Chapter 48

There"s a soft knock at the door, and I turn to see Dr. Raver.

"Congratulations," she begins in a professional and comforting tone. She comes to stand at the end of the bed. "The delivery went well," she says.

"Thank you. But how could we not know we had triplets during the ultrasound?" I ask, my voice filled with a mix of shock and curiosity.

"Well, sometimes, positioning of the babies, especially with triplets, can make it difficult to detect all of them clearly on the ultrasound," she explains. "In your case, the third baby was positioned so she was hidden from view. It"s a miracle you carried the babies to full term. But most importantly, all three of your babies are healthy." She turns her attention to Donnie. "Your boyfriend did an exceptional job delivering your boys."

The corner of my lip curls up, and I extend my hand to hold his, feeling the warmth as our fingers interlace.

Yes, he did.

He looks down at me, and his smile is infectious and genuine, as if happiness has become a permanent resident on his face.

"Now, let"s talk about your aftercare plan," she begins. "First, it"s important to allow your body to heal, so make sure you get plenty of rest," Dr. Raver emphasizes, her voice firm yet gentle. "Second, your incision site will need special attention. Be sure to keep the area clean and dry. You can use soap and water and pat it dry with a clean towel. Avoid applying any lotions or creams."

Donnie gently squeezes my hand and says, "I"ll take care of it."

That earns him a smile from Dr. Raver.

"As for pain management, I"ll prescribe suitable medications for you as needed. These medications will help alleviate any discomfort you may experience during your recovery," she explains.

Dr. Raver continues explaining the rest of the care plan, including refraining from sexual activities for the first six weeks as long as I"m not in pain or bleeding.

"Do you have any questions for me?" she asks.

"No, thank you, Dr. Raver," Donnie and I respond in unison.

She nods and continues. "I want to see you in a few weeks for a check-up to monitor your recovery progress and address any concerns you may have."

"I will."

"Great. If you have any questions, call me anytime." With a warm smile, she says goodbye and exits the room.

When she leaves, I turn my attention back to my babies. "Hi. I love you so much," I whisper with joy.

Holding our precious babies, I cradle them tenderly, feeling their warmth and delicate weight in my arms.

I look at each of their sweet innocent faces. "I'm going to love you so hard," I choke out. Donnie leans in and places a kiss on my forehead and rests his against mine.

"You are fucking amazing," he says softly, his tone full of love.

When I look back up at him, he leans in and kiss me with so much passion. He sits beside me as we stare down at our boys and little girl.

Nothing else matters at this moment.

The next day

I look down at my adorable trio of little ones, and I"m flooded with emotions that are too hard to put into words. The moment I first held them in my arms, my heart was filled with so much love and joy. They are so tiny and beautiful—a mix of Donnie and me.

The door opens, and Donnie walks in with Sophia in his arms. With a grin, he walks over to me and says, "Hey, baby. Look who"s here."

The door widens, and my crew, Mom, Abuela, Elisa, Javi, Gabby, Abigail, Ash, and Donnie"s parents walk in.

"Oh, my god." I can't contain the giddy excitement bubbling within me at seeing my family in one room.

Tia and Lupe push their way toward me while almost knocking Max and Gio on their asses. They stand beside me on my right side.

Elisa and Jo stand at the foot of the bed while Javi and Gabby sit against the wall, Gabby bouncing Abi in her arms.

Mom and Abuela sit in the two chairs closer to me, while Ash stands beside the bed near my feet along with his parents. Telle and Tiny occupy the seats on each side of the bed.

The room is so full of people that it feels like we are packed in like sardines.

"Say cheese and that Jo is the best uncle." I look up at Jo just as the camera clicks softly.

Javi snorts at his best uncle comment, making me laugh.

"Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie," Tia coos. She hovers over me and gazes lovingly at my babies. "They are so perfect," she gushes.

"What are their names?" Mom asks, gazing at my bundles of joy.

With pride swelling in my heart, I run my finger across our first son, wrapped in a cozy red blanket adorned with baseball prints and donning a matching cap. He has bright blue eyes, just like his father, and curly dark brown hair.

