Two Months Later:

The last weeks of summer were a whirlwind. Despite not seeing or talking to my friends, plenty was still to keep me busy and focused. There was so much to do to prepare for the new babies. Every time we were able to cross something off the list, something else got added on. It seemed like we would never be ready. By the time Esmerelda and Isabella's birthday weekend rolled around, everyone was ready for some relaxing beach downtime.

The week we returned from the birthday beach weekend, our lives were busier than ever, with school right around the corner and increased doctor visits. Since the first day of school was right around the corner, Sharon and her kids had to head back to L.A. for school and work. On top of increased doctor visits, school, and baby prep, Teagan and I decided to start our own planning company, Be Our Guest Event Planning. We had so much going on I was wiped out every night when my head hit the pillow. With everything going on and my health worsening, I didn't have the health, strength, or sanity to think about the friends I'd lost. My sole focus was on my health, family, and work. Everything else barely made it into my mind, so that definitely made it easier for me to move on.

The week before school started, Teagan somehow got us three new clients wanting to throw back-to-school parties. It was the perfect way to get our name out there. Which meant we couldn't afford any mistakes.

Teagan and I were looking at party venues when I felt a tight constriction in my chest. I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and placed a hand over my noticeable baby bump. Drawing in a huge breath, I gasped for air.

Teagan looked over from where she was on the computer in the other corner of the room. She frowned and stood up.

"Gabby, are you OK," She approached me, reaching her hand out. "You're looking really pale."

I gasped again, trying without much success to get more air. Suddenly, I started getting this ache in my chest as Rowan came into the room.

Her eyes immediately grew wide, and she was next to me. "Tea, call Javy," She commented and focused on me. "Gabby, look at me, deep breaths in and out."

I copied Rowan as best I could, but I quickly noticed my chest was getting more constricted. Each breath I took was becoming more and more of a struggle.

Rowan had me in her arms as she talked to me, trying to get me to focus. I tried to focus on her voice and words but couldn't. Teagan came rushing back in, but I couldn't really hear what she was saying. It was getting harder and harder to focus, and I could feel myself slipping away.

Shaking my head, I gasped out in a whisper, "I…I….."

My world suddenly started spinning, and I could feel my eyes rolling in the back of my head. The last thing I heard was Rowan and Teagan calling out my name. Then, my entire world went completely black.

A man sat Melody on his shoulders and danced around, making her laugh. It was the same man I dreamed of before. There was something so familiar about him, but I couldn't place it.

A feeling of warmth and love filled me, watching Melody with him. They were so happy and carefree. I walked closer, and he stepped back. Frowning, I tried again, but he turned around.

I raced after them but didn't get far before I struggled to breath. Melody and another little girl approached me, reaching their hands out.

Melody smiled when I took their hands. "Mommy, don't give up. Keep fighting."

The tiredness and aching I felt in my heart melted away when the girls squished me in a bear hug. I had renewed energy, taking in the easiest, biggest, brightest breath of fresh air I had in a while. I smiled at her and stood up. I eyed the mysterious man, waiting for him to make a move. He smiled at me with a nod. Waving at us, he turned and started to leave. A flood of sadness and longing came rushing in as I watched him go.

The little girl, who was a mini-me, slipped her hand in mine. "I need Daddy, Mommy. Don't give up."

I blinked, taking in what the little girl said.

My brows narrowed, studying her. Something about her was so familiar. Who was this little girl, and how do I know her?

Suddenly, I felt myself slipping away. Looking down, I noticed my hands had slipped free from the girls, and I was starting to fade back.

"What's going on," I cried out in a panic, unsure who I was asking.

The familiar guy turned around and winked at me with a smile that took my breath away. He looked down at Melody and reached his hand out. Melody looked back at me for the briefest moment and ran in the opposite direction. Taking his hand, Melody giggled and turned to me, waving. My heart melted when Melody blew me a kiss.

The familiar little girl ran up to me, slipping her hand back in mine. "Mommy, Daddy is leaving. You have to stop him. I need him, please. We can't give up."

I looked down at the little girl, and something clicked. "Britton?"

She smiled the brightest smile and nodded. "I love you, Mommy."

I hugged her, holding her for as long as I could. "I love you, too."

Britton whispered in my ear. "Keep fighting, Mommy. Please don't give up. Hang in there."

I looked up to see Melody leaving with the familiar guy. Was he? I didn't have time to finish the thought. Britton started to fade. She smiled as she waved to me.

Hopping on my feet, I raced after Melody and the familiar guy. "Wait."

I slipped my hand into his free, and he turned. A gasp escaped me as I stumbled back.

"You," I stuttered out.

He nodded behind me, and I turned to see Britton completely fade away. My heart felt like it's been completely ripped out. Before I processed my emotions, I started fading again. I tried reaching out to him and calling to him, but nothing worked. He stood there with Melody, waving at me.

I could hear the faintest sounds of monitors beeping and a familiar voice. "Come on, Elly. Hang in there. Please don't give up. Please keep fighting."

