Carina followed behind the NICU team down to their unit, keeping her eyes glued on her daughter who was moving around in that adorable newborn way in the incubator. As they walked, Carina suddenly heard someone calling her name, Andrew walking next to her before she knew what was going on.
"Is that the baby?" the younger Italian asked.
"Si," Carina nodded, "She was born about a half an hour ago. You have a new niece."
"How's Maya?" Andrew asked, "And the baby?"
"The baby is good," Carina said, "I mean, she is nine weeks early, but good. Andrea, can you do me a favor? Can you go sit with Maya or text Vic or Andy or Travis to come if you are busy. She won't let me leave Lia, but she shouldn't be alone. She went into labor and we honestly didn't even think about telling anyone. And then the baby came so fast…she wasn't even in labor for 4 hours from the first contraction."
"I'll go sit with her until someone gets here," Andrew said, seeing and hearing the desperation in Carina's voice, "I'm working, but I can go be with her until someone else can."
"Thank you," Carina said, tears filling her eyes as tears.
"We've got you," Andrew said as Carina got into the elevator with her daughter, "All of you."
Andrew turned and headed back toward L&D, asking the nurses at the desk where to find Maya. He walked over to the door, knocking before going in.
The sight inside broke his heart when he saw the state his sister-in-law was in. Maya was sitting in the bed, silent tears just running down her cheeks.
"Hey," Andrew said, walking closer to her, "I ran into Carina and your beautiful little girl. Congratulations."
"She really is beautiful isn't she?" Maya said, looking at Andrew with a watery smile before tears started falling again, "I just want to be with her."
"Soon," Andrew said, sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing his hand up and down Maya's arm as he pulled out her phone, "But until then, someone is going to be right here with you, ok?"
Maya nodded, leaning back against her pillows as Andrew continued to rub her arm. Andrew quickly texted Vic, Travis, and Andy, hoping A shift wasn't on today. He also shot a message to Mason and Laila, knowing Maya and Carina were both very out of it and would feel bad if they forgot to tell Mason.
"Does that beautiful baby of yours have a name?" Andrew asked, having heard his sister say Lia, but wanting to get Maya out of her head.
"Cecelia," Maya said, nodding, "Cecelia Katherine. But we are probably going to call her Lia. We chose it because…"
"Because it sounds a lot like Sicily in Italian," Andrew said, smiling, "I like it. It's a beautiful name."
"Thanks," Maya said, trying to readjust herself into a more comfortable position, "She's so little. Like, I thought the twins were tiny, but they were both over 7 lbs. She's 2lb 10 oz, I think Carina said. She's so little."
"Tiny but mighty," Andrew said, "She's gonna be great. She's got two of the most stubborn and determined people I know as her moms."
"And her zio is just as stubborn," Maya said, raising an eyebrow at her.
Just then a nurse walked in.
"I'm just gonna grab some vitals," the nurse said, "How are you feeling?"
"When can I go see my baby?" Maya asked, desperate to be back with her baby.
"We need to monitor you for the next few hours," the nurse said, "But if everything goes well, I would say in about three hours, we can get you down to the NICU."
"That's so long," Maya said, tears filling her eyes.
"I know," the nurse said gently, walking over to Maya's side, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I am so sorry. I promise you that as soon as it is safe, I will get you down and by her side, ok?"
Maya nodded, wiping her eyes, Andrew holding her hand.
Just then, there was another knock at the door, Vic walking in, dressed in her uniform.
"Hey," the younger firefighter said, "I got here as fast as I could."
"How did you…?" Maya said, looking at her friend.
"I texted her," Andrew said, "And a few other people. I have to work and you shouldn't be alone."
"Thank you," Maya said, tears filling her eyes as she looked at her brother-in-law.
"It was actually your wife's idea," Andrew shrugged, "But I do need to get back to work. Congratulations on the baby. I'll check back in later."
"Thank you," Maya said, smiling a little at him before he left.
"So baby is here?" Vic said, looking at her friend.
"She is," Maya nodded.
"She?" Vic said, sitting down next to Maya, "Another girl?"
"Yeah," Maya nodded, smiling, "Cecelia Katherine. Lia. She is 2 lbs. 10 oz. and so tiny. But she's doing well I think. She got put on some oxygen and she got taken down to the NICU. Carina's with her."
"How are you doing?" Vic asked, looking at Maya.
"This sucks," Maya said, tears welling up in her eyes, "It sucks so much. I just want to be with my baby."
Maya started sobbing, Vic getting up and wrapping her arms around her friend, Maya just sobbing in her arms.
"It's ok," Vic said, rubbing her back, "It's going to be ok."
Maya cried for a good ten minutes before pulling away, wiping her eyes.
"I'm sorry," Maya said, taking a tissue from Vic, "I don't even know…"
"Hey, none of that," Vic said, shaking her head, "You don't need to apologize. You literally just gave birth, what, two hours ago?"
"I had her at 12:43," Maya said, looking at the clock, "So less than an hour ago."
"You had a baby an hour ago," Vic said, "You are allowed to feel however you want. I can't even imagine how hard all of this is."
Maya nodded, wiping at her eyes.
"Andy wanted to come too, but they got called to a fire and she needed to be there right now," Vic said, "But she said as soon as she can, she's going to come."
"She doesn't have to," Maya said, "She should stay at work. I'm gonna be here for at least 48 hours I'm sure and then back here every day until…until I can bring my baby home."
With that, Maya started crying again, Vic just holding her hand supportively.
"Is there anything I can do Maya?" Vic asked as the blonde stopped crying, "Do you need or want anything?"
"I just want to be with my baby," Maya said, wiping at her tears, "But the nurse said I have to wait a few hours."
"Well, maybe we can watch something or I can get you something to eat or I could go get Nora or Rowan and bring them up," Vic offered.
"Can you get my phone?" Maya asked, "I think it's in my bag."
"Sure," Vic nodded, getting up and grabbing the blonde's phone.
Maya immediately texted Carina, asking for an update.
"So, is there a reason you guys didn't tell any of us baby was coming today?" Vic asked, smirking at Maya.
"Honestly," Maya said, "I forgot, and I think Carina did too. Labor was so intense and fast. I think I started having contractions at like 9 am and she was born before 1 so like 4 hours. It's like the opposite of Carina's 22-hour labor with the twins. And then she came and I got to hold her for like 2 minutes before she had to go to the NICU."
Just then, her phone dinged and she looked down, seeing Carina had sent pictures along with her update that Lia was doing well, she was on a CPAP machine because her breathing was a little rocky, but that she was doing very well with that now, and they had placed an IV to give her fluids and a feeding tube to feed her until she got strong enough to be able to suck. She was in an isolette to keep her warm, but the NICU doctor was confident that she would be stable enough to be held in the next few hours.
