Chapter 14
Andrea moved off the bed and into the recliner in the corner so the nurse could change the linens on the bed. Looking down at the two tiny humans, she was overwhelmed with feelings of joy and love.
She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Emily's number.
"Hello? Andrea? Is everything okay?"
"Hey Em, yes it's fine. Sorry to call in the middle of the night. Can you wake up the girls?"
"Sure, I'm heading to their rooms now. Are you sure everything is okay?"
"Yes. I just want to tell them I love them," Andrea said.
"Just a second," Emily said. Andrea could hear her whispering to the girls in the background.
"Andy?"
"Hi Caroline," Andrea said. "I'm sorry to wake you up, sweetheart."
"It's okay," she said groggily. "Are the babies okay?"
"Yes, Care. The babies and your mom are all doing well. Your mom is taking a shower right now. I just wanted to call to tell you I love you, sweetheart."
After a few minutes of silence, the young girl yawned. "I love you, too, Andy."
"Can you put your sister on? Goodnight, Caroline."
"Sure. Goodnight, Andy. Give the babies a kiss from me."
"Will do," Andrea said as she bent down and slowly pressed a kiss to the newborn in her arms.
"Andy?"
"Hi Cassidy. I'm sorry to wake you up."
"Is Mom okay?"
"Yes, sweetie. Your mom had a really long day and she's taking a shower right now. I'm sitting here holding Callie, and I just wanted to tell you that I love you, Cassidy."
"That's why you woke me up? Duh, I knew that."
Andrea chuckled. "Okay, well I just wanted to hear your voices. How would you like it if Emily and Serena brought you by the hospital before school in the morning? You could surprise your mom."
"And see the babies?"
"Yes, and see the babies," Andrea said. "Now go back to sleep for a few hours, sweetie."
"Okay. See you in the morning, Andy."
"See you soon, Cass. Goodnight."
"Goodnight. Love you, Andy. Here's Emily."
"Is everything alright, Andrea?"
"Yes. Can you and Serena come by the hospital for an hour before the girls go to school?"
"Actually, James was going to pick them up in the morning. I will call and tell him to come by earlier—unless—will that be a problem?"
"No, I think it will be fine. Thanks, Em."
"Of course. Oh, and tell Miranda we have everything setup here. The nursery is fully stocked, the bassinets are ready to go, and Helen is anxious to come in whenever Miranda gives the okay," Emily said.
"Perfect. Thank you—both of you. I know it means a lot to Miranda that she can trust you at home. If you two and Nigel want to swing by the hospital tomorrow late afternoon, that would probably be okay. But just give me a call first."
"Yes. And tell Miranda that Serena and I said hello and that we're proud of her. There is no way I could ever put on thirty-five pounds and push two babies through my—well. You know. Give her our best."
Andrea chuckled. "Will do. I gotta go, babies are crying," she said. Setting the phone down, she carefully laid Callie in the bassinet and picked up Catherine, bouncing her gently as she held her to her chest.
Miranda emerged from the bathroom, her hair dry and perfectly styled. She was radiant, although Andrea couldn't help but notice how heavily she was leaning on Alice's arm.
She climbed into bed and held out her arms. "Catherine is hungry, give her here."
Andrea carefully handed her over and watched in awe as Miranda unpinned the clasp on her nightgown, silencing the crying newborn.
"Bring Callie up here," she said quietly, motioning to the space next to her on the bed.
Andrea smiled at hearing the nickname roll off her tongue. She took Callie and climbed onto the bed next to Miranda.
"For the next twelve hours, they will both benefit from skin-to-skin—and it doesn't just have to be with the mother," Alice said as she poured Miranda a glass of water.
"Go on, darling," Miranda said, leaning over and kissing her on the temple.
Andrea carefully unbuttoned her blouse and unwrapped the blankets that were tightly wrapped around the newborn.
"Keep her warm with the blanket," Alice said.
"Alice, thank you for everything," Miranda said. "Once Catherine is finished here, I think we're going to try and catch a few hours of sleep. We will see you tomorrow morning."
"Of course. There are nurses on call, so if you need anything, they'll be in right away. Goodnight—and congratulations," she said before walking out.
"Andrea, I'm so tired," Miranda said as she leaned her head back against the pillows.
