Less than a week until hiatus is over guys! The excitement is real.

Chapter 14

"Baba!"

Gabriel tried to clamber up the outside of the crib and Antonio had to pull him away. He lifted him onto his shoulder and the little boy giggled. "That's right buddy, but you have to be careful."

Matty looked thoughtfully through the bars at the sleeping infant then gazed up at Sylvie. "Boy?"

Sylvie laughed and crouched down to the same level as her son. "No sweetie, she's a girl" she said quietly, watching the baby's chest rise and fall gently as she slept. "Her name is Ruby. She's your cousin."

Matty watched the baby too, his head on one side as if deep in thought. Finally, he reached a hand through the bars of the crib and touched her arm softly. "Hi." Sylvie smiled at the gentle gesture of her son.

Meanwhile, Antonio had put Gabe down again and he stuck his face against the bars. "Hi!" he said, in a stage whisper that made both his parents laugh. Ruby squirmed in her sleep and Gabriel stepped back nervously.

"Come on guys" Sylvie said, gently coaxing her sons away. "You can play with her when she wakes up."

Sylvie and Antonio walked back into the sitting room, Matteo and Gabriel toddling along beside them. Gabby was sitting on the sofa with her eyes closed but opened them with a smile when she heard them approach. Matt was in the kitchen fixing lunch.

"She's so beautiful" Sylvie said, grinning warmly at her sister-in-law. She sat down next to Gabby and pulled her into a hug. "I'm so happy for you."

Gabby smiled. "I'm just relieved to have her home finally. There are so many hoops we had to jump through with the adoption agency, I thought we'd never get her."

"Lunch is ready" Matt called through from the kitchen. "Quick, before Rubes wakes up again."

Gabby and Sylvie sat in the bedroom while Gabby gave Ruby her bottle. On the other side of the door they could hear their husbands playing with the twins and happy laughter drifting through from the living room. In here though, the mood was calmer.

"All that, trying to be a firefighter, talking about med school, I was kidding myself." Gabby looked down at Ruby, lying in her arms. "All I've ever really wanted to do is make a difference in somebody's life, you know?" She smiled at her new daughter. "I can do that right here. I can make every difference in Ruby's life. I know this is what I'm supposed to do."

Sylvie knew. She stroked the baby's soft dark hair. "What's this little one's story then?"

"She was born May 1st and given up 4 days later. Her mother..." Gabby caught herself, and smiled, a mixture of joy and sadness in it. "Her birth mother I mean. She was young, only sixteen."

"Did you meet her?"

"Yes, Matt did too. It was one of the most difficult things I've done. Her family had no money, and she wanted to go to school, to make a better life for herself. I can't imagine how brave she had to be to give up her child."

"She's Latina?"

"Yes. From Mexico, the father too. I read that Hispanic babies are harder to place in the adoption system. It breaks my heart. But everything worked out." Gabby looked up at Sylvie and caught the thoughtful look on her face. "I'm sorry. Is this hard for you? Thinking about your own adoption?"

Sylvie shook her head. "God no. Gabby, I'm so happy for you and Matt, and Ruby. My parents are wonderful and it worked out perfectly for me, and it will for you guys too, I know it."

"I wanted to ask you something" Gabby said, hesitating. "Matt and I have decided to always be open with her about her adoption, we don't want any secrets. But when she grows up, I know she'll have questions…"

"I'll be happy to answer any questions she'll have" Sylvie said. "But I'm not sure how much help I'll be."

Gabby put down the empty bottle and lifted Ruby onto her shoulder in order to wind her. She didn't say anything, she could see that Sylvie was struggling with something but didn't think she was ready to talk about it, at least not with her. Ruby gave a little burp and Gabby lowered her back to her lap. "Do you want a cuddle?" she asked.

"Definitely" Sylvie replied, happy to not dwell on her own feelings for long. Today was supposed to be a happy day, she was meeting her niece for the first time. She took the baby from Gabby and was calmed by Ruby's tiny warm body in her arms. Happy and content and drunk on milk, she was very quickly drifting back to sleep. "She's so tiny" Sylvie said quietly, not wishing to disturb her. "Were mine ever this small?"

