“Ollie, Xavier. Follow the babies. Don’t let them out of your sight,” I say, grabbing the open door and sneaking into the OR wing.
I stop at the door, staring through the window at the operating theatre, seeing a lot of blood. So much more than I thought. My knees go weak, and I hold the wall next to me to steady myself.
Inside, I see Dr. Patell and Dr. Dropp in masks and gowns, working on my wife. “Please let her be okay,” I pray over and over.
Dr. Dropp makes eye contact with me, and it’s hard to tell, but I think she might be smiling. She gives me a thumbs up—a disgusting, blood-covered thumbs up—but I’m pretty sure it’s the best thing I’ve ever seen.
THIRTY-SIX
The Evil Twin
Arthur – Day One of Fatherhood
Official Birth Announcement
Issued by Valcourt Palace
Date: December 24th, 2018
The Duke and Duchess of Wellingbourne are delighted to announce the safe arrival of Princess Florence Gwendolyn Evi Cecily (6 lbs 4 oz), born at 3:25 p.m., and Prince James Edward Ruben Winston (6 lbs 2 oz), born at 3:26 p.m.. Both babies and their mum are doing well and are expected to be released from Valcourt Memorial Hospital in time for Christmas dinner.
****
“How are you feeling? I mean really, not the stock answer you're giving everyone else.”
I lean down and give Tessa a long kiss on the forehead so she can't see the tears in my eyes. I know you're thinking, ‘But Arthur, crying isn’t manly. You're supposed to be this tough, manly man who does mixed martial arts every morning and always has a quick comeback.’
But even though I'm hiding my tears from her, I'm not ashamed to admit my entire world has been rocked in those few minutes between everything being seemingly fine and all those alarms going off. And well…I can't even bring myself to think about it now that it's over.
Our firstborn, baby Florence (or Flora for short), is lying skin-to-skin on Tessa’s upper chest, whilst I hold our son, James, both of whom have perfectly rounded heads covered in wisps of blond hair.
“Told you I’d get my twilight sleep birth,” she says with a faint grin.
I laugh, a little shocked at her ability to make a joke at a time like this.
“I'm fine, Arthur. Really. If I had to guess, I'd say you're more shaken up than I am.”
“Ridiculous. I'm absolutely calm as a cucumber.”
“No, you're not. First of all, the saying is ‘cool as a cucumber’, and the fact that you're mixing your metaphors tells me you're upset. Second, your lips were glued to my forehead for a very long time, which can only mean you don't want me to know how emotional you are at the moment.”
Leaning back, I smile down at her, hoping I look confident but knowing that isn’t very realistic. Her face is all blurry, which must mean my eyes have filled with damn tears again. “Do you remember a long time ago you accused me of wanting to put you into a padded room and keep you locked away from the world…”
“You want to do that now, don't you?”
“I'm just wondering if you're open to negotiation here.”
“We’re fine, Arthur. I promise.”
“Yes, but just in case, let's agree to never do this again. Never, never, never.”
“I can't promise I won't change my mind, but at this exact moment the idea of never being pregnant or going through labour again sounds pretty freaking good.”
I chuckle, then give her a kiss on the lips, overwhelmed by gratitude that she's still here to make me laugh. Resting my forehead to hers, I swallow hard, trying to rein in these damn emotions already.
“Poor baby, you’ve been positively traumatized.” Tessa reaches up and touches my cheek with the back of her fingers, causing warmth to spread through me.
“No, I haven't. I just won’t be letting you out of my sight for the next several years or until I can convince myself you'll be okay, whichever comes first. I hope you won't mind us using the bathroom in front of each other from now on.” I give her a half-grin to let her know I'm only half-joking.
“Let’s leave a little mystery, shall we?”
“After what happened earlier, I’d say the mystery is…” I stop myself before I ruin the moment. “Never going to end, of course.”