Carina said she was going to stay with Lia for another little bit, but then she was going to come up to be with Maya because Lia was going to need to rest and they didn't want Carina to even touch her for an hour or two just to let her adjust to life outside Maya's body.
The blonde wasn't thrilled about that, but she said that was fine.
"Want to see her?" Maya asked, staring at the pictures of Lia Carina had sent.
"Is that even a question?" Vic said, "Of course I do."
"Here she is," Maya said, turning her phone so Vic could see Lia.
"Oh my god, Maya, she is gorgeous," Vic said, smiling as she looked at the baby, "Look at how little. She is so cute. Damn Bishop, you and your wife make beautiful babies."
"Thanks," Maya said, staring at her newborn daughter, "She is so little. Like, I thought the twins were tiny and they were both nearly triple her size. I felt like I was holding nothing when she was put on my chest."
"Are we going to get to meet her before she goes home?" Vic asked, unsure of Grey Sloan's NICU policies.
"I'm not sure," Maya said, "I'll have to ask."
"So Cecelia," Vic said, "Why that name?"
"Well, Sicily in Italian is Sicilia," Maya said, "And it sounds kinda similar. I don't know. That's basically why we picked it though. We almost went with Sicilia, but we decided it on Cecelia instead. But we are calling her Lia."
"That really beautiful," Vic said, smiling, "I love that. And Lia is an adorable nickname. Maybe I can convince this firehouse baby that I am the best."
"Hey, Rowan loves you," Maya said, shaking her head, "So does Nora for that matter. And isn't Pru your mini-bestie?"
"Yeah, Nora just loves Travis more," Vic said, "And Rowan is game for whoever wants to take her in the engine and let her play with it. You are right about Pru though. But we need another buddy."
"I'm sure she will love you, Vic," Maya said, smiling at her friend, "I can't wait for you to meet her."
Just then, the nurse popped in again, checking on Maya.
"Do you need to use the bathroom at all?" the nurse asked, noting Maya's vitals.
"I don't know," Maya said, "Everything down there just hurts."
"Ok," the nurse said, "Well, in the next half hour, I am going to want you to try to get up and walk around, just to see how you are doing. Maybe you can try using the bathroom then, ok?"
Maya nodded, hand on her stomach which was already less round than it had been just that morning now that there was no longer a baby inside.
"Are you having any cramping or pain?" the nurse asked, palpating Maya's stomach.
"Some," Maya said, "But nothing too bad. Just uncomfortable like bad period cramps."
"That is perfectly normal," the nurse said, nodding, "Your abdomen feels firm which is what we want. I am going to want you to be drinking. Is there anything specific you want to drink?"
"Um, can I have a bottle of blue Gatorade and a cup of water?" Maya asked, seeing the surprise on Vic's face.
"Sure," the nurse said, as she headed toward the door, "I'll bring that in for you soon."
"Ok," Maya nodded, "Thanks."
"You drink Gatorade now?" Vic said, eyebrow raised, "That wasn't on the menu before."
"I mean, not really," Maya said, "But it sounds so good right now. And it's not lemonade or orange drink or tea. I want it seriously watered down, but still. I'm sure I am dehydrated and I'm hoping I will be able to breastfeed Lia so I know I need to hydrate in order to do that."
Over the next half hour, Vic and Maya just chatted, the younger firefighter keeping the new mom distracted with stories about their last few shifts , the nurse bringing Maya her drink, the blonde mixing the water with the Gatorade before downing the entire hospital jug of it quickly, finding herself much more thirsty than she even realized.
Just as Maya was starting to think about needing to get up, Carina walked into the room.
"Congratulations Mamma," Vic said, getting up and giving the Italian a hug, "Your little girl is precious."
"Thank you," Carina smiled, "And thank you for coming and being with Maya. I've got her from here if you need to get back to work."
"As much as I don't want to, I probably should," Vic said, "I left so fast I'm sure Andy didn't get a sub. I'll drop by tomorrow after shift?"
"Just text first," Maya said, giving Vic a hug, "And tell everyone else the same thing."
"Will do," Vic nodded, "Congratulations to you both. Can I share her name?"
"Of course," Maya nodded, "I'll send you the pictures too."
"Awesome," Vic nodded, "Well, text or call if you need anything. We are all here for you."
"Grazie, Vic," Carina said as Maya waved. Once Vic was gone, Carina turned her full attention to her wife.
"How are you doing Bambina?" she asked.
"Eh," Maya said, "All I want is to be in the NICU with Lia."
"Soon," Carina said, "It's been an hour. I usually tell patients who had routine deliveries 3 hours so not much longer. Probably, by the time you can see her, she will be ready to be held."
"You should hold her first when she's ready," Maya said, looking at her wife, "I already held her, but you need a turn."
"We'll see Bambina," Carina said, kissing her forehead, "Now, have they gotten you moving around yet?"
"I was just coming to do that," the nurse said, walking in the room, "Though if you are here and want to, you are more than welcome to help her up, Dr. Bishop-Deluca."
"I've got it Jane," Carina said, smiling, "And there was no epidural so it should be straightforward."
"I also want her to try to use the bathroom," Jane said.
"Can I shower?" Maya asked, "I know I did while I was in labor, but I feel gross."
"Sure," Jane said, "Just be careful and have your wife help you. And if you are really dizzy, let us know."
Maya nodded, slowly sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed.
"Just call if you need me," Jane said, walking out knowing her patient was going to be more than fine.
"How are you feeling Bambina?" Carina asked.
"So achy," Maya said, "It feels like someone lit my crotch on fire."
"I'm sorry Bambina," Carina frowned, "I think a shower and then an ice pack should probably help. I didn't even think to ask, but did Danielle say anything about you tearing?"
"She said I have a small tear," Maya said, nodding, "Two stitches I think. It's not too bad, but because Lia came so fast, she thinks that why."
"She was in quite a hurry," Carina nodded, "It's a good thing she was so little or it would have been a lot worse."
Maya nodded, knowing her wife was right.
"Alright," Carina said, "Bathroom first, then shower. You sit, I will go grab the peri bottle from our stuff and some clean clothes, ok?"
Maya nodded, sitting down on the toilet, seeing a lot of blood mixed with clots in the pad they had put in her underwear after she gave birth. She had no idea how much was too much and knew she needed to ask her wife.
However, at the moment, her main objective was using the bathroom. She found that she did indeed need to pee, however doing so was painful and unpleasant to say the least, tears pricking her eyes as she went.
"Oh Bambina," Carina frowned, coming into the bathroom, "Is it bad?"
Maya nodded, burying her head in Carina's shoulder as the Italian squatted down in front of her, rubbing her back.
"It's ok," Carina said, "I'm sorry."
Carina knew that she had been remarkably lucky when she had the twins that she had no tearing, but that was probably due to her long labor. She had also had Maya giving her regular perineal massages for the last 6 weeks she was pregnant which was supposed to help. She had planned to do the same for her wife, but because the baby came so early, it hadn't happened.
