30. Jenner

Chapter 30

Jenner

It didn't matter that it was early afternoon. I knew better by now than to come into the house and make a ton of noise. If one or both of my girls were sleeping, I didn't want to risk disturbing their much-needed rest.

Stepping through the silent first floor, I had a suspicion that was the case today. And I wasn't mad about it. With a game tonight, I couldn't think of anything better than slipping into bed beside my wife and having her warm body pressed against mine as I took my own nap in preparation for the grind on the ice later.

But as I climbed the stairs, I heard a faint sound coming from the open door to Hope's room. Venturing closer, I took a peek inside, and what I encountered stole my breath away.

Evie was seated in the glider rocking chair near the window, her legs working to keep a rhythmic motion as she fed our daughter a bottle and sang to her softly.

It didn't matter how many years we'd pictured the moment we would become parents; nothing could compare to the reality. Warmth spread from my chest, and my heart threatened to burst watching my wife love on our little girl.

This was the role Evie had been born to play.

Everything was already perfect, having Hope in our lives, and I couldn't begin to imagine how incredible it would be once our boys joined us, turning our tiny family into a large one overnight.

"Hey," I said softly, stepping inside.

Violet eyes, filled with love, looked up, and my stunning wife smiled. Speaking to our daughter, she whispered, "Look, Daddy's home."

I extended my hands. "Want me to take her?"

Evie shook her head. "No, I'm good right here. I'll finish feeding her, and then you can burp her and put her down."

"Sounds like a deal." I knelt at her feet, content to watch on as my wife and daughter's bond grew by the day.

We'd fought hard to achieve our ideal version of domestic bliss, but now that we had it? There was nothing more beautiful in this world.

-

"Jenner!" My name uttered on a pained cry had me bolting upright in bed.

In the middle of the night, our bedroom was dark, and my brain was so groggy that it took a moment to process what I was seeing.

Evie was writhing on the mattress beside me, her face pinched in pain as she gasped for breath.

Fuck. I'd known we would be on high alert for the next few months, but I thought we had more time. She'd only hit twenty-seven weeks yesterday.

Tamping down my panic that it was far too soon for our sons to be born, I tried to keep my voice calm when I spoke. "Talk to me, Evie."

Teeth gritted, she hissed out, "Cramp."

Relief surged through my veins.

"Tell me where."

Fisting the pillow by her side, she sucked in a sharp breath. "Leg."

I wasn't a stranger to muscle cramps and knew how agonizing they could be when they came upon you suddenly. Kneeling beside my wife, I palpated down the leg closest to me first, then switched to the other and worked my way up. The minute I pressed into her upper calf, she screamed.

The muscle was locked tight beneath my touch, and I knew it was only going to hurt more before it felt better.

"Breathe," I coached as I dug my thumbs in, rubbing tight circles against the hard knot beneath the skin.

"Can't," Evie panted before letting out another series of screams when I hit a particularly tender spot.

I shifted my stance on the bed, straddling her uninjured leg so she didn't kick me out of reflex.

"I've got you, but try to relax, babe."

"Fuck off," she gritted out, and I had to bite back a smile. Labor was going to be a real picnic with this one.

"I know it's hard, but you have to try. Deep breaths, okay? Focus on that while I try to get your calf to loosen up."

My girl whined but forced herself to slow her erratic breathing.

"That's my good girl. You're doing great," I praised.

Wryly, she remarked, "That doesn't have quite the same impact outside of sex."

I chuckled. "There she is."

Beneath my fingertips, her muscles finally gave way under the counterpressure, and Evie flopped back with a relieved sigh.

"That sucked," she breathed out.

"I'll bet." I shifted off the bed and headed for the bathroom. "I'm gonna rub you down with some of my muscle salve, and hopefully, you won't be too sore tomorrow."

Returning to the edge of the bed with the container in hand, I had barely unscrewed the lid when tiny cries filtered through the baby monitor.

Evie threw an arm over her eyes. "Fuck. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." I patted the side of her thigh. "Honestly, I would have been impressed as hell if she could sleep through all that."

