Twice in a Lifetime_A love story you'll never forget!

by A. K. Galindo

  “How are our babies doing today?” Max inquired with a big grin on his face. When he looked at her with that silly smile on his face and his eyes sparkling, he was the exact reflection of Alex.

  She looked up at him laughingly and said, “Your siblings are taking a nap this afternoon after keeping me up all night playing soccer.”

  Max laughed as he reached over and patted her very large stomach. “Where is everyone?” Max asked. “It seems awfully quiet around here.”

  In reply Mary Kate told him, “Your father is in San Antonio at a cattle auction with Santos, Maria is in the house getting us something cold to drink for the tenth time today, Peter is in the office, and Manny is flying to meet your dad in San Antonio to drive in with him this afternoon. I think that covers just about everyone.”

  “I am surprised that Dad went off anywhere and left you here alone,” Max commented with a look of concern.

  “I am just fine, and the babies are not due for another month. He asked John, and was assured that it would be fine for him to go. Besides, first babies take a while and if some action started he would have plenty of time to get home from San Antonio,” Mary Kate responded indifferently and went back to work on her tomatoes. Max told her he was going in to get something to eat.

  Max turned around and headed for the house when he heard Mary Kate let out a painful moan. He turned around quickly and saw her doubled over as if she was in excruciating pain. He moved to her side to see about her. When he reached her, she was breathing heavy and unable to straighten up.

  “Oh my God, Mary Kate, what’s wrong?” Max asked as he put his arm around her and tried to comfort her.

  Mary Kate tried to talk, but couldn’t until the pain eased enough for her to sit up again. “I think my labor has started,” she eased the words out very slowly. “Go find Maria and Peter. Hurry Max!”

  Max took off hollering for Maria as he ran toward the house. He met her as she was coming out the sliding glass door onto the terrace. He told her what Mary Kate said about her labor, and he took off to the office to tell Peter. There was a plan in place just in case she went in to labor when Alex was away, so Peter put things in motion.

  Peter went to the garden and with Max’s help moved Mary Kate into the house and settled her as comfortably as possible in the den. Just as they had her seated another contraction started. Peter told Max to write down the time so they could see how far apart the contractions were when she had the next one. Max did exactly what he was told, but with a great deal of effort trying to control his nerves.

  Mary Kate started laughing when the contraction eased, “For heaven’s sake Max, everything will be just fine. I am only having a baby. Excuse me, two babies.”

  He stopped and looked at Mary Kate, then joined her in laughter which eased them both. Maria was an old hat at this and went to get Mary Kate some ice chips to suck on so she didn’t get dehydrated. Labor with new babies sometimes took a long time, and it could be awhile before she could have anything else to drink.

  Peter called John to let him know that Mary Kate’s water broke, and she was having contractions. He wanted to know how far apart they were just as another contraction started. Peter asked Max how far apart they were, and John was informed that they were about twelve minutes apart.

  John wasn’t really concerned. New babies often came early especially twins, he told Peter to get in touch with Alex and bring Mary Kate to the hospital so he could evaluate the situation just to be on the safe side.

  Peter’s next call was to Alex to let him know what was going on, and to find out how long it would take him to get there. He had just picked up Manny at the airport and they were heading out now. It would take him about three hours to get to Cedar Creek normally, but with a little help from some very influential friends they would probably be there in less than two.

  “Put Mary Kate on the phone,” Alex directed Peter.

  Peter responded very calmly to Alex’s order. “You are going to have to wait a minute Boss; your children are giving her a little bit of trouble. She is in the middle of a contraction.”

  Alex could hear Mary Kate using her Lamaze breathing and Max trying to help her. When the contraction finally passed, Peter gave her the phone so she could talk to Alex. “Alex, I am alright, but your children are very impatient to join us.”

  With a voice strained with emotion Alex said, “Amada, are you sure you are okay? How far apart are the contractions?”

  “They are about twelve minutes apart and closing. Are you on your way?” Mary Kate was showing signs of worry in her voice.

  “I’m on my way, Amada, and will be there in plenty of time. You are in good hands,” he tried to reassure her.

  “I know, please be careful, and hurry,” Mary Kate gave the phone back to Peter with great reluctance. It was as if she was giving up her lifeline to Alex.

