47. EVERLEE – TWO’S HAVE IT
EVERLEE – TWO’S HAVE IT
The seconds click away while the minute hand moves slowly behind. It’s been several hours and still nothing. Nurse Bea has been in to check on me several times, and last being close to thirty minutes ago. She said when she comes back, we’ll be working on practice pushes since I’m getting closer.
11:03.
Less than an hour before the new year.
Callum hasn’t left his spot behind me while Jax is passed out in the recliner beside my bed while Knox, Emmett, and Lizzy have all cuddled on the couch singing songs from the New York New Year’s Eve party.
It’s kind of crazy to think how much can change in a year. This time last year we were all standing in Allure having a blast and now we’re all in a room waiting for me to push out two babies.
A soft knock on the door pulls my attention. Nurse Bea and Dr. Yiminitz stick their heads in. All the guys, including Jax, jump to their feet.
“How have the contractions been?” Doctor Yiminitz asks.
“Good.”
“Pain?”
“Not terrible.”
“Good. I’m going to do once last exam and then have you start practice pushing.”
“Ok.”
Dr. Y sticks her lubed fingers into me and starts smiling. “You’re at ten. We can start pushing.”
“Baby time?” Knox jumps in the air.
“Do you want me to head out?” Lizzy asks, pointing at the door.
“Boo boo. I want you right here with me, if you want to stay.”
“Fine. I will, but I’m not holding your hand or looking down there. I’d like to look you in the face again, without seeing all that junk when I look at you.”
Chuckling, I smile. “Fine.”
Nurse Bea walks out and pushes two baby beds in, followed by another nurse who we haven’t seen yet.
“Do you have names picked out for them yet?”
Lizzy side eyes me hard because she’s asked every day for the last two months what their names are going to be and we haven’t told her.
“We do.”
“And they are?” Lizzy prompts, scooting closer to me.
“Still not telling you,” Jax laughs. “But I’ll tell you this. Lizzy is not one of the names.”
“You kid.”
“Do I look like the kind of guy who would kid around about something like that?”
“Your face is so hard to read.”
“Get ready to push,” Dr. Y says, bringing us all back.
Callum is still behind me, while Jax and Lizzy are on my right side and Knox and Emmett are on my left.
“Ok. Push.”
This low guttural groan screams from my mouth as I bear down and try to push, hands squeezing Jax and Knox’s.
“Good. Good. Do that again on your next contraction.”
“Do you want a mirror, Ev? I heard that’s great to help you visualize,” Knox asks.
My eyes flicker to the doctor’s and she nods.
“I guess. If that’s not weird.” I shrug, then feel another contraction coming along.
The nurse brings the mirror over at the same time I’m pushing with all my might.
“Good, good. You’re going to feel some pressure down here. I’m rubbing along your opening to stretch it out to lessen the risk of you tearing.”
“You’re doing so good, babe,” Callum whisper into my ear as he kisses the back of my neck.
Several pushes later, I stare at the clock, willing the second hand to slow down. 11:37pm.
Simultaneously, all of our phone’s ding.
“Probably Beckett. I told him I would text,” Emmett says.
“I got it.” Lizzy grabs my phone off the bedside table and punches in my password.
“It’s Beckett. I’ll let him know what’s going on.”
“Let’s push.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I push with all my might.
“Good, good. Keep going, I see the head. Push Everlee. Come on.”
Baring down and squeezing the guys' hands, I yell out as I push. Sweat drips down my chest, and my hair is matted on the back of my neck.
“Yes! Good job!” It feels like the strangest pressure just vanished in the blink of an eye. The nurse runs over with a blue sucker thing and seconds later, our first baby's screams fill the room and tears flow down my face. “You’ve got a little girl.”
“There she is,” the guys all say in unison.
My gaze moves to each of the guys watching them watch her. Dr. Yiminitz clamp the umbilical cord. “Who would like to do the honors?”
Everyone looks around without speaking until Jax steps forward, holding out his hand.
When Jax cuts the cord, Dr. Yiminitz passes her to me and I hold her against my bare chest as her cries quieten. Is it possible to love something so much so fast?
“Oh my gosh boo. She’s so beautiful,” Lizzy says with tears sliding down her cheek.
Nurse Bea walks over. “Let me take her from you so I can wash her up while you push for the second one.”
Reluctantly, I hand her off, but Knox follows nurse Bea with his arms crossed, watching the nurse bathe her quickly and take her measurements for length and weight. The entire time she’s working, Knox is keeping a watchful eye on her.
“What’s her name?” Dr. Yimitiz asks.
“Anniston James McKinley.”
“That’s a beautiful name. Anniston James,” she repeats it.
“Oh Evey boo. I love it. Are you going to call her AJ?”
“I don’t know. Maybe Ann, Annie.”
Another contraction refocuses my attention. I grab Emmett’s hand, since Knox is still with Anniston.
Nurse Bea offers Anniston to Knox, but before he grabs her, he pulls his shirt over his head, then grabs the baby. “Skin to skin contact.”
Nurse Bea blushes about a hundred shades of red and swallows before scurrying back over to stand behind the doctor.
My head falls to the side for a brief second, and my heart melts. Knox is cradling Anniston in his arms against his bare chest, bouncing gently. He catches me watching him and tosses me a quick wink.
A second later, a contraction pulls my attention back to the doctor.
“Ready Everlee? Let’s meet this baby boy of yours.”
Callum gives me a kiss on the crown of my head and I grab Jax and Emmett’s hands. Jax cups his other hand over mine and gives it a gentle squeeze.
“Get ready to push,” Dr. Yiminitz commands.
Building like a small wave inside of me, my stomach gets tighter.
“Good. Now, push.”
Leaning forward, eyes focused on the mirror, I push with everything I have while letting out a deafening groan. When the contraction passes, I fall onto Callum while the guys wiggle their fingers inside of my palms.
“Sorry,” I say sheepishly.
“Nothing to be sorry for, love,” Emmett coos.
“I didn’t need those two fingers, anyway.” Jax smiles.
“Hey boo thang… not trying to rush or anything, but pretty boy on TV has started the countdown.”
The timer in the bottom corner of the screen is counting down from ten…nine…
I’m going to have the first kid born in January.
Eight… seven…
Here comes another contraction.
“You got this. Push, Everlee,” Dr. Yiminitz encourages.
Six… five… four…
My twins are going to split the year. Born in two different years and two different months with potentially to different fathers.
Three… two…
“Push!”
“Happy New Year!” Lizzy says quietly, more to herself than anyone else.
I scream out and feel the sweet release of pressure pass through me and seconds later, hear my baby boy crying.
Exhausted, I collapse backward onto Callum.
“Happy New Year,” I whisper back.
“Well. You did it, mama,” Dr. Yiminitz says, passing me my baby. I hadn’t even seen Emmett cut the cord.
“Two babies. Born in two different months. Born in two different years. Do you have a name for baby boy?”
“Brooks Bennett McKinley.”
“Brooks and Anniston. I love it, sis,” Lizzy says, trailing her finger down Brook’s back.