CHAPTER THIRTEEN
(chapter title – New Arrivals)
Two months later
Marius, Cassidy, Ella and Anton were at the clinic to see what Cassidy would be having. Marius helped Cassidy onto the examining table and rolled up her shirt over her exposed stomach as the doctor entered with an ultrasound machine.
"Hi! You guys must be Ella and Anton! Your mom and dad talk about you two all the time! I'm Dr. Nelson." Dr. Nelson introduced herself to the kids. They smiled and watched her place some gel on their mother's stomach.
"Kids, come here." Cassidy whispered, motioning the kids over. She motioned to the screen and pointed to the two babies growing inside her.
"Wow! Is that my little brother and sister?" Ella asked.
"It is. Your little brother is on top and your little sister is on the bottom, right under your brother's butt." Dr. Nelson told the kids.
"Baby!" Anton whispered. Marius smiled and kissed the top of Anton's head.
"Cassidy, I am so proud of you – both babies are gaining the weight they need. They look and sound healthy. I want to run an autism test on them, okay?" Dr. Nelson told Cassidy. She nodded and watched the doctor put some red dye on a needle and slowly eject it between Cassidy's legs. She squeezed the death out of Marius' hand when it happened.
The three adults looked to the screen and saw no traces of the red dye anywhere. Marius kissed the top of Cassidy's head as he helped her sit up. The doctor gave the kids a sticker as Marius helped Cassidy get dressed.
"I don't feel well, so I'm gonna lay down." Cassidy announced as they entered the house. Marius kissed her forehead as she went to the master bedroom.
"Feel better," Marius called after her as Ella cantered into the room, dressed in full English riding gear. "Uncle Enjolras should be here soon to take you to your lesson."
"I want you to take me, dad." Ella said. Ever since he and Cassidy came back from Africa, Ella was acting more clingy than usual.
"I have to take care of your mom and Anton. Have fun riding." Marius told Ella, going to his study, which also acted as the playroom.
Ella sighed and went to watch for Enjolras while Marius worked. Anton played quietly on the other side of Marius' study.
"BYE DAD!" Ella called as she ran out the door. Marius looked up and told his daughter to have a great lesson and he would see her later.
An hour later, Ella came back home, a big grin on her face. Marius was fixing dinner for his family. Cassidy was still sleeping and Anton was playing with his trucks in the living room.
"How was your lesson on Hope?" Marius asked, layering cheese on the lasagna he was making.
"Really good. Uncle Joly says that we're ready for a big horse show next month!" Ella answered, helping herself to an apple, "I'm gonna take a shower then I'll set the table."
"Okay. Enjolras, Eponine, Sara and Jolene are coming for dinner." Marius told her as she went to the bathroom.
She emerged from the bathroom half an hour later, wearing some comfortable clothes. She sang as she set the table for eight people.
"Remove one of the place settings – your mom isn't going to eat with us." Marius told Ella. She sighed and put one of the place settings away.
Enjolras, Eponine, Sara and Jolene arrived ten minutes later, just as Ella was pouring water into glasses.
"Hi everyone! Where's Cassidy?" Eponine asked.
"She's laying down, but said she might join us later." Marius answered, hugging his four friends.
The seven of them sat in the living room while Sara, Ella, Anton and Jolene played on the floor nearby.
After dinner and dessert, Eponine and Enjolras took the girls home, thanking Marius for a great evening.
Ella offered to do dishes while Marius put Anton to bed then went to check on Cassidy.
She was asleep with her special pillow between her legs, her arms wrapped around it. She had her head on the pillow that Marius used, but he didn't care. Just as long as Cassidy was comfortable, that was all Marius cared about.
He climbed in beside her and held her in his strong arms. He then carefully put Cassidy on her side of the bed and laid next to her, holding her close.
A month later
Cassidy was put under anesthesia as Marius squeezed her hand. He sat in the chair next to her bed. He was dressed in teal scrubs and Cassidy was in a pink hospital gown.
The twins were coming four days before their actual due date. Marius kissed Cassidy's hand and watched the doctor and the team of four nurses get to work.
"Marius, come here!" Dr. Nelson told Marius. He let go of Cassidy's hand and walked over to where the doctor was. He smiled when he saw his little girl come out of Cassidy's stomach.
The doctor showed him where to cut the cord. Marius felt tears streaming down his cheeks as he watched his little girl go get cleaned up, weighed, measured and wrapped in a pink blanket.
His little boy arrived fifteen minutes later. He was cleaned up, measured, weighed and wrapped in a blue blanket.
"What are their names?" the doctor asked.
"Cosette Joy and Ryan James."
"They're perfect. Congratulations. Nurse Liz is going to put them in the nursery while Cassidy goes to recovery." The doctor told Marius. He nodded and went to tell his family what was going on.
"Dad? What happened? Is mom okay?" Ella asked. Anton was playing with Jolene while Sara, Ella, Courfrayac, Joly, Valjean, Javert, Eponine, Enjolras, Gavroche, Bridget, Thomas, Combeferre, Jehan, Grantaire, Bahorel and Feuilly occupied the chairs in the waiting room.
