Callan leaned back and looked thoughtful. “I remember when Laken was expecting Brant she really had a time of it. Tyler walked around on eggshells for the entire nine months. It didn’t matter what he did, she would either yell at him or cry pitifully. I don’t think anyone was happier than Tyler when Brant arrived.”
Jenna laughed. “So you are trying to tell me I’m not the only one to ever have suffered.”
“Something like that.”
“I know you don’t talk about it, but when you were pregnant did you have morning sickness or any of the typical symptoms?”
Callan took a moment to answer. Jenna realized then she shouldn’t have asked Callan about her pregnancy, especially considering how painfully it ended. “I’m sorry. Forgive me. I shouldn’t…”
“No, it’s okay, Jen. I was just remembering. I didn’t really have morning sickness, but some days I felt queasy all day. I was exhausted all the time. I remember it hurt a lot, like intense cramping, nearly the entire four months. Looking back, I probably should have recognized that as a red flag that something wasn’t right,” Callan said quietly. Reaching out a hand to Jenna, she gave it a squeeze. “I appreciate being able to experience so much of your pregnancy with you. You know whatever you need, Clay and I are here to help.”
“Thanks, Cal. It means so much to both of us,” Jenna said, blotting tears off her cheeks again. Deciding to lighten the mood, she turned to a topic that Callan was quite fond of discussing. “The only thing we need right now is to decide on names for the boys.”
“Are you any closer to picking two you agree on?”
“Not really, unless you think Dexter and Angus are good names.”
Callan erupted into a fit of laughter. “Tell me Josh did not pick those names.”
“He most certainly did. So I had to counter with Quillan and Barney.”
“You wouldn’t really give the boys those names would you?”
“Absolutely not! But Josh can’t tell when I’m serious or teasing these days, so I like to have a little fun with it. I need some entertainment, you know.”
The two of them went through the list of baby names again. Callan went to Josh’s office and got a fresh pad of paper. She started writing out combinations of names they liked and when Jenna saw them on paper, the two she liked best jumped out at her.
“Oh, Cal, circle those two right there,” she said, pointing to two names on the list. “I love those names. I think Josh might go for them as well. What do you think?”
“I think they are perfect. Now, we just need to get that hard-headed brother of mine to agree.”
By late morning, Jenna was tired and took a nap while Callan did a load of laundry and fixed some lunch. When she woke up, Jenna still didn’t feel like eating, so Callan made her more tea and left her sipping it while she put away laundry and straightened up the master bedroom.
“Do you want me to change the sheets on your bed?” Callan called out to the family room.
“No. Josh just changed them day before yesterday.”
“Okay,” Callan said, walking back into the family room. “Anything else I can do for you?”
“I’m fine. I don’t need a babysitter every minute. You’ve got a client appointment you need to leave for don’t you?”
“Yes, but I hate to leave you alone. I can reschedule if you want me to stay.”
Jenna made a shooing motion with her hand. “I’m fine. Josh said he’d be home by four at the latest and its almost one now. I think I can take care of myself for an hour or two.”
Callan put on her coat and leaned down to give Jenna’s shoulders a warm squeeze. “Are you sure you’ll be fine?”
“Yes. I’m going to stay right here on the couch like a big lump and wait for Josh to get home. Thanks for coming. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you day after tomorrow, okay?”
“You bet. I’ll be here.”
As soon as Callan left, Jenna sank down into the couch cushions and tried to get comfortable. Tossing and turning, she was feeling even more nauseated and her back has really starting to ache. The boys seemed to be bent on wiggling nonstop and she wished they would settle down, just for a few minutes so she could rest. Rubbing her stomach, she could tell they had dropped lower, a sure sign that they would be arriving soon.
Jenna closed her eyes and was nearly asleep when a strong pain ripped through her. From the contractions she previously experienced, she sat up knowing that this time she wasn’t imagining something was going on. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she waited and counted. When other contraction hit her followed by another, she took a deep breath. She would need to call someone to take her to the hospital.