Flora stirs and draws our attention away from each other. Tessa tilts her chin to look down at her. “She’s absolutely perfect, isn’t she?” Glancing at James, she says, “Both of them, I mean. They’re both perfectly perfect in every way.”
“I know. Can you believe we made them ourselves?” I ask, lifting James so I can kiss his little cheek.
“Crazy, right? And not to be rude, but they really are so much better than other people’s babies, aren’t they?”
“Obviously, but we should probably keep that thought to ourselves.”
“So, I shouldn’t spout that opinion in public, like at the salon, for instance?”
“Probably not. If you did, we’d have to hire Dylan back.”
“Mum’s the word, I promise.”
A knock at the door interrupts the moment, and Tessa and I both give each other looks of shared annoyance at the crowd that's about to descend upon us. The door opens a crack, and Evi pops her head in, wearing a huge grin, her face bright pink with excitement.
“Are you ready for some company? You have a lot of people out here waiting to meet the new babies.”
Tessa nods and gestures for them to come in, and within a few short seconds the room is filled with her parents, brothers and their wives, and all of the Sharpe children, along with my Gran, Arabella and much to my surprise, my father. The children seem to know that right now is a moment for quiet, which makes sense because they've all been through this so many times before.
Now everyone's tearing up, even Tessa's awful brothers, who rush to her side. I stand by, ready to put a halt to any snide comment or criticism. Instead, I hear their words mixed together, but they’re saying things like ‘well-done’ and ‘so glad you're okay’ and ‘you scared the shit out of us, don't ever do that again’.
Gran walks over to Tessa and takes her hand. “So, emergency C-section? The birthing hips were just false advertising, then?”
“Apparently so. I guess they’re narrow on the inside,” Tessa says.
“Oh, well never mind. You got the job done anyway.” She smiles at Tessa, then walks over to pat me on the cheek. “You look awful, Arthur dear.”
Arabella steps in and gives me a big, squeezy hug, tears in her eyes, then does the same to Tessa. “I’m so glad you’re all right,” she whispers. “And the babies, too.”
Suddenly, it feels like one hundred Christmas mornings all rolled into one perfectly wonderful moment. At once, I’m struck by the fact that this is what family is supposed to be. These people, in this room, who can drive us nuts and hurt our feelings and disappoint so badly at times are also the ones who know us best and love us most. This group of people would do anything for us, so I don't mind being hugged by sticky-fingered children or Irene, who has a slightly strange obsession with me, or Isa, who seems not to hate me quite as much at the moment, which in its own way is a Christmas miracle.
Evi takes our son from me and runs her finger down his tiny face. Gran has a seat in the chair in the corner, then summons Evi to bring the child to her. Evi walks over and starts to lower him toward my Gran, but Gran holds up one hand and says, “I don’t hold babies. I just want to take a look.”
“Nonsense,” Evi says, putting him into her arms. “Of course you want to hold him. He's your great-grandson. Besides, I need a picture for the scrapbook.”
Gran rolls her eyes and then smiles for the photo. I'm expecting her to tell Evi to pick the baby up now, but she doesn't. She just stares at him, her face lighting up in a peaceful smile that makes her look twenty years younger.
“Oh, let's get one with her holding both the babies,” Nina says, handing her our daughter. She and Evi rearrange
the babies on my Gran's lap. Arabella and I exchange surprised looks as Gran puts up with this. She lets out a low chuckle, then says, “Which one do you suppose is the evil one?”
Mouths drop around the room, and I have to bite my lip to stop from laughing.
Arabella gasps. “What an awful thing to say, Gran. Neither of them is evil. They're tiny, innocent babies.”
“Yes, but one of them has to be more evil than the other. They can’t be equally nice or kind,” Gran says.
Evi bustles over and picks up James, followed swiftly by Isa, who is apparently not only offended by people assuming she's pregnant, but also by people who make jokes about evil babies.
Ruben takes his new granddaughter from Isa, tearing up as he nods, and clears his throat. “Look at this little sweetheart. She’s going to make a remarkable queen one day. You can tell she’s smart as a whip just by looking at her.”
