A/N: Sorry for the massive, massive delay. Since it actually took me until after the finale, let me just clarify that there is no secret Spencer twin or Emison twins, just the aforementioned Lauren Amabella. I hope you enjoy the second part of the story.
"Were they able to tell you how far along you are?" Ashley handed her daughter a cold water bottle, lifting her feet off the kitchen chair and placing them in her lap. Caleb sat across from them, both babies in his arms. He was still completely shell-shocked, talking only when spoken to and staring into space. Hanna wasn't much better, resting her head in her hand and tracing patterns on the mahogany table. The party was set to begin in one hour, and the hosts were anything but prepared for their impending guests.
"Eight weeks," Hanna answered, not looking at her. "Apparently I'm really bad about keeping track of my periods."
"They told us we didn't have to worry since you were breastfeeding," Caleb said.
"I thought everyone knew that was a myth," Ashley scoffed, growing serious when Hanna glared at her.
"Do you have any ultrasound photos?" She asked, hoping to change the subject. This earned her the slightest smile from her daughter as she retrieved the pictures from her purse.
"If they're completely full-term, they'll be exactly 84 weeks younger than Connor and Madeleine. 19 months. That's 588 days, at the most," Caleb said, monotone.
"We get it, you're good at math," Hanna snapped.
"I will be there every step of the way," Ashley vowed, wrapping her arms around Hanna's shoulders. "So will Ted. He'll be thrilled. Whatever you need, baby, I'll be there to help. We've been through much, much scarier."
"I know, I know," Hanna said, wiping at her eyes. "I'm excited, I'm just really overwhelmed." Caleb reached for her hand, rubbing her knuckle with his thumb.
"Babe, are you up for telling your friends today? Or maybe your dad?" Hanna sighed at the question, contemplative. Her father and Isabelle had separated when she was eight months pregnant and finalized their divorce a few weeks ago. Since that time he'd become remorseful…and mopey…and bitter. Largely of the fact that his grandchildren had more of a relationship with Ted than they did him.
Part of Hanna often wanted to tell him to go knocking on Kate's door, see if she had any daughterly love for the man who bankrolled her Ivy League education, but another part pitied him.
"We'll play it by ear," she answered.
"I'll wait to tell Ted, if that's what you're worried about," Ashley said, as though she could read her daughter's mind.
"I want today to be about celebrating Connor and Madeleine, I can't predict how everyone will react and I'm not up for finding out today," Hanna insisted, as Caleb lifted his hand to zip his lips.
"Happy Birthday, Lovebugs," Hanna pressed a series of kisses to her childrens' round cheeks as everyone finished singing. Four-year-old Lauren grinned happily as Caleb lifted her to blow out the candles on the cake. He cringed when he saw her lift both of them to rest on her hips as they both reached for her. While the doctor had insisted that she was fine to carry on with her normal activities, after Hanna adamantly refused to slow down as a mom, Caleb still found himself worrying as she picked up both of their 22lb. babies. He could understand one, but both?
"Uncle Caleb, will you put me down?" Lauren asked sweetly. Caleb, realizing he zoned out, obliged before walking over to his family.
"Don't say it," Hanna deadpanned, predicting her husband's concern before it could be expressed. Caleb was overprotective and mildly domineering under normal circumstances, and those traits were only exacerbated during her pregnancies. She'd appreciated it during her first pregnancy, when she was dealing with the fatigue and myalgia that came with the third trimester, but they weren't at that point and she wanted to be treated like normal until then. Caleb put his hands up in mock surrender, choosing to pick his battles.
"Your dad seems to be in a good mood," Caleb motioned to an unusually exuberant Tom, laughing at a conversation he was having with Spencer and Toby. Both pairs were a little unnerved by the behavior, with Spencer looking to Hanna in sheer confusion.
"He'd have no right to be anything but, he's lucky he even got an invitation," Hanna snarled, realizing that her pregnancy mood swings were already back in full-force. Between that and the tears that formed when everyone sang happy birthday to her babies, she might as well tattoo 'PREGNANT' to her forehead.
