Unexpected Fight

by Kaylee Ryan

  “But we just got here.”

  “And they’re sleeping,” her mom chimes in. “You’ll just be down the hall. We’ll come and get you if anything changes.” She looks over at my mom and smiles. “We’ll take good care of them. Besides, you need to rest while you have the help,” she says gently.

  “They’re my babies,” Reagan grumbles.

  “We know that,” my mom agrees with her. “You’re an amazing mother, Reagan. You’ve had a rough few months, and your body needs time to heal. These little guys are going to need you rested. Especially for their first night home. Let us help you.”

  “Come on, baby.” I lace her fingers with mine. “A hot shower and our own bed for a couple of hours are exactly what we need. Besides, you think we’re getting the boys away from them anytime soon?” I ask her.

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “These little guys will be up a lot tonight, I’m sure. So, rest now. That way tonight you won’t be completely drained,” Mom tells her.

  “Thank you,” Reagan says, tears shimmering.

  “Oh, sweetheart, that’s what families are for,” Mom says. I give her a grateful smile before leading my wife down the hall.

  “Shower or sleep?” I ask once we are in our room.

  “Sleep,” she says over a yawn, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

  Crouching down, I remove her shoes one at a time, setting them under the bed. “Good call,” I say as I stand. I feel as though I could sleep for a week, so God knows how she’s truly feeling. I pull back the covers, and she settles in. When she’s comfortable, I kiss the corner of her mouth and then kick my own shoes off, moving them out of the way, and climbing in beside her. She’s still sore, so I carefully snuggle up next to her, kissing her shoulder.

  “How are we going to do this, Ty? We’re exhausted and we only just got home from the hospital.” Worry stains her voice as it cracks.

  “You’re still recovering,” I remind her. “And we need to settle into a routine of life with twins. We’ll get there. We’re going to take it one day at a time.”

  “I’m glad it was you,” she says groggily.

  “Glad it was me what?”

  “Who stole my heart. I’m glad it was you,” she says, causing my heart to trip over in my chest. “This life,” she murmurs, her eyes closed. “I’m glad it’s ours.”

  I place a tender kiss on her temple and settle back in beside her. I start to wonder if I should go check on the boys before I fall asleep, but I know they’re in good hands. Instead, I lie next to my wife, like her so thankful it was Reagan who stole my heart as well.

  Chapter 23

  Reagan

  * * *

  My eyes flutter open, and I’m staring at an empty bed. Reaching over, I can feel the sheets are cold. That tells me Ty’s been up for a while. Carefully, I climb out of bed and go in search of my family. What I find melts my heart. Tyler is sitting on the couch, a baby in each arm. He’s looking down at them with so much love in his eyes.

  “Hey,” I whisper, not wanting to wake the babies.

  “There’s Mommy,” he whispers to our slumbering boys. “How you feeling?”

  “Rested. Thank you. You should have woken me up.”

  “Not a chance. Besides, our moms are still here.” He motions his head toward the kitchen. “They’re in there doing… honestly, I’m not sure what they’re doing. I made them give up the boys and then they disappeared.”

  “They’re trying to be here if we need them but not be in the way.” I smile at that. Our mothers, our parents actually, are the best. We’re so lucky to have their support. I make my way to the couch and sit next to him. “How are they doing?”

  “Perfect.” He leans over, and I meet him halfway, giving him a kiss. “Here.” He lifts his arm, and hands me Benjamin.

  “Hi there,” I greet my son. He continues to sleep with not a care in the world.

  “There she is,” Mom says, followed by Helen as they join us. “Rested?” she asks me.

  “Yes. Thank you both for everything.”

  They both nod. “Now,” Helen says. “Give us the babies. There’s a hot meal ready for you in the kitchen. There’s also a pan of baked spaghetti in the refrigerator for tomorrow.”

  Helen takes Benjamin from me while Mom takes Beckett from Tyler. He helps me from the couch, and we do as we’re told. Dinner is delicious, and after the long nap I took, I feel ready to take on the world. Well, not really, but close enough. I feel human again. I’m still moving slowly and am sore, obviously, but my spirits are high.