My father peers over Ruben’s shoulder and snaps a photo. “She’s quite regal, isn’t she?”
“You hold her,” Ruben says.
“I don’t think I know how anymore. It’s been…well, since Arabella was born,” he says, smiling over at my sister.
“It’s like riding a bike,” Ruben says, carefully transferring Flora to my dad.
“Much better, I’d say.” My dad tears up as he stares down at her tiny face. Looking at Tessa, he says, “Well done, Tessa. I know this can’t have been easy.”
Tessa shrugs and waves her hand. “Total breeze.”
THIRTY-SEVEN
I Never Said Anything About No Mannies
Tessa - Day 3 of Motherhood
This is Veronica Platt, live in front of Valcourt Memorial Hospital, where Princess Tessa and Prince Arthur are expected to be leaving the building any moment now with their two bundles of joy. As you can see, there is an air of excitement as thousands of people have gathered outside the hospital in spite of the cold weather and the snow.
“The media is also out in full force, with everyone waiting to catch a glimpse of the new babies,” she says. “If you've been keeping up with the Royal BabyWatch here on ABNC, you'll know that there has been nothing easy about this pregnancy, from the extreme morning sickness Princess Tessa suffered to the massive criticism she has endured about her weight gain to what's been called a dramatic and terrifying birth by hospital staff.
“The statements made by the palace yesterday indicated that the Duchess of Wellingborne and her two babies are both doing well and are healthy and thriving.” Veronica smiles broadly into the camera. “While waiting, we thought it would be fun if we asked a few of the royal watchers here on scene to share their thoughts on this happy day. We’re joined by Mr. Daniel Peters and his wife, Phyllis. Have you two always been fans of the royal family?”
Daniel nods. “Of Princess Tessa, yes. I never had much use for the rest of the family, however. They always seemed like such an uppity bunch. We met Prince Arthur and Princess Tessa in the hospital once, actually. Right after my double lung transplant. They were there when her brother had a new baby.”
“Well, it was her sister-in-law who had the baby,” Phyllis says, shooting Daniel an irritated look.
Veronica moves the mic over to Phyllis. “What about you? royal fan or foe?”
“I've always been an avid royal watcher. Unlike my husband, I certainly was not in favour of the marriage between the former Royal Watchdog and Prince Arthur. But I do have to say, what she's accomplished in these past few months really shows a depth of character I hadn't given her credit for possessing.”
Veronica smiles and nods at Phyllis. “A lot of people are saying that. It seems as though her Good Enough Mum Campaign and the beautiful op-ed she wrote for The Weekly Observer calling for a real coming together of women everywhere to celebrate our differences and support one another has been the miracle the palace has been looking for.”
“I agree,” says Phyllis, looking directly into the camera. “It really was that letter she wrote that brought me around. And her desire to give the spotlight to regular people, and well… to just help others, really. She really is the People's Princess.”
“That she is, Phyllis. That she is.” Veronica nods enthusiastically, then smiles at Daniel. “Like Daniel, I've always been a huge fan of Princess Tessa, back to her Royal Watchdog days. Just the extraordinary strength of her character and her desire for fairness and her relentless fight for the little guy.”
“So true, Veronica. It's impossible not to fall in love with her strong moral standards and spunky spirit.”
Veronica’s face lights up. “Oh, and here they are now! The babies are completely bundled up because of the cold weather, so we'll be lucky to catch a glimpse of their faces. Prince Arthur is carrying one car seat and with his free hand is helping his wife navigate the slippery steps. She, of course, cannot carry one of the babies right now, as she is recovering from an emergency caesarean section. So where is the other baby?
“Oh my! This is a surprise—King Winston has just exited the hospital carrying the other car seat. I don't think I've ever seen him look this happy before. That is the face of a very proud grandfather.”