  Another contraction hit and Max checked the time. He told Peter that it had only been ten minutes since the last one. Peter called John that they were headed in and told everyone to load up, they were heading to the hospital

  Maria got Mary Kate’s bag, and the receiving blankets Mary Kate wanted the babies wrapped in at birth. The blankets had been the ones that wrapped both Alex and Max at birth. Max went to the kitchen to let Isa know they were going to the hospital, while Peter helped get Mary Kate to the SUV. Halfway to the vehicle they had to stop because of another contraction that kept Mary Kate from walking. Max came running from the house to help Peter. With everyone and everything finally loaded in the car they were off. Mary Kate was beginning to think they would never get going.

  Manny looked across the front seat of the big work truck at Alex, “Why don’t you pull over and let me drive, so you can keep in touch with the home front a little easier.”

  Alex glared at him in response, “Don’t you trust my driving? You never have had a problem with it before.”

  With a chuckle, Manny replied, “You haven’t been trying to get to the birth of your children before, either.”

  The truck slowed and Alex pulled over to the side of the road and switched places with Manny. He was glad Manny wanted to drive because he was feeling a little bit apprehensive about everything, and didn’t want to admit it. He flipped open the phone and called Peter to check on the situation.

  “She’s fine and we’re on our way to the hospital.” Peter paused for Alex’s question. “Yes, I called John and he is meeting us there and our ETA is fifteen minutes.” He paused again for another question. “No, John said it is not unusual for first babies to come early and twins to be earlier still.” Everyone knew what the questions were by Peter’s response. “Max can hold the phone to her ear, but I don’t think she will do much talking. Just a minute.”

  Max held the phone to Mary Kate’s ear so she could hear Alex. “Amada, I love you and I am coming as fast as I can. Don’t worry.”

  Alex couldn’t hear her, but Mary Kate was shaking her head unable to talk through her contraction. She was using her breathing and trying to relax between contractions; so, talking to anyone was not a priority at the moment, not even to Alex.

  Manny suggested that Alex call Michael and have DPS meet them in Pearsall with a helicopter. That would cut their travel time in half and he and Santos would drive in. Alex made a call to Michael at the Austin DPS office and asked him for help and he was more than happy to comply. Without delay, a helicopter was on its way to Pearsall.

  Alex called Peter back to tell him the plan and to assure Mary Kate he would be there in time for the arrival of the babies. Peter shared the news with her, but he had his doubts as close as these contractions were. He didn’t have any children of his own, but he had worked in enough EMS and Medic units to know how fast the babies were coming.

  They arrived at the hospital and were met with a wheelchair, a group of nurses, and a very calm John Maxwell. Mary Kate didn’t want to get in the wheelchair, but quickly agreed when another contraction hit and she couldn’t walk. The nurses too
k her to a birthing room while Peter got her checked in.

  Once she was in the room and in a gown, John came in to examine her. Mary Kate asked him what was happening and when he told her she was having a baby she tried to throw a pillow at him. He apologized for his bad joke and got very serious.

  “Mary Kate, your contractions are five minutes apart, you are dilated to eight centimeters, and you are almost completely effaced. The babies’ heart rates are strong, but I’m putting a monitor on you and the babies, just like we did before, so we can monitor all of you closely,” John stopped talking while she had another contraction. When it eased, he continued, “If at any time one of you appears to be under any stress, I’ll have you in the OR and doing a caesarian section and will have both babies out in less than two minutes.”

  Mary Kate started to argue, but he took her hand in his and shook his head. “We have already talked about this the last time you and Alex came in to see me. I will not risk you or the babies’ safety. I am going to have the anesthesiologist come in to get the epidural going so we can get this show on the road.”

  With tears running down her cheeks, Mary Kate grabbed John’s hands and pleaded, “Please John, Alex is on his way. He has to be here when these babies are born, he just has to,” and with her last words she burst into tears.

  John sat down on the edge of the bed and took her face in his hands as he spoke to her. “Mary Kate, focus and listen to me. You have got to get a hold of yourself. These babies are coming whether Alex is here or not. Max will fill in for him until he gets here and Peter will keep us posted about his location.”

  A little calmer, but hiccupping from crying, Mary Kate replied, “Thank you, John.” As he looked at her exhausted and disappointed face, she gave him one of her best smiles.

