Page 206 of Sexting My Best Friend's Brothers
And then… the crying starts.
A high, thin, angry wail fills the room.
“Baby A is here,” Dr. Aris announces, lifting a slippery, squirming bundle into the air.
“Atlas,” Ethan chokes out. Tears are streaming down his face. He doesn’t even bother to wipe them.
The nurse takes the baby to the warmer, but we don’t have time to celebrate.
“Baby B is impatient,” Dr. Aris says. “She’s right behind him. Tessa, don’t stop. We need one more big push.”
“Come on, little girl,” I whisper. “We’re waiting for you.”
“Push, Tessa!” Asher commands, his voice cracking.
Tessa grits her teeth. She roars. She pushes until I think she might break the bed.
And then, a second cry joins the first. A harmony of new life.
“And here she is,” Dr. Aris smiles, lifting the second baby. “Baby B.”
Tessa falls back against the pillows, sobbing. Not from pain anymore, but from sheer relief. “Is it over? Are they okay?”
“They’re perfect,” Dr. Aris says.
The nurses clean them up. They wrap them in the ridiculous, tiny blankets with the blue and pink stripes. And then, they bring them to us.
They hand the boy to Ethan.
My oldest brother takes him. He holds his son like he’s holding a bomb that might explode, but his expression is utter devotion. He looks down at the tiny, red, scrunched-up face, and the defensive walls he built for over thirty years just turn to dust.
“Hi,” Ethan whispers to the baby. “I’m your dad. One of them. I’m the bossy one.”
They hand the girl to Asher.
Asher stares at her. She opens her dark, unfocused eyes. Asher goes perfectly still. He touches her tiny hand with his pinky finger. She grips it instantly.
“She’s so strong,” Asher whispers, his voice trembling. He stares at her with absolute fascination. “She’s perfect.”
I step closer, staring at the two tiny lives we’ve just brought into the world.
“Do you want to hold them?” Tessa asks, reaching her arms out.
“Give them to Mom first,” I say, my voice thick. “They need Mom.”
We place the babies onto Tessa’s chest. Skin to skin. She wraps her arms around them, kissing their fuzzy heads, crying softly.
“My mosaics,” she whispers. “My little pieces.”
I lean over the bed, wrapping my arms around her and the babies. Ethan leans in from the left. Asher from the right. We form a protective shell over the bed.
“So,” Dr. Aris smiles, peeling off her gloves. “What are their names?”
We discussed this. We had spreadsheets. We had veto power. We had arguments lasting until 2:00 AM.
Tessa looks up at us.
“For the boy,” she says, looking at Ethan. “We wanted something strong. Something that means he can carry the world, but he doesn’t have to do it alone.”
