Chapter 28: Births and changes

Mom was true to her word. When we were alone together, she'd hold me and bring me off with her hand, nuzzling my oversized breasts and kissing me. Her kisses are still the softest and sweetest on earth next to Charli's. I didn't explain to Donny any more than he needed to know, but I told him that Mom was still ready to have him in her bed any time, but he had to go to her room. I think he knew more than he let on, and he didn't visit her very much, at least while I was awake.

As my pregnancy progressed, Madeline offered to do another ultrasound and tell me the sex of my babies. I didn't care as long as they were healthy, and I didn't care much about names. A boy would be Donald Jr., a girl possibly Hannah Marie, but I was too wrapped up in the construction of the building to worry about the façade right then.

By the beginning of November, I filled a D cup and then some. Mom had bought another crib, and I had a full compliment of nursing bras and other assorted goodies. There was a changing table in the nursery, stacks of disposable diapers and all the other stuff a mom needs to care for babies.

It had snowed on and off for the last several weeks, and that morning Lisbeth was home, enjoying a snow day. I was in the nursery, folding tiny gowns and shirts. Lisbeth appeared at the door and knocked.

"Yes, Honey?" I said.

"Can I come in?"

I smiled and said, "Sure."

My chore was done — I had done it only to keep busy; I was bored — and I sat in the rocking chair. Lisbeth knelt next to me and put her hand on my stomach.

"Hello in there," she cooed. I giggled. Despite her height and growing maturity, she could be silly. "Have they moved much today?"

"No, not really. Prob'ly not awake yet."

I'd noticed over the previous two days my stomach had dropped, and wasn't so full just beneath my breasts. Madeline had told me that twins and other multiple births often arrive early, and to be ready. I had a bag packed near the front door, and all of us knew what to do.

Lisbeth picked up my jug of "Mommy's Butter", a concoction sold for softening the skin and lessening stretch marks. It had coconut oil and other things in it, and I'd added some olive oil to it.

"May I?" she asked, holding up the bottle.

I pulled up my nightie and said, "Okay."

I usually rubbed the stuff on my stomach every day, and sometimes in the evening Mom or Donny would take a turn. Lisbeth had done it a few times, but not very often. Her hands felt very nice. One of the babies gave a tiny kick, and Lisbeth uttered a breathy "Woooo!" I took several calming breaths, closed my eyes and relaxed.

Lisbeth asked, "Can I use some of this on my boobs after my shower?"

"There's more than enough: help yourself," I said. I hadn't seen her nude for a long time, but she'd grown very fast into a C cup, and I assumed she, like most girls who grew rapidly, had some stretch marks.

She finished applying the lotion and bent to give my tummy a light kiss.

"There you go, Mom." I must have had an inquisitive look on my face, and she added, "You're my mom now, and you're going to have my sisters or my brothers."

This was the first time she'd ever said 'Mom' to me. My mother was 'Gramma Sylvia' and Donny was 'Pops', but she'd always called me 'Auntie Hani'. She helped me up and led me by the hand across the house to her room. Donny was at work and Mom was in the kitchen — she smiled as we walked by her — and Lisbeth guided me to the bed and closed the door.

She arranged all her pillows behind me so I was sitting in a comfortable position, then she sat on the edge of the bed and held my hand.

"I have a confession to make," she said. She didn't appear to be nervous, so I waited silently. "Mom and I — Char — had some long talks when I first came here. I think she knew she was sick, and she told me to stay with you. At first I didn't understand, and then when she got sick, it became clear."

I thought, 'Oh, Charli, what have you done?'

"While she was in her wheelchair, she told me she knew she was going to die. She told me to love you and always stay close, because she couldn't."

My tears dripped down my cheeks, and Lisbeth's eyes were very shiny and wet. After a few moments, she cleared her throat and began again.

"I was mad at you when you didn't make love to me that night in your room, but Gramma Sylvia explained it to me. I know I was too young, and I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have offered myself to you that way." I nodded gratefully and she continued, "And since then, I've made a few friends and explored a little bit. Girls are fun and boys are okay, but I believe the person is the main thing. You told me that, remember?"

I said, "Yes, I remember."

"I haven't made up my mind yet to choose one or the other, and I think I'll hold off on that decision for a while. It's not as important as people say it is."

"Be careful," I whispered urgently. "I don't want you hurt."

