Their maternity leaves were overlapping for two days. Maya had gone back to work for two days after Carina started feeling better, working late both days as she got ready to go on leave.

She was still planning on doing a little work when she had time, but that was going to be minimal because she wanted to spend as much time as she could with the girls and Carina when she wasn't working.

As the day arrived for her to go on leave, however, Maya found herself getting more and more anxious about what would happen. She knew everything would be fine, but because she had just earned this promotion, she worried about being judged by others, worried about letting her boss down, and worried about what would happen in her absence.

On her last day in her office, Andy came in as she was working long after she should have gone home.

"Why are you still here?" her best friend asked, sitting down.

"I'm just trying to make sure I have all my files in order," Maya said, shrugging.

"You're having a hard time with this, aren't you?" Andy asked, "Going on leave I mean."

"I'm excited about the time I am going to get with Nora and Rowan," Maya said with a sigh, "But leaving all of this... I don't know... Do I sound like a bad mom because I'm having second thoughts about being off for 3 months? That I'm kinda starting to dread just being the babies 24/7?"

"No," Andy said, shaking her head, "You are allowed to love your kids and your job. And it's a change, a big one for the next few months."

Maya nodded, putting another file on her shelf.

"I promise to keep you in the loop with everything happening here," Andy said as Maya put one last binder on her shelf, "Now, come on, your desk is immaculate, your files are away. Go home. It's almost midnight. I'm sure Carina is waiting for you."

"Yeah," Maya said, "I texted her and told her it was going to be late tonight. Hopefully, she and the girls are all asleep when I get home. Why are you up?"

"Couldn't sleep," Andy said, shrugging, "Robert and I were going over adoption paperwork before shift today, and it's all a lot."

Robert and Andy had finally decided that they were going to adopt to grow their family which would let Andy keep working instead of going through another pregnancy. Also, for as much as Andy wanted another baby, her pregnancy with Luca had been rough on her body, ending up with her on bed rest for the last two months of being pregnant so not going through that again seemed like a good idea.

"How is it going?" Maya asked as she packed her bag.

"We're in the middle of background checks right now," Andy said, "Which means we are going to have to explain Robert's arrest from during the pandemic which our lawyer insists won't be an issue because he wasn't officially charged, but it's still nerve racking. And his trial here and his addiction which hopefully won't be an issue. It shouldn't according to Washington rules. I mean, he's been clean for almost five years and he goes to AA and does everything he's supposed to."

"Well, if there's anything you need, let me know," Maya said, "I was there during that whole thing, and I still can't believe what happened."

Andy nodded, not particularly enjoying thinking back to that time in their lives.

"Actually, I was going to ask, could you write a letter for us," Andy said as Maya stood there, "Like a letter of recommendation basically, just saying we would be good parents. I can send you the official thing."

"Of course," Maya said, nodding, knowing she knew Robert and Andy better than just about anyone, "I would be happy to. Any kid would be lucky to have you two as parents, and Luca as a brother. He's so sweet with the girls."

"Thanks," Andy said, "I'll send it to you. Now, go. Get home to your wife and daughters. I'll bring Luca by for a playdate soon."

"Bye Andy," Maya said, smiling at her friend, "Get some sleep."

Just then, the alarm started going off, sending the captain running downstairs. Maya watched as A shift loaded into their vehicles before she went out to her car, driving home.

Maya quietly walked into the house, putting her bag away before going up to their bedroom, finding all three of her girls sleeping. She walked over to the bassinets the girls were in, leaning down and kissing each of them on the forehead before changing into her pajamas, getting ready for bed before slipping in next to Carina.

The brunette rolled over, eyes cracking open.

"You're home," she smiled sleepily.

"I am," Maya said, leaning over and giving her a kiss, "For the next three months. Now, go back to sleep."

Carina nodded as Maya wrapped her arms around her wife as they both drifted off.

The following day, they just spent time together as a family, the day feeling much like a normal day that Maya had off. They took the girls on a walk, went out for lunch, and just enjoyed time as a family. Carina had therapy around 2, but other than that, the entire day was spent together.