I felt a teardrop on the back of my hand. Drawing in a relatively easy breath, I slowly opened my eyes slightly.

Javier was sitting next to me, holding my hand. He looked like a complete mess with his rumpled clothes, unshaved shadow, and his uncombed hair.

Moving my head slightly, I bit back a groan at how sore I felt. I focused on my parents and other siblings. I quickly realized no one in my family looked too great. Everyone looked like they were running on empty fuel after being run over by a truck.

I could feel myself slipping off again. But this time, it was different. I felt so much easier to breath. The aching and weight I felt in my chest was gone. I was only feeling exhausted and sore. I could feel sleep taking over when I reached out to Javier.

Javier shot up, wiping his tears. "Elly," I heard Javier say my name before I fell into a deep slumber.

Beep Beep Beep

I could hear machines blaring away as I came to. The sound was so familiar, and I didn't want to think about what it meant. Instead, I focused on the warm breath I felt on the back of my hands. It was really comforting and worked to take my mind off of the constant beeping.

Mommy, I need Daddy.

I slowly willed myself to open my eyes. Fighting the soreness I felt, I glanced around the room slowly. It took a moment for me to take in what I was seeing.

The room was pretty dark, without much light aside from the light sunlight from the rising sun. Aside from the constant beeping machines, the room was pretty quiet, with everyone still asleep. Most of my siblings, nieces, and nephews were spread out around the room on the couch and chairs. My parents were to my left, and Javier held my right hand.

It didn't take me long to realize I was in the hospital and what that meant. Guilt hit me hard in the chest, and I frowned. It wouldn't surprise me if no one in my family had slept since I was brought in. I smiled, knowing my family must not have left my side. As guilty as I felt, knowing I wasn't alone was comforting.

When was I brought in?

I closed my eyes, trying to remember, but I couldn't. Sighing, I opened my eyes again and tried to move. Pain instantly shot through me, causing a low scream to escape me.

Javier and my Dad shot up like a cannon, their eyes barely opened. "What happened," Dad asked, half asleep. "Who screamed?"

"No idea," Javier replied, clearly as awake as our Dad. "Everyone looks fine."

Javier glanced around the room, still half asleep. His eyes met mine and froze with a disbelief look. Suddenly, he threw his arms around me in a hug so constricting that it made it impossible for me to breath. I could feel his tears damping my cheeks as he single-handedly squeezed the air out of me.

"Princess," Dad whispered through his tears. "Please tell me I'm not dreaming."

I opened my mouth to say something but couldn't with Javier's death grip on me. I was too weak to break free.

Closing my eyes, I coughed out with as much strength as possible. "Javy…..can't…breath…."

Javier quickly released his grip. He sniffles, wiping his tears. "Ssoorrryy," He apologized.

The corner of my lips curved up when I squeezed his hand assuringly. That was all the confirmation Dad needed. He pulled me into his arms and whispered in my ears. I could feel his heart pounding a mile a minute in his chest.

I shut my eyes, taking in my favorite comforting sound, and hugged him back. I've never felt so loved and safe in my life. "I love you," I whispered to him. "Thanks for being here, Dad."

"You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that," He whispered, now that his heart rate was mostly back to normal. "We were so terrified that we'd never hear you say anything again."

My eyes shot open. I knew I probably was in a bad place, but it couldn't have been that bad. Could it?

"I was that bad," I asked, frowning at the thought that I had scared my family.

My Dad finally let go of me, and I could lie down again. "You definitely gave your brothers and sister a run for their money."

I sighed, turning to Javier, who still had a death grip on my hand. Taking a closer look at him, I noticed the fear that was still clearly shimmering in his eyes. How could I have missed it? I must still be really out of it.

"How out of it was I?"

"You were really out of it," Javier replied, taking a seat on the bed and pulling me into his arms. "There were moments we thought we'd lost you for good when your heart stopped, and we struggled to get it going again. Every time we thought we got a beat, it would only be for a second or so. Then we were back to square one, scrambling to get another beat. Even when we got your heart rate stable, you weren't really responding to the medication we gave you."

I shut my eyes, letting Javier's words sink in. No wonder everyone was so tired. They must have been on quite an emotional rollercoaster since I was brought in. How long was I out?

I leaned closer to my brother, sinking deeper into his arms. "Sorry for putting everyone through the wringer. How long was I out?"

"Five days," Javier glanced outside. "Make that six."

I frowned and bit back a groan when pain shot through me again as I tried to move. "Please, tell me my room didn't turn into the personal Montez lounge."

Javier chuckled for the first time since I woke up. It was music to my ears to hear him laughing again. "Wish I could, sis, but honestly, no one has left this room except for necessities in three days. It was just Mom and Dad the first day or so. Then everyone insisted on staying here when you didn't get better."

"You're kidding; it must be some sort of record," I dropped back on the bed, and another low scream of pain escaped me.

Javier flinched, giving me a worried look. "Where does it hurt?"

Placing a hand over my stomach, my face went pale as the realization hit me. "I'm fine; I'm just feeling a little sore and pain from the cesarian."