  “It’s just the four of us,” Tyler says once our mothers leave. We had to practically push them out the door with the promise that we will call if we need anything. They both assured us they’ll be back tomorrow.

  “This is our new normal.”

  “Until the next one.”

  I can’t help but laugh. “Already thinking about more?”

  He shrugs. “We’re good at it.” He motions to Benjamin who’s in his arms.

  “Yeah, I’d say we’re pretty good at it.” Beckett stirs in my arms. “It’s time to eat for these little guys,” I say, staring down in wonder at my son.

  “I’ll go make the bottles.” He carefully places Benjamin in my other arm and dashes off toward the kitchen.

  We feed the boys, change their diapers, and put them in their bassinets in our room. Tyler and I, although we napped, go to bed as well. We know it’s only going to be just a couple of hours before we’re up again for more feedings and diaper changes. Some parents might find that irritating, and I’ve heard stories of men who don’t help. I’m fortunate Tyler has been there every step of the way. Diapers, feedings, you name it. I didn’t think it was possible, but it’s made me fall even more in love with him.

  “I should call Ridge and tell him I need more time,” Tyler says as he feeds Beckett.

  It’s been over a week since the twins were born and it’s time for him to head back to work. He took off a week and a half with us. And although I’d love to have him here with us all day long, I know that’s not possible. I’m taking extra time off, but plan on still taking care of ordering and payroll, those types of things at the salon. We’ve yet to decide if I’m going to go back full-time, part-time, or not at all, and instead just continue to run things behind the scenes. Only time will tell.

  “Tyler, I’ll be fine. I can call you or our mothers if I need anything. We have to pay for this house,” I remind him with a small smile.

  “I hate leaving the three of you.”

  “Benjamin, tell Daddy he needs to go to work.” I hide the fact that I’m a little worried about being with the boys all day by myself, but this is us. This is our life, and I need to suck it up and be a mom. And should I get in over my head, I know my mom and mother-in-law are just a phone call away. My sister-in-law is a pediatric nurse, so we also have connections.

  Everything will be fine.

  “If they do something cute, you have to record it or take a picture or something,” he rambles, not taking his eyes off Beckett.

  “I promise. Now hand him over, or you’re going to be late.” I give him a reassuring smile.

  “Damn,” he mutters. “I didn’t think it would be this hard.”

  “Yeah, I’m not looking forward to leaving them one day.”

  “You don’t have to,” he reminds me.

  “I know. We’ll have to talk more about that as it gets closer to time. For now, I’m taking my three months and just running things from here.”

  “Because you’re a super mom.” He grins and kisses me on the lips before placing Beckett in my arms. “Daddy loves you,” he tells the boys. “And you,” he says, cupping my face in his hands.

  “We’ll be here waiting when you get home.”

  His smile is contagious. “I love that.” Another kiss for me and the boys and he’s out the door.

  With both boys fed and sleeping, I settle Benjamin on the couch beside me and carefully
stand. I place Beckett in the Pack ’n Play, then lay Benjamin beside him. I have a million and one things I could be doing, but we were up three times last night and I really just want to nap. Grabbing the blanket off the back of the couch, I curl up. After making sure my phone is on vibrate, I close my eyes and let sleep take me.

  I wake about an hour later to my phone vibrating in my hand. Glancing at the screen, I see Ty’s name. “Hey,” I say groggily.

  “I’m sorry, babe, did I wake you?” he asks softly, but the damage has been done.

  “Yeah, but that’s okay. I need to get up and get moving. The boys will need to eat again soon.”

  “I was just calling to check on you.”

  “We’re good,” I assure him.

  “Okay. I’m sorry I woke you. Try and go back to sleep. I love you.”

