Page 73 of Lush Curves

“Good," Annie began, but then the bathroom door opened and Sarah emerged, looking panicked. "Uh – Sarah?"

"Oh, God, Jax," she said, and they could see her shaking from ten feet away. “Jax..."

“Holy fuck, baby," he said softly. “Yeah?"

“Don't swear!" Noah and Cindy told him in unison, but he wasn't hearing them. His wife was about to give birth to their son and daughter, and despite thinking that he'd been ready for this, he was suddenly very, very aware that he was fuckingnot. What the actual hell had he beenthinking, that he'd be able to stand seeing Sarah in agony and afraid? He rushed over to her, helped her to the sofa, wincing as she doubled over in pain.

He deposited Sarah on the sofa as gently as he could, then Jax shot a pleading, desperate look over at Sam and Mac. ThankChristtwo doctors were standing there, because Jax was about to lose hismind. He needed a few minutes to pull it together so he could be there for Sarah.

Sure enough, the two badass doctor types were on top of it. Sam was already next to Sarah, taking her pulse, and Mac was on his cell, calmly calling ahead to the the hospital. Yeah, after years and years of seeing the most damaged people on earth roll through the hospital doors, Jax didn't suppose that a healthy young woman going into labor in a warm, safe place was a big deal for them.

“Today!" Noah said excitedly. “It will happen today after all, Brother Jax!"

“Apparently so," Jax said, holding Sarah's hands. “You OK, Red?"

“Argh," she said, and she clutched his hand between both of hers. “Oh, Jax,ithurts."

“I know, baby. It's gonna be OK."

“Mom?" Sarah said. “Mom?"

“Right here." Annie sat on her other side, stroked her hair. “You've got this, sweetie. You're going to be just fine. You and those sweet babies. Breathe, Sarah. Justbreathe."

**

Five hours later, the hospital waiting room was packed with Jax and Sarah's anxious friends and family. Jax had come out of the delivery room an hour earlier and told everyone that Sarah's doctor had decided that she needed a Caesarian after all. He'd been worried and distracted, and everyone had offered their words of support. He'd nodded, then dashed back to his wife.

King turned to Sam now. “"Shouldn't it be done?"

“If everything went fine, then yes." Sam cuddled a sleeping Cindy closer as she sighed and moved around a bit. He dropped his voice. “They'll have to check the babies, then Sarah and Jax will get time alone with them. The doctor will want Sarah to have skin-to-skin time, maybe try feeding them. I say give it another hour."

“Can we ask?" Curtis growled, his large hand on Tessa's stomach. She was due in three months, and she was watching all of this unfold with barely-restrained panic. Curtis knew that his wife was imagining all kinds of complications with her own delivery, and he was hoping for the 'happy ending' news ASAP. “Get an update, at least?"

“Sure." Mac got to his feet, kissed Mirrie's hand, just above her wedding ring. “Gimme a minute."

They all watched him lope off gracefully, then returned to staring at each other. Noah and Callie were openly happy and excited, but they were the only ones. Everyone else was grim, worried, tense. They were pretty sure that things would be OK in the end, mostly because Jax would have been kicking ass and taking names in that delivery room, so the idea that he'd have allowed the labor to go on too long or too far was ludicrous, but still. Shit happened all the time with birth, and when it happened, it happened fast. They'd relax when Jax came out and they heard the good news with their own ears; they'd relaxcompletelywhen they saw Sarah and the twins with their own eyes.

“"You doing alright?" Sam asked Annie. “You need a glass of water?"

“No, babe," she said quietly. “I'm good. It's just – it's quite a day, huh?"

“Sure is." He grinned at her, those amazing brown eyes warm and teasing. “Moving in and becoming a grandmother twice over, all in the same day? One for the books, I'd say."

She laughed, then stroked Cindy's dark hair. “Do you think she'll wake up and ask for the pizza I promised her?"

“Yep." Sam smiled down at his daughter, and Annie saw pure affection all over his handsome face. “The kid has a mind like a steel trap –especially for food."

“I've noticed." Annie sighed, shifted in her chair. “It's been my secret weapon with her, really."

“Feeding her?"

“Yeah. They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but I think it'salsothe way to win over sweet little girls."

Sam leaned over and kissed Annie, a brief, hard kiss. He'd watched her over the past year with his daughter, watched as she'd slowly, carefully, patiently, let Cindy come to her in her own time, in her own way. It hadn't been difficult for Cindy to like Annie; loving her had taken a bit longer, though.

Annie had given her the time and space that she'd needed, given herself the same time and space. After all, loving someone wasn't a one-way street, and Sam knew that if Annie couldn't look at Cindy as a child that she wanted to be a part of forever, then this would and could never work. He'd held his breath, he'd kept the faith, he'd just held on... and two months earlier, Cindy had told Annie that she loved her.

Annie had been baking cookies with Cindy at the time, and they had been alone in the house. She'd dropped the spatula that she'd been using to stir in the chocolate chips, and hugged Cindy close. She'd then told Cindy that she loved her,too, loved her like a little girl she'd be happy to watch grow up. Cindy had cried then, there in Annie's arms, and snuffled that she wanted Annie to watch her grow up, too.

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