She smiled very confidently. "I share my body — only a little bit, and only with those I trust — and I don't sleep around promiscuously. I'm still a virgin, and I'm waiting for the one who will make my heart sing."

Still weeping, I said, "That sounds very adult coming from one so young."

Softly she replied, "I want what you and Mom had. I won't settle for less." She paused for a moment and added, "You taught me that, and that's why I called you Mom. I love you."

I held her close, hugging and crying. It was one of those 'once in a lifetime moments' that I had shared with my mom. It was really hard to breathe.

The following morning it was still snowing, and the tracks that Donny had made on his way to work were almost filled with new snow. Mom had listened to the radio and learned the school was closed for another day, so Lisbeth was sitting near me at the table eating breakfast.

Mom looked worried, and I patted her hand. "Nothing to worry about, just a little snow."

"What if the babies come?" she asked. "We can't drive you to the hospital in this, and the ambulance will have a tough time getting out here."

"I'm not in labor," I assured her.

"Mmmmph," she grunted.

Around noon, I was sitting in my recliner working on some things and felt a twinge of pain in my lower back. Thinking I was stiff, I shifted position and waited for it to go away. It didn't, and I yelled for Mom.

She came to my side, dressed in her robe, and asked, "What?"

"My back hurts, and it's spreading."

Mom smiled and walked away, calling, "Lisbeth! Time to go, Honey!"

In minutes, Lisbeth and Mom were dressed and helping me to change clothes. We had to stop every few minutes when a tense but short-lived contraction arrived. The babies were un-moving heavy weights, deep in my belly.

"I've already called Donny and he's on his way," Mom said. "I'll give him a few minutes and then call the ambulance."

"Can't we go with him?" I whined. "The truck is comfortable enough."

"No," Mom said calmly. When she got that tone in her voice, there was no use arguing further.

Donny arrived an hour later, a few minutes before the ambulance. My water broke — all over the new carpeting! — as they lifted me onto a gurney, and two husky guys strapped me down.

Donny kissed my cheek and said, "We'll follow in the truck with your bag."

A few minutes later I was being whisked down the road at a steady twenty miles per hour, and the two guys in the ambulance were grinning. One of them put a blood pressure cuff on my arm, and the other held my hand when a contraction came.

One of them — his name tag said "Ray" — leaned down and asked, "How ya doin'?"

"It hurts a little bit," I said, "but not too bad."

By three that afternoon, I was in a birthing room at the hospital and Madeline was by my side. Mom, Lisbeth and Donny were sitting nearby, reading or sipping cokes. My contractions were about six minutes apart and increasing in their severity. The pain had moved to the front, and with each one I watched my belly heave and strain.

Madeline asked, "Do you want an epidural? It will help with the pain."

"No," I said, glaring at Donny. "I want to remember this for a long time."

I won't bore you with the breathing and the panting, the holding of hands and the crushing of Donny's knuckles, but around two the next morning the first of the twins made her entrance into the world. Her birth certificate says 2:17 am. Thirty-two minutes later, the other one — another girl — joined her sister.

I felt a pinch as Madeline stitched me, and I giggled as I tried to sit up.

"Bad?" Madeline asked.

"NO!" I laughed. "I can see my feet!"

I was wheeled into a private room, and my family joined me. I was tired but happy.

Madeline asked, "Have you named them yet? What should I put on the birth certificates?"

I looked at Donny and said, "I didn't know they'd both be girls. I picked out one for a boy and one for a girl."

"As long as we have them before you leave," she said. "They have to stay for a few days, but you can go home day after tomorrow."

Suddenly panicked, I cried, "Why?"

"Precautionary measures, Hani. They're both underweight, but they're breathing on their own just fine, and they seem to be very healthy. We're just being careful."

Just then a nurse came into my room, carrying two tiny wrapped bundles in her arms.

"Baby Strum the first," she said, and laid her in the crook of my left arm. "And baby Strum the second," she said, putting her on my right side.

I peeked at them, slowly unwrapping the cloths. They were tiny to me, way smaller than I'd imagined. These were the persons who had abused my liver and bladder for so many months? Both had perfect fingers and toes, a modest mop of hair like mine, and the most beautiful long eyelashes I'd ever seen.

The oldest started wiggling, her tiny face scrunched up and she cried, a healthy wail of hunger. I felt my gown get damp as my breasts reacted.

"She's hungry," the nurse said.

With some help from Madeline and the nurse, I managed to get both attached to my nipples and I relaxed.