Page 50 of Cayden

And she did enjoy it. Tomorrow was the day she had been dreading. It was finally here. Nurse Connelly had monitored her blood pressure and declared that she had been doing very well. She was ready and she wasn’t.

She spent some restless nights wandering around the now finished nurseries, visualizing her four babies inside their cots. But now, the time was here or almost was.

She allowed the conversation to ebb and flow around her and was grateful for the support of family. Over the past few months, she had gotten close to her mother-in-law. The woman had become a surprising tower of strength.

The others were also very supportive, coming to visit her and find out how she was doing. For five years, she had felt like a complete stranger in the household, but now she felt like she was part of the family.

But behind the hope and anticipation, there was the nagging fear. The babies’ heartbeats were strong and everything was going all right. Her bag was packed, had been packed for two weeks now.

But she was worried that something was going to go wrong. She and Cayden had chosen names, finally. He was the one who insisted on them doing so.

“We cannot have them popping out and not knowing what to call them.”

To the delight of their parents, they had included their names. The boys were” Chad Alberto and Caleb Blake. The girls were: Bianca Marianne and Bella Catherine.

Marianne had been so delighted; she had puffy satin name tags made to hang over the cots. Pink for the girls and blue for the boys.

Everything was in place. The only thing she had to do was to deliver four healthy babies, not two or three, four. She could not settle for less than that.

Feeling pressure on her hand, she looked up to see her husband staring at her in concern.

“What’s the matter?” He whispered.

“Nothing.”

“Try again.”

With a sigh, she put away her dessert spoon. Anthony had really outdone himself and the meal was lavish and delicious.

“Just a little nostalgia,” she confessed, “I don’t particularly like hospitals.”

“No one does.” His eyes searched her face, and he knew there was more. “What’s really bothering you?”

“I’m afraid,” she confessed, “it is just hitting me that the time is here. I am going to get these babies out of me. For months, they have been cradled inside my womb. I have been tentativelyhappy during the first month or so, not daring to hope, expecting that at any time, I would miscarry.

After what we went through with the previous pregnancies, I was afraid that this would be the same. And now it has come to where I am at the end of the term and the babies are healthy.”

“You’re borrowing trouble.”

She shook her head and took a deep breath. “You are right. I should remain positive and grounded.”

“I am here!” He squeezed her hand. “Always.”

“I know, and I love you so much for putting up with my eccentricities.”

His thick brows lifted, “is that what you’re calling it?”

She smiled at him. “I think it’s an appropriate term.”

“Then we will stick with it.” His expression sobered. “You will be fine darling. I know it.”

She nodded and bolstered up a smile.

Coffee and tiny cakes with strawberries on top were served on the patio. The Saturday afternoon was lovely with the previous rain washing the earth clean.

Flowers bloomed in profusion along the winding paths and the lawns were immaculately groomed. Conversations interspersed with laughter added to the spectacular setting. A comfortable armchair had been dragged out for her to sit, and her cup of tea was placed on a table in front of her.

Blair could not help but wonder if this was her last supper and the thought sent a chill inside her. Picking up the delicate cup, she took a fortified sip. She knew the enormous risks of giving birth to multiples. Something could go wrong.

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