Chapter 7 #3
“They’re excited to meet their baby sisters and resisting bedtime. We just relieved Ned and Francine for the night, and Kelsey will be back in the morning. She’s been a godsend.” Mac had hired the au pair earlier in the summer when Maddie had been put on bedrest.
“Kelsey is amazing,” Mac said. “We sure got lucky when we found her. And thank you for staying with the kids.”
“We love staying with them, and we’re happy to help. You look tired.”
“I’m okay as long as Maddie and the kids are. How was the rest of the wedding?”
“It was lovely. Mallory and Quinn are so happy, but you won’t believe what happened.” She told him about the woman Lizzie and Jared had helped bringing the baby to the Chesterfield.
“She just left her baby with them?” Mac asked, incredulous.
“She did, and they’re shocked and confused and trying to find the mother. Your dad heard they’ve been trying to have one of their own and not having any luck.”
“Ugh, that’s rough. I’m sorry to hear all that.”
“It was quite a day at the Chesterfield. I have two little ones here who want to talk to Mommy and Daddy. Mac is the only one who went to bed like a good boy.”
Thomas’s and Hailey’s little faces filled the screen, and with one quick glance, Mac could see they were wide awake.
“Dada, where’s the babies?” Thomas asked.
“They’re in special beds to keep them warm and snuggly. Did you see the pictures I sent?”
“Yeah, they’re little.”
“Very little. We have to be super gentle with them.”
“I will, Dada.”
“Da!” Hailey said. “Mama.”
Mac handed the phone to Maddie, who lit up at the sight of their kids.
“Hi, guys. Are you being good?”
“So good,” Thomas said.
“You need to go night-night so you can be well rested for when your sisters come home.”
“I promised three stories to any kids who agree to go right to sleep after,” Big Mac said. “And that’s in addition to the three Grandpa Ned already read them.”
“Scammers!” Mac said.
Thomas giggled.
“Can’t wait to get home to see you guys,” Maddie said. “I want to hear that you were the best boy and girl, and you helped to take care of baby Mac, too, okay?”
“Yes, Mama,” Thomas said while Hailey nodded.
“Love you,” Maddie and Mac said together.
“Love you.”
“We’ll talk to you in the morning,” Linda said.
“Thanks again, Mom.”
“Our pleasure.” She blew a kiss before she ended the call.
“I already miss them so much,” Maddie said. “And five minutes after we get home, I’m going to wonder why I missed them so much.”
Mac laughed. “The dichotomy of parenthood in one sentence.”
“Yep.”
“We need to enjoy this little calm before the storm of five kids.”
“Don’t even think about trying to get lucky, mister. You’ve got six weeks and a snip before that’s happening.”
“Duh, I’m an expert. I know all about the six weeks.”
“Remember how you came running home from work when I got the green light after Hailey was born?”
“I remember, but don’t remind me too much about that when I’m on day one of the six-week wait.”
“My poor baby,” she said with a pout face. “So neglected.”
“I’m glad you realize that.”
Laughing, she held out a hand to him. “Come sleep with me.”
“You’re so sore, babe.”
“I want you here with me.”
She grimaced as she shifted toward the far side of the hospital bed to make room for him to stretch out next to her. She lifted her head, and he carefully put his arm under her so she could rest on his chest. “There,” she said, exhaling. “That’s what I needed.”
“I’m always happy to provide anything you need, my love.”
“I have everything I’ll ever need—more than I ever dreamed possible before you knocked me off my bike,” Maddie said.
“That was the best day ever, except for the blood and scabs.”
“I love to remember that day and the days that followed when you moved in to take care of me and Thomas and then never left. Everything that’s happened since then is like a beautiful dream, even the difficult parts.”
He knew she particularly meant the loss of their third child, Connor, who’d died in utero. “I wouldn’t trade a second with you for anything in this world.”
“I wouldn’t either. With you, that is.”
“I can’t wait to take the babies home and introduce them to their brothers and sister.”
“I’m very excited to see them all together for the first time,” she said.
“If only Connor could be there, too.”
“That would be perfect.”
“No one gets total perfection, but our family is as close to perfect as it gets.”
“All thanks to you, my warrior woman.”
“No more babies, Mac. I mean it.”
“I hear you, love. I can’t go through that again.”
She poked his ribs, making him startle and then laugh.
“Really, though, Madeline. A helicopter?”
They laughed until they cried, and then he kissed her lips and eyelids. “Go to sleep, sweetheart. Our five children are going to need their mom to be well rested, or the inmates will take over the asylum.”
“You won’t let that happen.”
“I gotcha covered, my love.”
“Hey, Mac?”
“Hmm?”
“In case I forgot to mention it today, I love you.”
“I love you, too, and our babies. Thank you for this beautiful life.”
“Thank you. You’re the one who made it happen by crashing into me on my bike.”
“You crashed into me.”
“Nope.”
“Yup.”
“Nope.”
She pinched his lips shut, effectively ending their regular “argument.”
He fell asleep smiling.