Here's the next chapter of Living Life in the Fast Lane. This chapter primarily focuses on Dan and Serena but many other characters do make brief appearances. Chapter 5 takes place two months after No Rest for the Naughty or Nice...so it's based in the month of February! Each of the main characters focused on in Living Life in the Fast Lane fanfiction story are all heading in new directions in their lives.
I'd greatly appreciate your constructive feedback! R&R! Enjoy!
Part 5: What a Wonderful Life!
~Two Months Later~
New York City was bustling with normal everyday traffic congestion on its sidewalks and roads. Dan had left early in the morning to meet with his editor, Alessandra, to make final revisions to his next novel. After the Christmas madness, he had finally found huge amounts of time to work on his next novel. He stopped by his wife's favorite Italian restaurant to pick up some dinner for them. She was probably still sleeping considering how busy she was lately. Serena had been helping her best friend, Blair, with finalizing the details for the new maternity clothing line for Waldorf Designs. Blair felt that Waldorf Designs needed to diversify their clothing lines to target females from all walks of life. She made sure Serena didn't overexert herself since her friend was eight months pregnant. Her due date was fast approaching. Stress was not good for her twins.
Dan and Serena couldn't agree on the same names for their twins. Lily suggested a great idea to them. Dan would pick the name for their son and Serena would pick the name for their daughter. This way it was fairer. As the publishing date for his upcoming novel drew closer, he hardly had any time to contemplate baby names. The nursery was all ready and decorated for the twins. It was a guarantee that their children's lives would never be dull since the Humphrey and van der Woodsen family were complicated. Nonetheless, the children would receive plenty of love and support from their aunt, uncles, grandparents, and godparents. Erik, Serena's younger brother, and Jenny, his younger sister, were going to be the twins' godparents.
Dan finished the meeting with his editor earlier than expected. As he was walking out of Alessandra's office, his iPhone buzzed alerting him of a new iMessage. The text message was from his friend, Nathaniel Archibald.
Nate: Hey buddy! Are you free now? Vanessa and I were going to grab some lunch. You should join us.
Dan: Actually, I just finished up my meeting with Alessandra. You sure I'm not intruding on your lunch date with Vanessa?
N: Nonsense. We'd love for you to join us. It has been weeks since we last saw you.
D: Alrighty if you insist. I have a couple of hours to kill.
N: We're going to eat lunch at the Candle Café. You know where this is?
D: Yeah. I've been there a couple times before.
N: Great! We'll see you soon!
D: Sounds good! :)
Dan flagged down a taxi cab. Sliding into the back seat, he told the taxi driver his destination but wanted to be dropped off a block away from Candle Café. New York City was preparing for Valentine's Day since it was in a couple of weeks. Most New Yorkers were more pleasant around major holidays. Valentine's Day plans were the furthest thing from his mind. Pulling out a piece of paper, from his coat pocket, Dan browsed through a list of boys names he had complied over the past month after heavily scrutinizing baby name websites and books. Many people suggested that he name his son after his father, Rufus. As much as he loved his dad, Dan disapproved of such archaic societal traditions. Children should be able to forget their own destinies starting by not constantly being compared to the relative they are named after. People assume writers can come up with names easier. Bunch of bull. It as a challenging task coming with names regardless if it is giving the right name for your unborn child or a character in your literary works. A name can say a lot about someone.
The taxi driver tapped on the divider to get Dan's attention. He was deep in thought as reality had slipped away. "Excuse me, sir. We've arrived to your destination. I have another customer waiting to get in," the driver said with a tinge of irritation in his voice.
"Oh thanks," Dan replied and handed a twenty dollar bill to through the divider. "Have a good day!" It had been lightly snowing all day. He bundled his winter coat closer to his body to keep warm in the bitter cold. New York City sidewalks weren't always cleaned off or salted properly in certain areas. He cautiously walked down the block towards Candle Café. It was a vegetarian café. The bright green awning kept the snow from collecting on the tables and seats outside of the café. There weren't too many people in Candle Café. It wasn't too difficult to find his friends in the place.
