Chapter Fifteen
Late Friday afternoon, Miranda and Andrea left the hospital, each of them carrying one of the babies in a carrier. Nigel, Emily, and Caroline & Cassidy walked with them, because by now, there was a significant crowd of photographers awaiting their exit. Miranda carefully draped a blanket over each carrier to shield the newborns from the cameras. As for herself, she donned a Lilly Pulitzer maxi dress with a gauzy white long cardigan and white and pink polka-dot scarf. She and Andrea both wore dark sunglasses, and she pinned her bangs back off her forehead.
Just before they reached the doors, she stopped and turned to Andrea. "Are you ready for this?"
"I am," she said. "Let's go home."
Miranda exited the hospital doors with her head held high. Roy held the door open and helped her to secure Catherine's car seat, then helped her into the backseat, where she sat between the car seats. In the meantime, Andrea walked around to the other side and secured Callie's car seat, then hurried around to get into the passenger seat. Nigel, Emily, and the girls followed in another car.
"How are we going to fit everyone in this car?" Miranda asked once they were on the road.
"There's a second row of seats in the back. I haven't put them in yet," Roy explained. "It might get tight if you have a lot of luggage or something, but for now this should work."
Miranda nodded. She carefully removed the blankets from the carriers. Callie was sleeping soundly, but Catherine's eyes were open wide. Miranda leaned over the carrier and kissed her on the nose while she gently tickled her tummy beneath the safety belt.
"They're beautiful," Roy said after a while, breaking the silence. "Congratulations, Miranda."
"Thank you," she said.
A few minutes later, Roy pulled into Miranda's garage and stopped the car. "Can I help you ladies into the house?" he asked.
"No."
"Yes."
Andrea turned around and Miranda met her gaze with a raised eyebrow. "Miranda, you're going to have to climb three flights of stairs. Let Roy bring the carrier in for you."
"Fine," she said.
Andrea unsecured Callie's carseat, then helped Miranda from the car. "Are you doing okay?" she asked when she saw Miranda wince.
"Still a little sore. I'm fine."
Andrea unlocked the door and entered the house, setting down the carrier on the floor in the living room. She headed back down the stairs and met Miranda, helping her up to the first floor. She made her way to the bathroom, and Roy set Catherine's carrier on the ground next to Callie.
"Can I help with anything else?" Roy asked.
"No, we're fine for now. Thank you," Andrea said. The babies were fine in their carseats, so she softly knocked on the bathroom door. "Everything okay?"
"Can you get me another pad?" Miranda asked.
"Sure, here," Andrea said, pulling one from her purse. She cracked the door open and handed it to her. "Is it still heavy?" she asked.
"I'm just moving around more today," she said. "Let's keep the babies down here for a while, okay?"
"Sure," she said while Miranda washed her hands. "I'm going to grab a few pillows and things from upstairs, but I'll be back in a second. Do you need anything?"
"Not now, thanks," she said. Miranda made her way over to the couch and turned both carriers so they were facing her. She unbuckled both girls' safety straps, and carefully picked up Callie, who was now awake, too.
"Oh, Callie, my sweet pea," she whispered, kissing her on the forehead. She held her against her chest and softly rubbed her back. "Mommy loves you so much," she whispered, kissing her temple.
Andrea came downstairs with a laundry basket full of various items. She set the basket down on the ground and handed Miranda a burp cloth, which she quickly put on her shoulder. She took a box of disposable breast pads, a pillow, and several small blankets out of the basket.
"Something to eat or drink?" Andrea asked.
"Lemonade, or if we don't have that, still water is fine."
A few minutes later, Andrea returned with two glasses of lemonade and set them on the coasters on the table. She reached down and picked up Catherine, taking a seat on the couch next to Miranda.
"She looks tired," Miranda said.
"I know," Andrea said. "You know, she has your nose."
Miranda chuckled. "I suppose she does. I thought Nigel and the girls were behind us?"
"They were going to take Caroline & Cassidy out for dinner before coming home. I hope you don't mind—I just thought you'd appreciate getting situated before everyone came over."
