I Made You My First

by Threadgoode, Ciara

  “Happy birthday, dork,” I said to him. Taking pity, he sat down next to me and kissed the top of my head, but never lost his ear-to-ear grin. Jewel Marie was born at 4:16 am on that day. Her mom and dad were there to meet her for the first time at one in the afternoon on a sunny day in San Diego.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Just looking at her sleeping in her crib, anyone would think Irish was her biological father. Jewel had sapphire-blue eyes that twinkled when she smiled. Her dishwater blonde hair strongly resembled Irish’s during the summer when his hair lightened from the sun. She was a wonderful baby and nothing at all like my baby books described newborns. She was happy and healthy. She woke up once during the night, usually between two and three o’clock but went right back to sleep after a bottle and a diaper change. She slept well past eight o’clock if Irish didn’t insist on waking her before he left for work. December 20th was her one-month birthday and we’d made an appointment at a professional photographer’s to have our first family photos taken. Irish was going to come home at lunch, change clothes, and we’d drive to the studio together.

  The sitting had gone well. Jewel had smiled in every shot but the last one. Irish the protective father quickly ended our session when he saw she was fussing. I had to smile at his protective papa-bear nature. It came so easily to him. Jewel was a lucky little girl. On our way home from the studio, Irish called the office, telling Travis that he wouldn’t be back in today and would see him in the morning. I watched his face as he closed his phone. This was a surprise. He finally turned to me and with a devilish little grin announced, “We have to celebrate.”

  I smiled back reluctantly, not understanding what his statement really meant. When we pulled into our driveway, Irish parked the car and came around to help me with Jewel’s things while I removed her from the car seat. Once in the house he changed the baby while I made her a bottle. As I sat holding her in my arms, Irish gave me that devilish grin again and kissed me on the forehead.

  “I’ll be gone about an hour and when I get back, our party will begin,” he announced.

  I rolled my eyes but smiled curiously at him.

  As I watched the door close behind him, I turned my eyes to my daughter. “Your Daddy is plumb crazy,” I giggled as I spoke to her. She just gazed up at me as if she already knew. My fears of bonding with Jewel ended on our plane ride home. Irish and I had both held her in the hospital nursery before being released to us, but unlike Irish, I had trouble mastering the whole floppy-head situation of a newborn. Afraid of dropping her outweighed my concern for supporting her less-than-stable, wobbly head. Without a word Irish gently reminded me to watch her head with a little tap on my arm. How he could catch on so quickly to all of this new information astonished and amazed this new mother. No genuine book on being a mother was ever published. Each situation felt new and unique, one of a kind. One had to play it by ear.

  It also gnawed at my competitive side but at the same time I was grateful he was there to help.

  After safely placing her in the car seat for our long ride home, Irish stepped back and left me to maneuver Jewel for the last leg of our journey.

  On the plane, he disappeared up front with the pilot while I took charge of our daughter.

  When she began to cry, I did look around for Irish, but decided then I’d better step up to the plate. Suck it up, buttercup, I told myself.

  Irish was going to leave us during the day so I’d better figure this mothering business out quickly. I unbuckled Jewel from her car seat and carefully supported her head as I lifted her into my arms. I reached into the insulated bag for an already prepared bottle and cuddled her in my arms. Piece of cake!

  * * *

  “I wonder what your daddy’s got up his sleeve,” I whispered to Jewel.

  She watched my face with wonder. After she burped, I placed her sleeping little body in the cradle and returned to the living room to clean up.

  Irish had only been gone thirty minutes when I heard my phone chirp. It was my OB/GYN’s office.

  “Hello,” I answered.

  “Hello. Is this Jurnee Thompson?” she asked.

  “Yep, that would be me.” Silence prevailed.

  “I’m sorry I was just double-checking the doctor’s notes. We have you scheduled for an ultrasound on December 24th at one o’clock. The doctor would like both you and your husband to arrive at least thirty minutes before your appointment, as the notes states, because he’d like to talk to both of you.”

