Chapter 25
Tick. Tick. Tick.
I gritted my teeth to stop myself from ripping the damned ticking clock off the wall of the hospital waiting room.
My back ached as I slumped in the hard plastic chair, clutching the straps of Olivia’s purse with Ms. Brady’s ashes inside.
As odd as it was to hold her mother in a bag, I was glad for the company as I waited for Olivia’s c-section to finish.
I was happy that the medical team was completely focused on Olivia and the twins, but I would have solemnly sworn to never watch football again if I could have had just one update.
Worry tore through each of my muscles and I threatened to crack the tile with how hard the heel of my boot rattled against it.
Despite how hard I tried to stay positive, I couldn’t shake the image of all that blood coming out of Olivia. My grandfather’s words haunted me. All my luck ran out at birth. Fortune would never favor me or mine ever again. I was going to lose Olivia. Or my babies. Or both.
I squeezed my eyes shut and rested my forehead against my tight knuckles.
God, please God, don’t let me lose them.
A soft pair of footsteps approached and I lifted my head.
A nurse had appeared and I held my breath as she gave me the details of the surgery.
My hands loosened around the purse straps when she told me that Olivia was being wheeled into a recovery room, but I only exhaled when she gave me the news of my babies.
My sweet Annie Cherie was born at 2:33 a.m., weighing 5 pounds and 8 ounces.
Big boy Brady Louis came just three minutes later, weighing 6 pounds even.
Their APGAR scores were perfect and their lungs were fully developed.
Even though they came early, they didn’t need to go to the special care unit.
Instead, they were in the nursery, ready to meet their parents.
Though I could hardly wait to finally lay eyes on my babies, I refused to see them without their mother.