"Babe, are you feeling alright?" He asked, transferring Connor from her arms to his.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Hanna insisted, unconvincing. "I'm just having a hard time with the fact that I had them a whole year ago. I'm worried I'll blink and they'll be taller than me," Hanna gave Madeleine a gentle squeeze, grateful for her current small size. Before Caleb could respond, his words were cut off by his boisterous father-in-law.
"I know we're not quite at the point where we open presents, but mine was a little too big to wrap," Hanna exchanged an apprehensive look with her mother before making a beeline for the front door. When she walked outside, she was greeted by the sight of a Volvo SUV, complete with leather seats and sleek black exterior.
"I remember you mentioning that you were looking to buy another family car, and I wanted to make sure you were riding around in style," he motioned to the car like Vanna White, proud of his ostentatious generosity.
"Dad, how on earth did you get something so nice?" Hanna was overwhelmed, an odd mixture of flabbergasted, grateful, and uncomfortable. The pregnancy was only heightening her emotions. Caleb looked downright irritated, and Hanna could tell he felt insulted, as though Tom was insinuating that he couldn't properly provide for his family's needs.
"Just found out Kate's tuition is getting deducted from my alimony payments. Practically cut them in half," Hanna was taken aback by her dad's clueless remarks. She all but felt the smoke come out of Caleb's ears and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, hoping to alleviate his tension.
"Hanna's pregnant with another set of twins," he blurted out, and all eyes turned away from Tom.
Hanna relaxed under the pressure of the steaming hot shower spray, the stress of yesterday's party melting away. Caleb's announcement had lead to a barrage of excited questions, belly touches, and announcements that Aria and Emily were also pregnant. They then opened presents for the twins before shooing everyone out at around 9:00. Next thing Hanna knew, she'd woken up to the gentle sound of Caleb's snores, both babies and Linus snuggled between them.
Her eyes drifted to her slightly distended stomach, full with her babies and a fair amount of birthday cake from the night before. Something told her the protrusion was there to stay, that she'd be breaking out her maternity clothes sooner rather than later. She gently traced her faded stretch marks, leftover from her first pregnancy and overweight adolescence, and groaned in frustration.
"What was that for?" A voice asked from behind her, and Hanna gasped in surprise.
"Don't scare me like that!" She smacked her husband's muscular bicep, taking in his naked, grinning form. He pulled her body close to his, placing a gentle kiss on her lips.
"How are you feeling this morning?" He inquired, running his fingers through her wet hair.
"I'm not nauseous," she answered. "But my boobs are killing me." When the doctor informed her of the pregnancy, she'd insisted that fully Hanna wean Connor and Madeleine before the start of her third trimester to reduce the chances of pre-term labor. Breastfeeding had become increasingly painful in the recent weeks, and Hanna was grateful that they only demanded it before their nap and before bedtime. Problem was, neither baby could soothe themself to sleep without the comfort of nursing.
"They're hard as rocks, baby," Caleb said, maneuvering her so that her chest was directly under the hot water, gently massaging both breasts with his hands. The combination seemed to bring her some relief, and Caleb was grateful to see the pain erased from her features.
"Are we keeping the Volvo?" Hanna asked, bringing her hands to rub Caleb's shoulders. She'd avoided the subject the night before, not wanting to bring up her father's narcissistic cry for attention. She knew she couldn't avoid the subject for long, since it was currently sitting in their driveway with a massive bow on the hood.
"That's up to you," he said.
"I don't quite see the logic in trading it in for 70% of its value just to spite my dad, especially since we'll be needing another family car. It has three rows of seats, and enough trunk space to fit the quadruple stroller we'll be needing pretty soon," Hanna smiled, once again hit by the reality that she'd soon be a mom of four under two. He nodded, accepting but not particularly pleased.
"Caleb, you've done such an amazing job taking care of us, of me," she insisted, understanding where his mind was going. "You encouraged me when my dad all but laughed at the thought of me going to college, you put me through school. You gave me the push I needed to start my business without pressuring me. We're not beholden to my dad because of this one gesture." She rested her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around his torso.
