Six years later The twins and their granddad had no idea that we were planning a surprise birthday party for them to celebrate this occasion. The last six years raising them and even the nine months growing them in my body had been a challenge but it had also been fun and we were able to make lots of memories and create many family moments of fun in the period. Jack had been my rock, helping me with the twins and celebrating the little milestones we reached along the way as if they were significant achievements. Learning from the mistakes we made together and individually as we went along, having to brace every person we met whether in the shops, going for walks or just sitting and waiting at the paediatrician who wanted to drop their advice and make sure that we were doing everything their way and no other way because that would be the wrong thing to do. The last few times we had our fun with them telling them all the wrong stuff to do in situations and then when they would look a
"SURPRISE"Everyone yelled as soon as most of them entered the backyard. The twins were overjoyed and ran to me and Jack before wandering off and having a look around. Loury needed to act appropriately in front of her mother walked over and gave me and Jack a hug before she also wandered off going around the party. Dad and Nici also came over, hugging us and thanking us for the party and everything we had done for them.I took Nici's arm and started walking away from the party a little so I could ask her how she had been doing dealing with the pregnancy and the challenges that have brought to her life."How are you feeling?""I'm constantly tired and I have to rest a lot more than I would have liked to but other than that I am feeling great. We went to another scan yesterday and apparently, I am further along than they had suspected. The doctor did say that I might not carry to term and that we should prepare for a premature baby and that has
Turns out I am pregnant again, and that is why I had such a strong reaction to the smell of the snacks. I asked about the fact that I did have my period and the doctor told me that sometimes two eggs can be released and the fertilisation takes a little longer making the body thinks that it did not happen and thus you have your period as normal. I took the confirmation paper and walked back to the car, just sitting in the seat before starting the car and driving home. Opening the front door and walking into the house I didn't even notice the twins and Jack sitting in the living room looking toward me waiting for answers as to what is wrong with me, I just continued walking to the kitchen where I placed the paper on the table sitting down in one of the chairs there. Jack and the twins came into the kitchen looking worried seeing me just sitting there, not saying anything. Jack went to stand behind me and tried to take the paper from my hands, but I just wanted to keep a hold of it
After we had told Dad and Nici that I was also pregnant we had a little celebration before Nici said she was too tired and that she was going to go and lie down but we were free to continue the celebrations. Not wanting to keep Dad away from Nici for too long we said our goodbyes and left for home. As usual, it was one hell of a fight to get Cathy to leave her granddad and come home with us because she was a total grandad's girl. She had been most fond of him since she was a little girl and once her granddad had her in his arms, no one could steal her away, not even her mother, might I add, because she started screaming bloody murder when you tried. AJ tends to keep at my or Jack's sides most of the time when they are not playing around. He ended up being a mommy's boy. He was quieter than his sister and sometimes that worried me but other times he just made me not underestimate him anymore. Getting calls from his kindergarten teacher telling me that he isn't making friends or mixin
Two Months Later Dropping the twins at their friend's house and going into the office to check something out Jack left me alone at home with the promise that he would be back as soon as possible to watch the movies that we had picked out for the evening. Not wanting to wait for him to come back I started the movie so long. I was barely fifteen minutes into the movie when my water decided that it would be a great idea to break and Andrew decided that he would love to come into the world today. I tried calling Jack but all I got was voicemail each and every time. Not getting through to Jack, I tried calling both Dad and Nici but both of their phones were also off and I was not getting through to anyone of them. The only other option I have is to get myself to the hospital in time. Getting my hospital bag and putting it in the car went slowly because of the pain occasionally making me double over before I could go on. I didn't know what I would be doing when the contractions would hi