"This is Xavier Rey." I look up at Javi, seeing his eyes shimmer with tears. "Xavier for Javier and Rey, meaning king for my kings." I then shift my gaze to Seb, Gio, and Max, who also hold back tears.

Moving on to the next one, I tenderly rest my hand on his belly, the baby wrapped in a blue blanket with playful baseball prints and wearing a cute cap.

"And this little one," I say with a smile, "is Isaiah Asher." I glance up and notice Ash"s eyes brimming with tears.

Isaiah, like his brother, also has bright blue eyes, but his hair is wavy and dark. He was born just five minutes after his brother. Jacquie mentioned that Donnie and Ash were also born five minutes apart, which was a freaky coincidence.

Looking back down, I move my hand to stroke the cheek of the third baby, wrapped in a soft pink blanket with shimmering gold stars. "And this," I whisper lovingly, "is Zoey Jakeilee—our secret angel." I look up to Jo and say, "Zoey for Jo and Jakeilee in honor of Jake." I look around to see a scene of overwhelming emotions. Jo, in particular, seems to be struggling with intense emotions as he shudders and gasps for breath. Despite his feelings, he manages a smile and a nod of approval.

"How are you feeling?" Gabby asks, patting Abi on her back.

"Exhausted but so freaking happy," I reply.

They give me loving, warm smiles.

Sophia begins to babble, and I look up to her. Donnie kisses her temple and said, "You want to see your brothers and sisters?" Sophia looks at Donnie, gives him a toothy grin, and claps her hands together. Donnie sits beside me as Sophia stares at the babies.

"Ba-ba," she says quietly, pointing at the babies.

"Yeah, babies," I say.

While in Donnie"s grip, Sophia leans down and kisses her brothers and sister. The babies open their eyes at her touch, and their gazes immediately land on her.

Sophia starts to baby talk, as if she"s conversing with her siblings. It"s the sweetest thing I have ever seen.

I look up to see everyone with their phones out, snapping picture after picture.

Then I turn to Donnie and say, "Let"s put the babies in the bassinets so they can take turns holding them."

"Okay," he says.

Donnie hands Sophia to my mom while he carefully lifts the babies from my lap one by one, with one hand supporting their heads and the other their butts. After placing them in their bassinets, everyone gradually surrounds them.

"They are freaking cute as hell," Gio announces proudly.

Max shoves his head inside the bassinet. "Why does everyone think babies are cute?" he asks. He pops his head out and turns to me with an incredulous expression. "They look like gremlins," he says.

Lupe smacks Max over the head. "What is the matter with you?"

Max rubs his head and glares at Lupe. "They look like gremlins with their wrinkly skin, oversized heads, and beady eyes," he says with a shrug. "It"s not a bad thing. They"ll grow out of it," he adds.

Tia interrupts the conversation by shaking her head and saying, "Please stop talking."

I giggle.

"My turn," Ash announces as he walks to the bassinet and scoops Xavier into his arms with ease.

"Hold his head," Donnie tells him.

"I know," Ash replies with a confident grin.

I sit there as a warm feeling spreads through my heart. My eyes sweep over the room, taking it all in—the people I love most gathered around my little ones. They are cooing and fussing over the babies, showering them with love and attention. I feel content and at peace at that moment, knowing that my family is happy and healthy. It is a damn good feeling, and one I could never tire of.

An hour passes, and I am snuggling with Sophia when there is a tap at the door.

The nurse walks into the cramped hospital room, surveying the group of visitors with a friendly grin. "Well, isn"t this a full house?" she quips, her tone lighthearted. "I hate to break up the party, but mamma needs to rest," she adds, casting a sympathetic glance my way.

The family groans in protest, but they all know I desperately need to rest. Reluctantly, they begin to bid their farewells, hugging and kissing me before making their way toward the door.

Jo takes Sophia from my arms, holding her close as he leans in to whisper a soft goodbye against my forehead. "Love you, Sade," he murmurs, his voice filled with emotion.

"I love you," I reply, my eyes following my family out of the room as they disappeared from sight.

Not soon after the nurse checks my vitals, my eyes gradually become heavy, lulling me into a peaceful slumber.