"You have no idea how badly I've been wanting to hold you," he sighed, grateful for the moment. Once the shock and panic of another twin pregnancy wore off, Caleb found himself desperately craving some quiet intimacy, the chance to have Hanna to himself.
"I think I have an inkling," she said, burying herself deeper into his chest. Even all these years later, he made her feel completely safe and secure, no matter the circumstances.
"Don't take this the wrong way but you feel especially amazing when you're pregnant. It does things to me," Hanna felt the "things" he spoke of on the side of her thigh, smiling in appreciation. She was ready to make a quip, about his member or her breast size or something of the sort, when she felt Caleb's grip start to loosen. Keeping his hands on her waist, he brushed his hand against the slight curve of her stomach while transitioning onto his knees. He then placed a firm kiss on her belly, followed by a series of light, gentle pecks.
"So you've come around to the idea of two more?" She asked, feeling her emotions bubble to the surface. He smiled in affirmation, his gaze transfixed on her stomach.
"You think we'll do a good job with all of them?" She lifted his head to meet her eyes, bright with unshed tears, brown contrasting with blue.
"I think we'll be amazing."
"You'd think Ali would be understanding having gone through this before, but no, she looked at me like I was a freak when I threw up in the kitchen sink," Emily lamented, leaning back into her chair.
"Last week I puked all over Ezra's dashboard after he slammed on the brakes," Aria blushed, taking a sip of her herbal tea.
The four women, who Hanna had ceremoniously deemed 'The Preggos', used the chilly October weather as an excuse to meet up at the Brew for tea and hot chocolate, and to share in some gestational horror stories.
"I wish I'd could say I'd thrown up on Toby's dashboard," Spencer chimed. "Last week my boobs starting leaking on his chest while we were, you know," she winked. "He insists he wasn't phased by it but I sure as hell was."
"Is it worse when you're having twins?" Aria asked, turning her attention to Hanna. "Do you just have to carry an airsick bag in your purse?" Spencer smacked her on the arm.
"What the hell kind of question is that?"
"Ugh, this is absolutely heavenly," Hanna said as she licked the whipped cream off her finger, savoring a small sip of her hot chocolate. Truth be told she was on medication for her morning sickness and had been since she found out, a preventative measure after landing in the ER for dehydration three times during her first pregnancy. Much as she loved her friends, she wasn't interested in hearing their opinions on the matter, so instead, she changed the subject.
"My boob leakage goes straight into the mouths of these little chunksters," she motioned to the napping thirteen-month-olds, cozying up to each other in their stroller. The girls awed at the sweet site. She quickly snapped a picture to send to Caleb.
"Ugh, they both look so much like you, Han," Emily cooed. Hanna put a finger to her lips, not wanting the sudden focus on her babies to wake them up. Emily lowered her voice to a whisper.
"It's actually pretty remarkable that both of them got your recessive genes," Spencer said. "Your only dominant trait is your dimples."
"If Caleb were here he'd disagree," Hanna smirked, eliciting a grimace from her friends. "But I hope I get at least one mini-Caleb from this batch," she rubbed her bump tenderly.
"Whatever the case they'll be beautiful," Emily said, and Hanna gave her a huge grin. While she didn't want to be arrogant, there was no point in denying it.
"So will yours, Em," Aria said. "We're all going to have beautiful babies, in addition to the beautiful ones you and Hanna already have."
Hanna couldn't stop the tears from flowing in response to Aria's comment. Gone were the days of sitting in the café agonizing over A and in were mornings talking labor pains and nursing bras. She had a business she loved, three friends she'd give her life for, a beautiful home, a dog, Caleb, and soon-to-be four precious babies.
Her life was completely normal, and it felt extraordinary.
"Hey Caleb, what can I do you for?" Lucas looked up from his large desk, purposefully reminiscent of a comic book villain to intimidate current and prospective employees.