"Are you done?" Carina asked after a minute.
"Yeah," Maya nodded, lifting her head, allowing Carina to use the peri bottle to clean her up.
"All done," Carina said, helping Maya stand up.
"Hey Car," Maya said as the Italian turned on the shower, "Is this too much bleeding?"
"No," Carina said, looking at the pad Maya had, "No, that is actually very good for immediately postpartum. Anything more than one pad an hour is too much for the first day, but that has been about an hour, si?"
Maya nodded, tossing the pad in the trash.
"Then that is just fine. Your uterus is trying to close off all the blood vessels that have been feeding Lia for months and until they close off, you will have bleeding. It's normal. Think about how big your placenta was, that size of wound is basically now inside your uterus. And the clots are also normal right now. As you move more, those will calm down."
Maya nodded, Carina helping her take off her gown and get into the shower, the Italian also stripping down for a shower.
"Just hold my shoulders and let me do all the work, ok?" Carina said, grabbing some shampoo she had brought from home, "You did all the work all day, now it's my turn."
Maya nodded, just relaxing as her wife gently scrubbed her hair.
"My boobs hurt," Maya said as Carina rinsed her hair, ensuring all the soap was out.
"Has the lactation consultant come by yet?" Carina asked, grabbing some conditioner.
"No," Maya said, shaking her head, "Am I going to be able to nurse Lia?"
"Not right away," Carina said, massaging the conditioner through Maya's hair, "But eventually, she can learn. Sometimes, NICU babies prefer bottles and sometimes they learn to breastfeed and sometimes, it's a mix of both. But for the next weeks, all Lia's food will come from her IV and NG tube. Most babies start feeding by mouth at 34 weeks so that is a few weeks still for Lia, but if she is ready, they might let you start trying earlier. Just like everything else, some babies are ready earlier and some babies take more time. They will be able to put your breast milk in the NG tube though, if you want to pump for her."
"I want to," Maya said as Carina washed her hair, "I really want to."
"Bene," Carina nodded, knowing Maya had been pretty determined to breastfeed every time they had talked about it, "I will have the lactation consultant come by and help you then, hopefully before we go down to the NICU."
Carina gently washed Maya's body before quickly washing her own.
"You still feeling ok?" Carina asked, looking at her wife.
"Yeah," Maya nodded, "I'm good."
The then got out of the shower, Carina helping Maya get dried off before grabbing mesh underwear and a special icy maxi pad to help with Maya's pain.
"If you are hurting a lot, we can get you pain meds to help," Carina said, noticing Maya wince as she helped her put on the mesh panties before grabbing a loose pair of pajama pants for her wife.
"Maybe some Tylenol or something," Maya said as Carina helped her into a button up pajama shirt, "Just to take the edge off."
"Of course," Carina nodded, quickly pulling on her own clothes, "I'll have someone get it for you once you are back in bed, ok?"
The blonde nodded, letting Carina help her shuffle back to bed. Once Maya was settled, Carina ducked out into the hall, asking the nurse for pain meds for Maya and a lactation consult. However, as she asked for the consult, the lactation consultant walked up to the nurses' station looking for Maya.
"Ah, Kate, I was just coming to ask for you," Carina said, smiling at her favorite lactation consultant for moms who had babies in the NICU.
"Dr. Bishop-Deluca," Kate said, "I hear congratulations are in order. Dr. Johnson asked me to come see Maya."
"Thank you," Carina smiled, "My wife is eagerly awaiting your visit."
"Well, let's not keep her waiting anymore," Kate said, "Lead the way."
"Bambina," Carina said, walking in the room, seeing Maya still trying to get herself comfortable, "This is Kate, one of our lactation consultant."
"Hey," Maya said, smiling at the woman tiredly as Carina walked over to the other side of the bed.
"Hello Maya," Kate said, "Congratulations on your new baby."
"Thanks," Maya said. "Well, I am here to help you learn how to pump for the baby if that is something you want to do," Kate said.
"Yes," Maya said, "I want to. I want to be able to feed her at some point, and I know breast milk can help babies in a lot of ways."
"Very true," Kate said, setting down the bag she brought with her, "Now, because you just gave birth, pumping is usually not very effective or comfortable. For this first time, we are going to have you hand express and then you can decide if you want to keep doing that until your milk comes in or if you want to pump. Some new parents find hand expressing easier and some find pumping easier. It all just depends for these first few days, but the important thing is to start establishing a routine. You probably won't get a lot, which it totally normal, but everything you do get is called colostrum and it is very good for all babies, but especially preemies. It has a lot of fat and is very nutrient dense. Then, eventually, your milk should come in and the pump will be much more useful, which I can help you with or your wife can if you both feel comfortable with that, and then as your baby grows, I can do consults in the NICU to help work on latch and all that."
"Ok," Maya nodded, "Sounds good."
The next half hour was spent with Maya learning how to hand express her milk, Carina helping where she could. Maya didn't get more than a mL, but Kate told her that was awesome. She had it in a bottle and told Maya to take it down to the NICU where they could store it until Lia was ready for it.
Maya was instructed to try to get into a routine with expressing and then pumping every three hours just as if she was feeding Lia because that was the ultimate goal. Maya felt a bit overwhelmed, but she also was determined to feed her daughter as long as she could. By the time the session with Kate was over, Maya was tired.
However, just as Kate left, Maya's nurse came in with a medication cup in hand, giving Maya the Tylenol which the blonde happily took.
"Alright," the nurse said, "I like those vitals. How are you feeling?"
"Can I go see Lia?" Maya asked, knowing it had been long enough.
"Yes," the nurse nodded, "Let me go get the wheelchair and I will take you to her."
"I can take her," Carina said, "I mean, if that's ok."
"Of course," the nurse nodded, "I'll be right back."
"I get to see Lia," Maya said, tears welling up in her eyes, "How long do I get to stay?"
"Not too long," Carina said, quickly continuing when she saw Maya's face fall, "Bambina, you just gave birth. You are going to need to rest, and eat, and take care of you. But I promise you can spend lots of time with Lia too, ok?"
The blonde nodded, trying not to cry.
"What's wrong?" Carina asked, noticing the tears.
"I hate this," Maya said, "I hate that my baby is somewhere that I have to leave her and that I can't just be with her all the time. I hate that she is here too early and that the first few months of her life are not going to be anything like the twins'. I just hate all of it."
Maya was full on sobbing by the end, Carina pulling her close as she cried. The Italian knew how Maya was feeling and also knew that her wife's feelings were amplified by 10 because of all the intense hormones coursing through her post-partum body.
It took a minute, by Maya managed to stop the tears, wiping her eyes as she pulled back from her wife.
"I'm sorry," Maya sniffled.
