Chapter twenty-two

Grace POV

Twenty-three years ago

Aspen, Colorado

"So, what do you think?" I asked Elena. We had just left the beauty salon and were headed back to our cabin. I wanted to surprise Cary with my new haircut. I couldn't wait to see his expression. He'd always said he preferred me with shorter hair. Edward and Cary had stayed home for work-related reasons and were meeting us here tomorrow night. I was okay with this arrangement, these past few months had been critical; Grey Enterprises & Holdings was in the midst of entering the foreign market and expanding its client base. Besides, I was looking forward to a girl's night out tonight; Elena and I were planning on kicking back and relaxing with a movie and a bowl of popcorn.

"It looks great," Elena replied absentmindedly, buckling into the passenger seat.

"You really think Cary will love it?" I smiled as I buckled up Christian in the backseat. I handed him a couple of Dr. Seuss' books and kissed the top of his head.

"Maybe it's a little too short?" I replied, checking my reflection in the rear-view mirror. "Do I look like Marilyn Monroe reincarnated?" I chuckled, fluffing my hair. This new layered bob haircut and color would make the blonde bombshell jealous. I could almost pass for her, if it weren't for the big pregnant belly, I decided.

"He'll love it," she answered dryly. "There isn't a man alive that doesn't worship the woman," she shook her head, "even though she's been dead a great many years."

"After months of feeling like a cow...that's exactly what I need to hear," I chuckled, referring to my baby bump. I was well aware that I had put on more weight than recommended with this pregnancy and was in desperate need of a pick-me-up. "I can't wait to get back to the cabin and soak in the tub," I sighed as I backed out of a parking spot and shifted into drive. "There's this new movie I've been wanting to watch..."

I gushed more about the movie, but I soon realized Elena wasn't listening. I really couldn't blame her for being distracted. Poor thing; my heart went out to her. These last few years had been tough. She and Edward have been trying to have children for the past three years with no luck.

While struggling with infertility brought us together and cemented our friendship, it has also caused a divide between Elena and me. I was hoping this is temporary and that eventually, Elena would soon be blessed with a child of her own.

Suddenly, I was surprised by a jolt of crippling pain localized to the small of my back. I let out a gasp and gripped the steering wheel. I must have swerved a little into the next lane, next thing I knew, another driver was honking the horn at me. I immediately over-corrected and moved out of his way.

"Grace...what's wrong?" Elena asked wide-eyed.

"This pain...Oh, God! I can't...I can't describe it."

"Hope it's not a contraction?" Elena tilted her head just so. "Pull over, Grace. I'll drive the rest of the way."

Somehow, after parking the vehicle, I managed to slide over to the passenger side. Elena gave me a half-smile as she settled behind the steering wheel. She drove us to the cottage in nearly complete silence. We were pulling into the garage when we first heard of the upcoming storm on the radio.

Of course, I was immediately concerned. I tried calling Cary, the minute we got inside, but the landlines were down. Not only that, but we also discovered that even though we could still get the local TV stations, our cable service was out too. Fearing the loss of electricity, Elena got busy lighting candles in every room in the house.

As soon as we got inside, my sweet little boy started running around the house. It made Elena anxious. But I was happy that he remembered the place and felt right at home and wished Elena was more understanding. I opened my mouth to redirect Christian to a quieter activity, but then found myself consumed by distressing thoughts. The pain in my lower back and the hip area was becoming more challenging with each passing second.

Elena suggested I get in the tub, promptly moving to run the water for me.

"I want a bath too," Christian said, tugging at my dress.

"Oh, no, sweetheart, you can't get in the tub with me...but you can play with your trucks right here, next to me," I told my darling copper-haired boy.

Elena rolled her eyes at that. Even though she and I differed regarding Christian's clinginess, I was sure Elena meant well. She was just more of a disciplinarian than I was; I had no doubt she'd make an excellent mother one day.

"Vroom, vroom," Christian said as he spun the shiny wheels of his monster truck. The truck was the kind with magnetic wheels that could climb the walls, which fascinated him to no end. And I was thankful for the distraction at this point, even though ordinarily I welcomed his questions. I loved our conversations. Christian had come a long way from the shy, non-talkative little boy he'd been when we adopted him a year and a half ago.

Elena helped me get in the tub. "There. Are you comfortable?" She asked me, glancing over at Christian. "Are you going to be okay here by yourself?"

"Sure," I said, leaning back on a pillow positioned against the edge of the tub. "Christian will be no trouble. We do this at home all the time."

"You really are coddling him too much, you know," she mumbled. I couldn't see her expression, only her side profile.

"Dr. Flynn doesn't see it that way. Christian came from an abusive environment where he had formed an insecure attachment with his birth mother. Anything I can do to strengthen our connection will help him feel more confident and secure in the long run."

"Well, let's hope he's not thirty by the time he lets go of those apron strings. Remember Barry from high school? Talk about a mama's boy... last I heard he was on his third divorce," she said with a shake of the head.

"I'm sure Christian will be okay," I said distractedly, lathering my body with soap. At this point, I wasn't sure I would be able to stay on topic. The pain in my lower back had become unbearably intense. I couldn't help but cry out in pain, making Elena stopped on her heels on her way out the door.

"Are you okay?"

"It's... this...back pain," I mumbled, my voice so full of agony that Christian turned back to look at us with a curious expression.