  John went out of the room and began barking orders for the epidural and to have an OR ready just in case. He went off to scrub up for taking care of Mary Kate Chavez for the second time in the last six months. This was a habit he didn’t intend to continue.

  Max moved over to Mary Kate’s side to talk to her. “I am here Little Mama and we’re going to get through this just fine. I know I’m not Dad, but at least I look more like him than Peter does.”

  Mary Kate tried to smile, but she just didn’t have it in her. Peter reported that Alex was in a DPS helicopter. They thought it was safer to supply Alex with a helicopter and bring him here than it was to have him on the road. He was at least another twenty minutes out.

  Turning her head to the wall so that the others couldn’t see her tears, Mary Kate resigned herself to the fact that Alex wasn’t going to make it. She turned back to look at Max and held his hands, and they met the next contraction together.

  “We are in this together big brother. I hope you’re ready,” Mary Kate told Max as she flashed him one of her big smiles that he knew took more effort than she really had.

  The anesthesiologist walked in and within what seemed like seconds his job was done. John returned to check Mary Kate’s progress and said it was time for the arrival of the Chavez twins. Between all the hospital personnel on standby and the medical paraphernalia, there was barely any room for John, Mary Kate, and Max.

  John told Mary Kate to push a few times. She voiced a few unpleasant expletives, and then there was a lot of crying. The first baby was out and screeching at the top of its lungs. Mary Kate was crying, and Max had tears in his eyes. Never in a million years did he ever dream that he would take part in the birth of his siblings.

  Just as John handed the first baby to a nurse and informed Mary Kate that she had a beautiful little redheaded baby girl, Peter stuck his head in the door to tell them that the helicopter was on the roof and Alex was on his way down. Just as John put his hands on the second baby Alex came through the door with a nurse helping him with his scrubs, and went straight to Mary Kate’s side. Max quickly stepped back to make room for his dad. John told him it was about time before he missed the whole show. Alex just ignored him and only had eyes for his beautiful struggling wife. John handed the second baby to the other nurse and added congratulations for the arrival of a handsome young man that resembled his father and big brother. The babies were wrapped in their special blankets and handed to Mary Kate.

  Mary Kate was kissing her babies and her husband with Max watching totally speechless. Mary Kate looked up into Alex’s adoring eyes and said, “Alex, you have a son and a daughter. Max, meet your brother and sister, Michael Alexander and Maeve Kathleen Chavez.”

  He lowered his head to her forehead and put his arms around his new family and just stayed there for a minute until he could compose his emotions. When he was back under control, Alex reached for his daughter and looked at her and kissed her before he called Max over to have a look at his sister, and then repeated the same sequence of events with his new son.

  “Thank you, Amada, for these beautiful gifts of love,” with that said, Alex took her lips under his and kissed her with all his heart.

  Within a few days, the entire Chavez crew went home to the ranch to settle in to their new home and life together. One afternoon not long after they were home, Mary Kate was sitting in the porch swing just off the den enjoying a few quiet moments of well-deserved calm and tranquility. Alex was returning to the house from the barn and saw her sitting there. He detoured from his path to join her in the swing.

  As he approached he asked, “What is that I hear?”

  Mary Kate looked at him quizzically, “What do you hear? I don’t hear anything.”

  He smiled and agreed, “That’s just it. I don’t hear anything at all. What’s wrong?”

  They both laughed. Alex pulled Mary Kate to him and kissed her and held her close and enjoyed a few quiet minutes with his wife. These moments were rare these days, but he knew as the twins got older and more independent, these times would become more common. As he held his most prized possession and looked in her dazzling emerald eyes he asked her, “Are you truly happy here as a mother and a rancher’s wife? Sometimes I worry that you miss your old life.”

  Mary Kate looked at him with eyes full of love and peace, “Alex, I’ve never been happier in my life. I don’t think I could be happier or more content with the choices we’ve made together. Motherhood is wonderful, and Maeve and Michael are true gifts from God. Their big brother is an amazing person that I’ve grown to love and depend on very much. Sometimes, I sit and look at all of you and wonder what I ever did to deserve my life. I have fallen in love with you all over again.”

  Alex drew her closer and kissed her tenderly as she felt the tears spill from his eyes on to her cheeks. Mary Kate drew back to look at him and stated with great emotion, “After all, how many people are fortunate enough to fall in love with the same man twice in a lifetime.”