Miranda smiled. "Thank you. I suppose I shouldn't have been so rude to James the other night. Helen only wants to help."
"You weren't rude, and I think she understands. It's just that grandmother's natural instinct," Andrea said.
"Speaking of grandmothers, have you talked to your mom?"
"Not since before they were born. She did mention wanting to come visit to see the babies and meet you, though. Just her—not my dad."
"That would be fine—but we really don't have enough room for everyone to stay here," Miranda said.
"Well we have the daybed on the fourth floor, the sofa in your office, and the girls' play room. And the girls can even share a bed if needed," Andrea said.
"True. Let's hope we don't have that many people staying over at once," she said. "Were you waiting to call your mom for any reason?"
Andrea shrugged. "I didn't really know how you felt about it. It's no big deal."
"Andrea, it is a big deal. You're a mother now, too."
"I know, I just feel bad taking credit. I mean, this was all you," she said.
"I never want to hear you say that again," Miranda snapped. "It was not all me. I've told you, I couldn't have done this—any of this—without you. I'm healthy. These two beautiful baby girls are healthy, and it's all because of you. You supported me and took care of me, physically and emotionally. Now, call your mother."
"Now?"
"Yes."
Andrea chuckled and pulled out her phone. "Hi, Mom," she said.
"Andy? Hi honey, what's going on?"
"Well, I just wanted to tell you that you have two new grandchildren," Andrea said.
"What?! When? You said she wasn't due until August. Are they okay?"
"Yes, everyone is doing fine. Miranda went into labor on Monday and the babies were born early Tuesday morning."
"Oh my gosh. Honey, why didn't you call?"
"I'm sorry. I was just so busy and overwhelmed. We just got home from the hospital tonight."
"Well, tell me—what are their names?"
"Callista Elizabeth was five pounds, eleven ounces, and Catherine Helen was five pounds three ounces. I'll send you a few pictures when I get off the phone," she said.
"Oh, my. And Miranda is doing well?"
"Yes she is. It was a natural childbirth—I'm so proud of her," Andrea said.
"Please give her my best and tell her congratulations," she said.
"I will. Look, I have to go now, but I just wanted to let you know about the babies."
"Thank you, honey. You take care, now. Miranda, too. I want to come visit you soon, so please let me know when I can come."
"Will do. Thanks, Mom. Love you."
"Oh wait! What was it you wanted to ask me about Grandma Marjorie's locket?"
"Oh, uh, I um, I'll email you about it."
"Okay. I'll look for your note. Love you, Andy."
"Love you, too, Mom. Bye." Andrea ended the call and placed the phone on the coffee table. "She said to tell you congratulations. She's glad you're doing okay."
"You didn't tell her about the parental rights, did you?"
"No."
"Why? Look, if you didn't want them—"
"Stop," Andrea said. "Stop. I do want them, and I love them and am so grateful to you for making me a permanent part of your family like this. I just have to tread lightly with my mom. I'm afraid if I give her all this at once, she will freak."
"Okay. But you do intend to tell her at some point?"
"Yes, of course!"
Callie started to fuss, and Miranda quickly realized she wouldn't be able to breastfeed without removing her dress entirely. "Shoot. I have to go upstairs and change," she said as she stood from the couch.
Andrea followed her upstairs slowly, walking behind her in case she lost her balance. Once in their bedroom, she laid Catherine in one of the bassinets and took Callie from Miranda's arms while she changed into leggings and a tank. Andrea gestured towards the chaise, which Emily and Serena had setup as the breastfeeding station. Miranda smiled and sat down, setting a pillow on her lap as she unclasped her bra and freed her breast. Andrea handed the baby over and sat at the edge of the seat, pulling Miranda's feet into her lap.
"Our room looks great," Miranda said. "Remind me to thank Emily and Serena again."
Andrea nodded and gently began to massage Miranda's feet.
Once Callie was finished, Miranda gently lifted her onto her chest. The newborn smacked her lips and closed her eyes, sighing in satisfaction. Miranda, too, closed her eyes, but less than a minute later, Catherine began crying.