Before he could greet his friends, Vanessa spotted Dan out of the corner of her eye. A huge smile formed across her face. "Dan! I didn't know you were coming. I haven't seen you in weeks," she enthusiastically exclaimed while embracing her friend in a bear hug.
Nate rose from his chair to hug his friend. "I'm glad you decided to join us. Life has been so busy for all of us that we've barely seen you since Christmas."
"My publisher and editor are putting immense pressure on me to meet the deadline of turning in the final draft of my next novel. I've been working on my final novel manuscript for the past couple of months. This required me to shut myself out from the outside world. It hasn't left me too much time to socialize with my friends unfortunately. I've missed you guys. How is life?" Dan replied while taking off his winter coat, scarf, and gloves. He proceed to take the one empty seat between Nate and Vanessa.
A waiter approached their table and took all of their orders. Even though Dan and Nate were carnivores, they accepted Vanessa's vegetarian eating habits. Their food arrived within 20 minutes.
"How's your art gallery?" Dan inquired before taking another bite of eggplant parmesan.
After swallowing her food, Vanessa said gleefully, "It is going well. I've booked three new upcoming artists for my exhibit at the end of this month. My connections have given me very promising tips of artists who I should select for my exhibits. I'm glad I maintained my connection with the NYU art department."
"That's wonderful, Vanessa! Let me know when your next exhibit is. My schedule will be more open towards the end of this month."
"Well I'm still working out with the three artists of when they'll be finished their art pieces. I'll get back to you in a couple weeks about the exact day of the exhibit. I understand how busy your schedule is. Everyone assumes writers have more free time in their schedule. This isn't true. The more successful of a writer you are the less free time you have. I'd love to read the ARC of your novel."
"Alessandra wouldn't mind if I gave you an ARC of my novel. She trusts you won't leak it out to the public before it official release date. My editor has her moments, but Alessandra respects my writing process. That is most important."
Nate was attentively listening to their conversation while simultaneously replying e-mails. The Chicago branch of The Spectator was going through a bit of a rough patch. They had been understaffed for the past couple of months.
"How are things with The Spectator, Nate?" Dan asked. He took the last bite of his eggplant parmesan. It was a delicious meal considering he wasn't necessarily a huge fan of eggplant.
"Things are bit stressful to be honest. I'm preparing for a major deadline in the next couple of weeks for the New York branch. My entire staff has been working overtime to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. The Chicago branch feels a bit overwhelmed since it is understaffed. My business partner is flying out tonight to Chicago to update me on that situation." His stress was written all over his face despite his overall pristine appearance. It looked like he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in a while.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope everything works out soon. It seems there's a fast approaching deadline looming over everyone's head. The holiday seasons are always so stressful," Dan stated. "Have any fun Valentine's Day plans?"
"Depending on the next couple of weeks, a relaxing night at home with Netflix and takeout food would be fantastic. Nothing fancy. Simple is better than elaborate plans," Vanessa answered. Nathanial nodded his head in agreement with Vanessa's comment. Considering how busy their lives were with their individual work, they enjoyed spending a relaxing day at home together. Elaborate Valentine's Day plan were appealing when they were younger and weren't bogged down by their busy work schedules.
"Simple is definitely more relaxing. Even with all of our different career paths, we get enough stress from our work life. There is hardly any free time for us. Elaborate plans require way too much energy that most of us don't have after a long work day," Dan said.
Just as Nate was going to reply, his phone rang. The ID caller read Charles. Why would Chuck be calling him? He thought his friend was in London for a Bass Industries conference. "Hello Chuck. It's been a while."
"Hello Nathaniel. I'm on a flight back to New York right now. Is Humphrey with you by chance?" Chuck inquired.
