Chapter 12
T he pain had begun in the middle of the night and had intensified as daylight broke and flooded Abby McCarthy’s bedroom with warmth. She’d tried turning over to ease the ache, which wasn’t as simple a thing as you’d think with four babies competing for shrinking space inside her. The change in position hadn’t helped. Nor had lying on her back or sitting up or anything else she’d tried to find relief.
Now it had reached the point where she was going to have to say something about it, but the words were trapped inside her, laced with terror at the possibility of losing the babies she wanted so badly. This didn’t feel like the pain she’d had when she miscarried an earlier pregnancy, but something wasn’t right.
She sat on the bed, listening to Adam talk to Liam as he got him up and changed.
The baby laughed at everything Adam said and did. He was his daddy’s best pal, and nothing made Abby happier than to watch Adam in dad mode.
“Let’s go see if Mommy is awake.”
“Mamamamamama.”
“That’s right, buddy. Your mama can’t wait to see you.”
Adam carried Liam into the bedroom and stopped when he saw Abby sitting on the bed. “Everything okay, hon?”
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve got a pain that won’t quit.”
“Where?”
She placed her hand on her swollen abdomen. “Right here.”
“I’ll call Vic.”
He was gone before she could reply or say hello to her son or do anything other than try not to panic about worst-case scenarios.
For weeks, she’d been bemoaning her burgeoning belly, the lack of mobility, the constant need to pee, the fears of how much tighter the tight squeeze might get before the babies came. Now, none of that mattered. All she cared about was that all four of them were strong and healthy. Any inconvenience or discomfort was a small price to pay for four more sons to love.
Even the thought of five babies under the age of two was nothing stacked up against the fear of losing the quads who’d been such a shocking surprise to their parents. They’d been told their likelihood of conceiving was low, so no one had seen two sets of identical twin boys coming, least of all Adam or Abby.
Adam came back into the bedroom, still carrying Liam. “Vic is sending the rescue. I called my mom, and she’s coming to get Liam to take him to Maddie’s to play with the kids today.”
“Is the rescue necessary?”
“She said she’s not taking any chances, and she doesn’t want you to do anything but sit tight and wait.”
“Did she sound worried?”
“Not particularly.”
Victoria might not have been particularly worried, but Adam was. His brows were furrowed, and his mouth set in an expression that told her he, too, was trying not to panic.
They heard the door downstairs open.
“There’s my mom. She was already in town, so she said she’d be right over.” He brought Liam to Abby. “Give Mommy a kiss before you go with Grammy to play with the kids.”
“Kids.”
Abby smiled as she kissed and hugged her little boy. “Have the best time and be good for Grammy.”
“Good.”
“He’s becoming a regular parrot,” Adam said.
“He sure is.”
Adam lifted him into his arms. “Be right back.”
“I’ll be here.”
She heard him go down the stairs. She heard him talking to his mother. And she heard the urgent tone of his voice as he asked his mom to be gone with Liam before the ambulance arrived to take Abby. “I think it might scare him.”
“Of course, honey,” Linda said. “Please give Abby all our love and let me know what’s going on as soon as you can.”
“I will. Thanks for coming running.”
“Always happy to have some time with my pal.”
“Pal,” Liam said.
Abby smiled and then grimaced as the sharpest pain yet took her breath away. Suddenly, she was deeply grateful for Victoria’s overabundance of caution.
Adam came charging up the stairs. “How’re you doing, hon?”
“About the same.” He didn’t need to know the pain had gotten worse.
“Ambulance should be here any second.”
Just as he said that, they heard the siren in the distance.
“I’ll go let them in.”
Five minutes later, paramedics came storming up the stairs, following Adam’s direction to their bedroom.
One of them was Adam’s sister Mallory.
“Hey, honey, what’s going on?” Mallory asked as she hooked Abby to a blood pressure cuff.
“A pain that’s been getting more intense by the hour.”
She pressed a stethoscope to Abby’s chest and then to her belly. “Hearing lots of strong heartbeats in there. Let’s get you to the clinic and see what’s going on.”
Though she’d felt the babies moving all night, Abby was relieved to hear their heartbeats were strong, although Mallory probably couldn’t tell if that meant they were all healthy. Victoria would be able to further evaluate her at the clinic.
Mallory and the other two paramedics gently and efficiently moved her to a stretcher and strapped her in for the ride downstairs.
While they tended to her, Adam quickly got dressed in their bathroom and followed them down to the first floor and into the back of the ambulance.
“Shouldn’t you take a car to get us home?”
“I’ll worry about getting us home later. I want to be with you.”
She squeezed the hand he’d wrapped around hers.
“What’re you thinking, Mallory?” Adam asked his sister.
“Hard to say without a lot more info. Her BP is good, and I heard a bunch of heartbeats in there. Both of those things are great news.”
Abby winced as the pain stole her breath. She’d never experienced labor pain, but she couldn’t help but notice the spasms of pain were coming closer together and were getting more intense. She could not be in labor at twenty-two weeks. She just couldn’t be.