"I wonder if they'll ever be on the same schedule," Miranda said, sighing as she fastened her bra and set Callie in her bassinet.
"Would you breastfeed them at the same time?" Andrea asked.
"Yes. It was actually really nice when the consultant showed me in the hospital," Miranda said, sitting back down and doing the same thing with Catherine on her other breast. "I think Callie gets more milk than Catherine."
"But Callie is always done in like fifteen minutes and Catherine takes almost an hour," Andrea said.
"Yeah, but she's lazy. She stops and looks around, then starts again. We're going to need to work on her attention span."
"She's four days old," Andrea said, laughing.
"I can't remember what the consultant said about tilting her chin," Miranda said as she fidgeted with the crying baby in her arms.
They heard the door open and shut downstairs. "Mom? Andy?" Caroline called.
"Up here," Miranda said. She lifted the baby and changed positions, sitting up a little more.
"Is the baby sleeping?" Caroline whispered, looking down at Callie.
"Probably. But you don't have to whisper. Just no screaming," Andrea said. "Where'd you go for dinner?"
"Some Italian place. We had pizza," Cassidy said, joining them. "Whoa."
"What, Cass?" Andrea asked. She looked over and saw that Cassidy's gaze was transfixed on her mother feeding her baby sister.
"Do they always do that?"
"Bobbsey, come here," Miranda said, patting the edge of the chair. "Our bodies are really smart. Remember how I told you that my body knew it needed to stretch to make room for the babies growing inside?" Both girls nodded. "Well, my body also knows that those babies were born, and need milk since they're no longer inside of me," Miranda explained.
"It just looks funny," Cassidy said, scrunching up her nose.
"Does it hurt?" Caroline asked.
"Actually, it does hurt a little," Miranda said, "but that's because they were just born a few days ago. My body is still trying to adjust."
"Girls," Emily said, "why don't we go downstairs and get dinner ready for your mom and Andrea, okay? Come with me."
Once they were out of the room, Miranda took a deep breath. "I was just waiting for the cow comparison," she said.
"Cow? I was thinking more along the lines of porn star," Nigel said.
Miranda opened her eyes. "What? Porn star?"
"I mean, please don't take this the wrong way, but your breasts look amazing—beyond amazing, really," he said, blushing slightly.
Miranda smirked and a smile crept across her face. "This is pretty great cleavage, isn't it?"
"Almost makes me wish I was that baby," he said with a chuckle.
"Nigel, one more comment and I'm going to start getting jealous," Andrea said.
"Well we wouldn't want that," he said. "We brought some dinner back from Spago's—salad, chicken parmigiana, and tiramisu. Are you two hungry?"
"Yes," Miranda said, perhaps a bit too quickly judging by the way Nigel looked at her.
"Want me to bring it up here or will you come down to the kitchen?"
"Up here," Miranda said. "And please grab my lemonade, too. It's on the table in the living room."
Nigel paused in the doorway. "I'm sorry if that sounded creepy, Miranda. I meant it as a compliment. You look fabulous," he said, quickly heading out the door and down to the kitchen.
"Andrea, do you like my breasts like this?" Miranda asked, careful to keep her eyes focused on the baby in her arms.
"Of course. I mean, they're huge," Andrea said. "But, I liked your breasts just fine before, you know."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
Andrea moved closer and lifted Miranda's chin up. She could see the tears forming behind her eyes. "I didn't tell you how hot you looked because I know we have to wait for you to heal. The doctor explained how swollen your labia will be for a while, and then the soreness with your milk coming in, I didn't think you'd appreciate it. I'm sorry. You really do look amazing—even without the porn star boobs." She leaned over and kissed Miranda softly on the lips.
Andrea leaned down and kissed Catherine on the forehead, which caused her to pull away from Miranda's breast. "Shoot—sorry," she said.
"It's okay. I think she's had enough anyway. She had a better latch this time," Miranda said. She gently picked her up and laid her back in her bassinet.
"Did you want to go downstairs to eat since they're both sleeping?" Andrea asked.
"No, I'm not really hungry anymore. I'm just going to rest here for a while."
"You need to eat something. What about some tiramisu?"