Caleb seldom felt intimidated, least of all by someone like Lucas, but at this moment in time he found himself getting stressed out.
"Hey Lucas," he offered a half-smile. "I know you made me manager on the Oracle project, and I definitely appreciate the opportunity, but I'm starting to worry about the timeline."
Six months ago, Caleb had taken a hiatus from his role in web and software development to become project manager for a large application integration for the City of Philadelphia. The decision had upped his salary by 12%, but they'd gotten behind schedule and forced them to work long, tiring hours, which wasn't compatible with his family life.
"We just got approved for a $500,000 extension on the contract. Depending on how you allocate the resources, it could add anywhere from three to six months to the project. Is that something you're concerned about?"
Caleb sighed, deliberating over how to proceed. Hanna was just out of her first trimester, and while he considered Lucas to be a friend, he hesitated to divulge the details of his personal life because of his emotional attachment to Hanna.
"Is something wrong with Hanna or one of the kids?" Lucas asked, sensing his discomfort.
"No, no, they're fine, better than fine actually," Caleb paused. "Hanna's pregnant."
"So you're going to have three under two," Lucas grimaced, suddenly grateful for his bachelor status.
"Try four under two," Caleb said. "And I'm worried about the stress Hanna's under between everything that's going on with the kids and her designs. I want to be there to take care of her, and I can't do that if I working until 8:00."
Lucas leaned back in his chair, considering the implications of what his friend just told him.
"Much as I'd love to be able to move you to another project, we really do need you on the Philadelphia account," he began. "However, I can allow you to work remote twice a week and ensure you're out the door by 4:30." Lucas was apprehensive about his offer, but knew he'd have a confrontational, protective, and hormonal Hanna to deal with if he didn't make it. This was easier.
Caleb stood up to shake his hand, happy with the deal that'd been struck. Relief filled his body as he headed for the door.
"Congratulations, by the way," Lucas said. "Hanna's really lucky to have you for a husband."
"I promise you I'm the lucky one," Caleb said, and Lucas silently agreed.
"Today was fun," Hanna sighed, sinking her back further into Caleb's chest. Untying her kimono, Caleb squirted two pumps of cocoa butter into his hands and gently rubbed the lotion into her taut skin. This had become a nightly ritual for them, a chance for Caleb to bond with his unborn babies and for Hanna to mentally and physically unwind.
A frigid December evening, Hanna and Caleb's plans for a quiet day in were interrupted by a frantic call from Ashley earlier that afternoon. Ted had been put in charge of a live parade of the Nativity story, complete with a rented donkey and camel from the Philadelphia zoo, when the actors slated to play Mary and Joseph had suddenly backed out.
"Ted's really worked up," Ashley had told them, and Hanna tried and failed to visualize him as anything other than his cheerful, easygoing self. "But then it dawned on me that I have a son-in-law, a pregnant daughter, and a fifteen-month-old grandson capable of filling in."
"What about Madeleine?" Hanna asked.
"She'll stay with me. That way if any of the church ladies start bitching about the fact that we recruited Ted's "step" family, I can pretend I'm 26 again and that Madeleine is you," they both laughed at this, and Caleb knew he was officially signed up.
"Those robes were surprisingly comfortable," Caleb said, cupping the bottom of Hanna's belly. It'd grown considerably over the last few weeks, and Caleb felt a near-primal need to be close to Hanna as result. He used his free arm to help Linus into their bed, the dog desperate to be where the new, exciting smells were. He nuzzled his nose into Hanna's belly, licking away the dollop of spare lotion.
"I guess you'll to learn the hard way that my stretch mark cream wasn't a food source," Hanna scratched the top of his head as the dog began to gag. While partially deaf, Linus had become very aware of the lives growing inside of her, barking whenever someone approached her from behind and pressing his good ear against her belly.
"The kids will be sleeping very well tonight," Caleb said.
"Yup, getting showered with all that love and attention, meeting a camel—" she began.
"In Con's case playing a blonde, 25lb. rendition of newborn baby Jesus," he smiled.