Callan would be in her meeting by now and she always turned off her phone when she was with clients. Jenna called and left her a message, hoping the meeting would be brief. Running through names in her head of who else might be available Jenna knew Clay was in a class, Maggie and Jake were both working, Bobbi and Steve would be at the bull sale with Josh. Aunt Julie and Uncle Ralph were gone to Florida to visit their oldest son. Grabbing the phone, Jenna dialed Josh and hoped he was already heading home.
“Hey Babe, how’s it going?” Josh asked, answering his phone on the second ring.
“Josh,” Jenna panted as a contraction slammed through her. “I just started having some serious contractions. I wanted you to know that coming home sooner rather than later would be a good plan.”
“Where’s Callan?” Josh asked. Jenna could hear thudding like he was running.
“She had a client meeting and left a while ago.” Jenna gasped through another contraction. “Josh please say you are on the way.”
“I’m on the way. I’ll be there as quick as I can. Don’t move. See if you can get in touch with Callan or even Laken. I don’t want you there by yourself,” Josh said. Jenna could hear an engine rev and tires squealing.
“Josh, drive careful. I don’t need anything happening to you.”
“I will Babe, and I’ll be praying the whole way.”
<><><>
Josh, who had just started bidding on the bull he had waited all day to come up for auction, answered quickly when he saw the call was from Jenna. As soon as she said the word contraction, he handed his paddle to Steve and took off running. Peeling out of the parking lot, he was grateful the roads were clear and dry. Whipping off the highway a little more than an hour later, he was especially glad he hadn’t received a speeding ticket shaving twenty minutes off the normal trip time.
Jumping out of his pickup, he hurried into the garage and started Jenna’s car. She’d be much more comfortable making the hour-long trip to the hospital in it.
Running into the house, he found Jenna on the couch holding her stomach, fear filling her eyes, her face pale.
“Baby, it’s going to be okay. Everything will be fine,” Josh said, kneeling beside her and brushing the hair off her face. “Are you ready to go now?”
“Yes,” Jenna said, breathing through another contraction. “Let me go to the bathroom again before we leave.” Josh helped her to the bathroom door and waited. He heard her gasp then all was quiet.
“Babe, everything okay?”
“Just a give me a minute” he heard her say.
“Do you need some help?”
“No,” Jenna yelled. The one thing she was going to do if it killed her was maintain what little bit of a glamorous image she had left with Josh. That meant he would not be emptying any bedpans, he would not help her in the bathroom and he most certainly was not getting a view of anything south of her equator.
“Just bring me a set of clean clothes, including socks and shoes please.” She had barely closed the bathroom door when her water broke, soaking her clothes and puddling on the bathroom floor.
Josh turned and ran back into the bedroom, quickly returning with a set of clothes for her. She cracked the door and took them from him before shutting the door again.
“Are yo
u sure you don’t need some help?”
“I’m sure.” Jenna changed her clothes and threw towels over the mess on the floor.
When Jenna finally opened the door, she looked determined yet frightened. “I think we better get a move on. My water just broke.”
Josh blanched before grabbing her coat from a hook by the back door. Helping her into it, he walked her to the car. Assisting her inside, he ran around to the driver’s side and they made a fast trip to the hospital.
Josh asked Jenna to call her doctor when they hit the highway so she would know they were on their way. Callan called back after receiving Jenna’s message and said she would meet them at the hospital as soon as the girls got home from school and would spread the news that Jenna was in labor.
Coaching Jenna to breathe, Josh struggled to remember everything they learned in birthing class through his mind-boggling fear. What if she went into full labor before they got to the hospital? He certainly couldn’t deliver the boys in the car. That thought just made him drive faster and send up more urgent prayers that everything would be fine.
“You were in labor this morning when you shooed me out the door, weren’t you?” Josh asked, looking at Jenna as she held onto the door in a death grip.