"Okay, but later." Miranda fastened her bra and slipped on the cardigan she was wearing earlier. "You go down and eat while it's warm."
Andrea nodded and made her way downstairs. Seeing the two plates on the counter, she took a seat at the barstool.
"Oh, we were going to bring this upstairs for you two. I was just trying to find the tray," Emily said.
"This is fine," Andrea said as she took a bite of salad. "Miranda isn't hungry right now."
"Okay. Is there anything else we can do?" Emily asked.
"No, thank you," she said. "Wait, what day is today?"
"Friday, July 11th. Why?"
"The girls have a pool party tomorrow at their friend Amanda's. Right—are you still going to that?" Andrea asked them.
"Yes, if it's okay? Dad said he would take us."
"Of course. Emily, can you ask Rachel to confirm the details with Amanda's parents, and then with James? Wait. Sorry. I will send Rachel a note," Andrea said.
"Are you sure? It's no bother. I know you'll have your hands full."
"No. Really, it's fine. Goodnight, and thank you again!"
Once they left, Caroline and Cassidy asked if they could go upstairs to watch a movie, to which Andrea did not object. She finished her dinner in silence, then cleared the plates and loaded the dishwasher. She pulled the tiramisu out of the refrigerator, and opened a bottle of Malbec. She carefully poured two glasses, and then made her way upstairs with the plate and two spoons in one hand and the wine glasses in the other.
"What's all this?" Miranda asked.
"Dessert," Andrea said, sitting next to her on the chaise. She set the plate down on the chair between them, and handed Miranda one of the wine glasses. "Just a glass."
Miranda hesitated, then took the glass from the young woman, humming quietly at her first sip in six months. They spent the next fifteen minutes sipping their wine and feeding each other bites of tiramisu. Miranda was smiling and Andrea was happy to see her in a good mood.
When they finished, Andrea took the plate and their glasses and set it on the dresser by the door. "The girls are upstairs watching a movie, and the babies are sound asleep," Andrea said.
"We're never going to be alone, will we?" Miranda said. "It's going to be eighteen years before…and then…" she buried her face in her hands as she began to cry.
"That's not true," Andrea said, as she tried to figure out where this line of thought was coming from. "We're alone now. And we have plenty of people who are willing to babysit so we can take a night off, or even a weekend. You know that."
"I know, I know. I just can't help the thoughts racing through my mind. Will you even still be here in eighteen years?" she asked.
"Of course," she said. "I am not going anywhere. I'm not here simply to spend time alone with you—I'm here for all of it. You, the girls, friends, assistants, family, exes, all of it." She held Miranda tight, reassuring her while her tears subsided. She had read online about the "Baby Blues," and if that's what was going on, those articles certainly didn't prepare her for dealing with two crying outbursts a day.
Just before Miranda went into labor, Andrea learned about the idea of a "push present" for the mother who just gave birth. She was hoping to put some photos into her grandmother's locket, but didn't have a chance to email her mother, asking her to send it just yet.
Miranda sat up and wiped her eyes. "I love you so much," she said, kissing her gently. "Thank you."
"Stop thanking me. I love you, too. Let's rest for a while until the babies wake up again, okay?"
Miranda nodded and stood from the chaise. She was starting to feel a little sore from all the stairs today, so she excused herself to the bathroom and took a quick sitz bath before climbing into bed with Andrea and snuggling against the younger woman. Her belly had shrunk considerably in the past four days, and between the babies, the placentas, and excess fluids, she already lost twenty-two pounds. Regardless, they were able to lie much closer than they'd been in months. She draped her arm over Andrea's body and pulled her closer, kissing her softly and thoroughly for what seemed like hours on end.
"Ugghh," Miranda groaned, rolling onto her back and holding her arm across her chest.
"What?" Andrea asked.
"Nothing. Just…stay there and turn the other way. I'll be back in a minute," she said as she began to climb out of bed.
Andrea didn't want to upset her, so she looked away. She heard Miranda going through a few drawers and cabinets, and it sounded like she was frustrated. "Can I help with something?" she said.
"No! No, I can find them, just give me a minute," she said.
