub.
"Shortly before you told me you were pregnant," Berethor explained as I put my dress back on. "We had gotten an emergency call, and I was the officer on duty. I went to where the call was made, and it turned out the woman who made the call was in labor. There was no one else in the house with her and she was in so much pain. The rest felt like a blur because before I knew it, I was grabbing a bucket of hot water and some towels and the baby came."
"You're making me nervous," I said as I started to hyperventilate.
"Diana, calm down. Everything's going to be okay. You're going to be okay, and the baby's going to be okay. Don't panic. Can you walk?"
"Barely. I need your help."
"I got you," Berethor replied, sweeping me off my feet and into his arms.
He carried me out of the bathroom, and I caught a glimpse of my parents in the kitchen.
"Diana!" Dad exclaimed with fear in his voice. "Are you okay?"
"Wilbur, Karena, call the hospital!" Berethor yelled. "Let them know Diana's in labor and we're on our way!"
EIGHT HOURS LATER…
I moaned as I tightly held Berethor's hand, and then I let out a yell.
"It's alright, Diana," Berethor soothed me as I breathed heavily. "You're doing great. Idrial's going to be here any minute."
"I can't wait," I replied after the contraction ended.
"You're doing amazing, Diana," the midwife told me. "Just keep on pushing when the next contraction comes."
"I'm so tired," I told my husband, who never left my side since we got admitted.
"Hey, just a few more pushes and it will be all over," Berethor said with gentleness in his voice, and I smiled.
"I love you, so much."
"I love you, too."
"AH!"
I felt pain coming from my back as well as the urge to push, and that was exactly what I did.
"Bear down, Diana," the midwife reminded me, and I placed my chin on my chest as I continued to push. "Good. Take a deep breath and push again."
I pushed, and I screamed.
"Why does it hurt so much?" I cried, feeling the tears fall down from my brown eyes.
"The baby's head is crowning," the doctor explained as I pushed again. "Now stop and breathe."
I breathed heavily while feeling Berethor kiss my forehead, which was covered in sweat.
"You're doing amazing, Mama," Berethor told me, and I couldn't help but smile.
"It feels so weird down there," I said with a chuckle, still breathing heavily.
"Hey, it will be over soon."
I felt another contraction, and I moaned loudly as I felt my body pushing my daughter out. But, I did what the doctor told me to do and kept breathing out.
"Alright, Diana, push, and push hard!" the doctor told me.
I bore down again, and I grunted this time, determined to hold my baby in my arms. The contraction ended, and I took another break from pushing.
"Berethor—"
"Shh, it's okay. She's just about here."
"Just one more push and she'll be here!" the doctor said excitedly.
"You can do it, Diana," my midwife told me, and I smiled.
"Ah! Oh!"
I yelled for a moment as the contraction started, and I pushed with all my might before I sank back into the pillow.
"Oh, Diana, she's beautiful!" the midwife said happily as she walked the doctor's side.
"She's here?" I asked with some relief and some fatigue in my voice.
"Here she is!" the midwife announced happily.
Before I knew it, Idrial Elisabeth Wheaton was in my arms with a head full of dark hair.
"Look at you, Diana," Berethor said happily, gazing down at me and our newborn daughter, who took her first breath by crying. "You're both so beautiful."
"I couldn't have done this without you," I replied, not taking my eyes off of her. "You're here, Idrial. You're really here!"
I kissed the top of her small hairy head before I yelled; I was experiencing another contraction.
"Alright, Diana, this is the placenta," the doctor explained. "Just focus on Idrial and push."
I pushed, but not as hard as before, while still holding Idrial. I took a quick break and a deep breath, and I pushed again.
"Dana, you may want to see this," the doctor said, sounding concerned, and the midwife rushed to his side.
"What?" I asked as the contraction ended, and I started to cry. "What is it?"
"Diana, you didn't tell me you were having twins," the midwife said.
"What?!" Berethor and I exclaimed at the same time.
