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Laughter erupted, but when Ayelish didn’t chuckle along with them, each quickly turned to serious nods and agreed to keep it under wraps, avoiding eye contact with the soon-to-be bride.
As quickly as her demeanor went from light to dark, Ayelish’s mood shifted once more to delightful as she patted Killion’s arm and kissed the back of each baby's head. “It’s okay. You’re new at this parenting thing. And just for good measure, I’ll let you know now that I’ll remember this day as soon as these two precious miracles of yours are old enough for a lollipop.”
The crowd began to branch off to complete different duties to ready the space for the big event the next day.
Killion remained where he was and looked down at his children, miracles indeed, as a sullen look washed over him.
“They’ve been home a month today, Aye. They’ll be three months old tomorrow.” He began to sway from side to side when the babies stirred. “I can’t believe how fast it’s going by.”
“If it’s any consolation, you’re doing a fantastic job.” She wrapped an arm around her brother's waist and swayed with them as she gently stroked the back of her nephew's head. “You’re doing everything right for them.”
“I hope so. It hasn’t been easy, but they’re on a good schedule. Growing. Beating the odds they were given. Especially my little lady here.” Killion smiled weakly. “They sleep a lot, so I do a lot of research.”
“I don’t doubt that.” Ayelish giggled. “It’ll be nice to have Rainy home tomorrow. You won’t have to do it all alone anymore.”
“Yeah. I guess. No more trips up to the rehab center everyday where she’s been recovering.” Killion shrugged. “That hasn’t been easy for her. They’ve motivated her to work hard and get better so she can hold them, feed them, and ultimately get home to them. As it is, she’s beating the odds too and coming home much sooner than anyone predicted. But it’s still hard for her when we have to leave. She’s in tears every single time.”
“I can’t even imagine what it must be like for her. Missing their first several weeks of life only to wake up and still be separated from them. It’s too bad she couldn’t rehab here, but I understand why,” Ayelish replied. “Six weeks in a coma and a traumatic brain injury…”
“Too much to handle here. I looked into equipping the medical floor, but we wouldn’t have had anything here in time.” Killion sighed.
“Hey. Don’t do that. Don’t hang your head, brother. You have gone above and beyond to take care of everyone. NICU with the babies all day and night with short breaks to go check on Rainy. Then up at the rehab center every afternoon once they came home so she could continue to bond with them. You’re pretty incredible, Killion. They’re all lucky to have you.”
He shrugged. “I didn’t see any other way. They needed their mother to get healthy enough to come home and she needed them in order to heal and get the hell out of that facility.”
“You know, those two weeks after she’d been released from the hospital before the twins came home were difficult for her. Seeing your babies over a phone in a NICU just isn’t the same. When you got them home and started taking them to her, it was night and day. For all involved. I’ve never seen someone work so hard to get their strength and abilities back.” Ayelish swiped away a lone tear and rested her hand on her pregnant belly.
“They needed her too,” he said. “It won’t be easy coming home. She still needs to gain her strength and some things are still hard, but she’ll get there.”
“And you’ll be there to help her,” Ayelish added. “Right?”
“I’m going to be there to support my children and their mother, yes. I’ve been sleeping when they sleep, eat between their feedings, shower when I can squeeze it in –– usually right before I bathe them. I’ve been reading a lot and those tips seem to help.”
“I mean what about you and Rainy?” she asked. “The couple, not the parents.”
“What about us? Oh. We’ll share parenting duties. I’ve read a lot about co-parenting too and the benefits to a healthy environment…”
Ayelish rolled her eyes at his typical literal thinking. “I’m sure you have, but I’m asking about you and Rainy… romantically.”
“Just because I moved her into my place doesn’t mean there are any romantic notions flying around. It’s just practical. That’s all.”
“I understand you can’t just pick up where you left off, but there has to be something between you two still.”
Killion paused with sadness in his eyes, and pain filled his expression. “I don’t know how there can be. I was in a relationship –– or thought I was –– with Jenny, and that’s all I knew her as. I never knew her as Rainy, and that’s what makes everything complicated.”
“Oh, surely she’s the same person on more levels than you realize. Rainy is still the girl you knew before as Jenny. You just know more about her now.”
“That’s the problem. Knowing more means I never really knew her at all, doesn’t it?” Killion fired back and desperately waited for an answer like he’d been pondering this very thing and couldn’t make heads or tails of it. “I’m serious, Aye. Is she really the same person if the biggest part of her life was off-limits the entire time we were together? I know she said she did it to protect all of us, but doesn’t that come at a cost?”
Before Ayelish could respond, Carter Landry burst through the rooftop door, gaining everyone’s attention with his abrupt entrance causing the babies to stir. Something was off. Something… was wrong.
“I’m sorry I’m late, I had an emergency briefing.” Carter looked around, noting everyone who was present. “Most everyone is here. I’ll catch up the others shortly. We have a problem. A big fucking problem.”
3
Carter went straight to Killion and let out a deep sigh while wearing a weak smile as he took in the two babies Killion was holding. He palmed the back of each of their heads and gave them a gentle soothing rub, calming them both.
“Sorry,” he said, lowering his tone and reeling in the urgency in his voice. “I didn’t mean to wake them.”