"Bambina, there is nothing to be sorry for," Carina said, brushing a piece of hair off her face, "This is really hard. I am having a hard time with Lia not being with us, and I don't have all the added hormones and exhaustion that you do. It's ok to feel sad or angry or overwhelmed. Having a baby under the best circumstances is overwhelming. I am glad you aren't trying to hide how you are feeling about this."
Maya nodded, giving her wife another hug. Just then, the nurse came back with the wheelchair.
"Alright Maya," the nurse said, "Here you go. I am going to want you back up here in two hours though, ok?"
"Ok," Maya nodded as Carina helped her up, "We need to bring the milk and my phone please? I need pictures."
"Of course," Carina nodded, helping her wife sit down before grabbing the requested items, "Ready to go see our Trottolina?"
"I am so ready to see, Trottolina," Maya said, smiling at the slight adjustment in Lia's nickname. As they waited for the elevator, suddenly, Amelia appeared.
"Off for a little adventure?" the neurosurgeon asked before noticing Maya's belly was much less round than it had been the day before, "Wait, where are you going?"
"NICU," Carina said, realizing they hadn't told Amelia or Teddy about the baby yet, "So see our 3-hour old little girl Cecelia Katherine, Lia for short."
"You had the baby?" Amelia said, eyes wide, "Congratulations!"
"Thanks," Maya and Carina both said.
"How is she doing?" Amelia asked as the elevator arrived.
"Really well," Carina said, "She's on CPAP, some temperature regulation, and some feeding support. She is doing really well."
"I am so excited for you guys," Amelia said, "Another little girl, though, wow. That is going to be one dramatic household. I am one of four sisters and I don't know how my mom did it. Honestly, Derek was probably her sanity cause god knows I wasn't. Does anyone know?"
"Andrea," Carina said, "And Vic and probably by now the whole station. I was with Lia right after she was born and I didn't want Maya to be alone so Andrea texted Vic and Andy to see if they could come."
"What am I, chopped liver?" Amelia asked, slightly offended.
"No," Carina said, "I just…I don't know…"
"Carina, it's fine," Amelia said, realizing now was not the best time for jokes, "I'm just kidding. Maya, how are you feeling?"
"Sore," the blonde said from her place in the wheelchair, "And just ready to see her again."
"Do the twins know yet?" Amelia asked.
"Oh shit," Maya said, eyes big as she turned to look at her wife, "The twins. Who is going to take them tonight?"
"Crap," Carina said, "I completely forgot. Um…"
"Guys, I'm off in an hour," Amelia said, "I can pick them up with Harper, bring them up to see you if you want, and then take them home with me tonight."
"Are you sure?" Carina asked, "I could probably get them and take them home…"
"Carina, your wife just had a baby," Amelia said, "Let me take Nora and Rowan. You can either sleep here or go home and get some rest without having to worry about them. I'm off tomorrow so I can either keep them home with me or bring them back here to see you guys, whatever you want."
"Do you think they will be ok with that?" Maya asked, biting her lip anxiously.
"We can talk to them about it," Carina assured her, not completely convinced herself but pretty desperate not to leave her wife and newborn tonight.
"Ok," Maya said, knowing her wife was right, "Thank you Amelia."
"Alright," the neurosurgeon said, "Well, congrats again. Send me pictures when you can. I'll take the twins home with me tonight. I'll bring them up to say goodbye before we go?"
"Perfetto," Carina nodded, "Grazie."
Carina and Maya got off the elevator and headed to the NICU, stopping at the entrance.
"Ok," Carina said, "So we have to wash our hands and phones here. And then get our temperature taken before we go in."
"Ok," Maya nodded, standing up with her wife's help to wash her hands.
They stopped to get their temperatures taken, Carina noting that Maya's was a bit elevated at 99.9, but she also knew that was very common postpartum so she didn't say anything. Soon enough, they were headed into the NICU.
"Lia is over here," Carina said, pushing Maya toward a corner of the NICU, "Here she is."
"God, she is so tiny," Maya said, feeling tears fill her eyes, "So tiny."
"She's doing really well," one of the NICU nurses said, coming up to them, "Hi, I'm Pam. I am taking care of Lia today. She is doing really well. Her temperature has regulated beautifully under the warmer and she is doing fantastic with the CPAP. It's very common for preemies to need that for the first few days or weeks until they learn to breath better on their own."
"I brought this," Maya said, handing the nurse the small amount of milk she had gotten earlier, "They said you would know where to put it?"
"Of course," the nurse nodded, "We will get that in for her feeding which we were actually going to do really soon."
Maya nodded, not taking her eyes off the baby who was just starting to wake up in her incubator, little arms and legs moving around some.
"Would you like to hold her?" the nurse asked, "The doctor said she is stable enough that you can if you want."
"Carina, you should," Maya said, looking at her wife, "I held her when she was born. You should have a turn."
"Bambina, I can come down here and hold her later," Carina said, "You hold her. It will be good for both of you, it will help you feel better and help with milk production. And if they feed her while you hold her, it can even help her learn to associate you with having a full belly which will help her learn to breastfeed."
"Ok," Maya nodded, "But you should hold her at some point today too."
"I will," Carina nodded, "I can come down here when you are resting later. Now, let's get you into a more comfortable chair."
Carina helped Maya up and into the chair near Lia's bed as the nurse got Lia ready to come out of the incubator.
"Unbutton your shirt Bambina," Carina said, helping her wife get comfortable.
"Alright Mommy are you ready?" the nurse said.
Maya nodded, not totally sure where to put her hands as the nurse walked over with Lia who was starting to fuss.
"It's ok," the nurse said, laying the baby down on Maya's bare chest, getting her situated before putting a blanket over the top of her as Maya moved her hands to hold her.
"Hi Lia," Maya said, tears immediately welling up in her eyes as the baby stopped fussing and settled against her, "Hi Trottolina. I'm Mommy. I'm right here, and I love you so much."
Lia looked up at her with her eyes wide, Maya leaning down and pressing a kiss to the top of Lia's head where the CPAP wasn't in the way, tears streaming down her face.
"When you are touching her, make sure to use firm pressure," Pam explained, "I know it might seem counterintuitive, but light touches can actually be uncomfortable for preemies so firm touch is best."
"Thank you," Maya said, adjusting the pressure she had on her little girl so she didn't hurt her.
"Just call if you need to put her back in the bed," Pam said, smiling as she watched the family, " Or if you need anything else. I won't be far."
Carina walked over to Maya's side, pulling the blanket down just a bit so she could see her daughter's face.
"She is so perfect," Carina said, smiling as she stared at the baby, "Ciao Lia. I'm Mamma. Te voglio bene."
Suddenly, Maya started crying harder, scaring Carina a little.
"Bambina, what's wrong?" the Italian asked, looking at her wife.
