Calling All Angels

A few days later, Quinn sat alone at the beach house while Clay was at the airport, picking up his mother. She was on the verge of biting her nails out of pure anxiety when she picked up her phone instead. She scrolled aimlessly for a moment, unsure which of her siblings to turn to with her uncontrollable vortex of feelings. Finally, she decided on her middle brother, Nick, who had also been settled in Raleigh for many years.

After a few rings, her sister-in-law Laura answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Laurie," Quinn greeted her waveringly. "Is Nicky home? I was hoping for a little pep talk."

"Sorry, Q, he's on chauffeur duty for Jenna's soccer practice today," said his wife apologetically. "Something I can help you with?"

"Maybe you can," Quinn admitted. "Did he tell you I'm expecting again?"

"He did!" The grin was audible in Laura's voice. "You're about halfway now, aren't you? That's so exciting. Congratulations!"

"Thank you," said Quinn softly, but before she could help herself, all her fears for the twins came spilling out. Her sister-in-law listened without comment the entire time, waiting for Quinn to pause for breath. "It's just a lot," she finished finally. "Even with so many siblings, it took forever to decide who I could begin talking to about all this. Sorry for going on and on."

"Don't ever apologize," said Laura firmly. "I'm so sorry you don't get smooth sailing after your first loss, that sucks." She paused for a moment. "How did Clay take all this? It's funny how you two found each other; Nicky and I go way back with him, too."

June 2010 – Nine Years Earlier

Sara Evans answered the doorbell one hot summer's day to find two blonde girls standing there. The younger one looked like she might burst into tears as she clung to her older sister's hand. "Hi, Mrs. Evans," the taller girl began; "I'm Cassie James, and this is my little sis, Jenna. We live next door. Sorry to bother you. Is this a bad time?"

"Not at all," Sara told her. "Can I help you girls with something?"

"We were playing with our new kite in the yard, and Jenna let go of the string," Cassie explained. Even though her tone wasn't accusing, Jenna's lips quivered pitifully. "I saw it fly over the hedge, and I think it got stuck in your tree. Do you mind if we try and get it down?"

Sara stepped over the threshold and gazed at the oak tree Cassie indicated. Sure enough, a brightly colored paper kite was tangled in the branches. "Oh dear," she murmured, staring at it thoughtfully. "You're awfully young to be trying to get up there."

"I suck!" Jenna wailed. "My hands were just too little. I really tried to hold on. I'm sorry, Cassie."

She looked so miserable it melted Sara's heart. "You know what? Unfortunately, I can't help you get the kite down because I'm pregnant, so climbing up on ladders isn't a great idea. But I happen to live with my very own superhero." She winked at Jenna, who finally wiped her eyes. "I'll get us some help, okay? How does that sound?" Cassie smiled politely while her sister bounced up and down eagerly. "Would you kids like to come in for a drink? It's hot out there today."

"Thanks," the girls chimed in unison.

After giving them their drinks, Sara left them in the kitchen and went to find Clay. "You got a second, babe? The neighbors' daughters just showed up on the doorstep. It looks like their kite got stuck in our tree. I promised them a superhero to save the day."

"That sounds like a more interesting job than this," Clay muttered. He was staring into his wardrobe in dismay. "You so need to help me pick a tie for my meeting tomorrow. Little fish, big pond, ugh!"

"When in doubt, go with blue," Sara advised promptly. "It brings out your eyes."

"That was fast," Clay grinned at her in relief. "What would I do without you?"

"Leave two little girls desperately waiting for their kite to be rescued," she replied pointedly. "Come on, we need your help!"

"You and your ulterior motives," he grumbled, following her to the front door. "You know I don't like heights. Whether I'm superhero enough for this particular task remains to be seen."

"Oh, you totally are," Sara insisted. "Because if not, you disappoint these sweet faces." She smiled at the two girls still hovering near the kitchen. "This is Cassie and Jenna." The younger girl's lips were still quivering, so Sara offered her a hand. "Don't cry! I told you I live with a superhero. We'll get your kite down in no time. Right, babe?"

"I'll get the ladder," said Clay reluctantly. "I suppose I should be glad you didn't try and climb up there yourself."

"You totally should," Sara laughed. "I used to be the Catwoman to your Batman, remember? Now I'm just a watermelon."

"You'll always be my Catwoman," Clay promised, but Cassie and Jenna's giggles prevented him from kissing her again. "So, this is what it feels like to have an audience, I guess." With a resigned sigh, he led the way outside. "Come on, girls…let's see if we can get your kite down from freakishly high places it shouldn't be."

"I'll hold it steady," Sara reassured him when Clay returned with a long ladder from the garage. "Ready, babe? I can count to two if it helps."

"These two are lucky they're adorable," he said, sounding tense. "Don't let go!"

"Who goes on the count of two?" Cassie asked curiously. "That's a new one. Isn't it normally on three?"

"Oh, it's kind of our thing," Sara explained, holding the ladder tightly. "Good job, honey! Almost there!"

"I'm scared, Cassie," Jenna said softly, covering her eyes and watching the exercise between her tiny, splayed fingers. "Tell me when it's over, okay? It's so high!"

"It's awesome," Cassie corrected her in awe, watching Clay with wide eyes. "You're missing out if you don't watch this."

"Almost got it," Clay called to them, carefully untangling the kite's strings from the branches.

