Page 182 of Love Undiscovered
Chance fist pumps the air and says, “Yes! I’m the man!” As he starts dancing to his own tune in his head.
My husband preening around the room is the last thing I see before I faint.
* * *
Chance – Two Months Later
The babies came early, which the doctor warned us might happen. Remi handled their birth like a fucking champ. Eleven hours of hard labor before they brought her in for a C-section. And if that wasn’t the most horrifying and beautiful thing all at once…
Seeing your wife on the operating table being cut open. Some guy pushing his hands inside her. And then, just like that, there’s a baby. Or, in our case three babies. Kat, Lexie, and I have spent the last few hours in the NICU, taking turns cooing at each of them.
Brian. Braden. Brianna.
Yep, number three is a girl. I’m scared to death about that. But it made Remi happy, she said it evened the score and she wouldn’t feel so outnumbered. I didn’t have the heart to remind her that the kids outnumber us anyway.
We should get to take them home in a couple of days. I’m excited and nervous. I feel like Remi and I barely have a handle on being with one another and now three more people will be with us. Which reminds me I want to check on her.
I leave Kat and Lexie with the babies and head back to Remi’s room to check on her. My mom is still sitting in the chair next to her bed, knitting booties and stocking caps, like when I left her hours ago.
“Ma, go home, we’re fine,” I whisper.
“I know you are, Chancey. She was in some pain and I just wanted to make sure she got something for it and got to sleep,” she whispers back.
“Thank you,” I say softly. “Now go, you’ve got some packing to do.”
My parents leave for the big trip in less than a week. Ma was frantic when she realized the timing might coincide with the babies’ birth. She was the only one who was excited when they came early. Well, she and Lexie.
I get her out the door and then pull a chair up next to Remi’s bed and watch her. She’s sound asleep, which is good considering she’d gotten almost no sleep in the weeks leading up to the birth.
My beautiful angel who blew back into my life after ten years and rocked my world all over again. It’s crazy to think it’s been barely over a year. Now I can’t imagine my life without her.
The door opens softly, and Kat peeks her head in.
“They kicked us out so we’re going to take off. She doing okay?”
“Yeah,” I say, walking to the door. “She’s sleeping.”
I give both Lexie and Kat a hug and kiss on the cheek. These women who have become as important to me as they are to Remi. This extended family that brings so much joy to our lives and who are going to love my kids like their own.
I watch them walk down the hall a bit before turning back to my wife.
My wife.
I still can’t get over that she picked me.
Then married me.
And had my babies.
I sit back down in the chair and pick up her hand to kiss it.
“I’m so lucky to have you,” I whisper. “I love you so much. Thank you for being in my life. For being my wife.”
“Hey,” she mumbles, opening her eyes slightly.
“Hey, beautiful. Everything is okay, go back to sleep.”
“Babies okay?”