  “Love you too,” I mumble, and end the call. Turning to look at the Pack ’n Play, both boys are still snoozing away. No matter how badly I want to go back to sleep, I get up and start a load of laundry, and unload, then reload the dishwasher. I’m wiping off the counters in the kitchen when I hear the first cry.

  That’s how the rest of my day goes—feedings, diaper changes, and very little housework. However, when the front door opens at a little after six and Ty walks in, I feel relieved and proud. Proud that I did it. I made it an entire day on my own, but I’m relieved to have him home for the help. I know he’s worked all day and has to be tired, but feeding two can get a little challenging. Especially if they’re both screaming and hungry. I imagine as they get older, I can prop them up and feed them at the same time, at least that’s what I read on a twin’s mommy forum online. Right now, though, they’re just too small for that.

  “I missed you today,” Tyler says in greeting. I’m sitting on the couch feeding Beckett while Benjamin hangs out in the Pack ’n Play.

  “We missed you too. How was work?”

  “How was it?” he asks at the same time.

  “Good. I didn’t get a ton done around the house, but I accomplished two loads of laundry and managed to load and unload the dishwasher.”

  “Babe, you’re supposed to rest when they do. I can do that stuff when I get home.”

  “You’re working all day too. Not to mention, you get up with them during the night with me. It’s a group effort.” I smile as he bends to kiss me, then picks up Benjamin and settles in the chair to give him his bottle.

  “Whoa, little man, slow down.” He laughs as Benjamin sucks greedily. “How was it today?” he asks again.

  “It was good. There were a few times I just had to let one of them cry as I waited for the other to finish eating. They’re just too small to try and feed them at the same time right now. Maybe I’ll ease my way into that.”

  “You boys giving Momma a hard time?” Tyler asks them, even though he knows he’s not going to get an answer.

  After the boys are fed and content, I tell Ty to go upstairs and grab a shower while I heat up dinner. Our mothers have been spoiling us with bringing meals over on alternating nights. I don’t know what we’d have done without them. Well, I do. We’d be eating frozen pizza and takeout. By the time our plates are warm, Ty is out of the shower, and we manage to sit at the table and have dinner together with no crying babies, diaper changes, or feedings.

  “Dare I say that we’re getting the hang of this twin parent thing?” he asks.

  “Shh,” I playfully scold him. “Don’t jinx us.”

  After dinner, Tyler carries the basket of clean clothes to our room and takes the dirty clothes to the laundry room. I’m not supposed to lift over ten pounds for a few weeks. Once the laundry is folded and put away, we head back to the living room. We snuggle on the couch and end up falling asleep. I feel bad that I got a nap and he didn’t. My last thought before drifting off is I hope the boys are those babies I’ve read about who end up sleeping through the night sooner than later.

  Chapter 24

  Tyler

  * * *

  The twins are three-and-a-half months old today, and last night they slept for seven solid hours. Seven hours. I panicked when I woke up this morning and saw the time. Reagan wasn’t in bed. I found her and the boys in the living room. She was just starting to feed Beck. It’s like we hit the parent lottery.

  It’s Memorial Day weekend, and we have plans for a cookout at Ridge and Kendall’s. I was already excited about getting to hang out with everyone. Keeping up with the boys doesn’t leave much time for socializing these days. Add in the extra sleep we got, and it feels like it’s going to be a great day.

  “You think it was a fluke?” I ask Reagan. We’re in the boys’ room packing for our adventure today.

  “I don’t know. The books I’ve read say some babies sleep through the night as early as a month old. Maybe it’s our new normal.”

  “What do you think, boys?” I ask them as they smile up at us. We have them lying on a blanket on their bedroom floor. “You about ready to be big boys and sleep in your own room?” I ask them.

  “I don’t know,” Regan chimes in. “They’re still too little.”

  “They’re growing boys. They need their space,” I tease her. “Besides, Daddy needs Mommy time without little ears and eyes in the room.”