Gabby nodded. "Yes. But I suppose you forget."

"Savour this" Sylvie said, "they grow so quickly. It will be wonderful to see her grow and learn but you'll never feel closer to her than right now."

"Are you getting broody?" Gabby asked with a smirk.

Sylvie raised an eyebrow. "You're as bad as Antonio."

Gabby just laughed, letting her question just hang in the air.

"How's Matt taking to fatherhood?"

"He's brilliant with her, he's so excited. I worried that he still wished we could have had a baby the old fashioned way, but I just couldn't, not after what happened last time. I couldn't go through that again. But the moment we met her I knew I had nothing to worry about. She really feels like ours, it doesn't matter where she came from, what matters is where she is now."

Sylvie sat in the passenger seat of the car while Antonio strapped the boys into their car seats in the back. It was drizzling slightly so Matt and Gabby stayed inside. Sylvie had hugged them both in the hallway of their apartment building, brimming with happiness for two of the people she loved most. But now she was in the car, something in her mood had changed. Despite what she said to Gabby, she was thinking about her own adoption and imagining what Ruby might feel as she grew up. It got her wondering.

Antonio got in beside her quickly, shutting the door to keep out the rain. "Are you okay?" he asked his wife as he turned the key in the ignition and the car sprang to life. Sylvie nodded and tried to smile but she wasn't sure how convincing she was being. Antonio new her every mood inside and out, she wasn't fooling him. He reached over and squeezed her hand. "Let's go home."

As Antonio cooked dinner later on that night, Sylvie sat on the couch and leafed through her family photo album. Antonio walked up behind her, wiping his hands on a dish towel, and looked over her shoulder to a photo from 30 years ago of Sylvie as a baby being held by her Dad. He kissed her on the head.

"Mom's behind the camera" Sylvie explained. "She's always the one taking the pictures, she hates being photographed herself."

Antonio walked around to sit beside her on the couch. Sylvie tucked her legs further under herself to make room.

"How old are you here?" Antonio asked, easing in to see how ready Sylvie was to share what was on her mind.

"About 6 months I think. Check out my Dad's moustache, it was definitely the 80's." She flipped the page and rested her head on Antonio's shoulder. "You know, growing up it never bothered me that I was adopted. I was even kinda proud of it. Like, my parents chose me, they didn't just happen to end up with me. I know it sounds silly. But meeting Ruby today and hearing Gabby talk about the birth mother and the reasons she gave her up, it's got me thinking. I don't know anything about my birth parents or where I came from. And I don't think they've ever tried to find me."

Antonio didn't know what to say. He just looped his arm around Sylvie and rubbed her back gently. After minute or two of silence as they both looked through photographs from Sylvie's childhood, he finally spoke. "Do you want to find them?"

Sylvie paused half way through turning a page. "I really don't know. I don't want to upset my Mom and Dad. They've done everything for me my whole life."

"Have you talked to them about it?"

Sylvie shook her head. "No. My Dad's health is not so good, I don't want to do anything to make it worse." She shook her head and looked up at Antonio, forcing a smile. "I'm being silly."

"Hey, don't say that. You're allowed to feel what you feel. And if you decide you want to try and track them down, I'll be here to help." He kissed her again, this time Sylvie cupped his chin and returned his kiss.

"What did I do to deserve you?" she asked. Her smile this time was warm and easy.

"I'm the lucky one."

In the kitchen, a timer went off and Antonio heaved himself off the sofa to go and check on dinner. Sylvie closed the photo album and placed it on the coffee table, still lost in thought.

For once, Antonio, Sylvie, Eva and Diego sat at the dining table to eat and not in front of the TV. The twins, having already eaten, were sitting in front of a DVD within sight of their parents. For once, they were quiet. Antonio dished out the spaghetti bolognese as Eva chatted about school and the college fair she had visited that day. Diego was unusually quiet.