"Grace, do you think you're in labor?" Elena murmured with concern in her eyes. "I heard, in some cases, back pain can be a sign."

"Please help me...get out!" I panted. I was starting to panic. If indeed I was in labor and it was this bad now, how much worse could it possibly get?

My sense of balance suddenly betrayed me, and I nearly slipped getting out of the tub. Thankfully, Elena was there to help me get dressed while Christian continued to play. Every once in a while, however, he would glance worriedly in our direction.

"Try the phones again," I asked Elena as she walked me back to my room and helped me get into bed.

Elena was gone for who knows how long while I struggled with the pain. At first, I tried to distract myself by breathing in and out, counting, and timing the contractions. But the thought of being in labor terrified me. It wasn't supposed to be this way; I was four weeks early, and my beloved husband wasn't here, holding my hand.

Lord, please, help me!

Let this be false labor!

Oh, what if it was? What if Cary doesn't make it here in time!

"Christian, please, go get Elena! Mommy... needs help. Please!" I breathed, and Christian's eyes widened.

"Okay," he mumbled as he ran out of the room before I had a chance to tell him how much I loved him. I got out of bed and made out down the hallway, leaning onto the walls and furniture for support. I called Elena's name over and over, but I couldn't project my voice very far; to me, it sounded barely above a whisper.

"Where were you?" I asked Elena when she finally reappeared. "Where's Christian?" I asked. I could hear the TV blasting coming from one of the rooms down the hallway.

"I put him to bed," she said matter-of-factly. "He's asleep now... he fell asleep watching TV," she added after a moment.

"No, no, I need to go to a hospital!" I weakly protested even as I hobbled back to bed with Elena assisting me.

"Grace. I don't think I can get the car out of the driveway... there's a freaking blizzard out there."

Suddenly, the contractions became pushier and more intense. Elena came in and out of the room, gathering all the things necessary for a home delivery. I couldn't believe this was happening, I wished with all my heart that this was all a bad dream.

"Call Cary! Please!" I sobbed and grabbed the sheets into a tight fist as another powerful contraction suddenly overtook me, and my eyes filled with tears.

When the next contraction came, Elena coached me, and I pushed as hard as I could. Minutes passed, and the baby was out after a great deal of burning and pushing.

I rested my head on the pillow, sweat dripping down my temple as crying filled the room. Elena put a blanket on my chest, and then she gently set the baby down.

"It's a girl," Elena said emotionless, a weird expression crossing her face. That should have been my first clue, but I was too caught up in the moment. I couldn't wait for Cary to find out. He'd thought all along we were having a boy!

I reached to cradle my baby's tiny head. She matched my skin tone and had a thin layer of very light peach fuzz on top of her head. Elena clamped the cord and cleaned her up, all while she was on top of me.

"She's beautiful!" I cried and laughed at the same time.

"She's perfect," Elena said, moving to the take the baby from me. "You need to get some rest."

"I want to nurse her," I murmured, pulling my baby away from her. Elena stood back with her arms crossed. I barely made eye contact with her. "Can you please get me the phone? I want to talk to Cary," I said, looking down at my precious baby girl. She was perfect, indeed. I tried to get get her to latch on to my breast as the LAMAZE coach had suggested. "C'mon, Mia," I cooed, looking into her eyes. When discussing names, Cary and I had finally settled on Elliot if it was a boy and Miriam ( Mia for short ) if it was a girl.

I was so focused on my miracle baby, I didn't notice Elena leaving the room. My moments of bliss watching my little girl as she nursed were short-lived. Next thing I knew, the pain returned, except that this time, there was something wet between my legs. I dismissed it at first. I kissed the top of my little girl's head; sweet Mia had dozed off like the little angel she was.

It took me another moment to realize I was bleeding heavily.

Oh, God! NO!

I called Elena's name with urgency in my voice. By the time she finally reappeared, I was in a state of panic. She immediately took Mia from my arms and set her down on the daybed across from my bed. We discussed what we could do to stop the bleeding. Elena suggested I lay with a pillow under me to keep my pelvis elevated.

Christian came into the room, and Elena shouted at him to get out.

"NO! Don't yell at him like that, he's just scared!" I exclaimed, my heart breaking into a thousand pieces. I tried getting out of bed to go after him, but Elena pushed me back down. Her brusque demeanor freaked me out even more than I already was. "Elena, he's just a little boy... I need to hold him, tell him everything is going to be okay," I pleaded with her. Elena just gave me a blank look. Knowing I had to do something, I had to go comfort Christian.

Once again, I tried getting out of bed. Except in the next moment, my heart nearly stopped. When I looked down, I was horrified at the amount of blood I was losing. The sheets were soaked, and blood ran down my legs.

I doubled in pain as another contraction knocked me down onto the bed. Elena put her hand on my still swollen belly, and her eyes widened in confusion.

"How can this be? " she said numbly," You already delivered the placenta, but you're still having contractions."

I pushed again, bearing down completely. In the next moment, another baby slid its way into the world. Looking at the miracle unfolding right before my eyes, I cried tears of profound joy.

Oh, my God, TWINS! TWINS

How was this possible? After so many years of trying to get pregnant, Cary and I were being blessed with twins!

"It's another girl!" Elena said as the new baby cried out. "And she's perfect," she added her eyes filled with an unnamed emotion, dark and full of longing.