Harsh yellow light illuminates the room as Hecate finds herself alone in the nursery for the first time. Julie has gone to obtain nourishment. The recently nourished pair of newborns lie against the skin left exposed by her v-neck shirt. As her chest rises, and falls she drinks in every single detail about the tiny girls.
Adelaide's sleeper covered foot rests against her sister's leg. Her tiny grey sleeper with a multitude of colorful flowers matches her cap, which is currently askew. A thin layer of reddish hair sticks out like wildfire beneath her cap. Her forehead wrinkles, and she grunts as she wriggles closer to her sister. Her tiny oblong head shifts rather abruptly as she searches for a familiar face. Her own face has tiny delicate features. Her lips offer an "M" shape as her blue-grey eyes desperately search for her mother. A tiny button nose, and perfectly symmetrical ears round out her utter perfection. Her pink skin, rapidly growing cheeks, and another grunt offer the imagery of a runty piglet.
"Adelaide, I am right here." The tiny eyes immediately lock on Hecate's face.
Calypso Avye wears a zippered sleeper with a rainbow print covering its entirety. Both sleeves of the smaller twin's outfit are folded on her tiny frame. Her eyes remain fixated on her twin. The recent feeding frenzy has knocked her cap off entirely. It is wedged between the Hecate's leg, and the seat of her chair. Little miss's reddish locks primarily stick straight in the air. Her cheek is pressed against Hecate's chest whilst her tiny hand rests on her sister's arm. Her features mirror that of her twin's.
"Calypso I am beginning to become offended that the only time you show any interest in me is when I am offering you sustenance."
The tiniest girl offers a sneeze in response. A knock on the nursery door offers Hecate distraction.
"Do you have the patience for a brief visit?" Dimity inquires.
"It is not as if I could escape if I offered dissent."
Dimity furrows her brow, "I don't understand."
"I am prohibited from lifting the pair of them at the same time."
Dimity motions, "May I?"
Hecate offers a subtle nod as she motions for Dimity to take Calypso. Dimity gently peels the newborn away from her mother. As Dimity presses the tiny infant to her chest the little one's foot dangles until it presses against her burgeoning belly. Her head moves with the stability and grace of a newborn dinosaur.
"How exactly did she manage to go unnoticed the whole time?"
"Apparently it is not unheard of for a twin to be missed on an initial scan. They suspect she was missed in later scans, because she was laying behind Adelaide in such a way that she couldn't be seen."
"I am in a state of shock that they managed to keep you in the hospital as long as they did. I assumed you would be chomping at the bit to get back."
"Suddenly I have nil desire to be anywhere they are not. I have practically been deemed an invalid. My hope of a speedy recovery has been marred by reality. Between the cesarean, and the fractured ribs from chest compressions my physical abilities are quite limited right now."
"What chest compressions?"
Hecate's eyes widen as the realization of reasons Ada would omit details crosses her mind. "I meant…"
Dimity shakes her head, "You cannot retract a statement that has already lingered between my ears."
"I suppose Ada may have spared you some of the specifically challenging details."
"She said the position of the baby required you to have a c-section."
"And that is certainly the version of events I will propose to these precious girls when they ask."
"I prefer reality, Hecate."
"Are you certain? You do still have the task at hand, and I don't want to add to your anxiety."
"In my mind I've mauled over hundreds of horrible scenarios for myself. "
"Adelaide's cord prolapsed. The stress of her delivery triggered Calypso to aspirate on meconium. She had to be intubated temporarily. Sometime after Adelaide was delivered I began hemorrhaging, and spun into hypovolemic shock. My vital signs took a nose dive, and…" she trails off ,"ceased temporarily. They had to perform lifesaving measures. I woke up under the effects of anesthesia completely unaware of the sequence of events including the fact that I had delivered two babies instead of one."
"I feel grossly unprepared. That is horrible."
Hecate glances at Cackle's smallest girls for a moment. Her glance soon falls upon Dimity.
"And I would do every bit of it again," Hecate confesses as caresses the posterior aspect of her daughter's hand.
"It literally killed you. I believe you should see a mental health professional, because you are out of your gourd."
"You will join the same club soon enough."
"What army of assistants is going to aide us in this endeavor? I think it goes without saying that I am grossly unqualified."
"There is no army, only Julie Hubble."
"At least she has experience. My concern is that I am a lost cause. Perhaps I am not teachable on the subject. I cannot appropriately swaddle a stuffed bear. How do you keep your grip on a slippery newborn, and prevent them from drowning in their bath?"