Page 16 of Coming Innocent
“You two can go next,” Joseph directs to her and Austin. “They’ve been asking for you both.”
“Come on, darlin’”
They follow the nurse as he directs them to a room at the end of the hall.
“Here we are. I believe they want to take you to see the twins, so I’ll wait here to escort Mrs. Chamberlain.”
Nikki enters the room and almost collapses in joy when she sees her friend smiling widely as she and Logan gaze at a camera in his hands.
“Nikki!” Avery exclaims as she props herself up on her pillows.
“Oh, Avery,” she cries as she rushes as fast as she can on swollen ankles to the bed. “How are you feeling?”
Grinning, Avery says, “I’m good. Nikki, I have two babies. Oh my gosh, they’re just…everything.”
“I’m so happy for you, Avery. For you both,” Nikki adds as she glances over to where Logan and Austin stand against the window, sexy smirks on their faces as they gaze at them.
“Would you like to go meet them?” Logan asks as he looks over to Austin.
“Absolutely. There is a nurse outside the door with a chair for Avery if she isn’t up to walking just yet.”
Nikki and Austin walk hand in hand as they follow behind Logan and a shuffling Avery up to the NICU unit. Once they get approval to enter, the group heads towards the back of the room where the twins reside.
Nikki glances into the plastic container and can’t help the look of awe that graces her face. The two tiny infants lie next to each other, one o each of their hands clasped together, each baby needing the connection of the other.
“Say hello to Caroline and Everett. Caroline and Everett, say hello to your godparents,” Logan introduces as he wraps an arm around Avery.
“Really? Guys, we’d be honored to be their godparents. Thank you so much.”
“Would you like to hold them?” a nurse asks from where she checks the monitors, each sprouting wires that trace down to the babies.
“Yes, please.”
It takes a few minutes, but the nurse places a bundled Caroline into Austin’s hold and then a sleeping Everett into Nikki’s waiting arms.
“Oh guys, they are just gorgeous. Hi, little Everett, I’m your aunt Nikki and I love you so much. I’m going to spoil you and your sister with all of the sugar you can imagine and then hand you back to your parents.”
“Gee, thanks,” Logan chuckles.
Averting her gaze from the sleeping form in her arms, Nikki looks up at Avery, who stands beside her brother Austin staring down at Caroline.
“You have a beautiful family. Congratulations, guys.”
Just then a rumble sounds from beneath the blanket in her arms and then a waft of horrific stench passes across her nose.
“And this is my cue to hand Mr. Everett back to the nurse.”
Chapter Six
IT HAS BEEN AN agonizing series of weeks leading up to this day. Avery and Logan had taken up residence in Asheville while the twins had been in the NICU. But today, today she is scheduled to take them home.
At first, she had been under the impression that Everett would have to stay for another week or two, but he has been catching up to his sister faster than anyone anticipated. So here she and Logan stand at the front of the hospital discharge area holding two empty baby carriers as a nurse double checks the bases in the car to make sure they are secure.
“All looks good,” she says with a quick grin. “Now let’s go get your babies.”
They follow the nurse up to the pediatric floor where their infants wait to be discharged. Logan begins filling out the paperwork as Avery continues to follow their escort. She gestures to the bassinet holding both Caroline and Everett and Avery lets out a small gasp of surprise.
“Brooks?”