"I didn't know!" I explained with panic in my voice. "At every single appointment, I only saw one baby inside of me!"
"Are you sure about this?" Berethor asked, sounding angry.
"Yes, we're sure," the midwife answered. "That's not the placenta Diana's pushing out; it's another baby."
"Well, that would explain why I felt so much movement and why I was always so hungry," I replied.
"Why are we just now hearing about my wife having twins?" Berethor exploded in anger.
"In some cases, the second baby likes to hide," the doctor explained, suddenly scared of my husband. "And that's exactly what this baby did."
"That, or our doctor wasn't thorough in all of his examinations," Berethor replied angrily. "We should have known about this long ago!"
"Mr. Wheaton, being angry isn't going to help," the midwife told him, holding her hands up in the air.
"You've been there for Diana all this time!" Berethor fumed. "Why didn't you—"
"BERETHOR!" I screamed as another contraction started. "JUST SHUT UP AND TAKE IDRIAL."
I pushed while my husband took Idrial from my arms and into his. I heard Idrial crying and her father soothing her as I continued to push.
"Stop pushing for a moment, Diana," the doctor told me.
"Oh, I'm gonna sue him!" Berethor exclaimed in anger.
"BERETHOR."
He turned to look at me with shock written on his face.
"Suing someone isn't the answer."
"Diana, we should have known we were having twins!" Berethor replied angrily.
"And neither is being angry, Berethor! Just take some breaths with me before you scare our daughter in her first minutes of life."
I reached out to touch his free hand, and we took some breaths together. I felt another contraction, and while we breathed, I pushed, still looking up at him.
"Oh, Diana, I'm sorry—"
"Berethor, just help me push Idrial's brother or sister out of me!" I screamed, still pushing.
"One more push, Diana," the doctor told me.
"You can do it, Diana," Berethor said in a much calmer voice.
I pushed, and I let out a yell.
"Baby number two is here!" the doctor announced. "And it's another girl!"
The midwife brought her over to me and put her in my arms. But she was different than her older sister: she was born with no hair, which meant that I had just birthed fraternal twin girls, and they were both beautiful.
"I guess that means we have to come up with another name," I said, still gazing down at my second baby girl with a smile on my face.
"Morwen."
I turned toward my husband with a confused look on my face.
"We named our firstborn after a character from The Third Age, just like my parents did with me," Berethor explained with a smile on his face. "Why not give her a name from that same game?"
"Morwen is also the name of a character in the movies," I replied with a smile. "But the Morwen we saw was fierce. I have a good feeling this little one is going to be fierce, too."
"Morwen it is," Berethor said with confidence, writing down our second daughter's name on the sticker. "Morwen Elizabeth."
"Different spellings?" the midwife asked with surprise.
"They are fraternal twins," Berethor replied. "Which means they are different."
"It fits," I chimed in, giving Morwen a kiss on her small hairless head.
THREE HOURS LATER…
"Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!"
Berethor and I stirred awake in the hospital bed when we heard a booming voice.
"What in the world?" Berethor asked.
"It's Santa!" I exclaimed. "But, what are you doing here?"
"A little bird told me that two special little girls just came into the world," Santa explained with his merry voice.
"What time is it now?" I asked my husband, who glanced at his phone.
"It's one o'clock in the morning," Berethor answered.
"So Idrial and Morwen came three hours ago," I said.
"Those are beautiful names," Santa replied with a wide smile. "May I see them?"
"Uh—"
"You are more than welcome to," I answered, returning the smile. "They're happily sleeping together."
We watched Santa walk up to the bassinet, and he gave a quiet "aww" when he looked at our daughters.
"Which girl is which?" Santa asked.
"Idrial's the one with hair," Berethor answered.
"May I hold them?"
"What do you think, Berethor?" I asked with a smile on my face.
"Just, be gentle, please," Berethor pleaded.
I watched Santa pick up Idrial and cradle her in his arms while Berethor took a picture with his phone. After a few minutes, he put Idrial down and picked up Morwen.
