Page 139 of Delivery After Dark
“Stop that, Ned,” Francine said. “They were angels. The babies slept all night.”
“Don’t tell Maddie that,” Tiffany said to her mother as she held baby Adrian as Ashleigh and Addie ran around with the other kids. “She’ll make you stay there every night.”
“My lips are sealed,” Francine said with a smirk.
“Here comes the boat!” Thomas said. “I see it!”
Grant took a visual headcount and saw that everyone was there except for Mac and Maddie. He texted his older brother. Earth to the lovebirds. Are you coming to meet the ferry?
He hoped the boat got there soon because it was fucking freezing, and he wanted to get Stephanie—and Grace—out of the cold. “Do you want to wait in the car, hon?”
“Hell no,” Steph said. “I don’t want to miss a second of this.”
Her dad, Charlie, arrived with his wife, Sarah. “We didn’t want to miss the fun,” Charlie said as he hugged Steph like he hadn’t seen her in weeks. They never missed a chance to hug each other now that they could any time they wanted after he’d spent fourteen years in prison for a crime he hadn’t committed—and she’d spent every minute of that time trying to get him out.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Dan Torrington said from behind Grant. “We heard there was a party happening today.”
Kara held baby Dylan, who, like Adrian, was bundled to within an inch of her life in a snowsuit. “I told him it was too cold to take her out, but he said it’s only for a few minutes, and I so want to see those babies.”
“I hear you, Mama,” Tiffany said. “I couldn’t miss this either. Adrian promised me he’d be fine if we came.”
“Funny that Dylan promised me the same thing,” Kara said. “How’re you feeling?”
“Like I got run over, but so happy he’s here. His daddy is over the moon to have a little testosterone to offset all the estrogen in our house.”
“That’s right,” Blaine said as he slipped an arm around his wife from behind.
“Oh, you made it,” Tiffany said to him.
“Just in time.”
“How about you?” Tiffany asked Kara.
“Same—like I got hit by a bus, but I’m elated to have her here finally.”
“I love that our babies will grow up together,” Tiffany said.
“All our babies,” Stephanie said.
“That’s right,” Kara said. “More coming soon.”
“Who else is thankful to be having them one at a time?” Stephanie asked as the others laughed.
“Me, too,” Tiffany said.
“Me, three,” Grace said.
“Me, four,” Katie said with a smile for her husband, Shane.
“Wait, what?” the others said as one.
“Are you holding out on me, little brother?” Laura asked.
“Yep,” Shane said. “We’re pregnant and almost through the first trimester.” He held up crossed fingers. “We’re hoping for the best this time.” Katie had suffered a miscarriage with her first pregnancy.
The others swarmed around them, offering hugs and congratulations.
“Today is not about us,” Katie said. “It’s about the quads.”