Why was Chuck flying back to New York? There must be an emergency. Dan and Chuck weren't exactly close friends. "Actually, Dan joined Vanessa and me for lunch today. Why?"
There were muffled voices in the background. "Sorry about that. Jack was asking me something. Anyway, my wife called me a few hours ago telling me to return home tonight. She didn't exactly tell me why but only to tell Humphrey to call her as soon as possible."
"Jack is with you? What's going on?" Nate asked with undertones of worry in his voice.
Dan busily chatting away with Vanessa when he rapidly turned his attention to Nate after hearing his name mentioned in his conversation with Chuck. He was curious why Charles Bass would ask for him.
"How about I just hand the phone over to Dan? That way it bypasses the step of having him call Blair."
"I don't know what is going on exactly, so it would be best if he called Blair now. I've got to go. The pilot is telling us to turn off our electronic devices. I'll see you soon, Nathaniel," Chuck tersely replied before hanging up the phone.
Dan and Vanessa curiously glanced over at Nate. "What's wrong? Why did Chuck call you?" Vanessa asked inquiringly.
"He didn't exactly specify why but Dan you need to call Blair right now," Nate responded. "Chuck and Uncle Jack are leaving London and flying back to New York tonight. I don't know what is happening."
Daniel was very confused. What did Blair need to tell him so urgently? Serena was spending today with Blair. His wife was helping her friend finalize the details about the maternity clothing line for Waldorf Designs. The only plausible reason Blair would ask for him is if something happened to Serena. Dan suddenly became worried that there was something wrong with his wife.
"I'm sorry to cut our lunch short, but there is somewhere I need to go right now. It was great to finally catch up with you both. We should do this again," Dan said while hurryingly putting on his gloves, scarf, and coat.
Nate paid for lunch. Vanessa and Nate hastily grabbed their belongings following closely behind Dan. As Dan flagged down a taxi, Vanessa shouted, "Dan!" This grabbed his attention. Nate and Vanessa ran towards him.
"I don't mean to rudely interrupt our lovely lunch, but I really need to be somewhere right now..." he began but Nate abruptly interrupted by him.
"We understand you're in a rush. If this has anything to do with Serena, we want to be there with you," Nate responded with subtle smile. "That's what friends are for."
Nate, Vanessa, and Dan slid into the back of taxi cab. Dan gave the address of the Waldorf penthouse. There was barely any traffic on the way over which was good since Dan felt his blood pressure increasingly rise during the entire cab ride. What if there are complications with the twins? What if Serena went into early labor? His mind was racing a mile a minute with a plethora of questions. Nate and Vanessa tried to distract their worrisome friend but all their attempts fell flat.
The cab stopped in front of the Waldorf penthouse. Dan paid the cab fare and dashed out of the taxi. He ran through the lobby accidently cutting off a few people patiently waiting for the elevator. Nate and Vanessa followed closely behind their friends into the elevator despite the angry glares thrown their ways. There was no time to apologize for their rude abrupt behavior.
The elevator doors opened up. The penthouse was quiet. Too quiet. Way too quiet. Blair's two children were nowhere to be seen or heard.
"Blair! Serena!" Dan yelled. His voice echoed throughout the seemingly empty penthouse. "What the hell is going on? Is something wrong with Serena?" Daniel Humphrey was in full panic mode.
Dorota scurried down the semi-spiraling staircase towards Nate, Vanessa, and Dan. "Please be quiet, Mrs. Humphrey. I've finally put down Adeline for a nap," she exclaimed exasperated. There was sweat on her brow as if she had chased Adeline around the penthouse just to get the little girl to take a nap. Dorota took a moment to catch her breath. "Miss Blair told me to hand you this note when you arrived." She pulled a note out of her pocket and sauntered towards Humphrey. He grabbed the note and frantically opened it up. Blair's terse note read: Meet me at Lenox Hill Hospital ASAP after you receive this note from Dorota.