“Quite probably,” she said as she worked through another contraction. “I thought I just had indigestion. I haven’t been able to get comfortable for a couple days so I really didn’t think much of it. I honestly had no idea we’d be racing to the hospital this afternoon.”
Pulling up at the hospital door, Josh helped Jenna out of the car. They barely stepped inside when a nurse came up with wheelchair.
“We’re going to take your wife up and do an exam to see where we are at in this process. Once you get parked, one of the other nurses will bring you in. Okay?”
Josh nodded his head.
He ran back out and parked the car, grabbed Jenna’s bag, then hurried inside. He only had to wait a few minutes before a nurse escorted him down a hallway to an elevator and through a series of corridors to the maternity ward. He was soon in the birthing room with Jenna where she was propped up in bed, breathing through another contraction. When she saw him, relief flooded through her eyes and she held out a hand to him.
Dr. Meliah whisked into the room and smiled at them both. “Everything looks good so far. You made it to thirty-seven weeks Jenna and that is so awesome! I’m going to keep a close eye on you and let your labor progress naturally. We really want to keep on top of the preeclampsia but you are doing really well. We’ll be checking on you every little bit, but if for any reason you need something, push the nurse call button or Josh can run out to the nurses’ station.”
Sitting down on a chair beside the bed, Josh held Jenna’s hand and smiled. “Well, Babe, we made it all the way here. Can you believe it? We’ll be saying hello to those two boys soon.”
Panting through another contraction, Jenna shot Josh a glare. “I can believe it. It seems exceedingly real right at this moment.”
“Oh,” he mumbled as she squeezed his hand. Remembering what they learned in class, Josh spent the next few hours coaching and encouraging Jenna. She was all for drugs or anything that would relieve the pain so she was more than glad when an epidural was administered. The needle caused Josh to wince and turn his head away. He could vaccinate cattle like nobody’s business, but watching that huge needle be inserted into his wife was something else altogether.
They continued working through her contractions although she was exhausted. Josh thought her color was starting to look off.
“Josh, something isn’t right,” Jenna said as worked through another contraction. “Please, Josh, go get someone, something isn’t right.”
Josh ran out of the room and flagged down a nurse who hurried back, took one look at the monitors and called for the doctor.
Dr. Meliah came into the room and watched the monitors. Nodding to one of the nurses who hurried out of the room, she turned to Jenna.
“How does your head feel?”
“Like it will explode with every contraction,” Jenna said, breathing as another contraction hit her.
“I was afraid of that. It looks like your blood pressure is getting higher instead of stabilizing. Also, one of the boys looks to be under some stress. For your sake and his, I want to do an emergency C-section. We’ll get a clear operating room and wheel you in as fast as we can. Since you already have the epidural, you’ll be able to stay awake during the procedure. Do you want to watch it?”
“No,” Jenna panted, clinging to Josh’s hand. “Will the babies be okay?”
“I hope so, Jenna. We’ll get them out here ready to meet you as soon as we can. Just hang in there.” Dr. Meliah turned and left the room.
Soon Jenna was being rushed to an operating room and Josh was taken to scrub up. Once they were in the operating room, he sat next to Jenna’s head, holding her hand while a screen kept her from seeing what was happening on the other side.
Josh, who had been terrified as he watched Jenna’s face turn ghastly white with the last few contractions, was nearly paralyzed with fear. He continued to send up prayers for the safety of not only the babies, but also his wife. If something happened to Jenna, he didn’t know how he could face another day.
Jenna had all she could do not to completely break down. What if something happened to the babies? She would never forgive herself for not wanting them immediately. She wanted them so desperately now. She’d give up everything she had just to make sure they were healthy and safe.
Turning her head to look at Josh, she stared into his warm gray eyes and felt reassured by his presence. “Josh,” she whispered as he leaned closer. “Pray for them, Josh. Please pray for them.”
