Ciara took time to process as she walked for the first time into the garage apartment. Ben followed behind her and felt like he was the world's worst husband, that he was unable to provide for his wife properly.
He closed the door behind him but made a deliberate choice not to lock it yet.
"So what to do you think?" Ben asked nervously then jumped in before she could answer, "It's awful I'm so sorry. Tomorrow I, we'll go apartment hunting if you're up for it."
"It's Ok. I'm just a little nervous. Feeling so unfamiliar about so much. But at least I've never been here before so it won't be like being a stranger in my own home. "Ciara walked around the room taking it in.
Ben put his keys on the dresser. "Maybe it's a good thing. Then you can add real living touches to it. Like you did at our old place. Before it was just a place to eat and sleep. But when you moved in that is when it started feeling like a home. Something to look forward to come home to."
Ciara continued to study the room, "Full carte blanche then."
"Definitely. But no new large purchases yet. I'm saving my easy chair for a steady stable living environment." He smiled largely.
"Yeah, I guess you can't fit an ottoman in here." She raised an eyebrow at the eating table.
"A what?" Ben started to think," Oh, yeah a foot rest. If I have one of those then we'll need a dog."
Ciara was caught by surprise but then felt as if she had that conversation before with him but assumed that they did, "A dog? I've never had a dog."
Ben started to bring boxes that were closer to the middle of the room, "Yeah you told me about Shawn and his allergies. At least you had a goldfish."
"The pet you don't get used to because when you do he's dead an hour later. I had one and that was it. I refused to keep holding funerals for more." As she sat on the bed she noticed her jewelry box on the nightstand. "My jewelry box. Do you look at it often?"
"What?" Ben was surprised. Ciara's jewelry box was packed in the box with her clothing. He went over to the box and started to notice that the box that was originally sealed with clear tape was now sealed back with brown tape."
"At least I recognize something that has to do with you." Ciara opened the top compartment of the box and smiled at the necklace she held. She then opened the locket attached to it and upon seeing the pictures inside stuck her tongue out at them, "Yuck. What was I thinking of replacing my great grandmother's picture with hers?"
Ben recognized the locket immediately. It was the one that Claire chose when he asked her if she wanted anything of Ciara's after she helped him box up her things. How did it get back in Ciara's jewelry box? He could have sworn he saw Claire wearing that locket just yesterday. Of all days why return it now? There was no way she could have known Ciara changed her mind about South Africa and Theo. Why return it in such a sneaky fashion without telling him?
Ciara put the locket back in the box and then continued to analyze it. The box had a wooden draw at the bottom. She remembered as a child once putting a hundred-dollar bill in it. Her first monetary gift from Grandpa Victor. She pulled the draw open and was puzzled by what she found. Not only the money but a small velvet box. Ciara opened the box and was amazed at its contents.
"These earrings are gorgeous. I've never seen them before. Did you…" before she could continue her sentence she was hit with a very hard memory.
"Your father knew he wouldn't be around to give you these today, so I've been holding onto them to give them to you on your wedding day in his place." Hope smiled at her as she held her hands over the box.
As Ciara read the writing inside the lid of the box her heart started to ache with loneliness. Running her index finger over the writing she could feel Bo's presence and let her tears flow as she saw the words.
"For My Doodlebug on her special day."
Tears started to fall down Ciara's face, "Mom gave me these rare earrings from my Dad. He wanted me to have these on my wedding day. I guess that was her way of giving me her blessing for the both of them to marry you."
Ben sat on the bed next to her and started to wipe the tears from her cheeks. With his hands," I know your Dad wouldn't have liked the idea of me as a son-in-law but I still feel cheated that I didn't get a chance to meet him or get to know him."
Ciara was overcome with an urge that she knew felt right, "Ben can I see my wedding ring please?"
Ben went to the dresser and opened the top draw. He then pulled out a black velvet box and returned to Ciara's side. He opened the box and she touched the top of the ring.
"Would you like me to put it back on your finger?" he started to take the ring from the box.
"No. Not yet. I want you to do it when I have my memory back. When you have your wife back." Ciara was satisfied just seeing her ring.
"I have my wife back. She's right in front of me. Babe, I know you want your memory back and from what I can see it's coming in gradually and that's good enough for me. But while we're waiting we can live in the present and look forward to the future. "he then began slipping the ring on her finger saying, "With this ring I thee wed." he then kissed it after.
Ciara's ears started to ring and the room started to spin as she was bombarded with memories, first spiraling out of control at once. Then there was a moment of complete balance and chronology of her time with the man who she would call her husband. From her moments of first waking up in the cabin right up to her wedding day and vividly remembering as Ben kissed her finger after placing her wedding ring on it. She was then hit with memories she wished weren't real. From the explosion in the church after the ceremony in which she feared the love of her life had been killed, to the dorm room where the man she loved became unrecognizable to her. Then those moments that changed their lives forever. Vincent Bellman revealing his nefarious plan to her and taking her captive. Being the unwanted hostage of Alan Rhodes imprisoned in a glass box by him. Watching his murder by Evan Frears and his mental torture of her. The numerous threats to murder Ben. And then he set out to do his deed. The last moments of the horrific walk down memory lane climaxed with her banging on the glass of the box with a metal pipe and feeling as if she was suffocating from inhaling gas that was filing the room from the broken gas pipe and then hearing a loud echoing of a gunshot ringing out. She then started screaming violently, "Ben!" then started shaking in hysteria and wailing," No! No! No!" then she saw a spark and then everything went black for her.