His anxious facial expression transformed into fearful panicked expression. Dan refocused his attention away from the piece of paper back to Dorota. "Did Blair say anything else besides giving you this note before leaving?" he demanded.
"No. She just called the town car and rushed Serena into the elevator. I don't know what is going on." A young girl's shrill cry from upstairs interrupted whatever Dorota was going to say. "I'm sorry I can't be more helpful. I better check on Adeline." She ran up the staircase disappearing down the hall.
"What's wrong, Dan?" Vanessa asked her friend. Clearly, something was going on.
"I'll explain it to you both in the taxi cab. Time is of the essence!" Dan tersely replied. Despite his neutral facial expression, his brown eyes revealed how apprehensive he was.
Nate flagged down a taxi. Vanessa and Daniel followed behind Nate. "Lenox Hill Hospital ASAP! This is an emergency!" Dan told the driver through the cab divider.
Nate and Vanessa arched their eyebrow immediately after hearing Dan say their destination. "Why are we going to Lenox Hill Hospital?" Nate inquired. "Is something wrong with Serena?"
Dan puffed in frustration and ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know. Blair's note is too ambiguous for me to decipher. I'm worried there are complications with the twins."
"Everything will be fine. Don't panic or freak out. Nothing is wrong with Serena or the twins," Vanessa said giving his shoulder a gentle yet comforting squeeze.
The taxi cab pulled up to the front of the Lenox Hill Hospital's main entrance. Vanessa insisted on paying the cab fee this time. They exited the cab and rushed to the main receptionist desk. All of the receptionists were busy taking phone calls. Dan frantically tried to get one of the receptionists attention but they only showed them a hand to please wait his turn. He realized why he hated hospitals. His father was so thankful neither Daniel nor Jenny had injuries that required them to be taken to the hospital.
Dan was running out of patience, when Blair rounded the corner. "Humphrey! It only took you a freaking century. What took you so long?!"
He ran towards Blair. "You're kidding right!?" Dan responded heavily exasperatedly. He definitely was in no mood to deal with Blair's attitude right now. "I was casually eating lunch with Nate and Vanessa when Chuck called Nate telling me to immediately call you. Instead of calling you, I thought it would be best if I stopped by your penthouse. There was one huge problem. Neither you nor Serena was there! Dorota gave me your super ambiguous note. How was I not supposed to freak out?!"
"I didn't expect you to take so bloody long, Humphrey!" Blair replied putting her hands on her hips.
Dan and Blair had fierce personalities. Before they started yelling at each other, Nate placed himself between Dan and Blair creating a buffer. "There's no need to get angry with one another here. Both of you need to calm down!" Nathaniel said firmly even raising the volume of his voice.
Vanessa helped out her boyfriend who was trying to prevent an unnecessary escalation of emotions being exchanged. "Why are we standing in the lobby of Lennox Hill Hospital, Blair?" she inquired in a neutral tone of voice.
"Are my wife and unborn twins okay?" Dan demanded.
"Don't worry, Humphrey. We were ironing out the sketches to Waldorf Designs new maternity clothing line when I noticed Serena tense up. We weren't sure what if there was complications with the twins or if she was going into early labor. She is very close to her due date. I immediately called the chauffer to get the town car and take us to the nearest hospital which happens to be Lennox Hill Hospital. There was no time to make a detailed note when I found Dorota before leaving the penthouse with Serena. I've tried to get information about what is going on from the doctors but they refuse to speak to me. The doctors will only speak to Serena's spouse and immediate family member!"
Just as he was going to respond to Blair, Lily and William burst into the lobby of Lennox Hill Hospital. "Why did I receive call about my daughter, Blair?" Lily wore a worried facial expression. William placed a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder. Despite his calm facade, he was just as concerned about his daughter. Several minutes later, Erik ran into the lobby area heavily panting. He caught his breath while simultaneously assessing the present situation. His mother, father, brother-in-law, Blair Waldorf, Nate Archibald, and Vanessa Abrahams were all crammed into the lobby area.
