Page 84 of 7+Us Makes Nine

“May I?” Hannah asked.

She nodded at my son in my arms and I passed him off to her. And Catherine’s father offered to take our daughter from me. Catherine’s mother took one of the girls before she held her hand out to Hannah, and we all switched the children off so they could be fed. Her father smoothed her hair back and doted on her while Hannah held one of my daughters in her arms. Her mother gathered Ivan and Dmitri and Michaela when they came into the room, and all of us sat around Catherine’s hospital bed as one massive family.

“How are you feeling?” her mother asked.

“Tired,” Catherine said.

“Can I get you anything?” her father asked.

“I bet it’s been a while since she’s had a decent cup of coffee. Could she have some?” Hannah asked.

“I have to keep the same diet until the kids are done breastfeeding,” Catherine said. “But you know what I have a craving for?”

“What is it?” I asked.

“A nice, greasy, five-cheese pizza with buffalo swirl and pineapple,” she said with a smile.

“Oh, pizza! Can we order some, Dad?” Ivan asked.

“We’ll be really careful with it,” Dmitri said.

“Cheese pizza?” Michaela asked.

“Sounds like it’s a pizza night for us,” Catherine’s father said. “And it’s on me. I’ll step outside and get it ordered.”

“That’s not necessary, sir. I can get-”

“Son, sit down,” he said. “Be with your family. I’ll be right back.”

“You’ll get used to it,” her mother said. “He’ll always be the patriarch.”

“Yep. Hope you’re ready to take a backseat whenever he’s around,” Hannah said with a grin.

“You did a great job, honey. These children are beautiful,” her mother said.

“I hate to say it, Jace, but they all sort of look like Catherine,” Hannah said.

“Good,” Catherine said as the children unlatched from her bosom. “Because I carried them for eight months.”

We all let out a little bit of laughter before everything fell silent. I watched my kids crawl up onto the hospital bed with Catherine. Michaela settled between her legs and reached for my son. And just as patiently as Catherine had always been, she morphed Michaela’s arms so she could support my newborn son in her arms. The boys nestled next to her and held the girls, and I watched as Hannah quickly got her camera out.

“Get in there with the littlest,” she said with a whisper. “I want to get a picture of that.”

Catherine’s mother got up from her chair and I took her spot. I sat down next to my family and pressed a kiss to each of their heads. Then, I hovered my lips over Catherine’s and gazed into her eyes. She looked so tired, and yet so full of life. I’d never come to understand how she did it. How she could look so eloquent and so beautiful after such hard work. I smoothed her hair from her forehead before cupping her cheek, then I brought her lips to mine as her arms circled around all of the kids. I could hear the shutters of phone cameras going off, but I didn’t care. I wanted to cherish this moment as much as I could.

My family was whole.

Complete.

Healthy.

Safe.

All nine of us.

“I love you,” she whispered into my lips.

I smiled, nuzzling my nose against her as our kiss broke.

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