"Earth to Diego" Antonio said, holding out his son's plate to him which he had so far ignored in favour of staring into space.

He blinked and took the plate with a distracted "thank you."

"What's up with you?" Antonio asked.

Diego snatched up the salad bowl and concentrated hard on spooning lettuce onto his plate. "Nothing."

Eva took a sip of water and watched her brother. "Diego's got a girlfriend and he's wondering how to tell you he wants to invite her round for dinner."

Diego's head snapped up and he glared hard at his sister.

"I saw them at Starbucks yesterday after school" Eva continued, delighting in Diego's discomfort.

A grin spread across Antonio's face and he started laughing involuntarily.

"Dad!" Diego switched his glare from Eva to Antonio.

"I'm sorry" Antonio said, doing his best to straighten his face. "That's great, son" he said. "There's no need to be embarrassed. What's her name?" Antonio went back to dishing out dinner.

Diego blushed and sank down in his chair. "Olivia."

"Aww, he's blushing" Eva exclaimed.

"I hate you both" was Diego's reply.

Sylvie took her plate from Antonio and looked sympathetically at her embarrassed step-son. "Leave him alone you two" she said, but she was smiling too. She felt better already. She'd had a walk down memory lane and wallowed for a while in her own problems, but was happy to get back into the rhythm of family life and all the little dramas that went along with it. She turned to Diego. "We'd be happy to have her round if you want to invite her. And I promise everyone will behave." She stared pointedly at Antonio and Eva.

Easing off her brother for the time being, Eva changed the subject. "I can't wait to meet Ruby tomorrow" she said. "We can still go can't we Dad?"

"Probably. But we should call your Aunt Gabby and Uncle Matt first to check. It's tough with a new born."

Eva lifted a forkful of pasta half way to her mouth and paused before taking a bit. "Yeah, I remember. I'm just excited."

"I know. You'll meet her soon enough, I promise."

"I have pictures" Sylvie said, taking out her phone. Under normal circumstances they had a 'no phone' rule at the table but just this once they would make an exception. "She's so cute."

The next day, the first call of the shift, Sylvie and Em stood in a dark and cluttered hallway of an apartment block. "Fire department. Did anyone call for an ambulance?" Em knocked on the apartment door again and called out. They could hear music blaring through the floor and an argument in full swing down the corridor.

"It's open" came a female voice from inside and Em tentatively pushed the door.

Inside, they found a teenage girl sitting on a shabby sofa with a towel pressed to her forehead and blood trickling down her face.

Sylvie took the lead and crouched on the carpet in front of her. "Hey" she said. "What's your name?"

"Naomi" said the girl. "I tripped and hit my head on the bath." She paused. "I swear. No one hit me if that's what you're thinking. It's my own stupid fault, I was rushing to get my kids ready and tripped over a towel."

Kids? Sylvie thought, surprised. Naomi didn't look old enough. "Alright" she said. "Can I have a look?" Sylvie took the towel away to reveal quite a deep gash just below her hairline. "How old are you Naomi?"

"18. I feel stupid calling you" Naomi said. "It's just a cut. But I didn't trust myself to get to the hospital by myself on the El. I can't afford a cab right now."

Em ripped open a sterile wipe and passed it to Sylvie. "No sweat" she said, smiling at the injured girl. "That's what we're here for. You said you had kids, are they here?"

Naomi nodded. "Hold still" said Sylvie. "Where are they?"

Naomi pointed to the one and only bedroom in the apartment. "In there. Please check on them, I tried to stand up to go see them but I felt like I was going to faint."

"Sure thing" said Em, and she touched the girl reassuringly on the shoulder as she passed.

Sylvie set to work cleaning and dressing the cut. "I'm afraid you're gonna need stitches" she said. "We'll have to take you in. Is there anyone I can call for you?"

"Brett" Em re-entered the room and stood in the doorway behind Sylvie. Sylvie finished what she was doing and put the scissors back in the kit bag.

"What?" Sylvie turned around to see Em standing with a smile on her face and a baby in a flowery romper suit on each hip.