Blair didn't want to re-explain herself. "I don't know because the doctor refuses to talk to anyone but Serena's immediate family members and/or husband. Now that all of you are here let's go find talk to the doctor. Follow me," she said to Serena's family. "Nate. Vanessa. I'm going to have to ask you to take a seat and wait since you're not immediate family. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Ten minutes later, Blair reappeared in the lobby by herself. She sat next to Nate. A few strands of hair had fallen out of her neat up-do hairstyle. It had been a long and tiring day for her. Vanessa, Nate, and Blair sat on the couches in the lobby area in silence.
Erik and William came back into the lobby and sat on the opposite couches facing Vanessa, Blair, and Nate. The three of them eagerly glanced towards Erik. "What is going on, Erik?" Nathanial inquired anxiously. "Are Serena and the twins doing okay?"
William responded with a wide grin, "Everything is fine. Serena experienced early labor contractions. My wife and Daniel are with Serena right now in the delivery room. My future grandson and granddaughter will be making their arrival into the world soon. You guys don't have to sit and wait here. We'll call you all when the twins are born."
"That's wonderful news for your family!" Blair exclaimed. "It's great to hear both mother and children are okay."
"We want to be here for Serena and Dan. We don't mind waiting until then," Vanessa responded. "They're our friends and we want to be here to celebrate the birth of their twins."
Three hours passed by with no news from the doctors, Dan, or Lily. Blair passed the time by responding to work e-mails, while Vanessa and Nate discussed the final details about their upcoming Valentine's Day party. Erik conversed with his dad about his European adventures.
Another hour went by still with no updates. William began to feel anxious. Delivering twins were more difficult and potentially led to unforeseen complications. Serena insisted on having a natural birth. His daughter's OB/GYN doctor told her there weren't significantly threatening complications with the twins that required a C-section delivery.
Lily re-emerged in the lobby area and ran towards her husband. Her face light up jubilantly. "Come say hello to your grandson and granddaughter. One of the twins was semi-tangled in its umbilical cord, but the doctor was able to untangle the cord around the baby. The doctor says only immediate family can come in right now."
Erik and William jolted up from the couch following closely behind Lily towards the private maternity wing. Daniel sat in the chair besides his wife's bed holding his newborn son and daughter in his arms. Swaddled in a soft, plush white blanket, they were sound asleep. The doctors almost rushed her into emergency C-section surgery, but Serena insisted on naturally birthing the twins. Three and half hours later, their healthy, beautiful twins were born into the world. Serena chose the name Catalina for their daughter. Dan chose the name Alaric his son. They didn't want to go with any of the normal names let alone the pompous names Upper East Siders named their children. Absolutely no namesake names for their twins. Their children should be able to forge their own destinies.
Serena's parents and brother burst into the private maternity suite. Daniel called his parents after the delivery to tell them the wonderful news. His parents and Jenny would be arriving to Lennox Hill Hospital within the hour. He didn't have time to call them before Serena was rushed to the delivery room.
Serena's golden blonde long hair lay messily on the pillow with strands of hair plasters to her sweaty forehead. No matter how exhausted her body was pushing out the twins the blissful smile on her face spoke volumes. Eight months pregnant with her unborn twins and she could now hold them in her arms. Dan let her take a short nap after the delivery to regain some of her strength and energy. As her eyes fluttered open, she saw her parents and brother crowded around Dan, who was holding their sleeping twins. Her husband's eyes glistened joyfully as he glanced down at the two babies in his arms.
"Say hello to Alaric and Catalina. They're sound asleep right now so be careful not to wake them, but you are more than welcome to hold your grandson and granddaughter," Dan softly said to Lily and William. Lily took Alaric and William took Catalina from Daniel. Tears of joy spilled out from Lily's eyes. Erik watched his parents hold the sleeping twins.
"Catalina looks more like Serena and Alaric looks more like you," Erik commented upon closer observation of the sleeping babies.