"I can't believe we forgot about the twins," Maya sobbed out, "We forgot about them."
"Shhhh," Carina said, knowing Maya was both exhausted and hormonal and those two things were combining to make her overly emotional, "We didn't forget about them. They are at daycare where I dropped them off this morning and it is not time to pick them up. We didn't forget. We just had a lot going on and they didn't need to be the priority at that very minute because we had them somewhere safe where they are happy, ok? Just like when we are at work and they are not at the top of our minds every single minute. Amelia will pick them up and take them to her house and I will go up to daycare and explain that to them and they should be ok, alright?"
"I want them to come meet her," Maya said, looking at Carina, "Are they allowed to?"
"Si," Carina nodded, "They are allowed to. I can go get them and bring them down here if you want, just for a short visit."
"Would you?" Maya asked, "I want them to see her and I also want to make sure they know that everyone is ok and that they will be ok with Amelia tonight."
"Si," Carina nodded, "I will be right back."
Carina left, heading up to the daycare, trying to keep her emotions in check. She was starting to feel the exhaustion from the day, and all the other emotions that came with watching Maya not only have their baby girl, but then to also have to put her in the hands of someone else to take care of. It was a lot, and she was trying to be strong for Maya because she knew the blonde was having a really hard time, but it was starting to hit her too. Carina got to the daycare, smiling as she watched Rowan and Nora playing with Harper.
"Hello Carina," Nicole, one of their favorite daycare workers said, "Here for the twins?"
"Yes and no," Carina said, "I want to take them for a few minutes, but then I am going to bring them back and they are going to go home with Amelia tonight. Maya had the baby today and she want the twins to come meet her."
"Congratulations," the daycare worker said, "That is so exciting. How are Maya and the baby doing?"
"Maya is ok," Carina said, "It's been a lot because Lia was 9 weeks early and is going to be living in the NICU for the next little bit, but she is doing very well right now."
"Oh, that's so hard," Nicole said, "My son was a NICU baby. He was full term, but he had some issues with jaundice and spent two weeks in the NICU trying to control it. It was so hard leaving him there."
"Si," Carina nodded, "I have had so many patients deliver babies who have to be in the NICU but doing it myself is a whole different thing."
"Let me go grab the girls," Nicole said, stepping into the daycare.
"Mamma," Carina heard a second later as Nora and Rowan came racing out of the daycare with Nicole.
"Ciao Bambine," Carina smiled, bending down and giving them both hugs, "Have you had a good day?"
"Si," Nora nodded, "We pwayed with Harpa and had west time and pwayed outside."
"That sounds like an excellent day," Carina smiled.
"Where's our packpacks?" Rowan asked, looking around.
"Well, we aren't going home," Carina said, looking at Nicole, "I'll have them back in half an hour. If Amelia gets here before we are back tell her where we are."
"Sounds good," Nicole said as Carina guided the girls away from daycare.
"Where's we goin?" Rowan asked.
"Remember how Mommy was going to have a baby?" Carina asked, looking between the twins.
"Si," both girls nodded.
"Well, today, Mommy had the baby and you two get to go meet the baby right now," Carina said, smiling as she watched Rowan jump up and down as they walked.
"Really?" Rowan said, "My baby Totoino camed out of Mommy's 'gina?"
"Si," Carina chuckled, "Mommy had the baby. But they came too early so they have to stay at the hospital and get taken care of by some doctors until they get big and strong and can come home. But I am going to take you to see them in the place they are going to stay while they are here, does that sound good?"
"Yes," Nora and Rowan both said.
"Are they very tiny?" Nora asked, looking at Carina as they got on the elevator.
"Si," Carina said, "They are."
"Are they tiny like this?" Nora asked, holding her hands pretty far apart.
"Or tiny like this?" Rowan said, holding her hands closer.
"Or like this?" Nora said, holding her hands very close.
"Or tiny like this?" Rowan said, holding her fingers barely apart, both girls laughing as she did this.
"You two are very funny," Carina said, shaking her head, "But when we go to see the baby, we have to be very quiet, do you understand? There are lots of other babies there who are very little and might be sick and need to sleep."
Both girls nodded, looking at Carian with big eyes when they heard how serious her voice was.
"Va bene," Carina nodded, "Alright, are you ready? We have to wash your hands first, ok?"
"Mamma, is Totoino a brother or a sister?" Nora asked.
"Remind me, what did you want?" Carina said, lifting Nora up to wash her hands knowing full well what the girls wanted.
"A sister," Nora said, scrubbing her hands.
"Me too," Rowan said, "A sister."
"Well, good news," Carina said, "You got your wish. You have a sister."
Both girls squealed, Carina letting them for a second before shushing them.
"Now, it's time to be quiet," Carina said, picking Rowan up to scrub her hands, "Remember?"
Both girls got quiet, nodding as Carina washed her own hands.
"Ok," Carina said, "Now, we have to come over here and get our temperature taken, ok?"
The twins nodded, letting the person working at the desk scan their foreheads before they walked into the NICU.
"Hands," Carina said, reaching down, the girls immediately grabbing her hands, "Now, let's go fine Mommy. No jumping or being crazy with Mommy, ok? She is tired and not feeling good."
The twins both nodded as they walked with Carina through the NICU.
"Mommy," Nora said as they walked over to Maya.
"Hi girls," Maya smiled tiredly, "Do you want to come meet your sister?"
"Si," both girls said, going over to Maya, both girls getting ready to climb into Maya's lap.
"No, no, no," Carina said, stopping them, "Remember, Mommy isn't feeling good. You can't climb on her right now. Here."
Carina picked up Rowan and then Nora before bringing them over to Maya's side, the blonde pulling down the blanket to reveal the tiny baby who had fallen asleep.
"What's on her face?" Rowan asked, looking at the baby.
"It is a special machine called CPAP that helps her breath right now," Carina explained, "She is very tiny and so she needs a little help with her breathing until her lungs get stronger."
"Is she sick?" Nora asked.
"She's not really sick," Carina said, trying to figure out how to explain prematurity to her three-year-olds, "She just has to get bigger. You know how babies have to drink milk until they get bigger and can eat food? Well, Trottolina has to have a little help to breathe until she gets bigger and she can do it on her own. But can you still see her little face behind the mask?"
"Aww," Rowan said, reaching her hand down, "She's so cutie."
"Don't touch her face," Maya said, taking Rowan's hand and moving it to the back of Lia's head.
"Hi baby," Nora said, smiling as she looked at the baby, "Hi sister."
"Her name is Cecelia," Carina said, "But we are gonna call her Lia. Do you like that?"
"Yia?" Rowan said, looking at the baby, "Hi Yia."
"Hi Yia," Nora said, looking at the baby again, "She's little."
"She is very little," Maya nodded, "And she is going to have to live here until she gets a little bigger. Do you guys like her?"
"Si," Rowan said as Nora nodded.