They arrived at the clinic within minutes and were met by Victoria, the nurse practitioner-midwife, and Dr. David Lawrence, the attending physician.
She was whisked inside, quickly attached to a fetal monitor as well as other machines and monitors—all that before anyone asked her a single question.
“She’s in labor,” Victoria said.
Adam gasped. “What do we do?”
Victoria quickly inserted an IV needle that barely registered with Abby because she was trying so hard not to panic. “We can try to stop it with meds.”
“Try to?” Adam asked. “What if it doesn’t work?”
Victoria looked him in the eyes. “We’ll do everything we can.”
Mallory stayed with them, holding one of Abby’s hands while Adam had the other.
“I’m scared,” Abby whispered. “I can’t lose them. I just can’t.”
“Let’s not think the worst,” Mallory said. “There’s a lot that can be done. The best thing you can do is try to stay calm.”
Abby hung on Mallory’s every word, knowing she was an experienced nurse who’d seen all the scenarios during a career working in a Providence emergency department.
“Just focus on breathing for now,” Mallory said. “Nice deep breaths, in and out.”
Abby did the breathing and focused on the movement of the babies, proof that they were still there, still with her, still in the fight. She vowed that if they could get through this, she would never again complain about the discomfort of carrying quads or bemoan the fact that she had to pee every two seconds.
She’d do whatever it took to safely deliver her baby boys.
Linda McCarthy drove her bright yellow Volkswagen Bug into the driveway at her son Mac’s home as her grandson Liam chattered in the back seat. His sweet, cheerful presence was keeping Linda from going crazy wanting to know what was happening with Abby.
If they lost those babies…
No, she couldn’t even consider the possibility. That couldn’t happen, not after everything those two kids had already been through trying to have a family after Abby was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, which, among other things, made pregnancy difficult to impossible to achieve. That she’d somehow conceived the quads naturally considering her condition was nothing less than a miracle. Linda refused to believe they wouldn’t see that miracle all the way to the finish line.
She wished she had the power to make it so her kids could have anything and everything they wanted and needed, but alas, even Voodoo Mama didn’t have that kind of power. As much as she pretended to despise the nickname bestowed by her beloved kids, she secretly loved that she’d intimidated them enough as youngsters to give her that name.
“Come on, my sweet boy. Let’s go see what the cousins are up to.”
“Cousins!”
Liam held her hand as they walked up the stairs to Mac and Maddie’s deck and stepped into the kind of madness only five young children could create. Toys were strewn about, baby Mac was wearing only a diaper, one of Hailey’s pigtails had fallen out, Evie was crying, while Emma sipped from a bottle that her mother held for her.
“Grammy!” Her eldest grandchild, Thomas, ran over to greet her. “You brought Liam!”
“I sure did.”
Liam tugged his hand free of hers and took off with Thomas to check out his older cousin’s extensive truck collection.
“How goes the battle?” Linda asked her daughter-in-law.
“Business as usual in the madhouse. How’d you end up with Liam?”
“They took Abby to the clinic with some pain.”
Maddie’s smile turned to a frown. “Oh no. What’re you hearing?”
“Nothing yet, and I’m trying not to blow it up in my mind until we know more.”
“How’s that going?”
“Not so well.”
Maddie winced. “I can’t bear to think of anything happening to those babies.”
“I know. Same.”
“Poor Abby has been through more than enough.”
Linda picked up baby Evie and took the second bottle Maddie had ready to feed the other twin.
“Grammy to the rescue,” Maddie said. “What would we do without our grandmas?”
“We’d probably die,” Hailey said with a seriousness that had her mother and grandmother laughing.
“I don’t think it’s quite come to that,” Maddie told her daughter.
“But it’s close,” Hailey said before she ran off to play with Thomas, Liam and baby Mac.
After she was gone, Linda shook her head in amusement. “She’s full of beans.”
“She gets that from your people.”
“I can’t even try to deny that. My people are nothing if not full of beans, especially the one who fathered her.”
“You said that, not me.”
Linda and Maddie fed and burped both babies, who dozed off once their bellies were full.
“Thank goodness these two can sleep through anything,” Maddie said, snuggling with Emma as the four older kids ran around the room, laughing and screaming.
Linda kissed the top of Evie’s head, her wispy blonde hair tickling Linda’s nose. “They learned that in utero, listening to their siblings long before they were born.”
“I guess I need to be grateful for the never-ending chaos, then.”
“It’s hard to believe how quickly chaos will turn to moody, sullen teenagers who’ll grow up and leave you just when they’re becoming interesting people.”
“When will that be exactly?” Maddie asked with a smile.
“Long before you’re ready.”
“I like that expression you shared with me. ‘The days are long, but the years are short.’ It’s so true. I’m already seeing that with Thomas. How is he almost seven ?”
“I have no idea where all the time goes. I look at my kids… Mac will be forty soon. How?”
