Page 79 of Safe at Home

“Wow, that whole ‘I’ll tell you when you’re older’ thing really works?” I asked in amazement.

Penelope laughed and shook her head. “Not every time, but sometimes, it does.”

I lifted Hazel out of Camden’s arms and took his seat when he got up to start playing on the floor. I turned Hazel around and lay her down on top of my legs. I pulled her legs out of the little yellow pajamas with ducks on them that she was wearing.

“What are you doing?” Emma asked from next to me.

“Well, I know they aren’t identical, but they look a lot alike to me, and I don’t want to mess up who is who.” I told them how I asked the nurses what kind I could get and began to paint Hazel’s tiny toenails yellow. It was definitely going to take a few coats since the yellow was so light.

“Are you going to paint mine and Olivia’s toes, too?” Peyton asked as she climbed down from Molly’s bed to come see what I was doing.

“I can do yours, but I only have purple and yellow,” I told Peyton.

“You could do a pattern of yellow, purple, yellow, purple,” Emma suggested.

“Yes!” Peyton cried out a little too loudly. Hazel got startled and began to fuss on top of my legs. “I’m sorry, Hazel. Please, don’t cry.”

I picked up my daughter and cradled her in my arms. She began to settle down as soon as she was close to my chest.

“I have an idea!” Emma said. “Can Peyton help me paint Hazel’s toes?”

“Of course!” I said.

Emma guided Peyton and helped her paint my daughter’s toes while she was still in my arms. Molly made sure to ask Meadow and Pen to take some pictures. After Hazel’s nails had a few coats on and were dry, they were a bright yellow, and we traded babies. Molly fed Hazel while we painted Olivia’s toes purple. My second daughter was much more wiggly, and Peyton just laughed as Emma showed her how to hold her leg down gently and talk to the newborn sweetly. Emma was amazing with kids, and I knew she was going to be someone we could definitely trust with our girls once Molly went back to work.

After Olivia was in her bassinet and asleep, I kept my promise and painted Peyton’s toes in alternating colors. When my wife asked me to paint her toes the same way, I gladly did that for her.

After all the girls and Camden left, I climbed into bed next to my wife. She held Hazel, and I had Olivia in my arms. Molly put her head on my shoulder, and I turned on the TV to Sports Network Corp. We lay there and watched Landon’s team in game five of the League Championship. His team was up three games to two. One more win, and they would actually make it to the World Series. I was so proud of my brother!

We watched Landon come up to bat, and he hit a line drive into right field and was able to make it to second by sliding quickly. We both got excited, and both babies began to stir because of our loud celebrations. After we talked to them in soft voices and told them about what their Uncle Landon was doing, they seemed to calm down and go back to sleep.

“I love our little family,” Molly said as she looked from the TV screen and back to me. “I’m so glad you were here for all this.”

“I’m so glad, too. We should try to get pregnant every February or March so you can have all the babies in the off-season.”

“Sounds good to me, but how about not every year? Let’s wait two or three years between babies, please.”

“Are you guys ready to go home?” our day nurse, Alicia, asked as she came into the room. After three days in the hospital after giving birth, we were ready to go home. I wasn’t excited about going home to the motel, but I hoped we wouldn’t have to be there long. “I heard both little girls passed their car seat tests with flying colors.”

“My girls did an out-stand-ing job just sitting there. This dad right here helped them study,” Tyler said with a grin. I had to shake my head. He was coming up with dad jokes already! He said he was going to pull the car around as I signed the discharge papers.

“I didn’t miss them, did I?” I heard a familiar voice outside our open door.

“Livie!” I jumped up as she rushed into our room. I went over to hug our favorite nurse tightly.

“Are you still sure you want to name your child after me?” she asked as she looked down at my sleeping beauties in their car seats.

“It’s too late now. It’s on the birth certificate,” I said with a smile. “And, yes, we’re sure!”

“Well, I’m definitely honored. I’m glad we’re social media friends so we can keep in touch, and I can watch them grow.”

“You know you’re already invited to their first birthday party,” I said with a giggle.

Olivia walked out with us to the hospital exit, and I looked around for my car. I couldn’t find it anywhere, but I saw a blue Ford Expedition in the circular drive.

“Where is my car?” I asked.

“I hope you’re not mad, but I traded in your car,” Ty said with a nervous look on his face as he walked over to us from the driver’s side of the Expedition. “I wanted to surprise you. With the babies and their strollers, diaper bag, and everything else, you needed a bigger car. Plus, Penelope brought up the point that you could use it for wedding cake deliveries and other bakery related things.”

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