Suki was shocked she didn't have to resort to a c-section for Baby B or C. She couldn't have asked for a better outcome. It was risky for Stephanie to help deliver Baby A in the car. Stephanie's quick reaction didn't surprise Suki. It was strange for Stephanie to ask how to deliver a baby, but Suki indulged her by showing videos. Suki ensured Bobby had the suction bulb in his medical kit. She insisted that Stephanie should not cut the umbilical cord.
"Stephanie never faltered," Jordan said. "Whatever she saw was important enough to deliver Ricky." Stephanie impressed Jordan. He thought Stephanie looked ready to vomit a few times, but she held strong to deliver her son. Jordan suppressed a gag response to Stephanie clearing the mucus from Ricky's nose and mouth. Ram got everything ready for Stephanie so she didn't have to worry about how to warm the baby. They made an impressive team.
"She probably saw a bulge," Suki explained. "I told Stephanie what to watch for when Jeanne Ellen went into labour. Bobby could have delivered the baby, but he knew Jeanne Ellen wanted Stephanie there if it was necessary. He had everything in his kit if it went sideways. Stephanie knew how to assist."
"It's why Stephanie was insistent on learning how to deliver babies. I wanted her to help. Thank God Bobby didn't have to resort to roadside surgery. So… how long should I wait until Jordan and I can have our second child?" Jeanne Ellen asked.
"Between eight and twelve weeks," Suki said. She knew Jeanne Ellen and Jordan were anxious to complete their family. "I'm recommending twelve weeks to allow your body return to normal. Hopefully, we can catch you mid-cycle to implant the embryo."
"Thank you for not resorting to a c-section," Jeanne said. "I didn't want to wait another year before having another child."
"The babies cooperated. I thought Alex was going to be breeched because she rolled when her brothers were born, but she was easy enough to rotate," Suki explained. Jeanne Ellen wondered why Suki had a little trouble with the girl. "I'm glad everything worked out according to the birthing plan. We didn't have time for the epidural, which was why I had Dr. Grundy on standby. He had the medication to knock you out cold."
"I wondered why he was here," Jordan said. "Thank you for everything, Dr. Burt. Jeanne and I plan to stay with Carlos and Stephanie to help transition."
"That's wise. Jeanne, remember to talk to Marlee when your feelings get too overwhelming. She specializes in treating postpartum surrogates," Suki said.
Jeanne Ellen smiled. "I'm familiar with Marlee. She's dating Vince." Suki grinned, unsurprised that her best friend was dating one of Stephanie's Merry Men.
"Okay, Jeanne. I've delivered the afterbirth. You have a few sutures from the babies. I believe you remember how to keep it clean?" Suki asked.
"Yes. I remember from having Mica. When can I go home?" Jeanne asked.
"In two days. I want to be sure you don't have any complications after giving birth. Jordan can bring Mica to visit you."
A few nurses worked to clean Jeanne Ellen and move her to a fresh bed. The porter moved Jeanne Ellen to the maternity ward. She smiled when they passed the nursery where Stephanie and Carlos held their triplets.
"What did you name them?" the porter asked Jeanne. She thought the man looked familiar. He resembled Manny enough to be a brother or cousin.
"Oh. Those aren't my babies. I was only the incubator," Jeanne corrected. "They're my niece and nephews. I carried the babies for my sister-in-law and brother. Jordan and I have a daughter at home."
"Not many people do that in Trenton," the porter said. "The women seem to think about themselves or how they get viewed in the neighbourhood."
"You're not wrong. What's your name?" Jeanne asked.
"Juan Ramos," he replied.
"Any relationship to Manny Ramos?"
Juan grinned and nodded. "Brother," he offered. "I transferred to Trenton when he got the job at Rangeman." Juan and Manny only had each other. Their parents died when they were young children and their grandparents raised them until they passed away a few years earlier.
"Maybe you should come around to visit him sometime. The guys and Stephanie have a Mario Kart competition on Friday nights," Jeanne offered, laughing.
"I might take you up on the offer if Manny's free," Juan said. "This is where I leave you. I hope to see you two soon." Juan waved after locking the wheels.
Manny grabbed Juan's arm as he left Jeanne Ellen's room. "Hey, I didn't know you were working tonight," Manny said.
