~ Madison's POV ~
"Maddie how are you feeling?"
"Like two babies want to claw themselves out of me."
My midwife let out a laugh as she nodded her head in understanding.
"The doctor will be here soon to administer the epidural and then you should be okay."
She's been saying that for the last ten minutes and I'm most definitely not okay yet.
Before I could argue with her, the door to my room opened revealing my bestfriend who looked extremely out of breath, carrying a bag of snacks which I asked her to get once I was told I would be here for at least another few hours.
"Holy crap, I'm so tired." She managed to walk over to my bed, dropping down on the chair next to it as she struggled to catch her breath.
"Is he here yet?" She lifted her head to look at me apprehensively before she shook her head.
"No, he's not answering his phone."
How is this even happening right now?
"He's going to miss the birth of his children." I let out a sigh which soon turned into a groan when I felt the contractions starting up again.
"Your mom will be here any minute Maddie and I'll keep trying to get hold of Santiago. We've got time, don't worry. They're not coming yet."
Considering from the moment I realised I was going into labour to now, she's been the only one trying to get things done, she was definitely handling it very well.
"It definitely feels like they are." She gave me a sympathetic smile, squeezing my hand in hers as I groaned.
"Now I bet you're wishing you didn't ask me to help you bring on your labour quicker." I managed to send her a glare just as another contraction hit.
Flashback
"So, we've tried the pineapple-"
"And it was disgusting." Stevie looked up from her phone to send me a glare when I interrupted her before she continued speaking.
"And the spicy food. Next is dancing." She got up excitedly choosing which song to put on while I just let out a groan.
"I can't dance Stevie, my back is killing me and I feel like if I breathe I might just explode. Then you'll have to hose me off the walls while holding both my children."
She rolled her eyes at my dramatic response, putting down her phone once she'd chosen a song.
"Yes you can, get up!" She came over to me, taking my hands in hers as she pulled me up off the couch. Just as I stood up, I felt a sudden wetness spread down below before we both heard a splash.
"Uh...I think the spicy food worked."
I let out another moan of pain, squeezing my eyes shut and holding Stevie's hand in mine just as the door opened. I opened my eyes, hoping to see the doctor who would be bringing me some kind of pain relief but all I saw was my mother.
"Ugh." I closed my eyes as the contraction began to fade and I could start to breathe a little easier.
"What a nice greeting from my only child. Ugh to you too Madison." I managed to crack one eye open for a second to give her a glare as she came and stood on the otherside of my bed across from Stevie.
"Stevie, it's nice to see you." Stevie greeted my mother in response and soon they were engrossed in a conversation like they usually were, acting completely normal as if I wasn't labouring between them.
Finally once she'd finished asking Stevie all about her internship at the fashion magazine, she turned her attention back to me.
"How are you doing Maddie? How's the pain?"
"It's really bad mom, I can't do this anymore, I want it to stop." I shook my head at her as tears filled my eyes when I saw the motherly smile on her face.
We'd hardly spoken ever since I told her I was pregnant. Both my parents weren't happy that I'd 'thrown my life away', but I don't think it was actually pregnancy that was the real issue. I think it was the fact Santiago was the father that made them hate the idea so much.
They were never keen on him while we were friends, they thought he would end up being a bad influence on me as we got older. But, after I took those pills the day he left, and I almost died, they've had this intense hatred for him.
And now he was back in my life, forever this time.
They were just worried, I understood that.
"Oh my baby, you'll be okay. I know I've been a little...offish about your pregnancy, but I really am proud of you. None of that matters anymore, you're about to become a mother. Just remember that every time the pain hits."
"I love you mama." She gave me a smile as she leaned forward and pressed a loving kiss to my forehead.
"I love you too Maddie."
"I wasn't planning to use these until the twins finally arrived but damn, the love in this room is too much for me right now." I turned my head to look at Stevie who was pulling out a tissue box from the 'supporting hospital bag' that she'd packed for herself.
We packed a bag for the babies' things, a bag for my things and then Stevie insisted she would need one with supplies for herself which included a tissue box.
I let out a laugh as she wiped her eyes before shaking her head as she mumbled to herself.
"Goddamn."
Half an hour later, and what felt like a billion contractions later, the doctor finally came to give me the epidural which I so desperately needed.
The whole process took around ten minutes to complete as I lay on my side and they inserted the needle into my back. After that I had to wait another twenty minutes before the pain relief started, but after that I was so relaxed that I'd managed to fall asleep.
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"I was on a goddamn plane. You know where those go right? In the sky, which meant I had no freaking signal."
"You think I give a damn? You knew she could have gone into labour at any time, you should have hung a freaking telephone line out the window."