  “Okay, thanks,” and I felt my face scrunch up in curiosity. I closed the phone setting it on the table.

  What would the doctor want to talk to us both about? I’d only been in to see him once. Oh hell, I wish that she’d given me more information. Now I have four days to worry about it. Just then I heard the back door open.

  “Where are my two favorite girls in the world?” I heard Irish say almost singing.

  “Well one girl is sleeping so I guess you have to settle for me.” I hurried over to give him a hug. He carefully set the grocery bags and welcomed me into his arms. I let myself forget the worries from the call and melted into his protective embrace.

  Sensing my urgency, he squeezed me tightly. “Jurnee, is everything all right?”

  “Yes, everything’s perfect now,” I whispered as I leaned back to look into his face.

  Irish looked a little puzzled but lightly kissed my forehead before reaching down to pick up the bags. He moved straight to the kitchen and began emptying them while announcing, “I’m going to cook dinner for you tonight.”

  I had the perfect man standing big as life in my kitchen. He was sweet and thoughtful, sexy and handsome, funny and clever, not to mention devoted and honorable. I had what every woman wanted. I wasn’t going to ruin this perfect moment or this evening with my silly invalid fears from the earlier phone call. I was going to enjoy our celebration. I gave him my sexiest wink and said, “You’re going to follow dinner with some good loving, right?” and I couldn’t have stopped the smile I had slithering across my face if I had wanted to. Making love to Irish sounded pretty delicious right now.

  He stopped unloading groceries and raised an eyebrow. “Love, I have your dessert all planned and ready.” During dinner Irish’s mom called to wish Jewel a happy one-month birthday and to check on the way things were going. She also announced that she and Memphis would visit the day after Christmas with our gifts and that she was also bringing a big surprise. I wasn’t sure why but that last part made me nervous. Irish and I still hadn’t gotten a tree so that was put on his to-do list for tomorrow. I had a box of my family’s ornaments stored away in a box, so my job was to find them. That night while Irish and I snuggled in bed, I finally decided to share my call with him.

  “I love you,” I whispered.

  “I love you too, Jurnee, more than you’ll ever know,” he answered sweetly. I squeezed his arm as it rested on my body. “The doctor’s office called today and said that he’d like to see us both before a scheduled ultra sound.” I lay still waiting for him to answer.

  “Okay, when?” he nonchalantly asked.

  “December 24th.”

  “Not a problem, love. We’ll be there with bells on,” he giggled.

  “They actually asked for both of us, Irish, as if it was something important that we needed to hear.” I froze listening for his response.

  “Jurnee, they all do that. There’s nothing to worry about. We’re the parents. It makes sense that the doctor would want to speak to both mom and dad, right?” He hugged me around my waist tightly.

  “Okay, you’re probably right. I just found it odd that he wanted to talk to both of us after only one visit. I just hope that nothing’s wrong,” I took a deep breath.

  “Jurnee, please trust me here. You’re healthy, I’m healthy, and he’s going to tell us that our baby’s healthy too.”

  I closed my eyes at his last words. He’d never let me down. There was that whole rhythm-method thing that didn’t work out so well,
but everything else he’d been right about.

  “Maybe I’m just being silly,” I whispered as he lightly rubbed my belly and we both drifted off to sleep.

  On Christmas Eve day at twelve-thirty in the afternoon, we were the only couple in the waiting room. Just as Irish and I sat down, the door opened and a nurse called, “Jurnee Thompson.” Irish lifted Jewel’s car seat and placed his other hand on my hip and guided us through the door. She showed us to an empty room and left us as soon as we both sat down. I could feel myself growing warm. I hated doctors’ exam rooms, especially when I was the patient. Irish reached for my hand and I knew that he could feel my anxiety, so I tried to put on a happy face. I jumped at the sudden knock on the door as the doctor entered the room. I wiggled in my chair but watched his face, trying to read him.