“We have to plan something for that, and it must be a roast.”
“Of course it will be. Who deserves that more than he does?”
“Absolutely no one.”
“What are you hearing from Tiffany?”
“Nothing new.”
Linda’s deep sigh said it all.
While the girls played a game with Blaine, Tiffany had cleaned everything she could reach without having to get on the step stool, which would’ve sent her husband over the edge since pregnancy had her balance out of whack.
Even as Blaine played with the girls, he kept one eye on her, making sure she wasn’t overdoing anything.
The activity didn’t help.
Nothing helped to ease her mind as she contemplated having to share heartbreaking news with Ashleigh.
How did one say such a thing to a precious six-year-old who loved her daddy with all her heart? Ashleigh had no clue what a jerk he could be, and if Tiffany had her way, she’d never know that stuff. What difference would it make now? No, she’d allow her baby girl to keep every illusion she had about the man who’d fathered her, even if Blaine would be the one to raise her.
He would show her everything she needed to know about men and how they treated their loved ones and what to look for in a potential partner.
She was grateful for her wonderful husband all the time, but knowing he’d be there for her and Ashleigh if the worst came to pass was a source of tremendous comfort to Tiffany as they waited to hear what’d become of Jim and his friend Billy.
Every time the phone rang, she jumped out of her skin, wondering if this would be the call to confirm what they already knew. She saw it was Maddie and exhaled. “Hey.”
“I’d ask how you’re doing, but…”
“Trying to stay busy. Not sure what else to do.”
“Is Blaine still home?”
“Yep. He went to the office for a short time before he came back. He’s been taking calls and giving orders from here.”
“I’m glad he’s with you.”
“Me, too. I wish they’d find them. One way or the other. The not knowing is hard.”
“I can only imagine. You want to talk about it?”
“You’ve got enough going on over there.”
“The twins are down for a nap, and Linda is making lunch for Thomas, Hailey, Mac and Liam, who’s hanging with us today while Abby is at the clinic. I guess she woke up with a pain.”
“Oh no. No, no, no .”
“We’re hoping for the best.”
“God, me, too. Poor Abby—and Adam. They’ve been through enough.”
“I know. Linda and I were just saying that. But back to you… Talk to me, Tiff. What’s going through your mind?”
“So many things, but ironically, I find myself thinking about the good times and not how it all went so very wrong.”
“It’s good to focus on the positive.”
“I guess, but it makes me even sadder to think about how he let his perfectly lovely life go completely off the rails.”
“He did that to himself.”
“Yes, he did. I was hoping he might get a more positive second act at some point, you know?”
“Yeah, I get that.”
“I wanted that for him and for Ash. And now… The not knowing is the worst part. I want them to find him—and I don’t want them to find him.”
“Both those things can be true.”
“I suppose so.”
“Why don’t you lie down and try to get a little rest?”
“I feel like I’ll go crazy if I stop moving.”
“You won’t. I promise. You and the baby need rest. As long as Blaine is with the girls, you should try to take a nap.”
“I’ll try.”
“Big Mac and Linda are having everyone to the marina for dinner. Stephanie is over there helping him set up. I know you’re probably not in the mood for a big gathering, but you’re more than welcome to join us if you feel up to it.”
“I might like to do something like that. I’ll see how I feel later on.”
“No pressure. Come if you feel like it.”
“Thanks for the invite and the talk. It helps that you get it.”
“Oh, honey, of course I do. You once loved that man with all your heart. Even if you wanted to punch him half the time lately, you’d never want this.”
A sob came from the deepest part of her. “No, I wouldn’t. How will I ever tell Ash?”
“You’ll find the words you need when the time is right.”
“It’ll break her little heart. How do I do that to my precious girl?”
“We’ll all be there to support her.”
Tiffany heard the tears in her sister’s voice. Maddie loved her girls as much as Tiffany did. This would break the hearts of everyone who loved Ashleigh.
“That helps. I just can’t believe this is happening. As much as I wished at times that he’d just go away and leave us alone, I never wanted this.”
“I know, sweetie. None of us wanted this.”
“I’ll let you know about dinner. The change of scenery and time with friends might do me good.”
“I think it would. Everyone wants to hug you.”
“Thanks for checking on me. Call me any time you need to talk. Don’t worry about waking up the babies. They sleep through the madness around here.”
“What are you hearing about Kelsey and Jeff?”
“They’re moving him to rehab soon, and she’s feeling a little better. The broken arm is still giving her a lot of pain, but it’s less every day.”
“Those poor kids.”
“Big Mac is sick over it. Mac told me his dad is going to deposit money into their accounts, so they have everything they need.”
“Of course he is.”
“He feels responsible for what happened.”
“It wasn’t his fault. Ethel is the one to blame.”
“That’s what Mac tried to tell him, but he wasn’t hearing it.”
“It doesn’t surprise me that he wants to take care of everything for them.”
“Me either. He’s the best. Check in with me a little later?”
“I will. Thanks for everything. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”