Page 65 of Briggs
Briggs and Todd,
Congratulations on the arrival of the girls. They’re absolutely precious.
I’ve helped out a little by preparing enough bottles for today. All you will need to do is put them in the warmer and heat them.
Everyone was peacefully sleeping when I left, but if you should need anything today or this weekend, you are more than welcome to reach out.
I will inform Master Edison later today about the twins’ birth, and on Monday I will file the paperwork with the council.
Congratulations again. You truly have a beautiful little family.
Dr. King
That was a sweet letter, and I needed to make sure that Todd read it later. I assumed the bottles were in the refrigerator, and when I opened it, I discovered that the top shelf had been cleared, and it was filled with tiny bottles. I grabbed two, placed them in the warmer, added the amount of water it said it required, and turned it on.
While that was doing its magic, I moved over to the coffee maker. Coffee was going to be needed. I was a bit surprised tofind it already set up. Dr. King was a saint. I turned it on and then heard the click of the bottle warmer as it turned off. The coffee would be done soon enough and would be waiting for me after I fed the twins.
I checked the bottles to make sure they weren’t too hot and then hurried back upstairs. Halfway up, I heard crying. I felt terrible because I’d left Todd alone with the twins, and I didn’t know if he was still in his cheetah form or if he’d shifted back to his human side.
I stumbled just a moment as I entered the bedroom. Standing there was John, and when he heard me enter, he turned and looked at me with wide eyes. Todd was sitting up in bed, still in his cheetah form, but if a cat could look concerned, he did.
“They were born?” John asked, his voice full of shock. “When?”
I smiled at my brother-in-law. “Around two in the morning. These are the first bottles and diaper changes.” I handed John the bottles. “Please put these on the nightstand.” I looked to my mate, who was still in his cheetah form. “I love you, Todd, and I’m so happy that your cheetah is awake and more than happy to come out and say hello. But do you think I can get the other side of you back for a bit? I’ve never changed a diaper before, and I could really use all the help I can get. I understand you haven’t either, but I thought we could fumble it together?”
“Todd has changed diapers before,” John said. I looked at my brother-in-law. “When our parents died, Todd took care of Maggie. He was the one who did all of that. Bottles and diapers. He took care of me and Tracy as well.”
I looked back at Todd and sent what I hoped was a pleading look as I picked up Willow, who was crying in earnest now. She was downright upset, and Wrenley wasn’t far behind. “Todd, you need to shift back now,” I said. I would muddle my way throughthings, and I understood that Todd and his cheetah had been through so much together, but now was not the time for the human side of my mate to decide he was going to let his feline side take over.
“What can I do to help?” John asked. I was at the foot of the bed, trying to figure out how to open the swaddle that Dr. King had wrapped my daughter up in.
“Could you please go to the corner over there and grab a pair of diapers and the pack of wipes?” I pointed in the general direction where we’d set up a “baby area.” While I was unwrapping our daughter and John was grabbing diapers and wipes, I heard Todd shift.
“What happened?”
I looked up at my mate’s voice and closed my eyes briefly in relief. I didn’t have time for small celebrations because Wrenley was winding up.
“I’m not sure what you’re referring to, exactly,” I said, “but it’s just before six in the morning. Dr. King is gone, but the twins are both wet and hungry. Could you please at least pick up Wrenley while I try to change Willow here?”
“Here’s the diapers and wipes. I brought powder and one of the pad things too.”
I gave John a relieved smile. “Thank you so much.”
“Why are you awake?” Todd asked John. He was holding Wrenley now, but he’d not really moved from the bed.
“Are you able to walk? Do you need me to take you to the bathroom or anything?” I asked Todd. I picked up Willow, leaving the blanket behind, and John replaced it with a waterproof changing pad.
“I’m fine. But I’m a bit confused. Seriously, what happened?”
I looked at Todd, suddenly very concerned. “You do remember giving birth, right?”
“Yes. But just now. Why is John up, and why are you so stressed?”
I pulled off Willow’s soaked diaper and did my best to clean her up with the wipes John was handing me. She had leaked, of course, and I used the wipes to clean her up where her onesie was wet. She didn’t like that and let everyone in the room know she wasn’t happy with me.
“I think you sprinkle the powder on after you put the diaper under her,” John said. He held out the tiny diaper, fully open—bless him—and I slid it under my daughter. Some powder was sprinkled, and after a couple of tries, I finally had the diaper on tight enough that it wouldn’t fall off, but not so tight it was uncomfortable for her.
“Here’s her bottle,” John said as I picked Willow up.