  “How are we doing today?” he smiled while opening a folder. He then turned away from Irish and me as if he was reading his notes rather than really waiting for a reply.

  “We’re doing great,” Irish quickly replied.

  As if in response to hearing Irish’s voice, Jewel let out a playful coo. The doctor’s head whipped around and his eyes focused on the baby. He smiled at her and then gave a puzzled look at Irish and me. His smile disappeared. Looking at me briefly, he dropped his eyes back to the chart as if to double-check his information. It made me feel very uncomfortable.

  “Jurnee, has your nausea subsided? Are you able to keep food down?” And he actually looked at me and waited for my answer.

  “I’m still nauseous every other day but it’s slowly getting better.”

  Irish looked at me with an apologetic face. I hadn’t told him about my discomfort keeping food down because it didn’t seem necessary to worry him at the time.

  “Well I’m worried about your calorie intake and I want to make sure that you’re eating enough for both you and the babies.”

  I froze. “Did you say babies?” I asked with a crackle in my voice.

  “Well, right now I’m guessing but with your husband’s family history, there’s a great possibility that you’re carrying more than one baby. That’s what we’re going to find out today,” he said and he smiled. “You’ve only gained one pound since your last visit but because of your unusually large belly measurements, I’m concerned that twins might not even be in the equation anymore.” I just stared at him. “Mr. Thompson, you can stay here or go back to the waiting room but we’re going to take your wife for an ultrasound.”

  Irish didn’t move as the doctor held his hand out to me, directing me out of the examining room. I turned and looked at Irish and Jewel. Before I had even turned to pass the doctor,

  Irish stood up. Looking at the doctor, his eyebrows pressed together and his expression looking worried, he asked, “So, are you saying that you think my wife might be pregnant with more than two babies?” I felt my heart stop and my eyes flew to the doctor’s face. I froze.

  Everything seemed to change into slow motion. My eyes lowered to Jewel and even her hand seemed to be flailing in slow motion. I couldn’t hear anything but a buzzing noise.

  No voices. My legs began to fail me and I could tell that I was going down. I felt my eyes close and everything went black.

  “Jurnee, can you hear me?” My eyes popped open focusing on the sound of Irish’s voice.

  “Where’s Jewel?” I knew I was panicking.

  “She’s right here, Jurnee.” His eyes never leaving mine, looking scared.

  Finally my eyes fully focused and I tried to piece together what had happened. I was looking up at Irish, so I must be lying down. I looked around the room and the doctor stood behind Irish.

  “Jurnee, we’re going to take you for that ultrasound now. Do you feel up to that?”

  I nodded my head and started to lift myself up and both Irish’s and the doctor’s hands were on me.

  “No, you just lie still. We’re going to wheel you to the room.”

  Again I nodded. Seconds passed and I felt the bed moving underneath me. I watched as Irish’s face slowly disappeared from sight and I watched the ceiling change as I was trundled down a long hall and into a dark room. The whole time the nurse pushed a slimy object over my stomach, I noticed that the screen she was looking at was strategically turned away from me. Did they think I’d freak out again if I saw it? Jurnee, get a grip. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. The nurse helped me wipe off the gel from my stomach and another nurse wheeled me back to the exam room. Irish was standing there to welcome me. I immediately searched the room for my little girl. Seeing her safely sleeping in her car seat, I looked back at Irish. He looked troubled and that scared me for a moment. The nurse lowered the bar on the bed and left the room, closing the door behind her.

  Irish reached for me, pulling me into his chest. “You scared the hell out of me, Jurnee,” he whispered. I melted into his embrace.

  My worst fears had come true, only worse than I’d first imagined. I didn’t need the doctor to tell me the ultrasound results. I already knew. Irish helped me down and we both took our seats and waited in silence for the doctor. As I started to calm down, I heard a knock on the door.

  The doctor entered carrying a large brown x-ray. He smiled at us and turned to clip the film on a light box. He turned the light on and with his finger he slowly began to circle, “Baby number one,” then his finger moved to another blob, “Baby number two,” and then again, “here’s baby number three.” He turned and looked at us.