Andrea kept quiet, saying a silent prayer that this recent, for lack of a better word, moodiness, was temporary and not a symptom of something more serious.
"Fuck," Miranda muttered under her breath.
Before Andrea could get out of bed, Miranda had already left the bedroom, headed to who knows where, looking for who knows what. She quickly followed after her.
"Andy? Is Mom okay?" Cassidy asked. The girls were sitting on the stairs up to the third floor, and must have seen Miranda run out of the bedroom.
Andrea walked over to them. "Yes, she's going to be okay. Sometimes it takes a bit of time to adjust to a new situation—you know, like if you join a new club at school or something." They nodded in understanding. "Well, we are all adjusting to having two little babies in the house, and your mom's body is still adjusting to not having them in her belly."
"She looked upset, though," Cassidy said.
"Where did she go?"
"The nursery," Caroline said.
"Okay. I'm going to go talk to your mom. Can you do me a big favor and make your mom a cup of hot tea? You have to be really careful not to burn yourself. Put it in the travel thermos, and carry the cup and saucer separately. Can you do that?"
They both nodded and Andrea guided them downstairs, away from the nursery. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Miranda was sitting on the floor next to the dresser, in tears, holding a box of disposable breast pads in her hands. Andrea quietly kneeled next to her and took her hand, squeezing it tightly.
Miranda looked up at her through red, puffy eyes, expecting to see disappointment or annoyance. Instead, her Andrea had the kindest smile, and her eyes were brimming with love and understanding. She wasn't judging her. She was accepting and supporting, and Miranda was at a loss for words.
Andrea squeezed her hand and gently brushed her thumb over her knuckles. "The girls saw you run in here and they were worried," Andrea said quietly. "I told them you're okay, and they're downstairs now." She paused. When Miranda met her eyes, she asked, "Are you okay?"
Miranda shook her head as tears began to fall. "I don't know," she said.
Andrea took her in her arms and held her while she cried, gently stroking her back. "What happened in there?" she asked, quietly.
"I started leaking," Miranda said as she sat up, wiping her tears with her sleeve. "And I couldn't find the pads. And then," she shrugged, picking the box up off the floor, "I couldn't get them open."
"And you thought it would bother me?"
She shrugged.
"Miranda, that does not bother me. You are a beautiful woman and a beautiful mother. That is perfectly natural," she said, squeezing her hand.
"I couldn't even get the damn box open," she said, shaking her head.
Andrea hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. "You were probably just too anxious to think clearly," she said. She reached down and picked up the box. "Here," she said, handing it to her, "try again."
Miranda half expected Andrea to open it for her, but she could see in her eyes that she was trying to help her regain some sense of independence. She turned the box over a few times, and when she found the perforated seam, she pushed in with her thumbs and peeled the cardboard top off. She rolled her eyes, but was exceedingly grateful she was able to complete the simple task herself.
"Mom?" Cassidy whispered as she softly knocked on the door.
"Yes, Bobbsey," she said, draping the cardigan over her chest as she tried to hide the two wet circles on her shirt.
"We made you some ginger lemon tea," she said, walking into the nursery and sitting down next to the women.
"We were really careful so we didn't get burned," Caroline added, carrying in the thermos.
Miranda took the thermos from the young girl's hand and poured it into the teacup Cassidy held out. She took a sip and smiled. "Thank you so much, my darlings. This is perfect," she said.
"Are Callie and Kit going to sleep all night?" Cassidy asked.
Miranda pursed her lips and glared at Andrea, who was obviously the source of that nickname. "Catherine," she stressed, "and Callie will not be sleeping all night for a few months. They wake up to eat every few hours because their tummies are too small to hold enough food for the whole night," Miranda said.
"So you have to get up and feed them?"
"Yes. But we are going to try having the babies sleep in our bed with us at night and see how that works," she said.
"Did we sleep with you and Dad when we were babies?" Caroline asked.
"No. You and your sister had to stay in the hospital for a few months because you were really tiny when you were born. When we finally brought you home, you shared a crib for a while. The first night you were home, I didn't sleep one bit. I just sat in the recliner and stared at you all night long."