The camera pans to the family as they reach the bottom of the steps. They stop, then Princess Tessa, Prince Arthur and King Winston are now standing together. “Oh! They’re lowering the blankets to give onlookers what I’m sure will be a quick glimpse of the babies. And it appears as though the cold weather has woken them up.”
Veronica chuckles a little bit as the camera zooms in on the now crying babies. King Winston and Prince Arthur cover them quickly, then wave to the crowd, thanking everyone for coming before ducking into the waiting limo.
“Oh my,” Phyllis says, leaning into the microphone that has not been offered to her. “They’re going to have their hands full, aren't they?”
“Yes, Phyllis, they certainly are.”
The limo pulls away from the cheering crowd. “And there you have it. A new generation of Avonia’s Royal Family to enjoy and watch over until they are old enough to watch over us.”
****
Text from Nikki: When you get a chance, watch the replay of Veronica Platt's commentary of you leaving the hospital. Apparently, she's always been your biggest fan.
Me: Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. Two babies is a lot of babies, especially at feeding time. I’ll make sure to check out the news as soon as I get a chance. First, I should have a nap.
Nikki: Let me know if you need some help. Otherwise I'll see you Monday for my weekly ‘twin sesh’.
****
Top Ten Things About Being a Mum
1) Not one, but two perfect babies to love.
2) New baby smell.
3) Newborn smiles (even if the book says it is only gas, it still melts my heart!)
4) Speaking of heart-melting, watching Arthur do any of the following: change a diaper, rock a baby to sleep, feed one of the babies a bottle, soothe a crying baby, talk to them when he thinks I'm not there.
5) Having room for my lungs and bladder again.
6) Overwhelming feeling of love for my husband and babies.
7) The power to totally soothe a crying baby using only my breast. Rather superhero-ish when you really think about it.
8) Having so many wonderful family members (including Nikki and Xav) who are always willing to help out and give us a break when we need one.
9) Adorably tiny, irresistible baby feet, hands, and cheeks that require constant kisses.
10) Knowing I get to watch these two little miracles grow into adult human beings who, with any luck, will remain healthy, learn to be responsible and compassionate, and will not resemble Joffrey from Game of Thrones or Snow White’s wicked stepmother in any way, shape, or form.
****
It is Saturday night at 11 o’clock. Arthur has signed on to provide an entire night's sleep for me, meaning he will be in the nursery, catnapping on a mattress we've had brought in whi
le I try to get a solid six hours of sleep with the baby monitor turned off. I should be asleep by now. I'm utterly exhausted, having been up every hour for the past four weeks, but I find myself lying awake, listening for baby sounds.
I text Arthur: You okay? Do you need anything before I go to sleep?
Arthur: Go to sleep, Tessa. We’re fine. The bottles are prepared and even though a lesser man might struggle, I’m not just any man. #I’vegotthiscovered
Me: Wake me if you need me. I promise I won’t mind. #It’sOKifyouneedhelp
Arthur: Sleep. #loveyou
I close my eyes, feeling the warmth of my cozy bed and realize I really am very sleepy.
****
I wake up with a start. The sun is up, and the first thing I notice is how completely full of milk I am. Glancing at the clock, I’m shocked to see that it's after seven in the morning, meaning I've actually slept for eight hours. I hurry to the washroom, brush my teeth, and go in search of Arthur and the babies.
When I get to the living room, I have to stifle a laugh. Arthur is fast asleep on the couch with James on his chest, and Xavier is asleep in the armchair with Flora in his arms. Grabbing my camera, I snap a few shots—the ones of Xavier and Flora are for Nikki's private collection. Arthur stirs and slowly sits up, careful not to wake James.
He whispers, “Did we make it?”
I nod, then whisper back, “I see you got a little help.”
Arthur follows me to the kitchen so we can talk without waking Xavier. “Things got a little out of hand around 3 AM, and he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
The Crown Jewels Boxed Set (A Crown Jewels Romantic Comedy Series) Page 79