The day after, however, was much different. Carina woke up in the middle of the night having a panic attack, practically jumping out of bed to check on the babies, collapsing into Maya's arms once she realized they were alright.

"I'm right here," Maya said softly, holding Carina as she struggled to get her breath back.

"It was terrible," Carina said after she calmed down, "I dreamed I woke up and they had both stopped breathing."

"They are ok," Maya said, pulling her close, "They are breathing and their hearts are beating and they are sleeping. They are safe and you are safe."

Carina nodded, holding onto Maya. It took almost two hours, but eventually, Carina fell back to sleep. That didn't last long, however, the girls waking up at 4 am for their feeding. Neither mom fell asleep after that, just sitting in bed, Maya's arm wrapped around Carina.

"It is going to be ok," Maya said, pressing a kiss behind her wife's ear.

Carina nodded, just leaning into Maya's arms. The girls woke up for the day at 8, Carina feeding them again before the entire family went downstairs. Normally, the girls would do tummy time first thing in the morning, but today, all Carina wanted was to hold the girls.

"I don't know if I can go back tomorrow," Carina said, looking down as Nora stuck her hand in her mouth.

"Babe," Maya said, drawing her attention up to her face, "You can do it. You want to go back. You love your job."

"But what if something happens while I'm gone?" Carina asked, feeling her anxiety rise.

"Then I will be right here with them," Maya said, "I will be here if anything happens."

Carina nodded, trying to let that make her feel better. Carina held the girls for most of the day, just needing to be with them.

"You need to eat," Maya said around the girls 2:30 nap time, "Let's put them in their bassinets and have some lunch."

"I... alright," Carina said, handing Nora to Maya.

They carried them upstairs, laying them down. Carina just watched them, feeling like she did when they were newborns.

"They are ok," Maya said, strapping on the monitors to the babies' feet, "We can watch their heartrates and oxygen levels. Come on. Let's go eat."

Carina took a deep breath, pulling herself away from the sides of the bassinets. Maya made them lunch before they both sat down to eat.

"Carina, they are going to be fine," Maya reassured her, "I will send you pictures all day and we can facetime when you are free, and you are only working during the days for now, and it's only parttime for the first two weeks. Everything will be alright."

"Logically, I know that," Carina sighed, stirring the soup Maya had made around her bowl, "But... No lo so... It's like every time I start thinking about the babies, my brain turns it into something scary that could happen to them and I can't make it stop."

"I know," Maya said, nodding, "I know it's hard, but you can do it."

"Maybe I should just quit my job," Carina said, biting her lip.

"If that is what you want, we will find a way to make it work," Maya said, "But I don't think that's really what you want."

"How do you know what I want?" Carina said angrily, "I want my babies to be safe."

"Our babies," Maya mumbled, knowing it didn't really matter, but she wanted to remind her wife that they were in this together, "You want our babies to be safe, and they will be. They will be here with me, their very capable other mother who happens to be a trained EMT and fire fighter. I can keep them safe, Car. And I know that if you quit your job, you would be miserable in a few years when the girls are in school because you love what you do, saving moms and helping women with issues that don't get nearly enough attention. You will get bored around here and eventually, you will start to resent our kids and you can ask Andy what it feels like to be resented by a parent."

"I know," Carina said, looking down at her hands, tears filling her eyes faster than she could blink them away and soon, she was sobbing, "I just want to be there for them. I don't want them to think I abandon them."

At that moment, it clicked for both of them, what was causing the bulk of Carina's anxiety about going back to work. Sure, she was still dealing with her postpartum hormones and the anxiety that was creating, but really, at the root of it, Carina was terrified to become her mother, to make her kids feel how she felt as a child when she was left.

