Page 63 of Finding Basil
Basil sat back, smiling wistfully. “It’s something so big, Mom.”
“I know. Starting a family is scary and wonderful all at once.”
“You having second thoughts?” Herb asked, only partially kidding.
“Never. This is the beginning. Scary and unsure of almost everything, but all beginnings are like that.” Basil’s head turned to him. “The beginning of our story.”
“You two are disgustingly cute, but I’m about to push those doctors out of my way to go see my granddaughters and to see if my daughter is well.”
Basil moved into her seat, and Herb took his hand, and all the world rejoiced for that one second. The beginning of a family. Herb had already considered a million ways that they could have a child. He was ready.
And a half an hour later, he realized that he’d been wrong. Abstract thinking about the child, children they could have, were fuzzy dreams and thoughts. When he got to hold one of the twinsin his arms, he looked into that tiny face, mouth suckling at her little fist, and he realized that all those plans were suddenly not good enough.
He wanted a baby, wanted to give Basil a baby to hold, to raise, to teach the ABCs to, to watch grow into amazing people and start their own families.
Basil stood close, holding the other little girl, and when their eyes met, neither had to question what was on the other’s mind.
The babies were born, and the wedding was nearing. They skipped the bachelor party and helped the women fill gift bags while the men grilled and raised a ruckus outside the Jimenez house. The entire family was working, playing and being together, and Katherine got a little tipsy on the tequila shots and sang karaoke for them. She had a great voice. Michelle told him she would be a great one to sing their babies to sleep when they had babies.
As much as they wanted kids, it wasn’t that easy, but he vowed to himself to give Basil all the babies he could ever want.
With Sabrina still in the hospital, the party was a little light. Light by three people. Basil grabbed Herb, and they sneaked out of the party to go see her.
She was resting, but not asleep, as they went into her room, just a few minutes before visiting hours were officially over.
“Hey, guys. I thought you’d be drunk on tequila by now.”
Herb sat in the chair by the bed, but Basil sat on the edge of her bed, holding her hand. “We missed you and the girls.”
“I miss you all too. Though, it’s been nice having some time with just my girls.”
“How are they?”
“Wonderful. They sleep at the same time, which is uncommon, the nurse told me. Still, when they’re asleep, I miss them.”
Herb could imagine being so close with them for nine months and then to have them outside of her body…
Sabrina nodded over to the other woman in the room with them, the other to have just given birth. “Guys, this is Tilda. She just had a little boy for a couple that can’t have kids of their own. She does that for a living.”
Sabrina’s eyes met Herb's, and he felt his insides swimming with excitement. “She does?”
Tilda weakly waved to them. “I’m new. Just had him two hours ago. Sabrina here, is the old pro at this already. She’s been teaching me the ropes.”
“I thought she said you did this for a living.”
“Well, so far, I have one. It pays well and lets me concentrate on my art while I carry my job around.”
“Sounds so…clinical,” Basil said.
“It has to be,” Sabrina scolded her brother. She doesn’t let herself fall in love with the child. It’s not hers, after all.”
“My aunt did it too. Gave birth twelve times, but only one was hers. The last one. She saved enough so that she could spend the first year with her daughter without the need of a job. They bonded so well.”
Herb didn’t want to push, not right after she’d just done it, but still, the time seemed perfect. “Do you plan to do it again, by any chance?”
“Sabrina already told me about her brother and future husband. I’d love to. In fact, you can be my first set of twins, if you like.”
“Twins?”