"Let's get some rest. The girls will be fine," she said as she slowly sat up and laid Callie in the bassinet without waking her. She wheeled the bassinet to the other side of the bed—to Miranda's side—where the nurse had already set Catherine's. She took the younger of the two babies from Miranda's arms and quietly laid her next to her sister.
Andrea dimmed the lights before she returned to Miranda's bedside. "Can I lower this?" she asked.
Miranda nodded, and Andrea carefully lowered the bed so Miranda could truly lay down and relax. "Come here," she said.
Andrea kicked off her shoes and climbed into bed next to Miranda. "I'm so proud of you, Miranda. I love you so much," she said, kissing her softly on the lips.
"Mmm," Miranda hummed. "I know, go to sleep."
Andrea smiled and tucked her head into Miranda's neck as she pulled the blanket up and around them.
The babies slept soundly for the next three hours, as did Miranda and Andrea. The nurses came in and out a few times throughout the night to check on the babies, but Andrea was grateful that Miranda was able to rest some.
Around 7:45 AM, Andrea woke when she heard twin whispers and giggles.
"Andy? Is Mom awake?" Cassidy whispered.
"Hi, sweetheart. She will be in a second," Andrea said, leaning over and softly kissing Miranda's cheek. "Wake up, we have a surprise," she whispered into her ear.
Miranda slowly opened her eyes and met Andrea's gaze. A smile slowly crept over her lips and she reached up to brush her fingers along Andrea's cheek. Before she could move any closer, one of the girls coughed rather suddenly.
"Girls," Miranda gasped. "Oh, Bobbseys, come here," she said.
Andrea climbed out of the bed and threw on a sweater. She grabbed Miranda's silk robe and helped her into it. "Why don't you go sit on the couch over there and we'll bring the babies," she said.
Miranda excused herself to use the bathroom, then quickly joined her family, taking a seat on the couch between her daughters.
"You have to hold her very carefully," Andrea told Cassidy. "Two hands at all times, and remember that a baby's muscles aren't strong enough to hold up their head, so you have to support it."
"Is this Callie or Catherine?"Cassidy asked.
"Catherine." Andrea looked up and saw Miranda showing Caroline how to hold Callie.
"They're so cute," Caroline said quietly.
"Yes, they are," Miranda said. "Where is Emily? How did you get here?"
"Oh, uh, Dad brought us. He's waiting outside."
"He figured you wouldn't want to see him," Cassidy added.
"Andrea, tell him to come in. That's ridiculous," Miranda said. "Girls, I'm so glad you came. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see your beautiful faces. Girls, you've grown up so fast. I am going to need a lot of help in the next few years, and I want you to help me raise Catherine and Callie to be the same remarkable young women you two are." She bent over and kissed each of her four daughters on the forehead.
"Miranda, congratulations," James said when he walked in.
"Thank you," she said, standing up to greet him.
"Can I—do you mind?" he asked.
"Of course not," Miranda said as she wrapped her arm around Andrea's waist. "You've met Andrea, right?"
"Actually, we've only really spoken on the phone," Andrea said. "But it feels like we've known each other for a while."
"Yes. I'm sorry, it's nice to meet you, Andrea. Congratulations to you, too. I'm glad you were here for Miranda," he said.
James sat with the girls as they all fawned over the newborn twins. "Miranda, they're absolutely perfect," he said.
"I know," she said, resting her head against Andrea's shoulder.
Just then, Catherine began to fidget and cry, and Cassidy quickly handed her over to her mother. Miranda held her and quietly tried to rock her back to sleep, but before long, Callie was crying, too.
"Girls, come on," James said. "We've got to get you to school. Maybe you can come back tonight if it's okay with your mom—after you finish your homework."
Miranda nodded and said goodbye to her daughters and ex-husband as she and Andrea attempted to quiet the babies' cries. Miranda sat in the recliner and unlatched her gown so Catherine could begin feeding. "I so wish you could help with this," she said.
"When you pump, we could take turns feeding them from a bottle—would that help?"
Miranda shook her head. "No, it's fine. I want to spend time bonding with them both. It's just, I'm ready to go back to sleep right now, and I have to sit through not one, but two of them," she said.