  My stomach churned and I made myself take a deep breath. “Three?” I quickly looked at

  Irish and then back at the doctor.

  “Yes, and it looks like, and I’m just guessing here, that there are two boys and a girl,” he smiled. I don’t remember a thing after that. When I woke up, I saw Irish rocking Jewel in his arms and I was lying in a hospital bed. I wore a short cotton gown and it was apparent by the plastic bracelet on my wrist that I’d been admitted, maybe as a precaution? I searched my memory for the last thing I remembered and the doctor’s voice saying, “Two boys and a girl.”

  I looked desperately to Irish and he smiled back at me. With his one free hand he reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. The look on his face was a mixture of anxiety, befuddlement, and concern but he was trying to pretend everything was fine. I closed my eyes hoping to get myself together before opening them again when I heard Mary’s voice.

  My eyes flew open. Why was his mother here? My eyes flew to Irish now, silently begging for an explanation.

  “Jurnee, mom’s going to stay at our house for a few days with Jewel while we stay a few nights here at the hospital. They want to make sure that you’re strong enough to carry our triplets to term.” I saw him cower as he said that last part.

  “Triplets, are you sure?” I had to ask.

  Irish squeezed my hand. “Yes, love, triplets.”

  So it wasn’t a bad dream. Oh-my-God, I thought. Okay, these were the cards we were dealt although I knew we weren’t playing poker. Jurnee, you have everything every woman wants, well minus the three-babies-at-one-time part, but hey, suck it up, cup-cake. It’ll be okay. Will I ever want to have sex again? Will I ever have time for sex again? I haven’t had enough yet. It’s not fair. I have to get my tubes tied. I started to panic.

  “Irish, we have to get spayed,” I whispered before I realized that Mary had taken Jewel and we were the only ones in the room.

  He laughed. “Jurnee, love, that’s what the vet does.” I knew that but my thoughts were all scrambled. I just stared at him. “No, Irish, we can have this family of four children,” and I paused and quickly took in a deep breath to stop myself from crying, “but this can’t ever happen again.” I reached for his arm tightly and squeezed it with all of my might. “Promise me.”

  “I promise, love,” Irish whispered and leaned in to kiss me.

  “I won’t ever feel good about sex again if you don’t promise me,” and I loosened my grip on his arm.

  “Well we can’t have that happen, Jurn
ee. I’m so sorry. We will get through this, I promise.”

  I felt a tear puddle in my eye. “I know we will.” And I touched his face with my finger. I knew that my shock needed to end. I needed to get on board with the fact that along with my good luck in meeting the right man that accompanied the responsibility of the family we’d created. I finally sat straight up and with a deep breath, smiled at my extremely handsome husband.

  * * *

  It was the day after Christmas when I was released from the hospital. Before my in-laws left for home, Memphis sat us down and provided some comforting news.

  “I’m counting on my two male grandchildren.”

  Mary gave him a quick glare at his choice of words. “I’m counting on all of my grandchildren.” He looked up at Mary with a slight cowering smile, “to carry on our family business. Mary and I talked about it and I want you to know that at least for the first year of the triplets’ lives, they’ll have both mom and dad at home to take care of them. Irish will be on the payroll but his job will be to care for the future of the Thompson business.”

  Irish and I both smiled at him. Memphis held his hand out to Irish and they hugged. Together, I knew that we could overcome any obstacles. Separated, I wasn’t so sure. That was the best gift anyone could ever have given us and we were grateful. Irish turned and hugged me.

  After seeing Mary and Memphis off, Irish reached for me and pulled me into his body. I took a deep breath and smiled as I replayed the magnitude of Memphis’s words.

  I could feel Irish’s hot breath in my ear and heard him whisper, “I’m so sorry.” My face scrunched up and I could feel the wrinkles in my forehead like they were twined ropes.