"Oh babe," Maya said, getting up and wrapping Carina in a hug, "The girls won't think you abandon them because you will still be here. You will be home with them plenty, and if you are gone some of the time, it will just make them miss you a little which will make them happier to see you when you come home. It is good for you to work too, so you can miss them and not resent them. You aren't abandoning them when you go to work. You are just showing them that Mamma is a badass who saves lives and still comes home to them and loves them so hard. You working does not make you a bad mom, Car. I personally think it will make you a better mom because you will have something that you can do outside of the girls so they don't wear you down."

Carina nodded, still sobbing into Maya's chest. They moved to the couch, lunch forgotten as Maya just held Carina, trying to help her calm down. About an hour and a half after the girls went down, they heard a cry coming from upstairs.

"I bet it Rowan," Maya said, getting up.

"That girl sleeps like her mommy," Carina nodded, laughing a little, "Not a lot."

"She sleeps way more than me," Maya said, shaking her head, "But you're right. Compared to Nora, Ro is not great at sleeping."

Maya's insomnia was something she had struggled with since she could remember, having vivid memories of being 7 or 8 and lying in bed wide awake for hours at a time, too anxious to sleep. She was pretty sure it started when her dad started training her a lot, causing more stress on little Maya than her brain could handle.

Maya hated her dad for destroying her ability to sleep through the night even as an adult, yet another lasting effect from his decades of abuse, and she was determined to never let that happen to her daughters. They went upstairs, finding that actually, both babies were awake.

"Good afternoon," Maya said, scooping Rowan up while Carina grabbed Nora.

They took them downstairs, Carina feeding them before just holding them tight, talking to them while they just sat there. Maya sat there with them, just watching her wife interact with their daughters, realizing this was going to be her life, full time, for the next three months.

She wasn't sure she was going to feel the same way as her wife about returning to work. She felt a little guilty already thinking about going back to work when she had been on maternity leave for all of 36 hours, but she pushed those thoughts out of her head for now, hoping that once she got into a groove with the babies, that she would enjoy being home with her daughters.

"How am I going to leave them tomorrow?" Carina sighed as Rowan smiled at her.

"It's probably going to be hard," Maya said, putting an arm around her wife, "And however you feel about it tomorrow, that's ok, but you are going to do it because you need to."

"Lo so," Carina said, leaning down and kissing Nora's fluffy brown hair, "I will do it."

"And then you will come home and snuggle with them and they will know how much you love them," Maya said, kissing Carina's cheek.

The rest of the day was mostly spent just hanging out on the couch, Carina holding the girls except for when they had their late afternoon nap. Maya made dinner then while Carina grabbed out her work bag, checking what her schedule was for the following day, smiling when she saw one of her favorite patients was on the schedule. She did a little bit of paperwork she needed to get done before the girls woke up again. They had dinner and spent a little more time with the girls before going upstairs to get ready for bed.

They gave the girls a bath before dressing them in pajamas, Carina giving them their last feed before putting them to bed at 8 pm. The two moms then went downstairs, watching part of a movie before going to bed.

The night was not the least bit restful for Carina, the brunette waking up about an hour after falling asleep because her thoughts were racing. She tried to calm down, but it just wasn't happening and she spend the entire night awake.

She fed the twins around four, Maya waking up a little, but quickly falling back to sleep once the girls were settled. Carina, however, had been nauseous all night, and around 5, got up and went into the bathroom, feeling like she was about to be sick.

When Maya woke up at 5:30, she was a little confused about where her wife was, but she saw the bathroom door closed, figuring she had just gotten up to use the bathroom. Maya got out of bed, pulling on her running clothes.

However, once she was completely ready for her run, Carina was still in the bathroom.

Concerned, she quietly knocked, "Car, babe. Are you ok?"

"I don't know," Carina mumbled, and Maya slowly opened the door, gasping a little when she saw her wife sitting on the floor next to the toilet, looking terrible.

"Are you sick babe?" Maya asked, kneeling down next to her, hand on her forehead, noting the lack of a fever.

"Just really really anxious," Carina said, shaking her head, "I just can't stop thinking about going back to work and how I am going to leave the babies and..."