A few suspenseful minutes later, Cassie nudged her sister eagerly. "You can look now, Jen."

Both girls watched Clay climb carefully back down the ladder. "I'm not sure if this thing will still fly," he said doubtfully. "It snagged pretty hard on the branches."

"Hey, it's a good thing Batman is a fixer," Sara laughed. "Good job, baby!" She beckoned Cassie and Jenna close. "Do you want some help trying to get it flying? It could be fun to tape it back together."

"Yay!" Jenna squealed. She shoved the ripped kite into her sister's arms and tackled Clay happily. "I love Batman," she declared.

Cassie smiled despite being more reserved than her sister. "Thanks, Mr. Evans. That was really cool," she said gratefully.

"Just Clay is fine to two cuties such as yourselves," he told her. "Anytime. Now let's go fix this thing up and see if it still flies. What do you think?"

"We should probably be getting home," said Cassie doubtfully. "Mom must be looking for us by now."

As if on cue, they heard Laura James calling for her daughters. Clay walked them next door quickly. "I think these are yours," he said. "They got their kite stuck up our tree next door. It's been quite an adventure rescuing it."

"Good Lord, I hope they weren't too much bother," said Laura apologetically.

"Not at all," he assured her. "I'm going to be a first-time parent in about five months. I got to impress my son for the first time before birth. All credit to these two cuties for the opportunity."

"I appreciate that." Laura ushered her girls indoors and turned to Clay again. "Congratulations, then. You'll find there's nothing like it. You sure seem to have impressed my girls. Thank you for your help."

"They're adorable," said Clay fondly. "I had to bring them home before my wife started wishing for a girl instead. Hopefully someday. See you around, girls!" With that, he returned home, leaving Cassie and Jenna convinced he was a superhero already.

"It really is a small world," said Quinn in awe when Laura had finished her story. "I never knew about that occasion, only that Clay and Sara were your neighbors. Crazy how life works out, isn't it?"

"There's the positive-sounding Quinnie we know and love," said her sister-in-law affectionately. "I hope this little chat helped. If I could fix this for you, I would in a heartbeat. We love you, Q. Do you want Nicky to call you back when he gets home?"

"For a bonus sister, you did a fine job," Quinn complimented Laura. "You can fill him in if you like, no need for a call." She paused thoughtfully for a moment. "Actually, I might give Tay a call. I think nothing would have made Mom happier than the fact that we're on speaking terms again. She's so unsentimental and sarcastic; I think I need some of that right now."

"Good for you," said Laura approvingly. "Nicky is the only one Taylor gets along with all the time. I'm sure he'd approve of that idea. She's not as bad as Haley makes her out to be sometimes, you know?"

"I must be out of my mind," Quinn sighed. "I really hope I don't regret this." Thanking Laura again, she disconnected the call and was about to dial Taylor's number when she heard Clay's keys turning in the lock. Quickly putting down her phone, Quinn was on her feet when he dragged Marie's suitcase over the threshold.

"Talk about favoritism," Clay laughed when his wife completely ignored him and gave Marie the tightest hug she could muster. "I told you we need you here," he added more solemnly, watching his mother gently stroke Quinn's hair. "How's that for proof?"

"Well, you've got me now," Marie promised. "I can't imagine anywhere I'd rather be. Everything's going to be alright, I promise." She held Quinn at arm's length and inspected her critically. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life," she replied honestly. "Thank you for coming. We thought the miscarriage was unfair; now, our little girls have made it this far but face hurdles before even being born. It's just crazy!"

"What did you get up to while I was out on pick-up duty?" Clay asked, dropping a kiss into her hair. "Taking it easy, I hope?"

"Always," Quinn assured him. "I tried to call Nicky and had a long chat with Laura instead. She told me an interesting story about when you and Sara were their neighbors. It's a small world, isn't it?"

"Oh, that's right! Clay and Sara lived next door to your brother in Raleigh, right?" Marie chimed in. "What a crazy coincidence. Those girls of his are quite lovely. I remember them from the wedding."

"The older one, Cassie, will be off to college soon. It's unbelievable how time flies." Quinn shook her head in amazement. "They really are very sweet."

"Jenna was only five when they knocked on our door back then to get their lost kite back," said Clay reminiscently. "Cassie was a little more reserved, but I remember Jenna giving me a big hug and calling me Batman for rescuing their kite. So worth facing my fear of heights."

"Says the man who jumps off bridges under peer pressure," Quinn laughed.

"To be fair, that bridge jump is the only reason I had a girlfriend in college. I could have ended up some loser with a comic book stash in his mother's basement. Instead, I get to be the luckiest guy on earth twice in a lifetime!" Clay had slung his arm around her shoulders and pressed her close when suddenly Quinn gasped. "What happened?" he asked urgently.

"Our girls agree with me that you're a lucky man," said Quinn softly, guiding his hand to one side of her belly. "They're having a party in there. Feel that?"

"That never gets old," said Clay in an awed voice. "The doctors can be as doom and gloom as they like. I think our girls are going to be just fine! Their mother is a freaking badass, it's inevitable."

"How I wish that positivity could be enough to keep them safe," said Quinn in a quavering voice. But with Marie's hand on her back and Clay kissing her so deeply it lit up her anxious soul, the tears were finally held at bay. It was time to be brave for her babies.

A/N James family flashbacks are always a lot of fun, enjoy! xx