I could hear the shakiness and fear in my own voice. It was the worst attempt at hiding my emotions from people I ever did, much less from my family. But it was the best I got at the moment, feeling as beat up as I did. I didn't even bother to try and hide my tears.

"Elly," Javier started, but I stopped him.

I knew what he was going to say. He really tried. He had to if I was going to have any chance.

None of it helped in the slightest. I still felt like such a failure. I was so close to my goal of 28 weeks. Part of me was even hopeful that I could make it past 28 weeks. But here I was in the hospital again after an emergency cesarian at 26 in a half week. I felt like such a terrible Mom who couldn't even protect her child.

There was only one thing I wanted to know. "Britton has T.A., doesn't she?"

There was a chilling yet sad kind of silence that suddenly filled the room. When neither Javier nor Dad would look me in the eyes, I knew in my heart the answer. The tears that stung in the back of my eyes came flooding out like some floodgate had been opened.

I wasn't sure how long I was crying in Javier and our Dad's arms. By the time I'd finally stopped, I was feeling fatigued again. The sun had almost entirely risen, and most of my family was up with cheerful encouragement. It definitely helped to lift my spirit and gave me hope.

Javier and Antonio had insisted that we'd stalled my check-up long enough when I asked to see Britton. It took some persuasion on their part before I agreed to let them examine me before seeing Britton. Unlike with Melody, Javier had to wheel me down to the NICU once I had my check-up.

A gasp escaped me, seeing how fragile Britton was in the incubator. Guilt hit me hard with a side of worry as I took in the sight of Britton. She was so much smaller than Melody was. Even for being 26 weeks, she was on the small side. My heart ached seeing all the tubes and wires attached to her. It wasn't anything like when I saw Melody for the first time after she was born. It was not something I was prepared for.

A tear slid down my cheek as I reached out, touching the incubator. Every part of me ached to touch her and let her know I was there. But I know I couldn't. Javier had warned me that she was sensitive to touch. A few scares had already occurred when the nurses caring for her touched her, causing a huge chain reaction. It was the closest contact I got until she could be touched, even if it felt like it wasn't nearly enough.

Javier knew how I was feeling and gave me some hopeful encouragement. Knowing Javier was right, I had to be optimistic and brave for Britton. Wiping my tears, I put on the most courageous smile I could and talked to her in a cheery voice. My heart filled with hope when Britton responded to my voice and encouraging words with a smile. Somehow, in that moment, I knew that Britton had a fire about her that would help her fight. Britton wasn't going to give up without fighting this.

The following weeks passed with little event aside from Britton having a few more scares. But all things considered, Britton wasn't doing too bad. She had definitely shown her fire and determination on more than a few occasions with each hurdle she'd overcome.

As Britton inched her way to full recovery at her own pace, I was also on my way. After another two weeks in the hospital, I was finally well enough to continue to recover at home. My family made a huge thing of it and had a huge celebration waiting at home with all my favorite food.

Cruz handed me a cupcake and grabbed one for herself. "I'm really glad you're OK, and I know we're gonna have another celebration like this very soon."

I took the cupcake from her. "How do you know?"

She shrugged, picking at the frosting on her cupcake. "Because your girls are a force to be reckoned with, just like you. So, I know they'd be fine."

I smiled at Cruz's compliment. "Thanks; maybe determination to the point of pure stubbornness is just in the Montez genes."

Cruz scrunched her face. "I would say it's a passion and love of life."

I sat down beside her. "Well, I definitely can't say we suffer from a lack of passion and love of life."

"Lack it," Cruz waved the thought away. "We breath it. We had so much passion it's coming out of our ears."

Cruz imitated an exploding rocket, giving both of us a much-needed laugh. It felt good to not worry or think about anything and just have a good laugh. For some reason, the more we laughed, the harder we laughed. Soon, we weren't even sure what we were laughing about. We were just laughing to laugh.

When we finally stopped laughing, I felt the most relaxed in weeks. "Oh, we needed that laugh."

Mom came over, looking between us with a confused look.

"Well, there's certainly a lot of giggling in this area," Mom noted. "Guess we know where the party is."

Cruz did a little party dance and struck a pose, getting us all to laugh. She had such an animated personality with an infectious spirit and laughter about her. There was never a dull moment with Cruz. She's been the definition of party since the moment she was born, and she owned it proudly. After grabbing some more snacks, we joined everyone else in the basement for one of my favorite movies.

"How is she today," I asked Javier as we headed to the PICU like it was clockwork.

Javier pulled his phone out and checked it for messages. "I haven't got any new messages, so there probably haven't been much changes since yesterday's scare."

I sighed in relief. "That's good."

Javier frowned, stopping on his track. His brows furrowed into a straight line, staring down the hall with a wary look.

He stiffened, pointing out in a tense voice. "But that ain't."

I followed his gaze down the hall, stopping when I realized what he was referring to. My mouth slightly dropped in a shocked and confused state.

This was either going to be really good or the start of war.