  She throws her head back and laughs. She was given the green light for sex at her six-week checkup. However, by the time we get the boys settled and in bed, we fall into ours exhausted. I’m all for a quickie, but I want some time with my wife. I want to trace her curves with my tongue, take my time loving her. It’s been too long since we’ve taken our time. I shift my stance, adjusting my cock as it grows uncomfortable against my zipper.

  “I miss it too, but at least you don’t have to take matters into your own hands anymore,” she sasses.

  “I want matters in your hands,” I tell her with a wink. “Okay,” I say, getting my mind out of the gutter. “We have diapers, wipes, two extra outfits for each of them, bibs, toys, blankets, burp cloths. What else do we need?”

  She looks around the room. “I think we have it all. I need to go pack up the bottle bag.”

  I open the top drawer on the changing table and grab four pacifiers. “Just in case,” I say, tucking them into a pocket on the outside of the diaper bag.

  “Better safe than sorry. You think we have enough diapers and wipes?”

  I look down at the large diaper bag that seems to be busting at the seams. “Yeah, if we need more, we can run home or run to the store, but I think we’re good to go.”

  “All right. Come here, mister,” she says, picking Ben up from the floor.

  I zip the diaper bag and then lift Beck into my arms, throwing the bag over my opposite shoulder. “I’ll start getting them in their seats, and load this into the Explorer while you pack up the bottle bag.”

  “Thank you,” she says, making her way to the kitchen. She stops in the living room, and there is a blanket already laid out for the boys. We set them down, hand them some toys, and get to work.

  I load the double stroller, the Pack ’n Play, the diaper bag, and an old quilt into the Explorer. We also bought a folding umbrella to keep the boys out of the sun, so I throw that in as well. There is so much that these little guys need. We should have bought a bigger SUV. By the time I’m done, Reagan has the bottle bag packed up and hands it to me.

  “You ready to go bye-bye?” Reagan asks the boys. They smile over at her just from the sound of her voice.

  “All right,” I say, sliding into the driver’s seat. “We got everything?”

  She runs through her mental checklist. “Yeah, I think we’re good.”

  “Gone are the days of just loading up and rolling out.” I laugh as I back out of the garage.

  “At least not until they get a little older.”

  “Yeah, but by then, we’ll have another one. Or another set of twins. You know how my swimmers are.” I reach over and give her thigh a playful squeeze.

  “Tyler Justice. Do not wish that on us.” She laughs.
“I love our boys, but I’d like to try for a single baby next time.”

  “How long do we have to wait for that to happen?” I ask.

  “Can we get them out of diapers first?” She laughs.

  “How long is that?”

  “At least two to two and a half.”

  “Babe, that’s forever.”

  “We’ll see,” she says to appease me as we pull into Ridge’s driveway. Before we are even out of the car, Seth, Kent, and Mark walk around the house to greet us.

  “Hey.” I bump fists with each of them.

  “Thought you could use some help,” Mark says.

  “Thanks.” I walk to the back of the car, but he surprises me when he reaches in and removes Beck’s seat. Kent does the same with Ben and they disappear around the house.

  “They just took our babies,” Reagan says with mock horror.

  Mark chuckles. “Fuckers beat me to them.”

  “Thanks for the help,” I tell him as he, Reagan, and I unload what we need. Right now, just both diaper bags, the Pack ’n Play, and the umbrella. “Oh, I almost forgot.” Opening the back door, I grab the two containers from the floorboard. Cookies and brownies are our contributions to today’s event. Not much, but we’re lucky we managed to do that. This parenting gig is a learning curve, for sure.

  Turns out my friends are baby hogs. All of them. Kent and Seth reluctantly pass the boys to Mark and Ridge, with Ridge mumbling about his nephews. That sparks the conversation of who’s the coolest uncle.

  “Obviously it’s me. I’m a dad, and hello, I’m the blood relative here,” Ridge says as he holds Beck.

  “Well,” Kent says, bouncing Knox on his hip. “I say it’s me, right, Knox?”

  “Son,” Ridge says. “You agree with Daddy, right?”

  “Ball,” Knox says, pointing to the ball at our feet, making us all laugh.