Chapter 47

Ididn"t have to perform a C-section.

The ambulance arrived in time, and to my relief, they had a pre-med student accompanying them who was more than capable of delivering the baby without any complications.

A little girl.

An absolutely gorgeous baby with curly brown hair like Shorty.

I rode in the ambulance with Shorty and the babies. Unfortunately, due to the level three snow emergency, the roads were closed to non-emergency vehicles. Which meant our friends had to stay behind. But as soon as the roads are clear and safe, they promise to meet us at the hospital.

A soft moan catches my attention. It is Shorty, slowly opening her eyes, blinking, and trying to focus her vision.

"Hey, you"re awake," I say, standing up from the chair and leaning over until our gaze connected.

She looks up at me, her eyes widening with disbelief. "Donnie, how long was I out?"

I lean down and place a tender kiss on her lips. As I slightly pull away, I whisper, "You were out for a while, but don"t worry, everything is fine."

Shorty glances around the room and notices the three bassinets, her eyes filling with tears. "Three babies... I can"t believe it," she whispers in astonishment.

She turns toward me and gently touches my face, holding it close to hers. "You were freaking incredible. You delivered our babies. Thank you."

Tears blur my vision, but I blink them away so I can see her more clearly. I run the pad of my fingers over her delicate features, tracing the capillaries under her eyes, which broke during delivery. "You are so beautiful. You did good, baby," I say with a surge of pride and love. I lean in to kiss her lips, savoring the softness of her skin. My lips linger a little longer, not wanting this moment to end.

She smiles.

"Do you want to hold your babies?" I flash a grin.

She nods vehemently and nibbles on her lower lip.

I reach for the controller and press the button to raise the head of her bed. Walking toward the babies, I push the first bassinet closer to the bed. My eyes shift toward my firstborn son, wrapped snugly in a soft blue blanket like a burrito. I lift him from the basket and carry him toward Shorty. She eagerly extends her arms to welcome him, and I carefully place him into them. She holds him close to her chest.

"Can you bring me the other babies?" she asks, her tearful eyes never leaving our son.

"Yeah?"

She nods and quietly says, "Yeah."

I bring the babies and place them on her lap one by one. She cradles them and coos softly as she gazes down at their face. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I type in the code, unlocking the screen. My fingers move as I navigate to the camera icon, and with a soft "click," I lift the phone to take a photo.

Fucking beautiful.