"Okay," Andrea said. "Why don't you move to the bed. I'm sure it would be more comfortable." She helped her up from the chair and over to the bed. "I'm going to ask the nurse for some diapers," she said, heading towards the hallway.
"Andy, is everything okay?" Jen asked.
"Yeah. Two things—first, where are the diapers?"
"Here," she said, pulling a large stack out of the drawer at the desk. "What else?"
"Well, Miranda is really tired. I remember reading about a breastfeeding position where she could lie down on the bed—do you know anything about that?"
"Yes, a lot of mothers find that's the easiest for them to get rest. Sharon, one of our lactation consultants, just came in. Should I send her in?" she asked.
"Yes, please. If for nothing else, just a little reassurance," Andrea said. "Thanks for the diapers!"
Andrea carried Callie over to the changing table and carefully put a clean diaper on her. She quieted down, and for a minute, Andrea played with her there, gently holding her hands and kissing her tummy and her toes.
"Knock knock," Sharon said as she entered the room. "Hi Miranda, I'm Sharon, and I'm a lactation consultant."
"Oh, I really don't think—"
"Just give me ten minutes, then I'll go away," she said.
Miranda shrugged.
"Okay, so I'm sure you know the basics. I just wanted to introduce you to a few different positions, and give you a few tips for relief once your milk comes in. Since these babies are only about eight hours old, you're still producing colostrum, which is a thick, sticky, nutrient-rich food for the babies. I'm sure you're exhausted, so I wanted to show you a position where you can lie down alongside the baby."
"Okay, Catherine's just about finished," she said. "Andrea?"
"Right here," she said, taking Catherine from her arms. Miranda smiled as Andrea cradled her two babies.
"Miranda, if you can scoot over towards the middle of the bed and lay on your right side," Sharon said as she lowered the bed flat. "Stretch your right arm up and lie on your arm—that's it—and release your right breast from your gown." She reached out and took Callie from Andrea's arms, positioning her flat on the bed.
"Can she get enough milk—or colostrum, whatever—in this position?" Miranda asked.
"Yes. This is a very natural position for her, and as long as you're careful, you can close your eyes and get some rest, too."
"Careful about what?" Miranda asked as she gently stroked her daughter's forehead.
"Well, if you're alone, you'll want to ensure that you stay awake so you don't accidentally roll on top of the baby or, in a few months, so that she doesn't roll off the bed," Sharon explained. "And of course, once your milk comes in, you'll probably want to lay a burp cloth on the bed or else you'll be changing the sheets several times a day."
"Oh, of course."
"Can I ask how you're doing other than that? Any pain or discomfort?"
"Some mild cramping, but otherwise I'm doing well. Just need some sleep," Miranda said. "Unfortunately I was spoiled these past few months—I was on bed rest and really got more than enough sleep."
"Well, I'm sure you'll adjust. Looks like you have a very helpful partner, here."
"I do. I certainly do," she said.
"Well, if you need anything else, just ask for me. I'll try to check in on you later tonight before my shift's over if that's okay."
"That will be fine," Miranda said, closing her eyes.
After changing Catherine's diaper and placing her back in her bassinet, Andrea took Sharon's place at Miranda bedside. Shortly after, Callie gently let go of Miranda's breast. Andrea gently picked her up and held her for a few minutes before putting her back into her bassinet as she, too, was fast asleep. She crawled up on the bed next to Miranda and pulled the sheet gently over them.
Andrea wasn't really tired, so she laid there, gazing at the woman she planned to spend the rest of her life with. Even though she fixed her hair this morning, she still pinned her bangs back with the bobby pin Andrea gave her yesterday. Without makeup, she could see the pale freckles dotting the woman's cheekbones and along the ridge of her aquiline nose. There were tiny red dots around Miranda's eyes, which could only be broken blood vessels that resulted from pushing so hard. She couldn't resist lifting her hand and gently brushing the woman's cheek.
"Mmmmh."
Andrea smiled and stilled her hand, not wanting to rouse Miranda from her sleep.
"Do the babies need me?" she asked, her eyes still closed tightly.
"No, they're fine. Go back to sleep," she whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Mmmkay. Love you."
"Love you, too," she whispered.