"Your very first Christmas gift, girls, is a blessing: each other," Santa explained. "You grew in Mommy's tummy together, and now you will go through your lives together. You will fight with each other, but you will smile more together. You are sisters, but you will grow up to be best friends. That is the greatest gift you can ever receive."
Berethor and I glanced at each other with smiles on our faces, knowing that Santa, who was walking back towards us, was right.
"Diana and… Berethor, right?" he asked, and we nodded our heads. Berethor had blown a sigh of relief when his name was pronounced correctly. "Would you mind if I left a couple small gifts for your girls?"
"Mind?" I asked, still smiling.
"They'd love that," Berethor answered, pulling me closer to him.
"Here you go," Santa said, giving us two small Santa hats with jingle bells on them.
"This is actually perfect," Berethor said. "It was Christmas Eve three hours ago."
"And now it's Christmas," I replied, kissing my husband on the lips. "We had not one, but two Christmas babies." I turned back to Santa. "Thank you for this. This is one holiday we'll both remember for the rest of our lives."
"Merry Christmas!" Santa said happily.
"Merry Christmas!" Berethor and I replied, waving to him before he left the room.
After a short amount of time had passed, Morwen was in my arms again while Idrial was in her father's. The door opened again, this time revealing my parents!
"Mom! Dad! Hi!" I exclaimed happily.
"Congratulations!" Mom replied happily, walking up to the bed and giving me a hug. "Are you in any pain?"
"The pain went away when Morwen arrived," I answered happily.
"Morwen?" Dad asked with surprise. "I thought your daughter's name was going to be Idrial."
"I'm holding Idrial," Berethor said, smiling fondly at her. "Diana's holding Morwen, Idrial's twin sister."
"Twins?" Mom and Dad asked after a gasp.
"I knew it!" Mom exclaimed happily. "I knew something wasn't right when you came to Todayland."
"Oh, Berethor was angry before Morwen came," I explained. "Honey, how are you feeling? Still angry?"
"Well, yes, I still am," Berethor answered. "But both girls arrived healthy and safe, and we just had a visit from Santa. And it is Christmas. Christmas is not a day to be angry."
"So that was Santa!" Dad exclaimed.
"He gave us these little hats for the twins to wear," I said happily.
"Wilbur, I have an idea," Mom said quietly. "Why don't we help the new parents put these hats on their heads? It'll be our first act as grandparents."
"I can't believe I'm actually a grandpa now," Dad replied, but he nodded in agreement.
Dad walked over to me and put the hat on Morwen's head while Mom put the hat on Idrial's.
"Yep, we have another Grandpa Robinson in the family," Mom said.
"You should be proud of this, Dad," I told him.
"I am proud, Diana," Dad replied with a smile. "But I'm thankful, too. Your grandpa can teach me how to be a grandpa, and I have two more girls to love."
"Now that you're a grandpa, does that mean you're the new chief for TIME?" Berethor asked with a grin.
"No, not yet. But Amy is preparing me for that role. So, Diana, how are you?"
"I'm very tired, but I feel wonderful," I answered, handing Morwen to her grandfather.
"I felt the same way when you came into the world," Mom explained with a smile. "I remember giving birth to you like it was yesterday. It was the most special day of my life, especially since it was my birthday."
"Speaking of which," Dad started to say, walking back to the door where he put his bag. "We've decided to bring Christmas here to you."
"You didn't have to do that," Berethor replied, still carrying that smile.
"Wilbur and I were first-time parents too, Berethor," Mom said, handing Idrial back to him. "All we wanted to do was hold Diana in our arms all day. I imagine after Idrial and Morwen's arrival, all you two want to do is spend your Christmas with them. That's why Wilbur and I decided to just celebrate our family Christmas here."
"I truly do have the greatest family," I said in awe as Berethor kissed me on the cheek.
After my parents helped put the twins back in their bassinet, we exchanged presents with each other and celebrated Christmas just like we did if we were home, and it was the best Christmas we've all had in our lives.