"Traded a shift," Juan replied. "Jeanne Ellen is a special woman. I don't know anyone who would carry her brother and sister-in-law's triplets. She invited me to Mario Kart night."
Manny tipped his head back and laughed. He told his brother about the coworker he called Wonder Woman. She was tough as nails after experiencing a life-altering event. "Do you remember me telling you about Wonder Woman?" Manny asked.
"Yes. She got attacked by that boxer, right?"
"Yup," Manny replied. He pointed to the nursery window. "That's Wonder Woman. Her name is Stephanie. She's married to Ranger, my boss."
Juan's eyes popped open. Manny clapped his brother on the back and suggested he return to work. He had other duties to perform besides shunting patients between floors.
Manny waited with his Rangeman brothers, hoping Stephanie and Carlos would bring the babies out of the nursery. Stephanie grinned when the nurse talked to her. She turned to face everyone, then opened the door with her free hand.
Carlos exited the nursery first. He was holding Baby B and Baby C. Stephanie had Baby A.
"Well?" Tank demanded. "What are their names?"
"I have Baby A, who we named Ricardo Felix Manoso. Ricky weighs four pounds, three ounces. He's the shortest at thirteen inches long," Stephanie said. "Carlos has Baby B, whose name is Maximo Carlos Manoso. Max weighs five pounds, one ounce. He's the longest at fourteen inches."
"Our precious daughter, Baby C, is named Alejandra Rosa Manoso. Alex weighs four pounds, ten ounces and is thirteen and a half inches long," Carlos said. Alejandra yawned and whimpered. Tank stepped forward and raised a brow. He wanted to hold the little princess. Carlos smiled and let Tank take the tiny girl from his arms.
"Hi, Little One. I'm your Tio Tank," he said. "You're my little goddaughter." Stephanie snorted when Tank staked his claim. She knew the guys would fight over their godparent roles.
"Okay, Big Guy. You can be Alejandra's godfather. Jeanne is her godmother," Stephanie said. Hector and Tito approached Stephanie, wondering which baby they would have as their godchild. Stephanie passed Ricky to Hector. "Ricky's going to need you and Tito. Would you guys be his godfather?"
"Yes," they replied.
Lester, Nicki and Sadie arrived at the hospital after receiving the message. Nicki contacted Frank and Helen. Ram told Valerie and Marty. The Rangeman notification tree worked as planned.
Stephanie hugged Sadie. "Nicki, would you and Lester be Maximo's godparents?" Stephanie asked. They looked at Sadie, who nodded. She knew godparents were to ensure the children got raised in the Catholic faith. Stephanie reminded Sadie for the Italian and Cuban families, the godparents were also responsible for keeping the children safe.
"Yes," Nicki and Lester replied.
"We want you and Carlos to be Sadie's godparents. Lydia never got around to baptizing her, and I know the other guardian never had either," Lester said.
Knowing Stephanie's answer, Carlos replied, "Of course. It would be our honour."
The men passed the babies to the other men to hold. Once each man got a chance to meet all three babies, the nurse announced, "It's time for their bath. Come on, Mom and Dad. I'll show you how to bathe your babies."
"Oh. Are we too late?" Helen asked. Stephanie approached her mom, then passed her Ricky.
"No, Mom. You're never too late."
"He's handsome, Stephanie. What's his name?" Helen asked. She smiled at her grandson.
"Ricky," Carlos replied, passing Helen the other boy. "This little man is named Max."
"Daddy has Alex," Stephanie added.
"Alex?" Helen asked, letting Carlos take Ricky from her arm. Helen didn't think Alex was an appropriate name for the beautiful little girl.
Stephanie giggled, then gave her parents the babies' names. "Ricardo Felix, Maximo Carlos and Alejandra Rosa," Stephanie said.
Valerie smiled when Carlos placed Ricky in her arms. "You and Stephanie make gorgeous babies," Valerie said. "Ricky, you look like your momma."
Carlos smiled at his sister-in-law. "You look ready to give birth," he commented. Stephanie elbowed Carlos in the ribs. He laughed when Stephanie grumbled about bruising her elbow on his marble abs.
"I still have another nine weeks before this girl's ready," Valerie replied. "It isn't soon enough. Maybe I'll go into labour early." Valerie still wore her Rangeman uniform. She didn't have time to go home and change before visiting the babies in the hospital. Ella purchased pants and shirts with stretchy fabric to accommodate Valerie and Jeanne Ellen's pregnant bodies. The women found the clothes more comfortable than the maternity clothing in the shops.