I heard someone let out a laugh while another person just released a string of curse words.
"How the hell does she put up with you?"
"She had to deal with you for twelve years, I'm a breeze compared to that."
The room fell silent for a moment before I eventually opened my eyes, adjusting to the dim lighting around me. It was only then that my eyes landed on the three figures huddled near the door.
It was clear to tell the shorter one was Stevie, and the other two were Santiago and Arturo. Santiago was busy glaring at Stevie while Arturo just watched on in amusement.
"If you carry on speaking to me like that, she won't have to deal with you any longer either."
"Oh and what are you going to do bitch?" The moment those words came out of Stevie's mouth, Santiago took a threatening step towards her.
"Can you guys just shut up?" At the sound of my voice they all turned to look at me with wide eyes.
"See what you did? She was sleeping you asshole." Santiago just rolled his eyes at Stevie before he came over to my bed and took the seat that she was previously sitting in before I fell asleep.
"How are you?" I rose an eyebrow at him before I let out a sigh, looking down at my bump and the IV drip in my hand.
"I'm fine, I guess. The pain isn't as bad now as it was earlier."
He nodded his head and it fell quiet between us for a moment before he spoke again.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here. I was on my way back from Chicago when your stupid friend called."
"Fine, whatever." Santiago just looked away from me when I replied in a cold tone.
I hadn't forgotten what happened at his house - it had only been three days since we were there.
First he asks if I'm there for the money, then he basically questioned if they were even his children and then he let his girlfriend call me fat.
"See it's not fine." I turned my head to look at Stevie as she sat at the edge of my bed, glaring at Santiago while Arturo just came and stood there.
He must be pretty close to Santiago if he was here.
"Why are you even here?" I rolled my eyes when Santiago asked her that question and as the two of them started bickering again, I just opened the bag of snacks that was on the table next to me.
I was busy unwrapping a chocolate bar when it finally fell silent between them, and when I looked up I found them all staring at me.
"What?"
"How can you eat right now? You're about to push two little humans out of your..." Stevie shivered in disgust causing me to let out a laugh while Santiago just kept his head down and Arturo just awkwardly looked away at the mention of my vagina.
"They're not coming right now and I'm hungry. They're probably hungry too." I ran my hand over my bump, a soft smile tugging at my lips as I thought about finally being able to hold them in my arms later that day.
When I looked up again Stevie was just smiling at me, probably thinking the same thing, while Santiago was looking at me with an intense gaze. The moment I made eye contact with him, he instantly looked away and cleared his throat.
"How long?"
"I don't know, I can't really feel much right now because of the medication."
"Shall I call a nurse to check you?" I nodded my head at Stevie's question as I took a bite of my chocolate.
"Yes but let me finish this first I'm not sure if I'm allowed to eat it and she might try to take it off me."
I gave her a sheepish smile as I put another piece of chocolate in my mouth causing her to laugh.
<<<<<<< >>>>>>> <<<<<<<
"Maddie I need you to push."
"I am pushing!" When the midwife just shook her head, I let out a tired sigh as I stopped pushing and dropped back down on the bed.
"I can't do this. I need to stop, please make it stop, I can't..." Tears began to well up in my eyes as I held my mom's hand in mine. She did go home for a few hours but she came back just before I was ready to give birth.
"You can Maddie. I know it's hard but just trust your body. It'll all be over soon." She gave me a soft smile as she used a towel to wipe the sweat off my forehead.
My mom and Santiago were the only ones in the delivery room
with me. As I expected Stevie couldn't handle it, but also they did request for me to limit the number of people as much as I could. So, she happily went and sat in the hallway to wait although when she found out Arturo would be with her she wasn't so happy.
Those two didn't get along much, at all.
"Maddie..." When he used my nickname he stopped his sentence and cleared his throat.
"Madison, you can do this." I turned my head to the other side of my bed to look at Santiago who was giving me a reassuring look. He didn't smile though, neither of us had smiled at each other since we met. Not once, even when we had sex.
"I'm scared, I can't feel anything down there, I don't know what I'm doing." He nodded his head, gently taking my hand in his.
"I know, but like your mom said, just trust your body."
It may have seemed like we were finally speaking, behaving almost like friends would, or even just people on amicable terms. But we weren't.
We were far from it actually.
This was just the one moment between us that wasn't full of hatred and tension.
The only moment for years to come unfortunately.
"Okay." I nodded my head before I turned my attention back to the midwife at the bottom of my bed. She gave me an encouraging smile before she told me to push again, giving me some tips on how to control my breathing throughout.
It was especially hard because although the epidural helped with the contractions, I couldn't feel anything but a pressure during the contractions making it hard to know when to push.
