Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 90290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 451(@200wpm)___ 361(@250wpm)___ 301(@300wpm)
“Soon you can say it to them.”
“I know I can’t wait,” she says as she moves my hair away from face. “Sleep now because you’re going to need it. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
When I returned to Beaumont to live, doing so put me in a conundrum with my obstetrician. With Dr. Ringman being in California I would have to find a new one in Beaumont or somehow make it back there to deliver the triplets. With Nick’s help, I found a new one and I love her to pieces.
While the sun still sleeps, Dr. Harmon greets us at the entrance of the hospital. I’m in a wheelchair and hate it, but the weight of the babies hurts my hips and it’s painful to walk. Noah offers to carry me however I don’t need him straining a muscle and missing more time than he is now.
The saving grace when it comes to having triplets is I’m being induced. This means we were able to choose a date that coincides with Noah’s schedule. Luckily for us, he’s off for a few days due to the holiday and when he returns to Portland, he’ll be a dad.
Sounds like a damn good few days off to me.
“Good morning, Peyton. Noah.” Dr. Harmon leans to the side slightly. “And the rest of their family.”
Yes, I’m the one who comes to the hospital with my family in tow. I don’t know why I thought Noah and I would do this by ourselves. What a silly notion, especially with the family we have.
We follow Dr. Harmon down the corridor and into the elevator. Not everyone can fit so they take another elevator. Noah’s behind me, with my parents on each of my sides, while Elle rests against the wall with her ever growing belly taking up space. I’m thankful Ben said he’d come later. I worry about him getting enough rest with the lifestyle Elle keeps. I told Elle she didn’t have to come. Noah would call her after I had the babies and could have visitors, but she insisted. It’s the same with my grandpa and Bianca. They’re here so they don’t have to wait for news on their first great grandchildren.
Somehow, the rest of our family beats us to the floor. I think about making a fat joke, but Elle’s cranky in the morning and I don’t want to hear it from her.
Dr. Harmon leads us to my room. It’s private and something Noah stressed we needed. I’m not certain but I think either Liam, my dad, or the band donated money to this wing because they didn’t make a fuss when my husband made the request.
We get to the end of the hall and Dr. Harmon stops. “The private waiting room is here,” she says as she points into a room. And the guard will stand here.”
“Guard?” I question.
“Just so we have privacy, Peyton,” Liam says.
I understand, but then I don’t. We’re in Beaumont. No one should bother us here.
“I’m going to take Peyton, get her changed, and go over the procedure with her and Noah, and then you may come in,” she says as she looks at me. “If Peyton wants you in there.”
“See that, I’m in charge.”
Elle cackles.
“After surgery, she’ll be in recovery and then she’ll be able to take a visitor or two at a time. However, I need you all to remember, there are women on this floor in active labor, and some who have given birth. Unless the babies are in the NICU, they are in the rooms with their mother’s. Please keep your voices low.”
“I feel like we’ve been scolded.” I hear my father say to Liam. Leave it to these two to make jokes right now.
Dr. Harmon doesn’t wait for them to agree before she motions for Noah to continue pushing me into the room. There are blue and pink roses on the nightstand and a banner that reads: Welcome Westbury Babies, hanging from one corner of the window to the other.
“Isn’t this a bit premature?”
“I think our moms wanted you to feel the love before you had them,” Noah says into my ear.
“Okay, Peyton. We’re going to get you changed and hooked up to these monitors.”
Noah helps and takes advantage of seeing my bump for one last time. “I’m going to miss this,” he says as he kisses my stretched skin. “But knowing I get to hold them today is pretty freaking awesome.”
“Yeah, it is.”
Noah leads me to the bed and helps me get settled. A nurse comes in and tells me she’s going to start an IV. I’ve been poked and prodded so many times, needles don’t bother me as much as they used to. Still, Noah has me focus all my attention on him.
“Can you believe these three still don’t have names?”
“I know. Does that . . .” I take a deep inhale when the needle pinches my skin. “Are we going to be bad parents?”