"When I was a kid I asked my mom if Jesus could have had red hair and green eyes," Caleb stared at his wife, confused and entertained by her childhood wanderings.
"I hope she explained to you that Jesus wasn't an Irishmen," he snarked.
"I'm just saying, the blonde thing isn't that implausible. The size is another matter, I wouldn't want to give birth to Connor at the size he is now," she mused, slowing falling asleep. Caleb chuckled at her obvious declaration, ready to make a comeback, before he felt her breathing even out.
Caleb retied her robe, kissed her temple, and turned out the lamp.
"Spence, I really think it'll help if you let Toby position himself behind you. It'll make it easier for you to bear down if he's supporting your back."
Hanna was doing everything in her power to make her friend as comfortable as possible during delivery.
"Thanks for painting my toes," Spencer smiled at her pedicure, attempting to wiggle her feet. She frowned when she remembered that her epidural kept her from doing so. She'd insisted the second Hanna walked into the room, knowing she kept a bottle of nail polish in her purse and fearing the doctors would think she was some sort of slob for her unkempt toes. Toby insisted that absolutely no one would care, but Hanna was happy to provide her with the simple pleasure.
"Are you feeling better now that the medicine's kicked in?" Toby asked, stroking his wife's hair. Hanna had pulled it into a French braid, another request from the laboring woman, and she looked completely lovely despite her flushed face and hospital gown. Doctors and nurses began to swarm into the room before she could answer, and Hanna knew from their faces that it was time.
"I can barely feel anything," Spencer moaned, suddenly emotional. "How am I supposed to know what to do?" She looked to the fetal monitor, trying to decipher its data.
"Spence, I'm gonna put my hand on your belly so I can feel your contractions," Hanna said. "Don't worry about the monitors. Just push when I tell you to." The obstetrician nodded in agreement, mildly confused by the blonde's role in the delivery. Hanna offered her free hand for her friend to hold.
Active labor lasted longer than any of them had expected, but forty-five minutes later the baby finally began to emerge. Hanna found herself beginning to get emotional, no doubt a result of her own pregnancy hormones.
"Spence, the shoulders are out," she guided her hands so she could feel her baby. "One more push and you can pull him onto her chest."
Spencer obliged, and within minutes Patrick Cavanaugh was tightly swaddled in a blue blanket, his eyes adjusting to his new surroundings.
"It's weird, I'm wiped out but I don't feel like going to sleep," Spencer said, relaxing as Toby massaged her shoulders.
"Enjoy the feeling while it lasts," Hanna quipped.
"Is Caleb coming?" Toby asked, eager for his son to meet his best friend. Hanna shook her head, knowing that neither Ashley nor Ted were available to watch the kids that night.
"Well get him on FaceTime," Spencer said, passing the newborn into Spencer's waiting arms. "We want Patrick to at least get acquainted with both his godparents."
As a fashion student, Hanna dreamed about having a design showroom, a place to serve high-profile clients looking for a great brand. She also dreamed of wedding rings and baby bumps and the quiet dignity of being a devoted wife and mother.
She didn't, however, envision the day where she'd be eight months pregnant and shoving the double stroller through the entrance of her studio to tailor to the last-minute whims of a congressional candidate, but nevertheless, here she was.
"If you just give me a second to get these guys set up," she smiled, placating and polite. His assistant had called her just 30 minutes ago to complain to about the inseam, something about how it took away from his natural fullness, and Hanna's plans to make some sketches and put the finishing touches on the nursery were suddenly put on hold.
Luckily, her office at the showroom seemed to double as a playroom, so within minutes Connor and Madeleine were comfortably set up in their toy-filled travel crib. Hanna grabbed her tape measure and a baby monitor before heading to the front of the store.
"Aren't you the owner?" He asked when she was in earshot.
"That's me, Hanna Rivers," she smiled, getting on her knees to measure the hem of the pants. She'd worn a full-length maxi dress to stay comfortable and modest while she worked, pleased with how well it accented her large baby bump. At Caleb's insistence, she'd also put knee pads on under the dress, which were begrudgingly comfortable.