"For now. We'll have to see if that changes as they grow up," Dan remarked with an exuberant smile.
Dan jumped from the chair to greet his parents and sister standing at the doorway of the private suite. Rufus and Allison congratulated Dan and Serena on their newborn bundles of joy. Allison and Serena rarely talked to each other much but they learned to tolerate one another's presence at family gatherings. Today being a joyous occasion spread contagious happiness that made his mother talk to his wife on her own free will. Also, she genuinely smiled while talking with Serena.
Jenny's teenage daughter, Rosalyn, was nowhere to be seen. Daniel didn't bother asking his sister where his niece was. Rosalyn would see her baby cousins at the next family gathering. Jenny stood near Lily and William gawking at her adorable newborn niece and nephew, while simultaneously having an active conversation with Erik.
Serena's parents and Dan's parents left within an hour. Erik and Jenny decided not to leave with their respective parents. They left momentarily to go on a coffee run at the nearby Starbucks a few blocks away from Lennox Hill Hospital. Serena and Dan had brief moment of privacy with their twins before Blair, Chuck, Nate, Vanessa, and Uncle Jack walked into the private suite. Dorota stayed outside with Blair's two children. Adeline and Henry chased each other irritating the nurses walking up and down the hallway.
Serena chatted with her best friend, Blair, while Chuck held baby Alaric. Uncle Jack deliberately chose to not get married nor have any children. It wasn't the life he wanted for himself. Jack updated his nephew on what was happening at the Bass Industries conference in London based off the e-mails he had recently received. Daniel talked with Nate and Vanessa since their conversation at lunch was unexpectedly cut short. Vanessa cradled baby Catalina in her arms gushing over how cute she was.
Erik and Jenny returned back with four cups of black coffee. Two coffers were for them. The other two coffees were for Dan and Serena. Serena had to give up caffeine for eight months, but now she could go back to drinking caffeinated coffee. Decaf coffee doesn't come close to tasting the same as caffeinated coffee.
Interrupting his conversation with his friends, thee doctor politely asked Dan to meet her outside in the hallway. "I'll be right back guys. The doctor wants to quickly talk to me," he said. Daniel walked out of the private suite into the hallway of the private maternity wing. "Is something wrong, Dr. Henderson?"
Dr. Carly Henderson was the doctor who delivered his newborn twins, Catalina and Alaric. "Nothing is wrong, Mr. Humphrey. I understand the birth of your twins is a huge festivity for your family and friends, but it is best if they leave soon. Your wife needs to rest to get back to her full strength. Today was very exhausting for her. Your family and friends are welcome to drop by during guest visitation hours," she firmly said with a neutral facial expression. She sauntered down the hallway.
Daniel headed back into the private suite which was still packed with all their close friends. It seemed the festivity surrounding the twins' birth awakened the babies from their deep slumber. Jenny and Serena each took one of the twins. Gently rocking them, Alaric and Catalina calmed down and eventually fell back asleep.
"Congratulations on your beautiful twins, Serena!" Blair gushed gleefully. "It's getting rather late. I remember how exhausted I was after giving birth to Henry and Adeline. You've had a very long day and should get some sleep. Chuck and I will come visit you tomorrow during visitation hours."
Blair, Chuck, and Uncle Jack rejoined Dorota and the two children outside in the hallway. Nate and Vanessa grabbed their jackets. "Congratulation to the both of you. We'll drop by to visit you guy sometime this week during visitation hours. Vanessa's schedule is jam-packed as she prepared for her next exhibit show this week. I'll be flying out tomorrow to Chicago for a few days to sort out some things at the Spectator office," Nate explained. "Have a good night!"
"Thanks for patiently waiting in the lobby for all those hours. I appreciate you guys taking time out of your busy schedules to be there for Serena and me today. Have a good rest of the evening," Dan said giving Nate and Vanessa a hearty hug. They walked out of the private suite.