Stephanie removed Ricky from Valerie's arms and placed Max in his place. "I think Max resembles Carlos," Stephanie said.
"You're right. He does. But Ricky already mastered the blank stare," Valerie replied, making them laugh. "Max is enjoying the scenery. He's going to be like you, Steph, because I can already see it. I know he can't see past the shape of my face. It doesn't make it less true."
Marty passed Ricky back to Carlos before accepting Max. He agreed with Valerie that Max resembled his father but had Stephanie's personality. Marty smiled. He watched Sadie, Angie and Mary Alice taking turns holding Ricky. He approached them with Max. Hector swooped in to take his godson from Angie's arms.
Max fussed when Mary Alice held him, but he calmed quickly as he stared into her face. "Hi, Max. I'm your cousin, Mary Alice. Angie wants to hold you. Okay?" Mary Alice asked. Marty helped transfer the infant into Angie's arms.
"He's adorable," Angie whispered. Sadie readily agreed. She thought the babies were cute.
Lester and Nicki exchanged a glance when Sadie held the babies. "It's making my ovaries cry for a baby," Nicki whispered.
"We can start anytime you want," Lester replied. He stared into her eyes, waiting for an answer. Lester couldn't wait to have a baby with Nicki.
"Okay," Nicki said. "I'll stop getting the injections." Lester slammed his lips to hers. Stephanie and Valerie grinned, realizing what Nicki had agreed to do.
"We need a daycare at Rangeman," Stephanie whispered.
"I'll research candidates," Carlos replied.
"We can take turns watching them," Tank suggested. Stephanie and Valerie giggled as they pictured Tank changing diapers.
"Okay, guys. Carlos and I have to take the babies to get bathed and fed. Thank you for coming here today. Remember to visit Jeanne Ellen. She did all the hard work. Carlos and I are reaping the benefits," Stephanie said.
Sadie reluctantly gave Max back to Stephanie. "What's wrong, sweetie?" Nicki asked.
"Are you and Dad going to have a baby? I want to help with my baby brother before I go away to college," Sadie replied.
"We're going to try having a baby. But we can't guarantee it would be a boy," Nicki said.
"Maybe you'll be lucky and have twins," Sadie joked. "It doesn't matter if you have a boy or girl. I'll help either way."
Lester waited until they got into the car before addressing the baby boy issue. He realized Sadie wanted a brother to ensure she still had a place in their family. "Sade, are you worried about us having a girl?" Lester asked. Sadie shrugged, unwilling to state her fears.
"Sweetie," Nicki said, "we understand why you want a brother. You're afraid we'd love our daughter more than you."
Sadie nodded.
Nicki turned in her seat to look at her daughter. "I went to school with a girl who got adopted. Her parents had a baby girl. When they grew up, the biological daughter always taunted the adopted girl about being the real daughter. Do you know what the adopted girl said?" Nicki asked.
"What did she say?" Sadie wondered. She couldn't think of a witty retort.
"The adopted girl said, "At least they chose me. They got stuck with you." I thought it was funny," Nicki replied. Sadie giggled, thinking it was funny, too.
"Did she get into trouble?" Sadie asked.
"No," Nicki answered with a laugh. "Her parents said their biological daughter deserved to get told off. Both girls were their daughters. It didn't matter that the oldest one got adopted. They loved the girls equally."
"Sade, your mother and I will love you no matter what. You are our daughter, despite biology. We love you unconditionally," Lester added.
"Okay. I'll try to remember that if you have a girl. But I think you'll have a boy," Sadie said. She felt better. "Thanks for telling me that story, Mom. I feel a lot better."
"And it gives you the perfect line for the kids teasing you at school," Lester joked. Sadie laughed when Nicki playfully slapped his thigh.
~~~~~
Jeanne Ellen was feeling the loss of the babies. She tried to discretely wipe the tear from her eye, but Jordan caught the motion. "Jeannie, are you okay? Are you missing the babies?" Jordan asked.
"Yes," she replied. "I'm okay and missing them."
"Stephanie could bring them here for you to hold," Jordan suggested. Jeanne Ellen shook her head. She wanted Stephanie to bond with her babies.
