Chapter Forty
While Steven accompanied his newborns through the medical testing and Dr. Mianni finished with Lila, Eddie headed out from the delivery room to the family waiting area. Everyone had been gathered for hours awaiting the birth of the twins. Jamie was facing the door with Frank. He was nervous, not about the sex or the size of the babies, but about his own little girl.
"Here comes Eddie," Frank announced standing up. He was wearing a surgical mask to protect his fragile lungs from the hospital air but even through that they could see his smile.
Jamie's first thought was Eddie looked exhausted, but the smile on her face melted his heart. Joey hurried over to his mother, he was so excited to be a Godfather.
"Well, don't make us wait anymore," Frank prompted. "What are they? What are their names?"
"Baby A is now Baby Girl Tenney," Eddie replied with tears still running down her cheeks. "And Baby B is now Baby Boy Tenney. They are perfect, all ten fingers, all ten toes each and just the most precious things." Eddie sniffed. "Their names we have to wait, Steven and Lila want to announce them to everyone together and…" Eddie raised her hand feeling a little faint.
"Whoa, Mom…easy…" Joey grabbed Eddie and eased her into a chair. "You've been on your feet way too long."
Eddie wiped her eyes, "I just need a minute, I'm fine. Jamie, Joey and Frank, you go in first, as soon as they are settled. Then Danny, Linda, and Erin you three, and Jack, Rita, Molly, and Sean you finish, only a few minutes each. Lila is being really protective so she might not be letting everyone hold them."
"I was like that when Jack was born," Linda replied. "I didn't let Danny hold him for almost an hour. It's normal and natural."
Eddie nodded, she always regretted not being able to hold Lila those first moments after her birth, she felt that had strained their relationship but today, it felt like all that changed being present for the birth of her grandchildren.
"You all right, baby?" Jamie asked rubbing her back. "Linda, can you take her to get something to eat and Eddie put your feet up and rest, okay?"
"Jamie, we just became grandparents but I'm not ready for the grave okay?" Eddie stood up and put her arms around Jamie. "Congratulations, Grandpa."
Jamie closed Eddie in his arms, things had been very stressed between them. Maybe these babies would be what they needed to get things back on track.
Twenty minutes later, Steven appeared with a huge smile on his face. "Lila and the twins are ready for visitors. She's asking for you again as well Eddie."
Eddie smiled, "Let's go grandpa. Frank are you okay?"
Frank was breathing hard and had begun coughing. "I'm good," he wheezed. "I want to see…"
Jamie rubbed Frank's back, "Easy, Dad. Just give yourself a minute. That's it." Frank began to relax. Joey held Eddie's arm while Jamie focused on Frank.
Ten minutes later Frank, Jamie, Eddie, and Joey joined Lila and the twins in the post-partum suite. Lila had both twins in her arms, the girl kicking her blankets and screwing up her face, the boy lying quietly suckling an imaginary bottle.
"Oh my," Jamie gasped as his eye lit on his grandchildren for the first time. "If we thought your little girl would be the shy one we know differently, don't we? May I?"
Lila smiled, "Yes, just one at a time. Joey you take the other one…" Lila watched as Jamie reached for his granddaughter seeing she would need a more expert had. Joey lifted his new nephew, the boy just stayed calm and quiet.
The little girl kicked when Jamie took her into his arms, "Oh no, no, leave your blankie on, leave that on, you need that." Jamie rocked slowly back and forth kissing the newborn girls head, "She's so tiny. You weren't quite this small," Jamie remembered. "But you were feisty like this. She's precious, Kitten. What am I going to call you, hmmm? I think I like Cookie Bun, that's what you'll be."
Eddie's eyes misted over looking at her husband holding their granddaughter. Soon, Joey and Jamie switched babies and Jamie fawned over the little boy christening him Munchkin. As Jamie bounced the newborn boy, he opened his tiny mouth and let out the loudest holler Jamie remembered any baby making ever.
"Oh, I think he's hungry Dad," Lila said reaching for her baby boy. Eddie had taken the girl from Joey and handed her to Frank. He shook his head, his chest was working hard and he was frightened that he'd cough on the new baby.
Steven returned with his parents. They had arrived shortly after receiving the call their grandchildren had made their appearance. The rest of the Reagans agreed that Steven needed to let his parents see their newest family members.
"This one is the girl," Steven said taking the newborn from Eddie and showing her to his parents. He didn't place the child though, he was too afraid of Lila jumping into defensive Mommy mode.
"Oh, she's precious," Maura whispered. "What's her name?"
"We haven't announced the names to anyone yet, but we'll be doing that at dinner at Jamie and Eddie's house next Sunday. You are welcome to join us there."
Joshua smiled, "It's Friday, and you aren't going to reveal the names until Sunday?"
