Chapter 48
Chapter Forty-Eight
ADAM
Six months later…
“Push! Breathe!”
Holy shit. I have no idea what I’m doing.
I am not in control of this, and I am losing my mind.
Our doctor told us Chelsea would most likely go a little earlier than her due date.
It usually happens with second babies, he explained, saying the body knows what’s coming and is prepared to get the work done.
I, on the other hand, am not prepared. I thought I was ready.
I’ve been anxiously counting down the days, watching her belly grow with the love we made together.
Dominic and I have been bonding over being the oldest brothers of the family.
Even though he doesn’t understand the meaning, I explained he has a big responsibility as the oldest son.
However, I made sure to press upon the fact he doesn’t need to be controlling. Protective? Yes. Controlling? No. I learned that lesson, though old habits die hard. For the last two weeks I’ve followed Chelsea everywhere. I haven’t let her carry so much as a water bottle.
She’s annoyed by me.
And right now? She’s in pain and wants to kill me.
Her eyes are squeezed shut tightly as she breathes out a pattern to keep her calm. Through gritted teeth she says, “If you tell me to push or breathe one more time, I’m going to grab hold of your dick and rip it from your body, Adam.”
Yup, that’s my sweet Chelsea Jo. Apparently giving birth turns her into a gremlin. I’ll keep that little fact to myself though. Her tone of voice is like nothing I’ve ever heard before and I’m actually a bit scared. I angle my dick away from her reach.
“Okay, Chelsea, here we go.” The doctor rolls his chair closer to the end of the birthing bed, there are two nurses ready on each side of him.
I grab hold of her hand and, taking my life into my own hands, I lean down and kiss her forehead.
I whisper that she’s doing great. Tell her that she's beautiful. And that I couldn’t love her any more than I do right now.
“Bear down here and push! Ten, nine, eight,” the doctor begins counting down.
“Hold that push, four, three, two…” A moment later a cry fills the room, and my sob echoes it.
I was not prepared for the emotion that is coming over me right now.
I wipe at the tears running down my cheeks and kiss Chelsea, speaking against her lips.
“Oh my god! CJ!” We cry together as I turn and watch one of the nurses grab the baby and begin to get her cleaned up.
“Baby Girl number one has arrived!” The doctor doesn’t give the nurse a second look but is focused on his next task at hand. “Okay, one more time, Chelsea Jo. Let’s do this.”
Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be. Twins run in my family. Insert smug Casanova grin here.
We found out we were having twins at the twenty-week mark.
I almost fell out of the chair when we saw two little beans moving on the screen.
We decided in that room, that was a secret we were keeping for us.
It’s been hard not sharing this joy with our family, but we needed something for just us, as a couple.
A chance to dream together, a chance to love together and make plans together without any extra input.
It’s been the best time of my life. And I cannot wait to see the looks on their faces when we tell them.
The doctor orders her to push once more and the countdown starts. I’m torn between wanting to make sure my daughter is alright and needing to comfort my wife. They’re both incredible but how the fuck am I going to split my time between these kids and my wife?
Jesus, maybe I should go get snipped after this. Three kids under three? What were we thinking?
After two more counts and pushes, “Baby Girl number two is here!” The second nurse scoops her right up, suctioning her nose and mouth and then both of my daughters are placed on my wife’s chest.
Two, beautiful girls with strong ass lungs are crying it out, battling to be louder than the other. Tears still leak from my eyes, but I’m laughing, remembering how Billy and Tom always battled over everything. Now I know what my mother went through.
“Chels, look at them!” They’re nuzzling in now, quieting down, seeking each other’s bodies, as well as their mothers. “Do you want me to go get Dominic first?”
She looks up at me with tears in her eyes. “Yes, bring him in. He needs to meet his sisters. But quietly, don’t announce anything yet!” she admonishes me, already seeing the excitement written across my face. I can’t wait to drop this bomb on my family.
One of the nurse’s cuts in. “I’ll go get your son, you two stay here.” She gives me a wink, already knowing I wouldn’t be able to keep my mouth shut.
“So, who’s who?” I ask and it earns me an eye roll.
“What?” Laughing, I slide the chair over, sit and lean onto the bed, getting as close as possible to these two miracles.
“We get to decide their fate, right now. Who’s going to be the wild one with Mom’s name or the sweet one with Francesca’s name? ”
I’m grinning a big stupid grin right now. I feel it, and the humor in Chelsea’s eyes as she looks back at me confirms it. “Well, I think Baby Girl number one is always going to be looking over her younger sister, so let’s make her the sweet one.”
I run the tip of my finger around her tiny little ear. “Welcome to the family, Cecilia Francesca.”
Chelsea gives her a quick kiss and then turns to baby number two. “And that makes you the wild child, Eliana Janet.”
* * *
I slip out to the waiting room which is overflowing with the Casanova Family.
Britt and Bobby are sitting with my sister and Jackson, like guard dogs.
