Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
“ T hat’s it, Tiffany, push one more time for me,” Dr. Joy said. “Don’t hold back. Give it all you’ve got.”
As the contraction grew to its peak, I pushed hard and screamed harder. “I hate you, Matthew McGinnis.”
“I know, love, it’s okay.” He held my hand and didn’t let go even when I dug my fingernails into him.
“I see the head. You’re doing great,” Dr. Joy said as the contraction passed. “When the next one comes, I want you to push as hard as you can, okay? I think this one will be the one to push him out.”
“Okay.” I’d been at this for hours.
I’d spent half the night yelling, crying, and screaming at Matt. I hated him. I loved him. I didn’t want to ever see him again. I didn’t want him to ever leave my side. Through it all he kept rubbing my forehead with a cool washcloth and holding my hand and massaging my back and walking me around the room, taking whatever I dished out.
We didn’t speak of him turning down my proposal.
I was in too much pain of another kind.
I stared at the spot and focused on my breathing like I’d been taught with Matt during Lamaze classes. “Oh, God, here comes another one.” I gripped his hand once more and started pushing hard.
“Push from your abdomen, not your face,” Dr. Joy instructed. “You’re going to break blood vessels in your eyes and that won’t help your baby enter this world.”
I concentrated on what she said and ignited my core like I had back in our cheerleading days. I was a strong woman. I could do this. Pushing with all my might, I suddenly felt a whoosh and then no more pain.
The whole room grew silent for a moment until a strong cry pierced the air.
Matt whooped, and I cried, while Dr. Joy cleaned the baby off and set him on my chest where he settled in peaceful and quiet. He was a big boy for two months early. In that instant, I fell in love like I had never loved anything before.
He was utter perfection.
I looked up at Matt, and he was crying. He touched the baby’s face, and then leaned down and kissed me on the lips. I guess I didn’t have to have it all to be happy, I thought, but the ache in my chest grew.
“Can we call him Declan after me Da?”
“That sounds perfect.”
My mind snapped back into focus when another contraction hit me. Dr. Joy handed the baby to a nurse to tend to.
“Okay, mama, let’s focus on bear cub number two.” She gave me a slight smile.
I gave her a slight laugh. She’d heard me say that hundreds of times referring to the boys. My laughter died when another contraction came on faster and harder. My body shook. This baby felt like he was twisting and turning and kicking his way into the world. I would have thought the second child would be easier.
I cursed and screamed and yelled at Matt again.
And once again, he took it all in stride.
He really was the most patient human being I knew. I went through the series of pushing once more, and finally, blessedly, the baby was born kicking and screaming into the world, much smaller than the first, yet packing a far bigger punch.
The whole room erupted with everyone talking at once.
“What’s wrong?” I grabbed Matt’s hand.
“Nothing, love, except…we have a daughter.” He smiled through his tears.
“What? How?” I looked at Dr. Joy.
She held up her hands. “What can I say? Sometimes the sex is hard to determine for sure, especially with twins. They tend to hide behind each other. Consider yourself lucky.” She handed me my daughter.
I took one look at her face, and my heart melted over my own little spitfire. She looked exactly like Grammy. I knew she would find a way even in death to still be in my life and make me forgive her.
Eugenia. I looked at Matt. “Can we call her Genie?”
“That sounds about perfect to me, love.” He kissed her forehead, and my heart cracked wide open.
It felt like a whirlwind. Matt went to freshen up as the babies were tended to, as well as myself. By the time I was settled into my own room with both babies in a basinet beside me, Matt had returned. He looked so handsome. Freshly showered and wearing a shirt and tie tucked into his standard jeans.
He’d never looked better.
He set a bouquet of roses on my bedside table, his dimples sinking deep as he smiled at me. “Hi, lass.”
“Hi yourself.”
“Ye did good, Mammy.” His gorgeous blue eyes blazed with pride.
“I did, didn’t I?” I nodded, feeling damn proud of myself.
His face grew serious. Nervous, even. He cleared his throat. “We have a conversation we never got to finish back at our house.”
So now it was our house again? “Oh, I don’t know. It stopped being our house when you moved out, and we were pretty much over when you said no.”
“Ah, but I did not just say no. I said I can’t say yes right…and then yer water broke.”
“Okay, then finish what you were going to say.” I felt fearless now. No more nerves for me. After birthing two babies, I felt like I could do anything.
“I meant I can’t say yes right now. Or, then as it was.”
“You said you loved me.”
“Aye.”
“And do you still?”
“More than ever.”
“Then why can’t you marry me?”
“I can now.”
“I’m confused.”
“For the record, I proposed first, ye know.”
“You demanded. And then I proposed.”
“You tried, but I had to stop ye.”
“Again, why?”
“Because I had planned on proposing again.”
“You did?”
“You were right, love.” His eyes filled with emotion. “Words are cheap. I moved out because ye were right not to believe me. I needed to show ye that I loved ye more than life itself. I told ye I was busy with something important, and I was.” His eyes twinkled. “Why do you think I went to Ireland?”
“To see your family for an early Christmas.”
“True, but while I was there, I got me Grammy’s gold Celtic Knot ring.”
I blinked back tears. “You did?”
“Aye, I did.” He pulled out the ring which consisted of a beautiful blue sapphire and two Celtic knots on each side. “Tiffany Rose Eisenhower, will ye make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”
“Yes! Today, tomorrow, always.” Tears streamed down my face as he slipped the ring on my finger. “I really do love you so much.” He kissed me softly, and my heart was full for the first time in my life. “You know, I had Harmony’s older brother order you a gold Claddagh ring.”
“Ye did?” Matt looked surprised.
“You didn’t think I would propose without a ring, did you?”
His eyes filled with love. “That’s me favorite kind.”
“It was in the pocket of my dress when my water broke. Can you get it for me?”
My dress was with my belongings in the corner of the room. He found the ring and his hand paused. “What’s this?” He stared at the letter I had written him.
“That’s what I have been trying to give you ever since you moved out and I realized I couldn’t live without you.”
He slowly opened the letter and read in silence then walked over and kissed me softly on the lips. “Ye’ll never have to live a day without me again, love.”
I took the ring box from him and opened the case as I looked him in the eyes. “Will you wear this for me?”
“I would be honored.” He smiled with pride as I slid it on his finger.
Just then Declan started crying for once instead of Genie.
“Can you bring him to me? His diaper probably needs to be changed. Better do it before the girls arrive. They can’t wait to see our babies.”
“Sure thing.” Matt gently lifted the baby from the basinet, careful not to disturb little Genie. He set Declan on my lap on the bed.
“You’re probably better at this than I am with all the experience from your nieces and nephews.”
“I have changed a few nappies in me time. No worries, love. I’ll walk ye through it.”
I bit my bottom lip in concentration over my very first diaper change. Undoing the tape at the sides, I peeled back the diaper and grabbed the wet wipes. When I looked back at my son, I gasped. My gaze lifted to my fiancé, finally understanding the legend of the clover.
“That’s not a tattoo after all.” I laughed.
“Aye, it’s a family birthmark to a lucky few.” He winked.
“I’m lucky you’re not part of a cult.” I sighed in relief.
“You are one strange lass, me love.” He chuckled. “I love it.”
“And I love you, my lucky charm.” I kissed him soundly on the mouth.
Everything melded in this moment. Him, me, our babies, and our future. So much love in one small hospital room. I’d never felt happier or more blessed. All because I was afraid to turn forty. One thing was sure…
I’d do it all again.