"Then why did it take you so long to get here? Why weren't you here already?"
The question was a pointed one, and Hanna found herself recoiling as a result. Caleb had once mentioned that Congress people only worked one-hundred and some odd days a year, but she knew better than to offer such a retort.
"I work mostly on the design side," she finally said. "In the last few years we've grown enough to hire a sales manager and a few store associates. Now that a few of my lines are sold at American Apparel, it's not as often that we get calls for alterations."
"Can the suit I'm wearing be found in a standard department store?" He asked, unhappy. "I'm trying to appeal to constituents by wearing local brands."
"Don't worry, this is one of our more high-end pieces, especially with the alterations you're asking for," she said, threading through the seams. Her babies delivering swift kicks to opposite sides of her abdomen interrupted her work, forcing her to pause and take a deep breath.
"I hope I'm not forcing you to work too close to your due date," he said.
"I'm fine," she insisted. "They're just running out of room in there. The ones I came in with were eight pounds a piece, so it's not really anything to be concerned about."
"Oh, wow, twins," he said, those his tone was far from animated. "Can't imagine trying to run a business while doubling as a baby machine." He laughed at his own joke. Hanna felt hot tears of embarrassment cloud her eyes, but refused to allow him to provoke a reaction. Wasn't this guy supposed to be a progressive?
She worked silently from that point forward, forcing herself to focus on the work, and within half an hour the job was finished.
"Is this to your liking?" She asked, drawing his attention to the full-length mirror. She watched as he spun around like a bride on her wedding day, clearly pleased with his appearance. She rolled her eyes and walked to the register.
"What do I owe you for your time?" He asked.
"$500," she answered, looking him straight in the eye.
"For an alteration?!"
"I didn't alter them, I customized them. You're now wearing a completely different pair of pants," she said. "Contrary to popular belief this isn't some hobby I took up to entertain myself in between delivery room stints. People besides my husband and my mom want to wear my stuff, as evidenced by the fabric currently covering your rear end."
He quickly swiped his credit card, intimidated. Hanna forced herself to hold her smirk until the door closed behind him.
"Han, I need you to calm down for me so they can give you your epidural," Caleb mopped the tears from his wife's eyes, desperately trying to get her to relax. "I promise you'll feel a lot better once it's done."
Unfortunately for the prospective parents, their third and fourth child had decided that 11pm would be the perfect time to start forcing their way out, and the couple had rushed to the hospital anticipating a fairly quick labor and delivery. Upon arrival, the nurse performed a standard ultrasound and discovered that Baby B, their girl, was now breached, giving them no choice but to schedule a C-section.
This meant an epidural, a luxury in the eyes of most laboring women, but a traumatic trigger for someone who'd previously been microchipped and cattle prodded by a deranged psychopath. Caleb had convinced the nurses to let him stay in the room while they prepped her, believing he'd help to keep her calm, but so far he felt pretty useless.
"Baby, the sooner we get this over with the sooner we can meet our kids," he pulled her head against his shoulder as she nodded her head, locking her arms around his neck. The doctor encouraged him to keep her back rounded, sanitizing the injection site. Hanna whimpered at the contact.
"It's alright baby," he murmured into her ear. "I'm right here. I promise I'm not going to let anyone hurt you." She yelped when she finally felt a sharp pinch, but quickly felt the medicine's relief.
"All better," he whispered, lowering her back into the bed. Within minutes they wheeling her into the O.R., Caleb keeping a firm grip on the bedrails. Temporarily free from pain, Hanna began to nod off, savoring the precious few minutes of tranquility. Caleb quickly changed into scrubs and put the surgical net over her hair, stroking it as she began to stir.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Nervous," she answered honestly.
"No need to be nervous," her surgeon, Dr. Glick, interjected. "It'll be over before you even know it. Just anticipate some pressure."