"Do you guys want me to take a picture?" Pam asked, walking up to the family.
"That would be great," Carina nodded, setting Nora down for a second so she could give Pam her phone before picking the toddler up again.
Pam moved Lia's blanket a little to ensure the baby was in the picture before snapping some pictures of the family.
"Thank you," Carina said as Pam set her phone down on the table.
"Of course," Pam said, "Are these your older daughters?"
"Si," Carina said, "This is Nora and this is Rowan. They are three."
"Three and a half," Rowan reminded her, making all three adults smile.
"Me dispace, three and a half," Carina said, shaking her head.
"Do you guys like your little sister?" Pam asked.
"Si," Rowan nodded, "She's cutie. But she is yittle and has to live here until she gets bigger but she's not sick."
"She is, isn't she?" Pam said, looking and seeing Carina struggling to keep both toddlers on her hips, "Hey, Rowan, can I hold you?"
Rowan sized her up for a second before reaching for Pam.
"Thank you," Carina said, readjusting Nora in her arms, "I forget how big they are getting. They seem huge now seeing Lia."
"Girls, listen," Maya said, "Would it be ok if tonight, you went and had a special sleep over with Zia Amelia and Zio Link and Scout and Harper?" "
But I want to be wif you," Nora said, shaking her head.
"I know," Carina said, rubbing her back, "But I think you would have a lot more fun with Harper and Scout than with me, don't you?"
"I want you," Nora said, clinging onto Carina's neck.
"I know," Carina said, "But do you want to know something? When you two were born, Mommy stayed at the hospital with me and helped me and I really want to stay here tonight to help Mommy because having a baby is hard work and she needs some extra cuddles tonight. Do you think I can stay here and do that for her while you go have fun with your friends?"
"I'll go wif you too Noa," Rowan said, "And I will give you cuddles."
But I want Mommy and Mamma to be at home and us too," Nora said.
"We want to be home too," Maya said, "But right now, I have to stay here so they can make sure I am extra healthy after having Lia."
"And then you tan come home?" Nora asked.
"I might have to sleep here tomorrow night too," Maya said, "But we have to see. But I will be home soon. I just have to stay to make sure I am healthy. But then I will be able to come home. But do you think you could stay with Zia Amelia tonight? We can even talk on the phone before you go to bed."
"Otay," Nora said, nodding.
"Bene," Carina smiled, "Rowan, do you want to go too?"
"Si," Rowan nodded, "I yike sweeping at Harpa's. We will have fun Noa."
"You will have fun," Carina nodded, "And you can always ask Zia Amelia or Zio Link to call us and we will answer, ok?"
After another few minutes, the twins were getting restless.
"Bambine, are you ready to go back to daycare?" Carina asked.
"I want to stay wif my baby Yia," Rowan said.
"I want to stay wif Mommy and Mamma and Yia," Nora said, clinging to Carina.
"I know," Carina said, squatting down so she was eye level with both of the girls, "And we really wish you could stay too, but Mommy needs to have a nap soon and Zia Amelia is going to be ready to take you to her house soon. You can come back tomorrow and visit though, ok?"
"Fine," Rowan sighed dramatically as Nora nodded a little.
"Bye Mommy," Nora said as Carina helped her give Maya a hug, "I love you."
"I love you too Piccola," Maya said, giving her a kiss, "You should be so proud of yourself for going to Zia Amelia's tonight. I know I am proud of you."
Nora nodded as she reached down to touch the baby, "I love you Yia"
"I love you Mommy," Rowan said, as Carina switched who she was holding.
"I love you too Patatina," Maya said, pressing a kiss to Rowan's cheek.
"I love you Yia," Rowan said, touching Lia's hand.
"I'll be back in a few minute Bambina," Carina said, setting Rowan down before taking both of their hands.
Maya nodded, looking down at the baby who was sleeping on her chest.
"How is she doing?" Maya asked, looking at Pam who had come over to check on her.
"Her vitals are beautiful," Pam said, pointing to the monitor, "She is very happy with her mommy. How are you doing?"
"I'm tired," Maya said, looking down as Lia moved a little, "But I never want to put her down."
"I know," Pam said, "I promise you that we will take care of her like she is our own."
Maya nodded, looking down at the baby sleeping on her chest, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Within a few minutes, Carina was back, smiling as she saw Maya with her eyes closed, Lia laying on Maya, her eyes open wide. Carina grabbed out her phone, snapping a few pictures of this beautiful moment between her wife and daughter.
"Do you want a turn?" Maya mumbled sleepily, opening her eyes, "I want to see you hold her."
"Ok," Carina nodded, "Just sit tight. I will take her and sit in your wheelchair, ok?"
"I can sit in the wheelchair," Maya said as Carina started unbuttoning her shirt.
"No," the Italian said, shaking her head, "You stay there. Alright. Come here Lia."
Carina picked up the baby, cuddling her against her chest before carefully sitting down in the wheelchair, adjusting herself and the baby, Lia almost immediately settling against her.
Carina felt tears pricking her eyes as she looked at the baby, suddenly overcome with emotions as she thought about everything that led them to this moment. The cancer treatments and recovery from that, and then Maya not getting pregnant on the first try and the fear that came after the second implantation, the joy of getting the positive test and then the misery Maya went through with HG, the fear she felt when she saw Maya's broken water almost 4 days ago and the uncertainty of her time in the hospital. All of those moments of fear and joy led them to this exact moment here with Lia curled up on her chest.
"What's wrong?" Maya asked, seeing the tears flowing down her wife's cheeks.
"Nothing," Carina said, "Nothing is wrong. I just love her and you both so much."
"I love you too," Maya said, smiling at her wife.
They spent the next half an hour before Maya started getting more uncomfortable and just not feeling good.
"I think it's time to go back upstairs," Carina said, looking at Maya who shifted for the fifth time in the past minute.
"I don't want to leave her," Maya said, looking at Lia who had fallen asleep on Carina.
"I know," Carina said, "But we need to get some food in you and you look beyond exhausted. I promise we can come back down here first thing in the morning, but if you don't take care of yourself, you aren't going to be able to."
Just then, Pam walked back over to them.
"Hey," she said, "How are we doing?"
"We need to head back upstairs," Carina said, looking down at Lia.
"Ok," Pam said, nodding, "Let me take Miss Lia."
"I love you Cecelia," Carina said, pressing a kiss to the baby's forehead.
"I love you too," Maya said, leaning over, ignoring the crampy pain in her abdomen to gently touch her daughter's back.
"Alright," Pam said, picking up the baby, gently putting her back in her incubator, settling her gently, putting a blanket over her, "I'm not anticipating any problems, but if there are, we will call and let you know, alright?"
"Thank you," Maya said as Carina helped her stand and move back to the wheelchair.