"They aren't mine to hold," Jeanne argued.
"Nonsense," Tank said as he entered the room. "You carried them for almost nine months. Rangeman is a village. We are raising the children together."
"You're such a softie, Tank," Jeanne said. Tears dripped from her eyes, tangling in her hair. Jordan raised the bed for her to sit up more. She slid down the bed slightly, experiencing slight discomfort as the sheets tugged her panties.
"Lester and Nicki had to get Sadie home. It was a school night, and Sadie needed alone time with her parents. They promised to visit tomorrow afternoon," Bobby said as he entered the room.
"But we're here for a few minutes," Valerie announced. Angie and Mary Alice rushed to Jeanne Ellen to hug her. They thanked Jeanne for giving birth to Uncle Carlos and Aunt Stephanie's babies. Mary Alice asked Marty for the small box in his pocket. Marty passed the item to Mary Alice.
"What's this?" Jeanne Ellen asked.
"Sadie, Angie, Aunt Steph and I went to the jewelry store to get this made for you. We wanted you to have something special from all of us," Mary Alice explained.
Jeanne Ellen opened the box. Nestled inside the velvet was a charm bracelet with various charms; Cat Woman, #1 birth aunt, Tia Jee, We Love You, horse, book, spyglass, three entwined rings - two blue & one pink, mama, Mica and a stiletto charm were attached to the bracelet.
"It's beautiful," Jeanne cried as she touched the #1 birth aunt charm. Stephanie entered the room and smiled.
"I'm glad you like it. We got a few custom-made," Stephanie said. Valerie, Marty and the girls quickly hugged Jeanne and said they had to leave.
Stephanie climbed onto the bed beside Jeanne Ellen and rested her head against hers. "I can't thank you enough for carrying my babies. Your body had stretched to maximum capacity until the babies ran out of room to grow. Does it impact your timeline for your next baby? Maybe Carlos and I should have waited another year and let you have your children first."
"Steph, I volunteered for this journey. Sure, I miss feeling the babies move inside me. I can try for another pregnancy in twelve weeks. I'm young and have plenty of time to have my second child. It was important to give you the babies while I was young enough to sustain a triplet birth. We were lucky everything went well," Jeanne rambled. She motioned for Ram to move closer when he entered the room. Jeanne patted the spot beside her hip for Ram to sit.
"Ram, what can I say? Jordan and I can't thank you enough for helping us have a baby. We wouldn't have Mica without your contribution," Jeanne said.
"Jeanne, you and Jordan are family. I would do anything to help. Let me know if you need another contribution."
"You would do that for us?" Jordan asked, his voice thick with emotion.
"Of course," Ram replied. "I'd do anything to help my brother." Ram fist-bumped Jordan.
"It's not necessary, Ram," Stephanie interjected. "The implantation will be a success. I can visualize Jeanne Ellen, seven months pregnant with her boy. She's going to be pregnant at the same time as Valerie."
"Thank you for visiting. I thought everyone got caught up with the babies," Jeanne said.
"Carlos and I are staying here for the night. We arranged for some cots to get brought into the room. The babies got moved to the neonatal ward as a precaution," Stephanie explained.
"Why? Suki gave me injections to ensure lung development," Jeanne said.
"Yes, but they were still born pre-term at thirty-four weeks. Suki wants to ensure there won't be any complications like jaundice. Carlos and I are hoping to take them home in a few days," Stephanie replied.
On cue, Carlos entered the room with Juan, who was carrying cots for Carlos, Stephanie and Jordan. "Melody is staying with Mica in your Rangeman apartment," Carlos announced. "She wanted you to know Mica said good night."
Stephanie wiped the tears from Jeanne's face. "Melody will bring Mica here in the morning. She knows this is hard for you," Stephanie whispered. She kissed Jeanne's cheek before getting off the bed.
Junior, Manny, Hector and Tito entered the room, carrying bags of takeout food. "Juan said you missed the dinner delivery. We decided Chinese food would be a great way to celebrate," Manny explained. Stephanie giggled when Jeanne Ellen's stomach grumbled in answer to hers.
"Thanks, Manny. You know how to make a girl feel special," Jeanne Ellen said. She looked around the room at her family. Most of the men weren't related to her, but that didn't matter. They were all family. Jeanne Ellen didn't feel so alone.