"The twins have arrived! We named them Cosette Joy and Ryan James. Cosette was born first as 11:24 AM, weighing 5 pounds, 4 ounces and is 15.6 inches long. Ryan came fifteen minutes later, weighing 5 pounds, 6 ounces and is 15.4 inches long. Both are healthy and are in the nursery. Cassidy is in recovery and will stay there for an hour. Ella and Anton can come in an hour to see their little brother and sister." Marius told the people in front of him.
"What about the rest of us?" Gavroche asked.
"I can take you to see the twins in the nursery," Marius answered taking them to the nursery. "They're in the middle, second and third ones from the right."
Everyone oohed and ahhed over the babies. Marius looked over and saw Eponine rest her head on Enjolras' shoulder.
Once the group was done looking at the babies, they went to do their separate things while Marius took Ella and Anton back to see Cassidy.
They entered the room where Cassidy would be and turned on the overhead light. Marius put out the flowers that loved ones had given him while Ella put the stuffed animals out. Anton played with his toys in the middle of the floor. Marius moved him when Cassidy and the babies were brought into the room.
"Hi mom." Ella whispered, kissing the top of Cassidy's forehead.
"Hi." She croaked, looking over at Marius. He was holding Cosette while Ryan slept.
"They're perfect." Marius whispered, continuing to look at Cosette. She was sleeping and looked like a little angel.
"May I hold one?" Ella asked.
"Yes, you may," Marius answered, watching her put on hand sanitizer and sit in the rocking chair, handing Ella Cosette. "Mind her head."
"I know how to hold babies, dad," Ella reminded her dad, looking into her little sister's face. "I can't wait to start a family of my own."
"I wanna hold baby!" Anton announced.
Marius helped Anton hold Ryan, not trusting the two-year-old to hold a baby by himself.
Ella put Cosette in her incubator and motioned for Anton to follow her. They exited the room and went to the hospital cafeteria, letting Marius and Cassidy be with the babies.
Ryan started crying. Marius picked him up and held him against his chest.
"It's all right, shh. You're okay," Marius soothed, feeling Ryan's bottom. It wasn't wet. "Are you hungry?"
Cassidy was two steps ahead of Marius. She sat up in the hospital bed and was already unsnapping her hospital gown. Marius placed Ryan in Cassidy's arms. He watched her guide him to her breast.
He latched on and suckled loudly just as Cosette started crying. Marius picked her up and brought her to the changing table – she was wet. He changed her and kissed her forehead. She continued crying, so Marius brought her over to Cassidy.
She put Cosette to her other breast. She latched on and also nursed loudly.
"They are too precious." Marius said, taking pictures of the three of them.
Once the twins were finished nursing, Marius burped them and placed them in their incubators. He then sat next to Cassidy and held her hand in his.
"I'll take care of them tonight." Marius told Cassidy.
"Wake me if they need to be fed." Cassidy said, her voice tired and heavy with sleep.
The following day, the doctor gave Marius and Cassidy the okay to take the twins home. Marius and Valjean changed and held the twins while Cassidy used the bathroom and changed into some comfortable clothes.
Marius and Valjean got the twins in their carseats while Cosette climbed in the car. The twins were next to each other and were currently asleep.
"How are they, Cass?" Marius asked, looking in the rearview mirror at Cassidy.
"They're asleep." Cassidy answered, smiling at her babies.
When they arrived at the Pontmercy's, Valjean got the door while Cassidy and Marius got the twins out of their carseats. Marius held Ryan while Cassidy held Cosette.
"They couldn't be more perfect." Cassidy whispered as she placed Cosette in her crib as Marius placed Ryan in his.
"I agree completely." Marius whispered back, closing the nursery door.
"I'm going to pump then take a shower." Cassidy announced. Marius looked up from his sandwich and got Cassidy the supplies she needed. Valjean had taken Cassidy to her ballet class and had taken Anton with him.
Marius went back to quickly finish his sandwich before the babies woke up. He picked up his dishes and put them in the dishwasher just as Cassidy exited the master bedroom, carrying six bottles in her hands.
Marius put the bottles in the fridge while Cassidy got her pumping supplies. She washed them in sudsy water and put them on a towel to dry.
"Have they woken up yet?" Cassidy asked as she and Marius went to the master bedroom.
"Not yet, but I will tend to them if they wake." Marius assured her, kissing her forehead and went to the living room.
Cassidy took a fifteen minute shower, threw some comfortable clothes on and went to join Marius. He looked over at her and smiled as she sat down next to him.
"You are so beautiful, you know that, right?" Marius told Cassidy, taking her in his arms.
"I don't feel beautiful right now." Cassidy told Marius, feeling him kiss her neck.
Cassidy could only take so much before she fell asleep. Marius couldn't blame her for being exhausted.
He placed one last kiss on her forehead before turning off the overhead light. He then turned on the monitor and kept an ear out for the twins.
They woke up almost every hour and Marius was happy to tend to them while Cassidy slept – she deserved it. He only woke her up when the twins needed to be fed, but other than that, Marius handled it on his own.
As he sang You Are My Sunshine to Ryan, Marius thought about what sort of people his children would grow up to be.