Erik and Jenny were the only ones left in the room. They were each holding one of the twins. "I'll be heading out now," Erik softly said since the baby was within close hearing range. "I promised my boyfriend we would go out tonight for dinner to his favorite restaurant. Our dinner reservation is in an hour. I'll drop by sometime tomorrow during visiting hours."
"No worries. You and Elliot have a great time tonight," Serena commented. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Jenny was furiously typing away on her iPhone with her free hand. Her face creased into an irritated facial expression. "I also need to leave. If I don't pick up Rosa from her friend's house on time, Karen will give me a mouth-full of a rant. God that woman has a stick up her ass. She's so damn uptight. I'll drop by tomorrow to see my handsome baby nephew and beautiful baby niece. Have a good evening!" Dan now knew why he didn't see his niece today. Rosalyn had gone over to a friend's house. He hardly saw Jenny without her daughter in tow behind her.
Jenny slowly slid Catalina into her brother's arms. She walked out of the room engaged in an intense conversation with someone over the phone. They finally had their private suite all to themselves.
"It's so nice to finally have some peace and quiet with our newborn twins," Serena remarked while adoringly staring at her newborn son and daughter comfortably cradled in her arms. "I'm so sorry to create unnecessary worry today. I had felt very slight contractions throughout this morning but I didn't think it was anything to worry about. It wasn't until I working with Blair on the final sketches of the maternity clothing line that the contractions truly felt painful. Blair quickly rushed me here since she wasn't going to take any chances in case I actually went into early labor. She didn't have time to explain what was going on in the note before rushing me to Lennox Hill Hospital."
"You don't need to apologize, Serena," Daniel responded affectionately kissing his wife's forehead. "Things like this are unexpected. You were very close to your due date so the twins could have arrived any day. That's why I didn't want you to overexert yourself. I'm just happy that our son and daughter are healthy babies."
Two nurses came into their private suite sliding in two baby cots. "It's time to take the twins back. We'll be back tomorrow morning with Catalina and Alaric. You've had a long day, Mrs. Humphrey. You need your rest," the redhead nurse with Snoopy scrubs said to the couple. The other nurse sauntered towards them to retrieve the babies in her arms.
"Wait," Dan interjected as the blonde nurse in plain beige scrubs went to reach for his son. "Before you take our twins, could one of you take a picture of our family? I'd like to immortalize this unforgettable day in a photograph."
The redhead nurse replied, "Sure." He handed his iPhone over to the nurse. Serena rebalanced the twin babies in her arms as Dan leaned close to his wife draping his arm on her shoulders. His daughter's little hand grabbed onto his pinky. The nurse took the photo and handed the iPhone back to Dan.
The two nurses took their son and daughter placing them in their assigned hospital bed cots before carting them out of the suite. This was his cue to leave to allow Serena to get the sleep she well deserves after birthing their twins today. Firmly kissing Serena's lips, Dan tenderly whispered in her ear, "I'm going to leave, honey. I'll be back here bright and early in the morning before my meeting with my editor and publisher. I love you so much. Good night, Serena." Unfolding the blanket at the foot of the bed, he put the blanket on top of the thin hospital bed sheets. Serena had already fallen sound asleep. Dan turned off the light and strolled out of the private suite quietly closing the door behind him.
Today was quite an eventful day. Their twins, Alaric and Catalina, were born into the world. No matter the struggles Serena and him will encounter as being parents, they were ready to embark on this wild journey. Life was full of the unexpected.
The next chapter will focus on Jenny. I intend the make Chapter 6 the final chapter of Living Life in the Fast Lane. I'm still in the process of writing the next chapter...it will surely have a devious scheme revealing a scandalous secret that will shock the Upper East Side! Jenny is full of intriguing unpredictability.
I try to fit in time to write whenever I have pockets of free-time in my busy schedule.
Thanks for your patience! Stay tuned for the next chapter of Living Life in the Fast Lane!