Chapter 7 #2
She nodded. They hadn’t discussed that before the wedding. “I’d like it to be Mallory Vaughn McCarthy James. What do you think?”
“I love that, and your dad will, too.”
“Mallory James. I like the sound of that.”
“I do, too.”
As he kissed her and held her close to him, Mallory experienced a feeling of peace that she’d finally ended up right where she belonged following so many years of spinning after her first husband’s sudden death.
Finding her father and family on Gansett Island had led her to Dr. Quinn James and a second chance at forever love.
In Providence, Mac and Maddie McCarthy were in the neonatal intensive care unit, visiting Evelyn and Emma. He still couldn’t believe that they’d been born in a helicopter during his sister’s wedding. Leave it to Maddie to make every other chaotic birth look tame by comparison.
“What are you thinking?” his wife asked from the wheelchair he’d pushed from the OB unit to the NICU.
She was still unsteady on her feet after giving birth to the twins, and her nurse had insisted on the wheelchair.
The girls’ lungs weren’t quite ready for life outside the womb, but the doctors expected them to be there for only a week.
Two at the most. They’d been told the extra time in the NICU was perfectly normal for twins born almost a month early.
“I’m still trying to process everything that happened today,” Maddie said as she gazed at the babies.
“Me, too.”
“It’s a good thing they’re our last ones, or you’d be putting a moratorium on any more babies.”
“I would indeed. A helicopter, Madeline,” he said for the tenth time. “Honestly.”
She laughed as she shrugged. “I’d say I’m sorry, but it’ll make for one heck of a story for the girls to tell someday.”
“I never thought I’d say that I can’t wait to get a vasectomy.”
“I never thought I’d hear you say those words either. Your precious junk and all that.”
“My junk is very precious, but I can’t handle any more pregnancies, births or babies.”
“You can’t handle it,” she said with disdain. “I’m so sick of being pregnant, it’s not even funny. I feel like I’ve been pregnant the entire time we’ve been married.”
“Not the entire time, but pretty close.”
“Enough is enough, my friend. Snip, snip.”
“You don’t need to sound so vicious about it.”
“If I were being vicious, I would’ve gotten out the kitchen scissors a while ago.”
He covered his package. “I can’t believe you’d even say that out loud.”
“Desperate times.”
“I’ve got the appointment for next month, so you can chill out with the kitchen scissors.”
“Just so you know what’s ahead if you fail to keep that appointment.” She made a scissoring gesture with her fingers.
“You’re mean after giving birth to twins.”
“You’d be mean, too, if you’d had to push out two babies.”
“Even when you’re mean, you’re still my hero. You make it look so easy.”
She snorted with laughter. “Easy. Right.”
“I know it wasn’t, but you’re awfully good at making beautiful babies.”
“They are rather beautiful, aren’t they?”
“Along with their sister, Hailey, they’re the most beautiful baby girls I’ve ever seen.”
“I can’t even begin to imagine what a squad the three of them will be someday.”
“Don’t put those ideas in my head. I’m going to need to be tranquilized for the teenage years.”
“Thankfully, we don’t need to think about that tonight,” she said, yawning.
“Let’s get you back to your room and tucked into bed.”
“As much as I don’t want to leave them, I can barely keep my eyes open.”
“Your driver is ready whenever you are.”
She leaned in for another look into the side-by-side incubators. “Good night, my sweet girls. Your mommy and daddy love you very much, and we can’t wait to bring you home to meet your brothers and sister and the rest of your family.”
Mac was trying not to think too much about the logistics of getting twin babies back to Gansett, but he didn’t have to think about that today or even tomorrow.
Since they’d arrived early and would be going home to a remote island, the doctor was proceeding with caution that Mac appreciated.
The last thing he wanted was any more emergencies.
He’d had enough of those to last him the rest of his life.
He wheeled Maddie back to her room, helped her to the bathroom and then tucked her into bed.
She was pale and drained from the ordeal of giving birth to twins, not to mention the grueling pregnancy that’d preceded the births and the hours she’d spent earlier pumping breast milk to feed the babies.
His wife was a warrior. “Do you want to give Thomas, Hailey and Mac a quick call before you sleep?”
“I’d love to.”
He used his cell to call them via FaceTime on his mother’s phone. When she answered, Mac could see she was still dressed from the wedding.
“Hi there,” she said. “How’s everyone?”
“We’re good. The girls are sleeping, and Maddie is headed for bed. How are the kids?”