"Twins!" She exclaimed, and turned back to Naomi.

The girl raised her good eyebrow and regarded Sylvie with suspicion. "Yeah. What?"

"Sorry" Sylvie said, still smiling. "I have twins. My boys just turned 2 a couple of months ago." Sylvie stood up and snapped off her bloody gloves. She took one baby from Em and smiled at the little girl. "How old are these guys?"

"10 months" Naomi said, watching the paramedics wearily.

"I bet they're a handful" Sylvie said.

Naomi immediately went on the defensive. "We do just fine" she said. She tried to stand up but, light headed, fell back on the couch.

"Hey, I didn't mean anything by it" Sylvie crouched down again in front of Naomi, the baby still in her arms. "Be careful okay?"

Naomi nodded.

"Is there anyone I can call?" Sylvie repeated her earlier question. She was met with silence. "You live here alone?"

"Yeah. Well, me and Lottie and Jessie. I know it's not the best neighbourhood, but where else can we go?"

"I'm not judging you" Sylvie said kindly. "We can take you all with us, it's no problem. Do you think you can stand?"

Sylvie gave the baby she was holding back to Em and slung the kit bag over her shoulder. She helped Naomi to stand and slowly all 5 of them made their way down the stairs to the ambulance.

Later at the hospital, Sylvie found Em sitting on the back step of the ambulance cradling a coffee cup. "You ready to get back out there?" She asked, draining the cup and standing up. Sylvie hesitated. "What's the matter?" Em asked her partner, concerned.

"I'm worried about Naomi."

"She'll be fine. It was just a cut, it didn't look serious."

Sylvie sighed. She wasn't so sure. "I didn't mean that. She's got no one" she said. "I was talking to her on the ride over. She aged out of the foster system, the babies' Dad is in jail. I know how hard it is to raise twins and I have Antonio and my whole family to help. I can't imagine being able to do it alone."

"You can't let the patients get to you" Em said. "If you let every person who we pick up affect you it would eat you alive."

"This is different" Sylvie said. "She could have been me." It felt like fate. Meeting Ruby yesterday and thinking about her own adoption, then meeting Naomi who wasn't as lucky, had set Sylvie's thoughts off into a spin. She felt the need to explain her feelings to her partner, and all her words came tumbling out.

"I'm not even talking about the fact we both have twins. I mean, what if I had never been adopted? What would have happened to me? I see this young girl struggling and doing the best she can and I feel guilty. The system worked for me, but it didn't work for her."

Em sighed and threw her arm around her partner. "I get it" she said. "It's not that I don't care."

Sylvie nodded. "I know."

"We can come by later and check on her, I promise."

The radio buzzed to life as another call came through from control. Both women stood up and slammed the bag door of the ambulance. "Back to it."

Sylvie knocked on the open door to Naomi's room and saw her sat up in bed, one of her girls on her lap and the other in a play pen in the corner borrowed from the nursery. She looked up when she saw Sylvie enter and smiled. "You came back."

"I came to check on you" Sylvie said, "how are you doing?" They had just completed their last run of the day and were heading back to the firehouse, but Sylvie wouldn't have been able to sleep that night had she not made this stop off on the way.

Naomi shrugged. "You know. Getting by. You didn't have to come back, you did your job."

"I wanted to make sure you were alright" Sylvie said.

"They want to keep an eye on me to make sure I don't have concussion. To be honest I think they felt sorry for me. I'm lucky they're letting me keep the girls with me."

Sylvie sat down on the edge of the bed and handed a shopping bag to Naomi. "I got these in the gift shop, I know it's not much."

Naomi reached over and opened the bag. Inside were two teddy bears, one lilac and one yellow. "Thank you" she said, "you didn't have to do that."

Sylvie turned her attention to the baby sitting in Naomi's lap. "Is this Lottie or Jessie?"

Naomi looked at Sylvie with surprise, that she had remembered her daughters' names. "This is Jessie. She was making a fuss, I think she just wanted a cuddle."

Sylvie motioned down to Lottie, lying on her back in the playpen, staring up with curious eyes. "Do you mind?"