"Not my idea but I'm not arguing with a woman that just gave birth to twins," Steven laughed. "She's not her mother's daughter, she's all Reagan and she's scary."
Maura laughed, "May I…" But the baby girl began to cry.
"I think later might be better, she's hungry now too," Steven replied. "It's all right, sweetie. Mommy will feed you as soon as your brother is finished. It's all right…"
Steven patted his daughter's little back until Lila told him she was finished with their son. Steven took the boy for a burp and to see his other grandparents while Lila nursed their daughter.
While Maura and Josh had their time with the grandchildren, Jamie and Eddie sat with the rest of the Reagan family in the waiting room. "How does it feel?" Danny asked his younger brother who became a grandpa before he did.
"It feels amazing," Jamie smiled. "Your turn soon, I'm sure. I know Jack can't wait to have a family."
Danny smiled, "When she's done feeding we'll just take a quick peek…Jamie look at Eddie…"
Jamie turned back to where Eddie sat on the chair hands covering her face.
Jamie rushed over to his side placing a hand over her back comfortingly. "Eddie, what's wrong babe?"
Eddie leaned over the chair suddenly feeling dizzy, giving into the shock that her baby just had babies.
"Wasn't it just yesterday we had Lila," Eddie whispered, looking at Jamie.
Smiling Jamie sat on the little chair beside his wife. Jamie pulled Eddie onto his lap and slipped his hands around her waist. "Yeah, I can't believe our princess just had babies, we're grandparents."
Eddie sighed resting her head against him listening to his heart beating. His hands slowly roamed against her waist which had a little more weight than when they first met. Eddie lay curled against him thinking about being a grandmother when the realization Jamie's hands were over her came through. "Jamie, we're in a hospital…" Eddie blushed and slid off Jamie's lap. She hadn't realized the only thing keeping her upright had been her husband.
"Eddie!" Jamie dropped to his knee and looked up at Linda. Joey and Molly had left to bring Frank home just minutes ago. Linda dropped next to Jamie and Eddie, she checked Eddie's pulse, she touched Eddie's face, her skin was cool and dry. "Eddie, how much did you drink or eat during Lila's labor?"
Eddie shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, I don't remember…"
"Danny get her some snacks with salt, like a bag of pretzels and a cola. Eddie just be still."
Danny hurried to get the food while Jamie lifted his wife to lay in his lap. This was the closest Eddie let Jamie get in a while and he relished in it even though Eddie was feeling ill. "Drink this," Jamie encouraged when Danny appeared. "As soon as you feel stronger we'll get you home for some rest."
"I promised I'd…"
"Eddie you need to take care of you. Rest here with Jamie, we'll just go peak at the babies and come on back. We'll stay over tonight and take care of Frank so you can rest," Linda said taking firm charge. "Rest with Jamie."
"Eddie," Jamie sighed. "You have to take care of yourself honey. Please baby…" Eddie drank and sighed. "I'm sorry, I was focused on our daughter, on our family."
"I know but you are important too," Jamie kissed her head. "We have a very important Sunday dinner coming up, the babies first huh?"
Eddie smiled, "Yes, our first as grandparents. I still can't believe it."
A short time later, the families visits had come to an end and Steven and Lila were left alone with their babies. Steven looked at his wife, the hospital light shining on her, he never thought she looked more beautiful.
"When I met you," Steven whispered to his wife. "I didn't think I could ever think you were more beautiful, then I saw you on our wedding day and now I see you with our babies to your chest and it's…"
Lila smiled, "It is really incredible isn't it. They doctor said we can go home Sunday, so we'll go right to dinner and announce their names. Are you parents going to come?"
"Yes, they are anxious to hear their names and hold the little man here. Why didn't your grandpa hold them I thought he'd be all over…?"
"Mom said his COPD was making him cough and he was afraid to cough on them. I kept my promise though, he saw his great grandchildren be born."
Lila took a deep breath, "I am not ready for him not to be across from Dad at the head of the table. I am not."
Steven put his arm around her, "I know you aren't, and he is so strong inside, he's going to want to see their first smile, first word, first step…You gave him so much to live for." Steven dropped a kiss on Lila's lips as their babies began to fuss again. Steven got up to retrieve their babies, this time handing their daughter to Lila first. Steven rocked their son using his little pacifier to calm him until it was his turn, with the two of them working together, they'd have this parenting thing down pat in now time, so far it was a snap.
A/N: Sorry, didn't reveal the names yet, that's saved for the next and final chapter of this fourth installment in the Tough saga. The next installment, titled One of Our Own will begin posting on Monday July 11th when I return from vacation.
Next Update – June 30th – The twins come home from the hospital, the names are revealed, and Jamie and Eddie take a step toward fixing their marriage.