"Okay, honey. I'm going to need you to push with me on the next contraction.""No. I can't do this alone."I had started full-on crying at this point because I didn't want to do this alone. One of the nurses had walked over to the side of the bed and took my hand."You are one strong woman and you can do this. You are not alone. We are all here with you and we will all support you as much as you need and for as long as you need it. Now you need to be brave for yourself and for your son."I nodded my head and took a few deep breaths. I was waiting for the contraction and I was ready to do this when I heard dad's voice at the entrance of the room." You kept your promise."I had just said that sentence when the contraction hit and the doctor urged me to start pushing. The nurse stayed on one side, and Dad went to the other, taking my hand and encouraging me from there. When the contraction was finally over and I had not heard a bab
I didn't even look at the name of the hospital that came up in the search and just blindly followed the direction the GPS was giving me. I prayed that I would find him there in the hospital waiting room, sitting with the cuts and bruises from the accident bandaged and wrapped but that would be the only thing that had happened to him. "You have arrived at your destination."I looked up to see that I was taken to the hospital where Clara had given birth and where she and Andrew were still. I didn't think it to be a coincidence but I rushed into the reception area where I asked the nurse about the car crash victims that were brought in. I told her that I was looking for my son. "There were three men who did not have any identification on them that we currently are unaware of who they are. I can take you to their rooms and then you can have a look if one of them is not maybe your son."I nodded and followed the nurse to the rooms where she was taking me. The first two men were not Jack
The moment dad told me he had found Jack and I saw his standing there looking defeated and tired I knew it had to be the worst thing that I needed to expect. We were both in dangerous jobs and enemies is something we had more of than friends and even though there were precautions sometimes some things still happened and families were left without their loved ones.I just didn't think it would happen to my family. I wasn't ready to do anything alone without Jack. Tearing up I knew that I had to ask the words and make sure that he was gone before I started seeing the worst future that could not even be true."Is he... did Jack die?"My dad answered almost immediately. His answer made me relax and fear for Jack's life at the same time. He wasn't dead yet but with the condition dad says he is in it could happen sooner or later.I started removing the blankets from me and searching for the shoes I placed here before going to bed so that I cou
I went down to the pharmacy to get his medicine while he packed his things into the bag that I had brought for him. Multi-tasking to get everything done the soonest as possible, and I also thought that Jack wouldn't want to be seen too long in the wheelchair he needs to leave in. He tried everything to get them to void that part of the policy, but they were consistent that he would be leaving the hospital in a wheelchair. I tried so hard not to laugh at some of his reasonings, but that was just so hard because they started getting sillier and sillier as he was running out of good ideas. I didn't know if Jack would be up to seeing people today, but I did need to go and get the twins and Andrew before we go home. I contemplated leaving him in the car and then just getting them, surprising them when they climbed in the car and there he was. Nici was back at work in the mornings so dad would be alone with the two babies and later all 5 kids, a fact he didn't seem to be too happy about,
Kids dropped off safely I was heading to the hospital to go and visit Jack, hoping to get some good news today that I would be able to take him home soon. The twins were starting to ask questions about when he was coming home and telling them that his mission was taking a little longer than usual and was not cutting it anymore. I doubt if they were believing me about that anymore, but I couldn't start telling them other stories now because that would have me seem less credible. Walking into the hallway, I greeted the nurses that I had started getting to know and asked about how the night went with Jack. At the start of this, they started telling me how the night went in an attempt to cheer me up and it had sort of stuck with me asking them how his night went each time I came to visit and them just telling me because I was not going to lie it did make me feel better to hear that he didn't have any pain and that he was starting to eat like his old self again. "The night went great.