If they thought I was bad, Britt is over the top with her best friend being pregnant.
I know they’re all dying to know what’s going on.
I eye my sister, Jackson sitting protectively next to her with his large hand not quite covering the basketball belly she’s got.
She’s due in a few weeks and he’s getting antsy.
I look at all the expectant faces and begin to ask them to come down the hall to our room when Adley comes flying around the corner. She’s a mess, hair hanging out of her ponytail and her face is flushed.
“Adley! What the hell? Did you just run here? I thought you were here since we called everyone this morning.” She’s not looking me in the eye and upon closer inspection, I notice her shirt is on backwards. Oh, fuck no. I glance around the room and see my brother is missing from the group.
“Well? Do you have news, Adam?” Mom asks, oblivious to the fact that her son was most likely just fucking her daughter-in-law’s sister in the janitor’s closet.
I stay quiet until Adley looks at me. I raise a brow and she smooths down her shirt eyeing me right back.
“You might wanna fix that.” I speak softly and nod to her shirt, walking closer to my family in the waiting room. I won’t embarrass her, but you’re damn straight I’ll be talking to Billy about this.
As if on cue, he comes around the corner wearing the same disheveled look. He blatantly avoids my dirty look and claps me on the shoulder. “So? Am I an uncle or an aunt?”
This fucking guy. I let out a laugh and shake my head.
“Yes, I have news. Everyone is just fine, but I’d like to make some introductions so if you’ll all follow me.
” Cheers, smiles and tears fill the room then follow me as I walk us back down to Chelsea’s room.
I knock lightly, signaling to CJ we are coming in.
“Hang on,” I push my brother back from the front row. “Let Mom and Dad in first.” He rolls his eyes but relents. They come to the doorway and lead everyone in. My mom rushes right to Chelsea.
“Oh sweetheart, you look beautiful! How do you feel?”
“I’m good. You better check on your son though, he almost lost it a time or two,” she snickers.
“I did not. I only was scared once when you threatened to rip my dick off.”
“Adam!” She’s giving me an incredulous look.
“What? It’s true!”
“You paying attention, Jacks-off? This is going to be you in a few weeks,” Britt announces then protectively goes and stands beside Francesca.
“Leave my man alone,” Francesca chastises her.
“You won’t be saying that when he’s the reason why your vagina is being ripped apart.”
“Britt! Jesus! Can you not?”
“Girl, listen to her. It’s not pleasant.” Chelsea has a pained look. “And I did it. Twice.” She narrows her eyes and stares me down.
Thankfully, just then, the nurse comes around the curtain wheeling my daughter in the basket. “Hi Dad, want to introduce everyone?” She’s got a twinkle in her eye, and I wink back at her.
“With pleasure.” I step beside the bin and pick up my daughter. “Mom, Dad, everyone, I want you to meet Cecilia Francesca!”
Screams go up. “A girl!” My mom begins crying and my sister scurries closer to us. Adley runs for Chelsea and Dominic who has crawled into bed with my wife. I smile bigger. My. Wife. I like that.
“You named her after me?”
I smile and hug my sister. “And Mom.”
They look at me in confusion. “That’s not Mom’s middle name.” Francesca lets her sentence linger as a second nurse comes around the curtain wheeling baby girl number two.
“Everyone, meet Eliana Janet.”
Gasps and shocked cries fill the room.
“Stop it!”
“Twins!”
“Got any more back there?”
I huff a laugh at Billy and wipe my tears. My mom is full on sobbing and the noise level is getting a bit out of hand when the nurse claps her hands together twice.
“Casanova Family! Before I get fired for allowing you all in here at once, pipe down, please! Give these babies some peace and get to know them with your mouths closed.”
Damn, I’ve never seen anyone put this family in their place like that before. “You’ve obviously never met us before,” I laugh and get a grin from the nurse. I hand over Cecilia to my sister and my mom picks up Eliana from the bin.
“Brother, I don’t know how you do it.” Billy settles in next to our sister admiring my daughters.
“You continue to one up everyone in this family.” I step closer and put him in a choke hold which turns to a hug.
“I love you, bro. Seriously. I’m so damn proud of you.
” He pulls back a little to look at me, wiping at his eyes.
“I couldn’t be happier that you finally pulled your head out of your ass. ”
I laugh, this is as close as we will get to actually apologizing for our bullshit the night before Jackson’s wedding.
“Thanks for reminding me what’s important.” We hug again, with Tom and Jackson joining our circle.
“They’re perfect! Did you know the entire time?” Mom questions with awe. “Chelsea, there’s no way you were carrying two!”
“Oh, I definitely was,” she says with a pained look then she shrugs. “I don’t know how we kept it quiet, but we wanted something just between us for a bit longer, you know?”
My mom gives us a grin. “Well, I think it was a wonderful secret kept between you two.”
“The Biggest Secrets,” I lean down and kiss Chelsea, “are always the best.”