Ben held his wife who crumpled in his arms and was now lifeless in them. He quickly carried her to the bed and began immediately to assess her condition. "No not again, not again!" He then stoically composed himself and checked first Ciara's pulse and was semi relieved that it was faint but threadie. He then put his ear to her chest after noticing very labored breathes and a rise and fall barely against his cheek. He could hear Ciara's heart barely beating with the intervals coming shorter and shorter and far between. With that Ben immediately unzipped the back of her dress pulled it down frantically exposing her bare chest and quickly debated to undo her bra's claps or not deciding in the end not to hoping it would help administer light pressure during the CPR. He then started light compressions on her chest trying to make sure her heart did not give out completely and have her going into cardiac arrest. It became a battle within Ciara's body but with each compression from Ben's hands her heart had a mind of its own. When Ben stopped to check her he was in euphoria at hearing the beautiful sound in his ear. Not only was Ciara's heart beating with a steady rhythm it was stronger than it was than when they were at the pub and he felt it through the dress material. Her breathing was still a bit labored so he tilted her head back opened her mouth and exhaled the deepest breath he could into it to the point he was dizzy but fought passing out. He caught himself and was relieved as Ciara let out a loud gasp and her chest started to rise and fall at a normal rate. Ben collapsed next to her bedside and let out an exhausted, "Thank you God." He then took his phone out of his pocket to call for paramedics when Ciara slowly opened her eyes.
When she was finally coherent she whispered softly, "Ben? Ben is it really you?"
His tears fell onto her face, "I'm here my love, I'm really here."
"You found me. You saved me. Like you always do. In the very beginning form the side of the road. And made me the best pancakes I ever add and the stew that warmed my tummy." Her smile was weak.
Ben was stunned, "Ciara do you…"
"I remember you. I remember everything. Baby I'm home. I'm back." Ciara let her own tears flow.
"Please tell me I'm not dreaming." He then leaned in and kissed her lips tenderly and enjoyed her responding to his kiss, "Definitely I'm not dreaming."
Ciara shook her head from side to side, "No we're not."
He then stated, "I got to call an ambulance to get you the hospital. I want you checked out and no arguments."
"Because you saved my life and now you're responsible for it." She smiled teasingly.
After his phone call was finished, "They're on their way."
Ciara moved Ben's hand to her stomach, "I want to use my tummy for something different really soon. Let's say like carrying a baby. Our baby. Correction Babies."
"Well as soon as the Doctor says you're well enough, let's start on making the most beautiful babies this town has ever seen." His smile was very broad.
In Ciara's hospital room they both stared at the screen of her heart monitor as Kayla declared.
"Well her echocardiogram showed no damage to her heart and it's beating stronger and better than when she was a patient here."
Three Months Later
They stared at the screen as Kayla moved the wand of the ultra sound across Ciara's stomach and announced joyfully.
"And there is the other strong steady heart beat." She then paused and then declared stunned as she stared at the screen and heard a shocking sound, "Oh, my..."
Five and a Half Months Later
In the operating room an emotionally spent Ben stared at all the monitors while Ciara had a groggy gaze fixed on the multiple doctors attending to the newly delivered babies.
"We're almost there sweetheart." Kayla relayed, "Everyone is doing well. Including this one."
The squeal of the newborn filled the room as it was held up to face its parents.
"Unfortunately Ben you can't cut the umbilical cord on this one with the emergency C-section needed to bring him into the world." Kayla surmised. "But Ciara was definitely a champion bringing his siblings in naturally."
"But Mr. Weston you can spend time with your girls while your wife and son get to catch their breath. Both girls have mature lungs developed fully and their heart rates are normal. Baby girl A weighing six pounds and Baby Girl B weighing 6 pound five ounces." Doctor Snyder informed.
"This way Mr. Weston we have a bed ready for you so you can lie down and start skin to skin bonding with your daughters on top of your chest." The nurse declared as she began to lead Ben out of the room.
As he was leaving Ben told Ciara, "I love you."
"I love you more." She replied as Kayla placed their son on her bare chest.
The Next Morning
"One at a time people one at a time." Jake barked outside the door of Ciara's hospital room, "Nobody is crowding my Godchildren."
"Your Godchildren? Ben and Ciara said I could be the Godfather to one of them." Tripp combated.
"Grandma stand down!" Eli screamed.
"Boys if you want children of your own someday then get out of my way." Julie ordered," Nobody is stopping me from seeing my new great grandchildren!"
Doug sneaked into the room," What's new? Except my new great grandchildren?" he hugged Ben, "Congratulations Papa."
"Thanks Doug." Ben answered almost exhausted but jubilant.
"How Grandpa." Ciara greeted as Doug hugged her, "Having trouble keeping grandma at bay?"
"She's ready to charge I'm afraid. The whole family is outside. Are the Triplets ready to meet their family?" Doug's eyes were filled with tears of gratitude.
Ciara looked at Ben and seeing his approval.
A Few Minutes Later
With Ciara holding two Babies and Ben holding one in his arms while sitting in a chair by her bedside. He then announced.
"Everyone please meet Caroline Hope, Alice Ciara and Bo Brady Weston."
The voices of happiness were filled with excitement until another voice caught their attention.
"I get the children get the name Weston but you couldn't fit Clyde in there somewhere?"
Suddenly Ciara awoke and jumped from her sleep.
Ben came into the room and seeing her state, "You OK?"
"Yeah." Ciara then looked at the three babies sleeping in their bassinets placed side by side, "Did they catch your father yet?"
Ben replied dryly, "Nope he was long gone before they came. It seems he just wanted to have his say and meet the babies. He's probably in Mexico by now. Clyde Weston's feet definitely knew better than his heart."