'Some' pressure translated into the feeling like an elephant was laying itself on her stomach, Hanna soon learned, but thankfully the pain was nowhere near as extreme as a vaginal birth. Neither she nor Caleb could see knew exactly what was happening until the sound of a soft cry filled the operating room.
"And we have a boy," the doctor said, quickly clearing out his airway. "He's a linebacker!" They both laughed at this, Caleb quietly proud of his son's large size as he cut his umbilical cord. The baby was quickly placed on Hanna's chest, and she reached to kiss him on the head.
"Hi there Jacob Theodore," she whispered, tears leaking from her eyes. He gurgled at the sound of his new name.
"And here's your little breach baby," he placed their daughter straight into Caleb's waiting arms, the newborn immediately nuzzling into her father's chest.
"She still our Olivia Grace?" Hanna nodded, beaming at both her babies. They savored the happy moment before they were taken to be weighed and measured.
"How long until I'm back with them?" Hanna asked, growing anxious. Sensing her panic, Caleb began to shush her.
"Don't worry sweetheart, they'll have them back to us before we know it. For now, let's focus on getting you fixed up."
"Mama," Madeleine whined, reaching to be picked up. Hanna, barred from lifting either of her older children until her stitches healed, scrambled to find something to distract the needy nineteen-month-old. As if on cue, Linus strolled into the living room and begun to sniff at the toddler, inadvertently saving the day.
In the three weeks since Jacob and Olivia's birth, Hanna and Caleb had quietly holed themselves up from the rest of the world, seldom leaving the house and only accepting the company of her close friends and family. Ashley popped in before and after work to give the busy parents some downtime while Ted came sporadically to drop off casseroles from members of the congregation.
"Aria, I promise that Phoebe won't develop nipple confusion after one bottle," Hanna said into the phone, having spent the last fifteen minutes listening to her friend's panic. In the six weeks since Aria delivered, she'd relied heavily on Hanna for comfort and guidance, a gesture she found both flattering and frustrating. She looked at the clock adjacent to the coffee table, quietly praying that Caleb return from his errands and provide her with an excuse to hang up.
"No, I don't think you should be worried about the fact that Wayne is so much bigger than Phoebe, percentile charts exist for a reason," she reasoned, referring to Emily and Alison's two-month-old son. "But if you're about it you should take it up with the pediatrician." Not me.
Moments later, Hanna heard Caleb walk through the door, kindly but swiftly ending her conversation with Aria. While things were currently quiet, a miracle for a house full of children, she felt a sense of calm at his arrival.
"Looking for a break from the casseroles?" He asked, holding a to-go bag in front of her face.
"I thought you were going to the grocery store," she said, though she preferred the takeout option.
"I took a slight detour," he said with a smile.
"To…?"
"Remember when we were 16 and I offered to help you earn some bad girl straps, and you scoffed at the notion that we get matching tattoos?" He asked. She nodded, trying to understand the story's relevance.
"Well, the other day you mentioned getting a tattoo to cover your incision scar, and it gave me an idea," he began to tug at the hem of his shirt.
"Please tell me you didn't get a tattoo of my face," she said as she lifted up his shirt. Nervous and excited, she gasped at the reveal of the actual design. Across the left side of his chest, right above the heart, was an artful display of Roman Numerals.
XII-IX-XVII
IX-XIV-XXI
IV-III-XXIII
"Are these—" she began tearfully, already sensing the answer.
"Our wedding date and the kid's birthdays? Indeed they are." Overcome with emotion, Hanna wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss, cherishing her husband in every way she could. He lifted her from the ground, wrapping her legs around his waist.
"Do we for sure have to wait six weeks? Even with the surgery?"
"Afraid so," she frowned. "Guess we'll have to settle for making out like teenagers."
Ready to reach for another kiss, their session was cut short by the sound of Jacob's shrill cries, a clear demand to be fed. Startled, Madeleine too began to cry, offended that her playtime with Linus had been rudely interrupted.
"Ready for this afternoon's chronicle of Adventures in Parenting?" She asked.
"With you? Always."