Chapter Forty-Five

28 Weeks:

They were able to stop the contractions and so far, everything was doing well. She was visiting Dr. Kealoha each Wednesday like clock-work, in the mornings and she had an ultrasound to check on their growth recently. However, right now... at this very moment... She was ravenous. She could smell food everywhere and it was driving her insane with hunger. She was beginning to believe that she really did have a miniature Kuu or, two in the making, at least that's what Kuon's grandmother had suggested on her visit last week.

Grandmother Hizuri was the epitome of refined, yet very loving and gentle. Kyoko realized that not only did she have two wonderful parents in Julie and Kuu, but that also included extended family that she hadn't, until now even considered. These babies would have so much family they wouldn't know what to do with them. She laughed to herself at the thought. When it rains, it pours. She smiled and her stomach grumbled. How could I eat so much and not gain an ounce? She shook her head. It's going to cost a fortune to feed these three. She giggled. Even Kuon was teasing her more about it now.

Kuon looked over at her when she stopped playing her piano and heard her stomach growl again. "Babe? Are you hungry again?" He chuckled.

She blushed and nodded sheepishly. "I think maybe these three are going to give Otousan a run for his money."

Kuon laughed and left for the kitchen to make some snacks. Between his newly found appetite and Kyoko's pregnant appetite, he was going to need something big. He rummaged through the refrigerator and cabinets, pulling out cheeses, sliced meats, a pile of seedless grapes and a couple of sleeves of saltines. He arranged everything on a large serving platter that would normally be used for a large roast or, turkey and brought it out and sat it on the coffee table so they could watch television, relax or, read and snack.

She sighed with relief. "Oh thank goodness Kuon... You read my mind." She told him as she grabbed several slices of meats and cheeses and a couple of saltines and began to munch enthusiastically.

He chuckled and grabbed a couple of his own and popped them into his mouth. "I don't know why, but it just sounded really good right now." He told her as he poured her a tall glass of lemonade and passed it to her.

She drank it down in several swallows. "Perfect." She breathed out. "Not too sweet either." She licked her lips. Lately sweet things just didn't taste right to her, but she could definitely do sour.

She smiled contentedly and picked up her tablet PC, turned it on and navigated past her music writing apps, to a little digital book she had purchased. She sat back and began flipping through the pages.

"What do you have there?" Kuon asked out of curiosity.

She smiled brightly and turned it so he could see.

He smiled gently. "Can I look too?"

She nodded. "I think maybe we really should start looking."

He chuckled. "Yeah... I can't believe we haven't looked at names yet."

Her eyes went wide as she remembered something. "Oh! Don't forget... The new nanny will be stopping by tomorrow to visit."

"Yeah, Mom sent me a text to remind me this morning before they left for Maui. Dad said he had a meeting today." Kuon told her as he grabbed a couple of grapes.

As they sat comfortably, browsing through the names for little boys, Kyoko couldn't help but feel that something was a little off. It was that nagging, itchy feeling. Not the one that gave her the desire to hunt, but something else more urgent. She took in a sharp breath when all of the muscles in her lower abdomen and lower back suddenly seized up and clenched tightly. Her eyes flew wide open and she grabbed Kuon's forearm to stave off the sudden surprise and pain, then noticed that she felt a sudden moistness beneath her.

"Kyoko? Are you alright?" He asked with worry.

"Kuon... I think we need to go to the hospital right now." She whimpered.

He nodded, then helped her to the door as he grabbed her overnight bag from the hall closet. As they were making their way to the car, he quickly phoned the doctor to give him the news. The trip to the small, private hospital was a quick one and they were met at the door by Nurse Hannah and a wheelchair. Kyoko and Kuon were ushered into a delivery room where Kyoko was given a hospital gown to slip into. Kuon helped her onto the examination table that would, most likely double as a delivery table.

Moments later Dr. Kealoha entered with a calming attitude and smile. "Kyoko... How are you feeling?"

Kyoko explained what had happened less than an hour earlier and Kuon filled in any details that she might have missed. She suffered another strong contraction as they were speaking and Dr. Kealoha had Nurse Hannah fetch the anesthesiologist along with the resident pediatrician. He turned to the young couple and informed them that they would officially be parents by the end of the day. It was then that the gravity of the situation sunk into them and Kyoko's eyes filled with tears.

"It's alright Dear... I will make sure they're well taken care of. It's why we've been watching so closely for the past few weeks and you've been taking your medication. You shouldn't worry... You'll be able to see you're babies soon and take them home in a couple of weeks." He smiled reassuringly and patted her hand. "Now... We're going to have to give you a catheter, then Dr. Morris is going to give you a spinal block. You'll need to hold very still." He explained as a nurse entered the room and inserted an IV into her left hand. "Kuon... We'll need you to change if you want to be in the OR with Kyoko."

Kuon nodded and follow the nurse to put on the proper attire while they were prepping her.

As they walked down the hall to where he would change, the nurse explained to him what his role would be during the delivery. She explained the importance of skin to skin contact after the birth and how he could help during the surgery. She led him to the changing room, handed him what he needed and stood outside the door as he changed so she could lead him to the operating room when he finished.

Kuon quickly dressed and stepped out of the room. At this moment he had never felt so anxious about anything. He wondered if his father felt the same when he was born and then it hit him... He forgot to call his parents.

"Excuse me... Um, I forgot to tell my family about all of this. Is it alright if I bring my phone?" He asked a bit embarrassed.

The nurse laughed and nodded her head. "Of course. You can also take photos of your children during the delivery if you like."

Kuon sighed with relief. "Good, I think my mother would kill me if I didn't." He chuckled and went back to the changing room to pull his phone from his pants pocket that had been stored in a locker.

She smiled. "Now... Do we have everything?"

"Yeah..." He said sheepishly and she led him to Kyoko.