"No, go ahead."

Sylvie bent down and picked up Lottie. "I'm meeting so many babies this week" she said, settling back down on the bed. "I saw my new little niece for the first time yesterday."

"You said you had twins too" Naomi said. Sylvie nodded. "Do you have a picture?"

"Of course." Sylvie reached into her jacket pocket and took out her phone, handing it to Naomi when she'd found a suitable picture. The photo she decided on was the twins lying on the giant beanbag they'd just bought for Diego's room. They were happy and laughing and it was one of Sylvie's favourite photos.

"Cute" Naomi said, and Sylvie noticed her hug her daughter a little bit tighter. "What are their names?"

"Matteo and Gabriel."

"Spanish names?"

Sylvie took back her phone and put it back in her pocket. "Yes. My husband…"

"You're lucky" Naomi said, cutting Sylvie off. A sad look crossed her face. "To have someone. I worry that I won't get to see my girls grow up. What if I turn into my mother? She was a waste of space, drunk all the time and in and out of jail. Eventually she just vanished. I was 14 and I haven't seen her since."

Sylvie was touched that this girl who she had only met that morning was opening up to her. Perhaps she felt what Sylvie felt, a connection, although maybe that was all in her head. Maybe this was just the first time that someone had been willing to listen and she felt safe enough to share.

"Listen, it's easy to tell when kids aren't getting the care they need, but I can see that your girls are healthy and happy and loved. I don't think you have anything to worry about." Even to her own ears, Sylvie's words sounded empty. It was easy for her to say not to worry, when she had a husband to share the struggles with.

"I worry that Family Services will take them away from me. If that happened I'd die." Naomi started crying, and covered her face with her hand.

"Don't be afraid to ask for help. There are support groups out there, other women in your situation going through the same thing you are. It's not a sign of weakness to admit you need support."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Naomi asked, and Sylvie felt a pang of hurt, that this sweet, strong girl didn't think she was deserving of it.

"Us Moms have to stick together."

Ambulance 61 pulled into the firehouse and Sylvie opened the passenger door and jumped out the moment Em shut off the engine.

Antonio was standing on the apparatus floor waiting.

"Hey husband." Sylvie greeted him with a kiss. "What are you doing here?"

"I just dropped Eva and Diego off at Gabby's, I thought we could get something to eat before going back to collect them. The twins are in the car, I didn't think it was fair to inflict them on Gabby and Matt again."

All through Antonio's explanation, Sylvie clung to him, her arms wrapped tightly around his chest. She didn't seem to be listening.

"Sylvie? Do you want to get changed?"

She reluctantly pulled away and looked at him, deeply and intently. "I love you, you know that? I don't know what I'd do without you."

Antonio was caught by surprise. "I love you too. What brought this on, is everything okay?"

"We had a difficult case today. This kid, a teen mom, she has nobody. I don't think I tell you enough how much I appreciate you."

Sylvie's big blue eyes, and her even bigger heart, made Antonio's own heart burst. His wife was amazing. "Be careful though Baby" he said.

"Of course."

"I know you, you want to fix the whole world, and. I love you for it." He took hold of her again, nervous that his gentle warning might push her away. He had seen the Sylvie get invested in patients before, and then see her break when things didn't work out. He'd always be there to pick up the pieces, but wanted to protect her before she got hurt.

"You worry too much" Sylvie said, trying to sound casual. But she knew where Antonio was coming from, and had to admit he had a point.

"Alright" Antonio replied, but was not convinced Sylvie had heeded his warning.

"Give me two minutes" Sylvie said, already half way to the door to the rest of the firehouse. "Don't go anywhere."

"It hit her hard I think." Antonio didn't notice Em come up behind him, he was still staring towards the door where Sylvie had disappeared out of sight.

Antonio turned to face the paramedic and smiled at her gratefully. "Thanks for looking out for her."

Em returned his smile and patted him on the back as she too made for the door to go and get changed. "Any time."

Next chapter will have more interaction with the boys, I promise!