Some time later, Andrea had slipped out of bed to take a shower herself. First, she went out into the hall to find the nurse and let her know Miranda was still sleeping.
"Oh, Andy, someone brought this for you. I didn't want to bother you earlier," the nurse said, handing a small cooler over.
"Who is it from?"
"She didn't say. She was a petite blonde girl, very fashionable."
Andrea smiled. "Abby. Miranda's assistant," she said as she looked through the cooler full of healthy, protein-packed snacks. "Thanks, Jen."
Once she was showered and dressed in clean clothes, she cleared off the table along the wall and draped a blanket over it as a tablecloth. She set out two plates for herself and Miranda, poured Miranda a glass of Pellegrino, and began unpacking the cooler. Abby really packed everything: hard-boiled eggs, greek yogurt, granola, fresh berries and melon, cottage cheese, English muffins, almond butter, apples, and honey.
When she laid it all out on the table, she noticed a post-it in the bottom of the cooler: Call 203-929-2003 and ask for Cameron. He'll deliver Miranda's Starbucks order to her room in 3 min. -Abby. She would seriously have to talk to Miranda about giving Abby a raise.
After calling Cameron, she walked over and gently sat on the edge of the bed. "Miranda," she whispered, softly kissing her on the cheek.
Miranda opened her eyes and smiled. "I can get used to being woken like that," she said with a smile. "Are they hungry again?"
"No. They're asleep, but you need to eat something," Andrea said. "It's almost noon."
"Really? Well, I guess—"
"It's all set at the table," Andrea said with a smile. A soft knock on the door interrupted them. Andrea smiled and answered it, returning with a scalding venti no-foam latte.
Miranda sat up. "Oh my god, give me that," she said, sitting up and reaching her hand out. She took a sip and hummed in delight. "This is so hot and so delicious—thank you."
"Don't thank me, thank Abby. She arranged it all. And she brought over all this food for you, too," Andrea said, leading Miranda to the table.
Miranda smiled. "Well, thank you for finding her and hiring her and teaching her how to spoil me," she said. Miranda made herself a bowl of yogurt with honey, granola, and berries while Andrea spread some almond butter on a slice of English muffin.
"How are you feeling today?" Andrea asked.
"Good. Fine."
Andrea glared at her with one eyebrow arched.
"Okay. I'm a little sore. My legs hurt, my back is sore, my abdomen feels like it's been a heavyweight punching bag, and my—" she waved her hand, gesturing between her legs, "feels like…I don't even know. It's uncomfortable."
"I can check with the nurse and see if she can give you some ibuprofen or something," Andrea said.
"That's fine. I'm fine, really. I didn't expect this to be painless," Miranda said as she finished her yogurt. "Maybe you can rub my back later?"
Andrea chuckled. "Of course. I can have a massage therapist come in if you'd prefer," she offered.
"No. Then for sure I'll be sore. I would rather you do it," she said, gazing into the brunette's eyes.
Their gaze was punctuated by a high-pitched wail on the other side of the room.
"I'll go keep her quiet for a while," Andrea said. "You just relax and finish eating."
Miranda watched as the young woman picked up Catherine and cradled her in her arms while she moved around the room. Miranda finished eating and walked up behind the young woman, wrapping her arm around her waist and laying her head on her shoulder. "Andrea, I love you so much. Seeing you here with the babies like this—I'm just overwhelmed. Thank you for loving me, for loving us."
Andrea turned around and kissed Miranda's lips. The only thing keeping them from taking it any further was Catherine's little hand that reached up and touched Miranda's chin.
"Come here, baby," Miranda said, taking Catherine from her arms. "You are my beautiful baby girl who would not stop kicking me these past few months, aren't you? You just couldn't wait to get out so I could hold you, right? Your mommies love you so very much," she whispered, softly kissing the baby's forehead.
They spent the rest of the day relaxing and cuddling with the babies. Miranda experienced a few strong contractions that afternoon, but the doctor reassured her that it was simply her uterus trying to shrink itself down to size.
"I want to go home," Miranda said quietly. "I want to sleep in our bed. I want to lock the door and kiss you." It was Wednesday morning and she was curled up against Andrea's body.