Part of her regretted not being a better mother ten years ago—not that she did anything wrong, but it was all so new to her, she wasn't prepared. As much as she wanted a different experience with Callie and Catherine, she didn't want her ten-year-olds to feel as if they were neglected.
"And back when you were babies, a lot of doctors advised against it because they thought babies wouldn't want to leave their parents and it would be too difficult to transition. That's not really the case anymore," Andrea added.
"So this will make it easier for you to feed them at night, right?" Cassidy asked.
"Yes, much easier," Miranda said. She glanced up at the clock. "It's getting late. Why don't you two head upstairs to bed. Andrea will be up in a minute to tuck you in."
"Okay, goodnight, Mom." Cassidy said, hugging her. Caroline did the same and then they raced each other up the stairs to their rooms.
Miranda got off the floor and handed the teacup to Andrea. "Can you take this downstairs?"
She nodded, and grabbed the plate and wine glasses from the bedroom, too. Miranda quickly changed her bra and tank, then moved her sleeping babies to the middle of the bed. She watched in awe as they seemed to calm each other back to sleep, naturally moving closer to one another so they were touching hands and feet.
Andrea quietly walked up behind Miranda. "Did you put them like that?"
"No, the were about ten inches apart when I laid them down," she said.
"That's amazing."
"I know."
"About before," Andrea said, "I know you have a lot on your mind and your hormone levels are all off after giving birth, but I just wanted to remind you that you can talk to me. About anything. Or, if you're just not feeling right and want to talk to someone else, we can do that, too. I'm here for you."
Miranda squeezed Andrea's hand and laid her head on her shoulder. "I know, and I just need to remember that. Let's go to bed," she said.
"I'm going to run and tuck the girls in. I'll be back in a minute."
Andrea went upstairs and Miranda carefully crawled into bed, trying not to disturb the sleeping babies. She forgot to turn out the dim lamp on the other side of the bedroom, but as it turned out, it was just enough light so she could see her babies' faces in the night. She gently brushed her fingers along each of their heads.
Andrea returned and slipped into her pajamas: silk lounge pants with a tank. Tonight, since they wouldn't be able to pull the covers up over the babies, she slipped a long sleeve tee on as well.
"Hair," Miranda whispered.
"Oh, right." She took a ponytail holder from the nightstand and quickly put her hair up in a messy bun before climbing into bed. She curled onto her side, mirroring Miranda's position, and reached her left arm up, linking hands with Miranda at the head of the bed. "Goodnight, Miranda," she whispered, blowing her a kiss.
"Goodnight, darling."
A short while later, Callie began to fuss. Thankfully, she was closest to Miranda, so she was able to feed her quite easily. Once she was finished, Miranda whispered, "Let's switch them," and Andrea picked up Callie while Miranda tugged Catherine closer. Andrea softly laid her hand on the baby's chest, gently stroking her with her thumb as she fell back asleep. On the other side of the bed, Miranda was somehow able to get Catherine to latch on without even fully waking her.
"This is working well," Andrea whispered.
"Yes. I just need to remember to nurse from my other breast during the daytime," she said.
A few hours later, the sound of sirens outside woke Catherine and she began wailing, which meant Callie was screaming, too. Miranda picked up Catherine and laid her on her chest, urging Andrea to do the same with Callie. A few minutes later, the babies had settled down.
"Is Catherine sleeping?"
"No. Callie?" Miranda asked.
"Nope, wide awake."
"Wonderful."
"On the bright side," Andrea said, "I think they're on the same schedule now. Do you want to try nursing them both?"
"I only know how to do that if I'm sitting up and there are pillows," Miranda said as she repositioned herself, laying Catherine on the bed again. "Let me feed Catherine a little bit, then we'll switch again."
Andrea tilted her head and looked down at Callie. "You have to wait your turn, sweet pea," she said, softly touching her finger to the baby's lips. Callie opened her mouth and began sucking on the tip of Andrea's index finger. "Ouch!" she said, giggling as she pulled her hand away. "That hurt."