Her nose wrinkled. "Was I that loud?"

"Let's just say we'll be lucky if the neighbors don't call the cops thinking I tried to kill you," I teased back. "You stay here. I'll bring her in and then work on your leg while you feed her."

She nodded, and I padded out of our bedroom. Hustling downstairs to the kitchen, I warmed a bottle before pushing into the nursery right off the master suite.

Our little girl was pissed at having her sleep interrupted, and I couldn't blame her. No one enjoyed being jarred from a restful slumber like the three of us had been tonight. Though, Evie had had it the worst of all of us.

"Hey, little one. Did Mama wake you up with her hollering?"

I reached into the crib before cradling Hope to my bare chest. It would never get old feeling how perfectly she fit there.

Giving her a quick change, I brought her into our room, declaring, "Someone's wide awake and ready to party."

Evie was no longer reclined. Instead, she sat up in bed with one leg tucked beneath her and the other outstretched. Sitting like that, her belly dipped low enough to brush the mattress, and I marveled at how it got bigger with each passing day.

"She's not the only one," my wife grumbled, pressing both hands to the sides of her swollen stomach. "Would seem my middle of the night screamfest woke them all up."

Coming closer, I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Can't say I blame them. FOMO is very real, and it sounded like you were having a good old time without them in here."

She shot me a dirty look. "Not exactly the kind of screaming good time I prefer."

"Shhh," I teased, widening my eyes and placing a finger over my lips. "Not in front of the kids."

The love of my life rolled her beautiful eyes. "You're ridiculous."

"I know." I winked, handing her our daughter first and then the bottle. "But you love me."

"Only God knows why," Evie shot back, but there was humor in her voice.

Once I was sure she had Hope handled, I went to work rubbing the salve into her leg. Her soft sighs of relief went straight to my dick, but I told him to calm the hell down. Not only was our daughter in the room, but this woman had been in total agony less than half an hour ago. Now was definitely not the time.

"How much water have you been drinking?" I asked, focused on kneading her sore muscles.

When Evie didn't reply, I peeked up, only to find her chewing her lower lip guiltily.

"Evie . . ." I gave her a disapproving sigh.

"I get busy, okay?" Her tone grew defensive. "I'm dealing with a lot." She threw a pointed look at our daughter.

"Did you enjoy tonight?" I challenged.

"You know I didn't. Don't be a smartass."

"You're missing the point. If you want to minimize the risk of it happening again, you need to make sure to stay well-hydrated. Something you should be doing anyway."

"I know. And I'm trying. I swear."

"Okay." She'd been through enough tonight, so I let it drop with the intention of finding a way to make it easier for her to stay on top of her water intake.

Propping Hope on her shoulder, she patted her tiny back gently. A soft burp sounded, and Evie peeked over her shoulder to stare at our infant daughter.

"She's out like a light," she whispered.

"Good." I gently eased Hope into my arms. "I'll put her back down, and then it's time for all of us to get some rest."

For once, Evie didn't argue, shifting down the mattress until she could curl onto her side.

I kept telling myself the worry would lessen once the twins were here, but I knew I was fooling myself into thinking that. In reality, I would have even more people to love and protect and care for.

But I couldn't fucking wait.

Hooking my keys beside the door to the mudroom, the first thing I heard was Hope's cries echoing throughout the house.

The hairs on the back of my neck raised instantly, my feet moving up the stairs before my brain caught up. The PTSD of finding Evie unconscious was still too fresh in my mind, and knowing she could go into labor at any time had me on edge.

Finding Hope screaming in her crib did nothing to quell my panic. There was no way Evie wouldn't go to her the moment she heard our daughter crying. Even if she was napping herself, she always got up. And I knew that because I loved catching glimpses of them on the baby monitor app on my phone when I wasn't home.

"Hey, hey. It's okay, honey." I scooped up Hope, bouncing her as I strode from the room in search of my heavily pregnant wife.