"Grazie," Carina said, looking down at Maya who looked very tired, "Bambina, ready to go back upstairs?"
"Yeah," Maya nodded, eyes fixed on Lia, "Ok."
"We will come back in the morning," Carina said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I promise."
"We will take very good care of her," Pam said, "I promise."
Carina pushed Maya's wheelchair away as they headed back to the maternity floor. When they got in the elevator, Carina looked down at her wife, seeing the silent tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Oh Bambina," Carina said, walking in front of her, pulling her into a hug, "It is going to be ok."
"I just want to be with my baby," Maya sobbed.
"I know," Carina said, rubbing her back, "I know. Listen, the NICU is open 24 hours a day for parents. If you go back to the room, eat, and take a nap, we can go back down there later tonight, ok? But you need to be taken care of, ok?"
Maya sniffled, nodding as she tried to get the tears to stop.
"Bene," Carina nodded as the elevator stopped, "Now, let's get you back to the room, maybe use the bathroom again and get you some more fluids and then we can figure out dinner, ok?"
Maya nodded, wiping her tears on her shirt sleeve as Carina pushed her back to the room. The Italian helped her up and into the bathroom, Maya again finding the whole experience painful and unpleasant.
"When will it stop burning?" the blonde asked as Carina helped her get cleaned up.
"It could take a week or more," Carina said honestly, "But it won't be forever. And the very bad pain should stop in a few days. Do you need more pain meds?"
"Yeah," Maya nodded, not having the energy to deal with the pain she was in right now.
"Once you get back to bed, I will have the nurse bring you some," Carina said, helping Maya get up after giving her another ice pack.
Maya got back to bed, laying down and grabbing a blanket, feeling cold as Carina stepped out into the hall, asking the nurse for more meds for Maya. As she was about to go back into their room, she heard a voice calling to her.
"Carina," Andy said, walking up to her with a bag in her hands and a smile on her face, "Hey Mamma. Congratulations."
"Thank you," Carina smiled, "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be working?"
"I am captain," Andy shrugged, "And my boss has been out the past week so she can't say anything about it. I left Trav and Miller in charge for a little while. Now, where is that best friend of mine?"
"Right here," Carina said, guiding Andy down the hall and into Maya's room.
"Bambina, look who's here," Carina said, walking in, finding her wife curled up under her blankets, looking pretty miserable, "Hey, what's wrong?"
"I don't know," Maya shrugged, "Just tired and crampy and achy and kinda cold. Hey Andy."
"Hey," the Latina said, smiling gently at her friend, realizing now was maybe not the best time for her to visit, "I just wanted to stop by and check in. I also brought some dinner. I can go though if you…"
"No," Maya said, forcing herself to sit up, shaking her head, "No, it's ok. Thank you."
"How are you feeling?" Andy asked, walking closer.
"Ok," Maya shrugged, "Today has somehow been one of the best and worst days of my life. I just want to be with my baby."
"I'm sorry," Andy said, squeezing Maya's shoulder, "Vic showed us pictures. She is so cute."
"I have more," Maya said, grabbing her phone, pulling up the pictures from earlier, "Here she is."
"Look at her," Andy said, staring at the tiny baby as she scrolled through the photos, "Oh, the girls got to meet her?"
"They did," Carina nodded.
"Were they so excited?" Andy asked, noticing Rowan was just staring at the baby in every picture.
"Oh my goodness, yes," Carina said, shaking her head, "I thought Rowan was going to explode."
Just then, Andy's phone started buzzing.
"Shit," she said, "We have a 3 alarm. I gotta go. Congratulations again. I'll text you?"
"Bye," Carina said as Maya waved.
"Ok Bambina," Carina said, sitting down next to her wife, "What is going on? I can tell you don't feel well."
"I don't know," Maya said, shrugging, "I just feel…not good?"
"Come here," Carina said, leaning over and putting her hand on Maya's forehead, frowning when she felt the warmth there, "I think you might have a fever."
"No," Maya said, shaking her head, "No, I'm fine. I'm not sick."
"Shhhh," Carina said, "A lot of things can cause a fever after birth. You could have an infection, but there is also this strange phenomena known as benign postpartum fever where new mamma's spike a fever after birth that goes away on its own in less than 24 hours. I need to tell the nurse and they will probably run labs, but it could just be nothing. Is anything hurting very badly?"
"No," Maya said, "I mean, I'm pretty crampy which is uncomfortable and my lady parts don't feel great, but nothing is hurting really badly."
"Ok," Carina nodded.
Just then, the nurse came in with Maya's pain meds.
"Alright," the nurse said, "How are we doing?"
"I actually think she has a fever," Carina said, looking at the nurse.
"Oh no," the nurse frowned, "Ok. Let's see what's going on."
She grabbed a thermometer, sticking it in Maya's mouth.
"Ok," the nurse said, "100.8. Not great, but also not very high. I am going to go talk to Dr. Johnson and see what she wants to do."
Carina looked back at her wife when the nurse left, seeing the tears in her eyes.
"Oh Bambina," Carina said, getting up and moving closer to her, "What's wrong?"
"I'm done," Maya said, "I'm done with complications and weird things happening and everything. I'm done. I want to take my baby and go home."
"I know," Carina said, climbing into bed with her, "I know. It's all going to be ok."
Carina just held her wife, trying to provide comfort. About five minutes later the tears has stopped and Dr. Johnson walked in.
"I hear we are running a bit of a fever," Dr. Johnson said, looking at Maya.
"Yeah," Maya nodded, rubbing her eyes.
"Ok," Dr. Johnson said, "Is anything else bothering you? Any pain anywhere?"
"Not more than I would expect," Maya said, watching Dr. Johnson go grab gloves, "I'm cramping and the tear is sore and my boobs are achy, but nothing is painful."
"I am going to do a quick exam," Dr. Johnson said, "And I want some labs, but I am not overly concerned right now. You had a lot going on going into this delivery and fevers can just randomly happen from the trauma of birth or from dehydration or other things we don't fully understand. Can I ask you to take off your pants and underwear?"
Dr. Johnson turned around as Maya undressed before coming back, giving Maya a quick exam.
"Ok," Dr. Johnson said, "So everything down here is looking good. You have some swelling and redness, but that is all expected. Your abdomen feels firm but not rigid and your discharge is typical. I think this is probably just a benign post-partum fever. We are going to keep a close eye on you though."
"Can I still see Lia if I have a fever?" Maya asked, looking at her doctor.
"I will talk to the NICU doctor and see what they say," Dr. Johnson said, "But for now, I need you to be taking care of you. A lot of fluids, eat something, and sleep. I know you haven't slept since you had her."
Maya nodded, rubbing her eyes.
"Thank you Danielle," Carina said, "I'll make sure she is taking care of herself."
"I know," Danielle said, "Alright. I'll have the nurse grab the labs. I'll be back to check in in a few hours. If anything changes, let us know."