Miranda chuckled. "Now, imagine that on your overly-stimulated nipple," she said. "If you want to talk, let's talk about how uncomfortable breastfeeding is."
Andrea reached over and brushed Miranda's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive."
"You weren't. I was just starting conversation. I don't know quite what I expected—some sort of magical, pleasurable bonding experience, I suppose. It's actually far from it."
Andrea sat up a little and looked at Miranda. "You don't have to do it. You can pump, and we can even introduce some formula," Andrea said.
"No, it's not unbearable. The benefits far outweigh the discomfort. It's just, I don't know, something else I wasn't prepared for. I thought it would be one way and instead it's the opposite." Catherine finished nursing, and Miranda laid her in the middle of the bed. "Hold on, I need to lay on my other side," she said as she repositioned herself. "Okay," she said, twisting backwards so she could take Callie from Andrea.
Andrea gasped and quickly pulled Catherine to her side.
"What?" Miranda asked. "Give her here—this is uncomfortable."
Andrea carefully passed Callie over to her, then leaned down and placed a kiss on Catherine's forehead.
"Why did you gasp?" Miranda asked.
"When you were were reaching back, um, Catherine was kind of underneath you."
"What?!"
"She's fine. I moved her out of the way. But when you changed positions, I think you just moved closer to her than you thought, or she shifted. Anyway. It's fine." She heard Miranda sigh, so she reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "This is why we're both here."
"Do you think we should move them back to their bassinets?"
"No. It's been half a night. Let's give it a little more time," Andrea said.
A few minutes later, when Callie was finished nursing, Miranda announced that she was turning back over. Andrea protectively wrapped her arm around Catherine, and Miranda set Callie back in the middle of the bed.
A few hours later, the sun peeking through the blinds woke Andrea. It was almost six o'clock in the morning. She looked down at the babies and the sight brought a tear to her eye. Miranda's arm was draped on the mattress just above their heads. They were both on her side of the bed, and their arms were linked. Callie's face was practically in Miranda's armpit, and Catherine's cheek was resting on Miranda's hand. Andrea quietly took her iPhone off the nightstand and snapped a few photos. There was just enough light filtering in for the perfect shot.
Andrea smiled and lay back against her pillow. She knew she wouldn't fall asleep any time soon, so she made use of the time and began typing an email to her mother.
Hi Mom,
Grandma's locket is in a cardboard jewelry box in the top left drawer of my mirrored dresser. Can you ship it to me here? Overnight or whatever the fastest shipping speed is. I want to give it to Miranda. I know it's not conventional, but Mom, she's the one. I want to spend the rest of my life with her and our children. She's been a little emotional these past few days, and I just need to reassure her that I'm in her life permanently. I guess the locket will be in place of an engagement ring or whatever.
Anyway, Miranda wanted me to tell you that we had papers drawn up and filed before the babies were born, so I'm legally their second parent. And she and her ex-husband filled out some paperwork regarding in absentia guardianship for Caroline and Cassidy (her ten-year-old daughters), too. We haven't filed yet, but I imagine it will only be a matter of time. So, now you and dad have four granddaughters and a daughter-in-law. They're part of my family, now, so I can only hope you'll accept them into yours.
Last thing—we're co-sleeping with the babies, and attached is the scene I woke up to this morning. Aren't they just beautiful? I'm going to have this framed and matted and give it to Miranda as her "push present," hopefully along with the locket. You asked me a few months ago if she was worth it—this photo is proof. She's everything.
Love,
Andy
Once she sent the email, she carefully set her phone back on the nightstand and turned back to three of the most beautiful ladies in the world. She moved closer and laid her head just above Miranda's hand.
Miranda exhaled and stretched her arm a little in her sleep, but it didn't wake the babies. Instead, they almost appeared to mimic her movements: Callie arched her back and yawned, while Catherine kicked her feet out. Within seconds, all three of them were once again sleeping soundly.
TBC
A/N: This probably goes without saying, but...this is a fictional story and I am neither supporting nor discouraging any particular parenting / child-birthing / breastfeeding method(s). What works for some doesn't work for others, always consult your doctor, yada yada yada. Peace. xo