thateven suggested harming either one of them.
A while later, a nurse came in and shooed all of us out, telling usthat the infants were going to the Nursery so that Kelly could get somerest. Out in the hall, Paul took one look at me and told me that HE woulddrive me home – and for me to give Jan my keys so that she could bringmy car along.
It took me a second to realize just how tired and excited I felt atthe same time – and quickly on the heels of that, that Paul was probablyright about it being best if I didn't try to drive just then. I fishedin my pocket and gave Jan my keys; she kept us company as far as thehospital parking lot before leaving to go to my car. The rest of us piledinto Paul's minivan and headed for my place.
When we got there, Paul told me 'I know it's late, and you've justhad one Hell of a last few hours. I'll check back with you tomorrow morning, okay?'
I told him 'That'd be fine, Paul. Thanks.'
I got out of the van, followed by Robyn. I looked at her, and she justasked 'You don't seriously think that we're going to leave you allby yourself tonight, do you?'
'I'll be fine, Robyn, really', I tried to tell her.
'Bullshit' she replied, surprising me, before she went on 'Justlook at yourself. You can barely stand up – but you're so damn keyedup you couldn't get to sleep if your life depended on it. So just shutup and open the door so we can get inside.'
I looked over toward where the rest were, and saw that they fully expectedme to do as I was told. So I did it.
An hour later, I was glad I had. Somehow, Robyn talked me into havinga something to eat – followed by her giving me a massage. By the timeshe was done, I realized just how keyed up I'd been. I was in bed andgetting ready to fall asleep when I felt her slip into bed with me and I realized that as much as anything else, I needed the reassuranceof someone I loved next to me that night.
The next morning, Robyn joined me for a happy, friendly shower beforeshe got dressed and left to go to her job as a police officer – but onlyAFTER I'd given her a heartfelt kiss and my thanks. She just smiled, kissed me back, and left.
At the hospital, I saw that Kelly had gotten a decent night's sleepas well – when I went into the room she told me 'You're lookinga lot better than you did last night. Who stayed with you?'
'Robyn did. Paul drove me home, and Jan drove my car back.'
'Well, your timing is impeccable. You're too late for breakfast-which was something disgusting, by the way – but in time to help feedYOUR kids.' – the last with a smile.
I grinned and told her 'Wrong answer! I don't have the right plumbing, remember?'
She laughed, and told me 'I said 'help', Dan. Yes, I have two breasts – but that doesn't mean I can feed both of them at the same time, so you get to hold one while I feed the other.'
Hearing that, my heart almost stopped. What if I dropped him/her? Whatif I did something to hurt them?
Kelly must have seen the nervousness, because she took my hand and said 'Dan, relax. There's nothing to be afraid of – you'll see.', her smilereassuring me.
Still, when the nurse wheeled in the little cart with the kids on it, I have to admit that my mouth felt a little dry. The nurse seemed tounderstand, and patiently and gently instructed me on how to hold myinfant daughter as Kelly started breastfeeding our son. She continuedto watch for a few moments before telling me 'You're doing fine, Mister Marshall' and leaving the two (four!) of us alone.
When Daniel indicated he was done, Kelly and I traded; I was holdingmy son in my arms as I watched him fall asleep – and looking at him, knew a love and pride that I didn't know was inside me until then.
When Kelly and Janet were done, Kelly rang the nurse who came and putthem in their respective little beds on the cart and took them back tothe Nursery until it was time to feed them again. When she was gone, Kelly gave me a mischievous smile and asked 'Okay, Dan, do you wanta sample of what they just had?'
It took me a couple of seconds to realize that Kelly was offering tolet me sample her breast milk – but considerably less time for me todecide that I wanted to. With a smile of my own, I went over as Kellybared one of her breasts again. Fastening my lips around her nipple, I gently sucked and was soon rewarded with a little of her milk: thinand sweet. I swallowed it and pulled my lips away, amazed to see thata few more drops leaked out before the flow stopped. Kelly covered herselfagain, and told me 'When I woke up this morning, I was leaking alittle bit. I just had to find out what it tasted like, and I thoughtyou might want to find out, too. Like it?'
I grinned, and answered 'I could learn to – a lot, I think!'
Kelly laughed, and told me 'Me, too – but I don't think it's quite worththe trouble to make sure we have a regular supply!' – making melaugh along with her.
That out of the way, I pulled a chair up next to her bed and the twoof us talked about our future – hers and mine, and the kids' – untilDoctor Williams came in to check on Kelly. When she was done, she toldus 'I'd like to keep Kelly here until tomorrow, just to make sureeverything's all right. I don't see anything wrong with her, or the babies, but I just want to make sure, if that's all right with you.'
Kelly and I both assured her it was, and she congratulated both of usagain before leaving.
After lunch (for Kelly and the twins), she shooed me off, telling methat I had to make arrangements to get her and the twins home the nextday – and that I'd probably be seeing too much of them over the nextfew weeks, anyway. I laughed, and told her that I didn't think that waspossible – but left after she let me know that I could come back thatevening.
As I'd expected, Paul was more than willing to drive us home from thehospital the next day; Jan and the others had already organized thingsso they'd be there when we arrived. Kelly and I had already gotten allof the things we'd need for two infants – cribs, diapers, powder, oil, everything hadbeen prepped for our new family.
When we got home the next day, we found that the babies' room had abanner: 'Welcome Home Daniel Paul and Janet Kelly!' – somethingthat got Kelly, then the others, crying.
The next few weeks went by in a blur.
Jan, Susan, Robyn, Sandra, and even Candice all got their chance totake care of the kids. nothing seemed to faze them, either: baby poop, wet diapers, vomit, nothing. I've got to admit, some of it kindof grossed me out, but not them.
And more to the point, they didn't stop after just a couple of weeks.
Somehow, somewhere, they got the wherewithal to keep at it, day afterday, week after week; they gradually phased themselves out as the twinsgrew, so that by the time Daniel and Janet were sleeping regularly, thegirls were stopping by only every so often, just to visit for a littlewhile.
Even then, once a week or so, one or two of them would stop by and insiston watching after the kids – and insisting that Kelly and I go out anddo something: a movie, dinner, something to get us out of thehouse. By that time, I and Kelly had realized that she and I, along withthe others, had formed an extended family, and that any kids born to any of us were going to have the whole lot of us as parents. Young Daniel and Janet didn't know it yet, but each of them had six mothers, and onedad.
As the weeks, then months went by, Jan and the rest continued to bepart of our lives. They were there when the twins started standing, thenwalking. They were there with sympathy as the kids went through the 'terribletwos'. Kelly was always 'Mom' and I was always 'Daddy', but Jan and the rest were known as Momma Jan, and Momma Robyn, and soon. The girls always took their child-rearing cues from Kelly and I they were as firm and loving as Kelly and I were, no more and no less; if one of the twins misbehaved, they got the same type of punishmentas Kelly and I would have dispensed. If one of them fell and skinneda knee, they got as much sympathy and love, too. More than anything else, Kelly's and my children started out in life knowing that they were loved.