"I know you do, but you know the pediatrician wants to keep the babies for observation for at least another twenty-four hours—probably until Friday," Andrea said. "Actually, if you want to go and get some rest, I'll stay here with them. But kissing with the door locked does sound romantic," she added.
"Thank you, but no. I'm not leaving them. Plus, I'd have to pump enough for them to drink—not worth it."
"How about we take a walk outside this afternoon? Maybe have lunch at one of the picnic tables," Andrea suggested.
"Yes," Miranda said. "Dr. Assaf wants me to get more exercise anyway, and maybe some fresh air could do me good."
Their time in the hospital was spent entertaining a lot of visitors: James, Caroline & Cassidy, Emily, Serena, Nigel, Irv & Myra, Cara, and even Donatella. As grateful as she was for all that these people were doing for her while she was off work, she longed for some time to herself, just with her family. At home.
Late Thursday night James called.
"Miranda's sleeping, I'll have her call you back," Andrea whispered into the phone.
"I'm awake," Miranda said, reaching her arm out for the phone. "What?" she asked.
"Uh, my mom really wants to come in and see you, stay with the babies, you know, since you're going home tomorrow. She wants me to pick her up from the train station this weekend, but I wanted to run it by you first," he said.
"No. No, I just want one week to myself—just me an my family. Is that too much to ask for?" Miranda spat.
"Uh, so I'll tell her to wait a while longer."
"Yes. I'm their mother. I can change their diapers and feed them and bathe them. I don't need Helen to show me how to do it!" Miranda huffed and handed the phone back to Andrea.
"James?" she asked, running out into the hallway.
"What the hell was that?" he asked.
"Uh I'm not sure. Maybe hormones or something. Please tell Helen we appreciate the offer, and I know Caroline and Cassidy are really looking forward to seeing her, but Miranda just needs a few days."
James sighed. "She's not going to like that."
"I know. I'll have the girls email her and George some photos of the babies. I'm sorry. I have to go get back to Miranda."
"Take care," he said.
Andrea quietly crept back into the dark room and walked over to check on the babies. Both were sleeping soundly. They were holding their own body temperature, so they were transferred from warming beds to regular bassinets. In the morning, they just needed to pass the Car Seat Test, then they could go home. She practiced holding both girls at an incline today and they were fine, so she was sure they would pass. Andrea froze when she heard sniffling coming from the bed and quickly rushed over.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I don't know," Miranda said. Her voice was hoarse, and Andrea realized she must have been crying for a while.
"Are you having pain? Do I need to get the nurse?"
"No, no, nothing like that. I just—" she buried her head in the pillow and began sobbing.
Andrea climbed into bed next to her and hugged her. Miranda buried her head on her shoulder and clutched her tightly, all while Andrea held her and tried to soothe her.
"Will you tell me what you're thinking about?" Andrea asked after Miranda calmed down a bit.
"Everything. I'm exhausted and I can hardly keep my eyes open. How am I going to stay awake to take care of the babies? How am I going to go back to work like this? The babies are going to forget about me and—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Andrea said, interrupting her. "You are getting so far ahead of yourself, sweetie. Let's take this one day at a time. Now, you have the next three months—maybe more—off work. And no matter how few hours of sleep you've gotten in the past during fashion weeks or whatnot, your body just spent eight months growing two human beings. And it needs a little more rest—just for now."
"But they're already getting bigger and I can't just sleep through it!"
Andrea kissed Miranda's forehead. "They're seventy-two hours old. When they're sleeping, you can sleep. When we get home, they can sleep with us if you want," Andrea said.
Miranda's eyes lit up. "You mean that? I thought you said co-sleeping was too dangerous."
"There are risks for everything, especially when they're this little. Putting them in a crib or bassinet is risky, too. I can have Cara take the mattress pad off the bed and secure the sheets tightly. We can put the comforter away for the summer and use that light quilt from the closet. I mean, if you still want to try it," Andrea said.
Miranda smiled. "Yes," she said. "I love you so much, Andrea, you know that, right?"
"I do," she said. "Why don't you try and get some sleep. I will be sure to wake you the minute one of them starts crying."
"Thank you," she said, taking Andrea's hand and linking their fingers. Within a few minutes she was fast asleep in her lover's arms.
Andrea couldn't be happier.
TBC