"Evie!" I called out but received no response.

Fuck, she was nowhere to be seen in our bedroom. My pulse kicked up, and I found it hard to breathe.

Please, God, let her be okay.

The only place remaining that I hadn't searched was the ensuite bathroom. Approaching the open door, I hear the softest sniffles over the blood rushing in my ears.

"Baby?"

Turning the corner, I found her sitting on the floor, propped against the massive jacuzzi tub. Head in her hands, she wept quietly.

Momentarily paralyzed by fear, I froze at the threshold.

"Evie, honey?" I tried again.

She lifted her head, and her red-rimmed eyes peered at me.

Cautiously, I stepped into the room. "Didn't you hear Hope crying?"

Her gaze honed in on our daughter, who was held tight to my chest. "I—I—" she began, but burst into tears before she could finish whatever she'd planned to say.

Dropping to the floor beside her, I used my free hand to brush away the tears lining her cheeks. "What's going on?"

She reached beside her and produced a roll of toilet paper, holding it up without a word, like I was expected to know exactly why she was so upset.

"Ummmmm." I stretched the word out, hoping she would pick up on my confusion. When she didn't, I prompted, "Is there a problem?"

Switching from sadness to rage in an instant, she chucked the roll at the opposite wall. My eyes widened in shock just before she screamed, "You bought the wrong brand!"

Holy shit.

That's what this was about? Toilet paper? Seriously?

This was my first real glimpse of pregnancy mood swings, and I was struggling with how to respond. Honestly, I was mildly terrified of my wife at the moment.

Even though every cell in my body begged me to ask what was wrong with the brand I'd purchased, having taken over most of the shopping these days, I bit my tongue. We didn't need to pour gasoline on this hormone-induced fire.

"I'm sorry, Evie. I didn't know. Next time I go to the store, you can make me a detailed list including what brands you prefer for our household products."

Giving myself a mental pat on the back for my placating reply, I was shocked when she yelled, "What the hell am I going to do until then? I can't use that !" She pointed an accusing finger at the roll that had unraveled when she'd launched it across the room.

"Okay." I held a hand up in surrender. "I'll go out right now. I'll even take Hope with me so you can have a moment to yourself."

Sniffling, she wiped the back of her hand beneath her nose. "No, you don't have to do that. She can stay here with me." Evie held her arms out to take our daughter.

Without hesitation, I handed Hope over, knowing that her sweet baby snuggles could make any day brighter.

Evie kissed the top of Hope's head, breathing in the scent like it would cure all that ailed her.

The sight of my two girls gave me the courage to say the thing that had been plaguing my mind for weeks. "I think it's time that we bring in help."

Evie's head whipped in my direction; her lower lip trembled, her voice small as she asked, "You think I can't take care of her?" She clutched our daughter closer to her chest.

Before my wife could dissolve into an emotional puddle again, I explained, "Actually, just the opposite. You take such good care of her that you're forgetting to take care of yourself." I placed my hand on her belly. "You can't forget that you're the sole caretaker for these two right now. Taking care of yourself is taking care of them."

Her gaze dropped to where I touched our unborn sons, resting beneath the bump. "I know. It's just—" Evie sighed heavily. "It's a lot of work caring for a newborn."

"You're right, it is," I agreed. "It's a major adjustment for anyone, let alone someone dealing with a high-risk multiple pregnancy. You have to cut yourself some slack here, babe. It's okay to let others help you."

"B-but I'm her mom, Jenner."

"And that won't ever change. She's never going to love anyone as much as she loves you. Our days of this cute little trio are numbered. Before we know it, you and I are going to be outnumbered. Hiring a nanny has always been on the horizon, but I think it'll be good for all of us if we make that move now. Don't you think?"

"Yeah." Evie nodded. "You're right."

Pressing a kiss to her temple, I whispered, "I only want what's best for you, for Hope, for our boys. Always."

Her head shifted to rest on my shoulder, and we sat on the cold bathroom floor for a while, our family unit sharing a moment of peace after the sudden storm.