Carina was cut off by her stomach, leaning over the toilet and retching while Maya held her hair and rubbed her back.

"It's ok, babe," Maya said, "Take deep breaths. You are going to be alright."

Carina's stomach calmed again and the woman leaned back, Maya flushing the toilet before grabbing her a cup of water.

"I hate when this happens," Carina mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"I know," Maya nodded, having gone through this with her wife before, once the night before her father's funeral, another time the night before she proposed which Maya didn't know at the time, but figured out later, "But you will be alright."

Carina nodded, leaning her head on Maya's shoulder. Eventually, Carina's stomach calmed and they got up, going back into their bedroom. They spent the next hour and a half curled up in bed, Maya just trying to help her wife calm down.

"I need to get ready," Carina groaned, seeing it was already 7, "I have work at 9, and I want to feed the babies before I go."

"What can I do?" Maya asked as Carina got up.

"I don't know," the doctor said, pulling out some clothes, "Coffee? I didn't really sleep last night."

"You should have woken me up," Maya frowned, getting out of bed.

Carina just shrugged, going to get a shower while Maya went to make coffee and toast to help calm Carina's anxious stomach.

Once it was ready, she brought it upstairs, finding Rowan awake in her bassinet.

"Good morning Patatina," Maya said, picking up the little girl as she smiled, "Did you sleep well?"

Rowan cooed a little, smiling again at Maya. The two blondes went into the bathroom, finding Carina drying her hair.

"Coffee, toast, and baby kisses," Maya said, setting down the plate and cup before holding Rowan so Carina could give her a kiss, "I'll keep her entertained until you're ready."

Carina nodded as Maya walked out of the bathroom. She went and dressed Rowan, having plans for the morning. She then went and found Nora awake too, quickly getting her ready before going back into the master bedroom, Carina just coming out of the bathroom.

"Why are they already dressed?" Carina asked, sitting down on the bed to get ready to feed them.

"Well, I was thinking," Maya said, handing her Rowan then Nora, "I still need to get a run in, and the hospital is only 7 blocks from here, and it's not too cold so we are going to walk you to work today, and then I am going to take them on a jog."

"Seriously?" Carina asked, looking at Maya.

"Yeah," the blonde said, not quite able to read her wife's expressions, "If that's ok?"

"That is perfect," Carina nodded, tears welling up in her eyes, "Si. Grazie Bambina."

"I just thought it might make you feel a little better about leaving them," Maya said, nodding, "And we have that nice jogging stroller that I have only used once, but now that I'm on leave, I think it's time to break it in."

"Baciami," Carina said, unable to move because there were two babies attached to her.

Maya obliged before going downstairs, getting everything she would need to take the girls on a run including blankets, their jackets, booties, and hats.

Once everything was ready and Carina was done feeding them, they family of four headed out. The walk to the hospital only took about 15 minutes and soon enough, they were walking in and heading up to Carina's office.

"Why is my light on?" Carina wondered, confused.

"Welcome back," Amelia, Teddy, Andrew, Bailey, and Maggie called as they walked in.

"What..." Carina said, startled a little before smiling, "Thank you."

Everyone walked over to the door, cooing over the babies. Carina took them out, handing Rowan to Teddy and Nora to Maggie. They all went over to the couch, Maya smiling as she watched her wife talk to her friends.

"Amelia," Maya said before the neurosurgeon could walk away, "Thank you for this. She's been so anxious about coming back."

"This was a good idea," Amelia nodded, "I'm glad you asked me to do it. I know how hard it is to come back to work after having a baby and I wasn't struggling like she had been."

Maya nodded, sighing as she watched their friend pass the girls around, knowing she was about to have to leave.

Just then, Teddy, Amelia, and Bailey's pagers started going off, all of them running for the pit.

"I need to go too," Maggie said, "Winston and I have our cake tasting in an hour."

"Have fun," Carina called as her friend left.

This left Andrew and Carina holding the girls.

"I need to go too," Andrew said, kissing his niece before handing her to Maya, "Welcome back