"Grazie," Carina said as her colleague left, "Bambina, let's get you some food, ok?"
"I need to get milk for Lia first," Maya said, seeing the frown on her wife's face, "Please? My boobs hurt and I want to get on a schedule."
"Ok," Carina nodded, gathering the supplies they would need.
Carina then helped her wife up so they could both wash their hands before starting the process of hand expressing more colostrum for Lia.
"When does my normal milk come in?" Maya asked as she looked at the 1 mL they had gotten that time.
"Soon," Carina said, "In a day or two usually. But for now, this is exactly what Lia needs. Babies born at full term only have stomachs the size of a cherry so Lia's is even tinier than that."
Maya nodded, putting her shirt back on as Carina closed up the bottle. Maya had read about all of this when Carina was pregnant with the twins, but both Nora and Rowan had been good breast feeders and Carina didn't really pump much for probably the first month of their lives.
"Ok," Carina said, putting the milk in a small cooler bag with an ice pack the NICU had let them borrow, "Now that we did food for baby, time for food for you Bambina. Let's see what Andy brought."
"I hope she brought a burger," Maya said, realizing for the first time how hungry she was, "Or maybe some pasta. Meat actually sounds good for the first time in a long time."
"Oh, she brought a little bit of a lot," Carina said, pulling out several takeout boxes, "Looks like she got sliders, chicken, two kinds of pasta, fries, some chicken soup, a salad, and some apple pie, and cheesecake."
"Woah," Maya said as Carina pulled out the food, "That's a lot of food."
"What do you want?" Carina asked, looking at her wife.
"Um, sliders," Maya said, "And maybe some pasta."
"Ok," Carina nodded, handing Maya the container with the sliders.
Maya started eating, realizing with each bite that she was truly famished. She hadn't eaten anything all day and it was now close to 6 pm. She pounded through a slider and a lot of pasta along with drinking two cups of watered-down Gatorade. Finally seeing her wife with an appetite after literally months of her not really eating made Carina happy in a way she couldn't describe.
"What are you smiling at?" Maya asked, looking at her wife.
"I am just so happy to see you eating," Carina shrugged, taking a bite of her own pasta, "It's been a long time since you have eaten more than ten bites of anything in one sitting. Just be careful that you don't eat too much or you might not feel well later."
Maya smiled shyly at her wife, taking another bite of her food. They finished dinner, Maya yawning more and more as time went on.
"Alright," Carina said, "You need to sleep. Do you need to use the bathroom first?"
"I think maybe," Maya nodded, rubbing her eyes, "I don't want to, but I think I need to."
"I'll help you," Carina said, "And tomorrow, I can get you a sitz bath which is basically just a bath that goes on the toilet that you can sit in. Lots of new mammas who had tears say it helps a lot with the pain."
Maya nodded as she moved to get up. Soon enough, she was done in the bathroom, Carina tucking her back into bed.
"Are you gonna go see Lia while I'm asleep?" Maya asked, trying to get comfortable.
"I might," Carina said, "But I also might try to sleep. I am pretty tired."
"Ok," Maya said, wincing as her belly cramped again. "Bambina, try lying on your stomach," Carina said, "I know you sleep better like that anyway, and it can help with that cramping." Maya nodded, rolling onto her stomach for the first time in months, finally feeling some relief from the cramps.
"Better?" Carina asked, noticing how quickly her wife calmed.
"Yeah," the blonde nodded, eyes feeling incredibly heavy all of a sudden, "I love you."
"I love you too," Carina said, leaning down and giving her a kiss, "Now, sleep, ok? Hopefully you will wake up feeling better."
Within all of a minute, Maya was sound asleep, Carina seeing a peaceful look on her face for the first time in several days. The Italian debated what she wanted to do. She knew that Maya was likely not going to sleep for more than a few hours, and when she woke up, she would probably want to go see Lia, and Carina wanted to be with her.
She decided to get some sleep herself, going over to the couch, settling herself on it. Just as she was about to lay down, her phone rang, the Italian seeing a facetime from Amelia.
"Hello," Carina said quietly as she answered.
"Is now an ok time?" Amelia asked.
"Si," Carina nodded, "Maya just fell asleep, but I know it is bedtime for the bambine too. I can say goodnight."
"Ok," Amelia said, walking into Harper's room where the twins would be sleeping with their best friend, "Rowan, Nora, Mamma is on the phone."
"Hi Mamma," Rowan said, smiling at her, "Where is my baby Yia?"
"Lia is down in the NICU sleeping," Carina said, seeing the look of disappointment on her daughter's face, "Maybe you can see her tomorrow."
"Where's Mommy?" Nora said, her face also appearing.
"She is sleeping," Carina said, panning over to the twins could see Maya asleep in the hospital bed, "She is very tired tonight."
"Is Mommy sick?" Nora asked.
"She's not really sick," Carina said, "But she just had a baby which makes her very tired and makes her not feel very well."
"Oh," Nora said, furrowing her brow.
"She will be ok," Carina reassured her, "Did you two have fun this evening with Zia Amelia and Zio Link?"
"Si," Rowan said, "We got pway on the swings and the slide and the castle."
"That's so much fun," Carina said, "Are you both ready for bed?"
"Yeah," Nora said, "We are sleepin' in Harpa's room."
"That sounds like it will be a great time," Carina said, "Are you both being good listeners?"
"Si," both girls said.
"Good," Carina said, "Ti voglio bene. I will see you tomorrow, ok? And Mommy and Lia love you too."
"Ti boglio benny," both girls said as Amelia turned the phone back to her own face.
"Thank you Amelia," Carina said.
"Of course," the neurosurgeon said, walking out of Harper's room for a minute, "Is everything really ok?"
"It will be," Carina sighed, "Maya has a low-grade fever right now and isn't feeling well, but we are hoping it is nothing."
"Poor Maya," Amelia sighed, "How are you holding up?"
"I am exhausted and anxious," Carina said, "But overall, I am ok. I am about to crash for a little bit." "Well, don't let me keep you up anymore," Amelia said, "I will text you in the morning?"
"Sounds good," Carina said, "Thank you for taking the bambine tonight."
"Of course," Amelia said, "Now, go get some sleep."
Carina hung up, setting her phone down before pulling up a blanket and getting comfortable for the night. She didn't realize how tired she was, but as soon as she laid down, her eyes slipped closed and she was out.
What did you think? I have had this part written since April or earlier of last year and it is one of my favorite parts I have written so I am so glad to finally share it with you all. Going forward, I am going to try to get an update up every other week until I take my boards on February 14th. I might update more often, and I would like to, but between studying, my final semester starting in two weeks, and two intern/externships starting super soon, I am pretty busy for the next little bit, but I can commit to every other week at least. Thank you all so so much for reading, commenting, following, and favoriting. It seriously means so much to me.