I woke up still in Jack's arms when the nurse wanted to take his vitals. Blushing and apologizing I rushed into the bathroom to make myself look decent enough to meet with Jack's doctor that would no doubt be coming any minute now.I wanted to know when I would be able to take Jack home because that would be the first time he would be able to hold his son, physically look at him not through a picture on my phone or a video call with Nici when visiting him in the hospital.The fact that he had been moved to a normal patient room had given me hope that he wouldn't need to stay here much longer but I needed some definite confirmation before I got ahead of myself and hoped for nothing because the amount of bandages still on his body had me doubting myself on this.Looking at myself in the mirror I used my fingers to try and comb through my hair and make it look decent enough, washing my face to get rid of the streaked and smeared makeup that I did
I managed to survive the visit with the twins without breaking down and crying my heart out like I had done when they left and were far enough away not to hear me. The nurse that talked to me in the ICU came and gave me regular updates on Jack's condition and even helped me visit him twice before I was discharged. Now I would only be allowed to come during visiting hours like non-patients. Since my car was still in the hospital parking lot from when I had driven myself here I didn't feel the need to call Dad or Nici to ask them to come and fetch me and Andrew. His car seat was in the car in any case and everything else I needed for him was in the hospital bag. I didn't want to drive out again or be at home alone so I stopped at Dad's house on the way home to pick up the twins. I still didn't think it would be a good idea to let the twins know about Jack until it was necessary. I went to see him and spoke to his doctor before I signed my release forms. Each time I visited he just lo
The moment dad told me he had found Jack and I saw his standing there looking defeated and tired I knew it had to be the worst thing that I needed to expect. We were both in dangerous jobs and enemies is something we had more of than friends and even though there were precautions sometimes some things still happened and families were left without their loved ones.I just didn't think it would happen to my family. I wasn't ready to do anything alone without Jack. Tearing up I knew that I had to ask the words and make sure that he was gone before I started seeing the worst future that could not even be true."Is he... did Jack die?"My dad answered almost immediately. His answer made me relax and fear for Jack's life at the same time. He wasn't dead yet but with the condition dad says he is in it could happen sooner or later.I started removing the blankets from me and searching for the shoes I placed here before going to bed so that I cou
I didn't even look at the name of the hospital that came up in the search and just blindly followed the direction the GPS was giving me. I prayed that I would find him there in the hospital waiting room, sitting with the cuts and bruises from the accident bandaged and wrapped but that would be the only thing that had happened to him. "You have arrived at your destination."I looked up to see that I was taken to the hospital where Clara had given birth and where she and Andrew were still. I didn't think it to be a coincidence but I rushed into the reception area where I asked the nurse about the car crash victims that were brought in. I told her that I was looking for my son. "There were three men who did not have any identification on them that we currently are unaware of who they are. I can take you to their rooms and then you can have a look if one of them is not maybe your son."I nodded and followed the nurse to the rooms where she was taking me. The first two men were not Jack
"Okay, honey. I'm going to need you to push with me on the next contraction.""No. I can't do this alone."I had started full-on crying at this point because I didn't want to do this alone. One of the nurses had walked over to the side of the bed and took my hand."You are one strong woman and you can do this. You are not alone. We are all here with you and we will all support you as much as you need and for as long as you need it. Now you need to be brave for yourself and for your son."I nodded my head and took a few deep breaths. I was waiting for the contraction and I was ready to do this when I heard dad's voice at the entrance of the room." You kept your promise."I had just said that sentence when the contraction hit and the doctor urged me to start pushing. The nurse stayed on one side, and Dad went to the other, taking my hand and encouraging me from there. When the contraction was finally over and I had not heard a bab
Two Months Later Dropping the twins at their friend's house and going into the office to check something out Jack left me alone at home with the promise that he would be back as soon as possible to watch the movies that we had picked out for the evening. Not wanting to wait for him to come back I started the movie so long. I was barely fifteen minutes into the movie when my water decided that it would be a great idea to break and Andrew decided that he would love to come into the world today. I tried calling Jack but all I got was voicemail each and every time. Not getting through to Jack, I tried calling both Dad and Nici but both of their phones were also off and I was not getting through to anyone of them. The only other option I have is to get myself to the hospital in time. Getting my hospital bag and putting it in the car went slowly because of the pain occasionally making me double over before I could go on. I didn't know what I would be doing when the contractions would hi
After we had told Dad and Nici that I was also pregnant we had a little celebration before Nici said she was too tired and that she was going to go and lie down but we were free to continue the celebrations. Not wanting to keep Dad away from Nici for too long we said our goodbyes and left for home. As usual, it was one hell of a fight to get Cathy to leave her granddad and come home with us because she was a total grandad's girl. She had been most fond of him since she was a little girl and once her granddad had her in his arms, no one could steal her away, not even her mother, might I add, because she started screaming bloody murder when you tried. AJ tends to keep at my or Jack's sides most of the time when they are not playing around. He ended up being a mommy's boy. He was quieter than his sister and sometimes that worried me but other times he just made me not underestimate him anymore. Getting calls from his kindergarten teacher telling me that he isn't making friends or mixin