Page 128 of Perfect Chemistry

I heard the sirens just as Katie began to push. “That’s it, Kitkat. You’re doing so good,” I cooed, helping her pull her knees back.

“I don’t know if I can push yet,” she cried.

“Just listen to your body, Katie. Do you want me to check?” Katie’s mom asked.

“No! I do not want your hand in my vag, mom!” Katie barked back. “Shit! Shit! I want to push!”

“Ok, Katie. Deep breaths. One. Exhale. Two. Exhale. Good. Next contraction, you push with everything you have, okay?” Annie coached her.

“Okay, mama,” she whimpered.

Annie sucked in a breath, and her eyes watered. Katie’s mom reached out and side hugged Annie. “Let’s deliver these grandbabies,” she said.

Minutes passed before the first baby was born. As soon as they had him out of the tub he was screaming. I was in awe of these three women working together to deliver our babies. “It’s a boy!” Katie’s mom gushed.

Someone knocked on the bathroom door, and Annie stepped out with our boy. As she stepped out, a paramedic stepped in to assist with delivering baby number two. Two minutes after her brother, our little girl made her entrance into the world. Katie sagged back against my chest, and I just held her.

“You are the most amazing woman I have ever met,” I whispered against her temple. “Every time I think I couldn’t love you more, you surprise me.”

She smiled, exhausted. “I love you, too,” she whispered.

???????

Tom’s Point of View

It took the ambulance 45 minutes to get to the house because of an accident on the highway. The paramedics came in to find a house full of people between eating Thanksgiving dinner, and pacing the floors. I took them straight upstairs to the bathroom that Annie had taken Katie into.

The first paramedic opened the door just as the wail of a baby cried out, followed by three women cheering. “Annie the paramedics are here. Let them check the baby,” I called into the room without looking.

Annie came out with the baby swaddled in a towel, and passed it to the paramedic. “It’s a boy,” she said proudly.

The paramedic smiled down at the little fella and set him on the stretcher to check him out. He made sure the umbilical cord was clamped and checked all of his vitals, before swaddling him back up in the towel. Kai’s mom came out next and went straight to a bag on the floor.

“There’s some diapers in here. Katie wanted to make sure he is decent before he meets everyone,” she chuckled.

I left them to it and went downstairs to announce the first arrival. “Baby boy has arrived!”

There was a loud cheer of congratulations before everyone quieted down again and waited for the next announcement. I remembered when Tyson was born. I had been two towns over on business when Annie went into labor. We didn’t have the communication devices we had today, so she had no way to reach me directly. I didn’t know how she did it, but she did get the message to me. If a cop had clocked me on that drive home, I was certain I would have been locked up. I got to the hospital just in time to hear Tyson’s first cry.

Annie was smiling at me from ear to ear when I came into the room. “He knew you were coming. He wouldn’t make a peep until just now. He knew his daddy was here, and he hollered.”

“You okay, Tom?” Katie’s dad asked, taking a seat next to me.

“When Tyson died, I never dreamed I would experience this,” I admitted, fighting back tears.

“If it helps, I wasn’t sure I would either a couple years before that,” he admitted. We didn’t need to say anything else.

“IT’S A GIRL!!!” Annie yelled down the stairs a moment later, followed by another round of cheering through the house.

Knowing that both babies were good, and the paramedics were checking on Katie, the guests started to leave. I stood there with Kai and Katie’s fathers and thanked everyone for coming and supporting the family. Kai’s dad promised that Kai and Katie would let everyone know when they could make the rounds to meet the twins. Tysan had fallen asleep on the sofa, so I volunteered to put her to bed.

Katie and the babies were taken to the hospital. Everything seemed good, but because of Katie’s health issues they wanted her to stay overnight in the hospital to make sure she didn’t have any complications. Katie’s parents left shortly after the ambulance, and Kai waited to make sure that Annie and I were good, before he left to join his wife. I promised to bring Tysan to meet her baby brother and sister in the morning, and assured him that we were good.

Holding Annie in my arms later than night, I found myself thanking God for bringing this family into our lives. Annie and I had been so lost after Tyson died. Between the cancer and the grief, we hadn’t lived since she was diagnosed. Being with Katie this past week filled a hole in both of our hearts.

“Annie, you still awake?” I asked.

“What’s the matter? Are you okay?” She asked, turning on the side lamp.

---