Josh bent close to her ear and whispered aloud the heart-felt pleas he’d been uttering silently for the last hour. He began reciting one of Jenna’s favorite Psalms and her eyes lost their look of desperation as he felt her relax against him. Scooting as close as he could, he put one arm around her shoulders, the other grasping her hand and held her.
“Here we go,” Dr. Meliah said. “Are you sure you don’t want to watch, Josh?”
“Positive,” Josh said. The sight of them giving Jenna an epidural had made him queasy. He sure wasn’t going to be able to watch them go through the surgery.
It seemed like in no time at all the doctor was pulling out the first baby and handing him to a nurse. He screamed with a loud, lusty cry and everyone smiled. He looked to be a picture of health as the nurse cleaned him up.
“He’s a fine, healthy boy at six pounds, two ounces,” the nurse said, a smile in her voice.
The second baby was a different story. With the cord wrapped around his neck, Dr. Meliah carefully untangled it then handed the limp quiet baby to a nurse who turned her back and rushed away from the surgery table. It was a minute before they heard the cry of their baby. Not strong, but a mewling sound. Uncertain as to what was happening or what to do, Josh continued to hold Jenna’s hand and whisper comforting words in her ear.
“They are both going to be just fine, Jenna, just fine,” Dr. Meliah reassured them.
Soon, two nurses were standing next to them, each holding a crying baby boy. “Here are your boys,” they said, handing the quiet baby to Josh and the first-born to Jenna.
“This tough guy is a little smaller,” the nurse said, touching the tiny bundle in Josh’s arms. “He weighs five pounds, fifteen ounces, but he is going to give his brother a run for his money.”
Josh smiled and kissed the baby’s head, breathing in the scent of heaven. He thought his heart might burst with the love and joy filling it right at that moment.
Jenna looked at the precious baby in her arms and marveled at the miracle God had made, identical twin miracles. Head covered in dark hair, this baby with the strong set of lungs quieted when she began talking to him softly.
“Hey baby, it’s Mama. Welcome to the world. We love you so much,” Jenna kissed his head and didn’t ev
en try to stop the tears running down her cheeks. She looked over to see Josh holding their other son, a perfect match to the one in her arms. He also had a head of dark hair and seemed soothed by hearing his daddy’s voice. When Josh looked at Jenna, his eyes sparkled with tears.
“Thank you, Jenna, for this amazing gift.” Leaning over he kissed her forehead and she reached out a hand to touch the baby. “Don’t they seem like two living, breathing miracles?”
“Oh, Josh, they are so wonderful, so beautiful, aren’t they?”
“They certainly are,” he said, smiling down at her. “They look just like you.”
Jenna grinned weakly. “You obviously still need to get your eyesight checked. They look exactly like you.”
“You think so?” Josh asked beaming in pleasure. Then he suddenly remembered something. “We never got around to picking out names. What are we going to call these two? We can’t keep calling them the boys. They need their own names.”
“Well, your sister and I worked on that this morning.” Jenna shared with Josh the names she and Callan liked the best. Josh immediately agreed they were the perfect names for their sons.
A short while later, Josh walked out to the waiting area where Callan and Clay sat along with Pop, Bobbie and Steve, Jake, and Jenna’s Mom and Dad, as well as Aunt Amelia and Uncle Phil. As Josh stepped into the room, they all stood, anxious to hear any news. Looking at all the loved ones who gathered to support them, he couldn’t help grinning broadly. “We’ve got two healthy baby boys and one mama who will be just fine.”
Amid the cheers, hugs, back slapping and congratulations, Jake finally asked, “What did you name them?”
“Thanks to some help from Callan, the boys are going to be known as Jaret Cole and Jace Keaton, named after both our families.” Cole was Josh’s own middle name, his dad’s middle name and his grandmother’s maiden name. Keaton, of course, was Jenna’s maiden name. Jaret and Jace were two names that they both liked.
“Those sound like perfect names, Josh,” Vivian said as she gave him another hug. “Now, when can we see the babies and Jenna?”
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