"One more time Maddie." I let out a cry as I pushed one more time and finally the sound of a baby crying filled the room.
I let out a breath as the midwife held the baby in her arms, taking it for a moment to clear it's airways of any fluid before she brought it back to me, wrapped in a blanket.
"This one is a little boy, congratulations." She placed the baby boy in my arms, and almost instantly I let out a sob as I held him in my arms for the first time.
"Hi baby." He continued to cry in my arms for a moment until eventually his cries subsided and he just rested against my chest. After what felt like forever I lifted my head to look at my mom who was crying next to me, watching her grandson in my arms before I turned to look at Santiago who was just staring at him in awe.
"Do you want to hold him?"
He just stared at the baby for a moment longer before he nodded his head. I gently passed our son over to him, watching as he took him in his arms, stroking his cheek gently.
We were only allowed to hold him for another couple of minutes before they took him to complete their health checks on him, especially since he was premature.
It didn't matter though because it wasn't long before I got ready to push the second one out.
And for some reason this one hurt a lot more.
My eyes were closed as I held my mom's hand tightly in mine as I pushed and pushed like the midwifes were telling me.
"What's wrong?" When I heard Santiago speak I opened my eyes, looking around as I watched someone holding the second baby I'd just given birth to.
In that moment it felt like my heart had completely stopped as I watched them carry the baby over to the side of the room, trying get it to cry.
"What...what are you doing?" The doctors were surrounding the baby, speaking to each other as they put something in it's mouth, removing it and then doing it again.
They tried a few more things as we all sat there, watching and waiting, just hoping to hear the baby make a sound.
It felt like absolutely ages until finally, a cry sounded in the room. The moment I heard it, a sob escaped my lips as I watched the doctors continue to rush around.
"It's okay Maddie, she has some breathing complications so we're just going to give her some care and attention before you hold her."
"Her?" The midwife gave me a smile, placing a hand on my arm before she went over to start clearing everything away and finish sorting me out before they could move me to another room.
"I have a daughter...we have a daughter." I turned to look at Santiago who just nodded in response before he cleared his throat.
"I'll be back...I just need some...air." I watched with a frown as he walked out the delivery room, closing the door behind himself.
~ Santiago's POV ~
"Bro? What happened?"
I shook my head at Arturo as I leaned against the wall near to where he was sitting a few chairs down from Stevie who was also watching me with a concerned expression.
"You can go and see her now."
"But what-"
"Freaking go." When I spoke with a hard tone, cutting her off, she quickly got up and walked past me, going into Madison's delivery room.
As soon as she was gone and the hallway was empty, Arturo came and stood next to me. He gave me a moment of quiet before he placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Qué occurido?" (What happened?)
Once again I shook my head, resting my head back against the wall as I closed my eyes.
"I'm a freaking father."
How the hell did this even happen?
I literally had three days for the news that she was pregnant to sink in before she went into labour.
"Are the twins okay?" I nodded my head as I ran a hand over my face before I turned to face my bestfriend, or my brother, that's what he was to me.
"I think so. The second one, she had some breathing difficulties. She wasn't crying at first."
"A girl? Damn."
"One of each. The first one is a boy. I have a son and a daughter." I felt Arturo's eyes on me as I stood there, trying to come to terms with the fact I was a father - something I never planned on becoming.
And with Madison of all people.
The world can have a weird way of fucking with you, that's for sure.
"I don't know whether to congratulate you or not. You don't seem..."
"Happy?" He nodded his head before I let out a low, humourless
chuckle.
"I'm not. I'm freaking scared. This was never part of the plan Arturo, I was never supposed to..."
I cut myself off when I felt my voice break and he quickly came and stood in front of me as I leaned against the wall. Placing his hands on my shoulders, he looked me straight in the eye as he spoke.
"Mantenlo unido Santi. El plan está jodido, sí. Pero no importa ahora, solo debes concentrarte en ser el padre que no tuviste. Sé el mejor padre que puedas." (Hold it together Santi. The plan is screwed up, yes. But it doesn't matter now, you just need to focus on being the father that you didn't have. Be the best father that you can.)
"¿Qué pasa si no puedo? Esta vida ... no es vida para un niño Arturo." (What if I can't? This life...it's no life for a child Arturo.)
He nodded his head in agreement as I spoke, but then he just did what he does best.
"I can tell, look how you turned out. You're a mess."
I let out a small laugh at his words but before I could respond to his insult, he continued speaking.
"Just do your best Santi. That's all you can do. As long as they know you've tried, they can't blame you."
"But she will. She hates me now but when she finds out-"
"So you don't tell her. What she doesn't know won't hurt her." I glanced over at her room as he spoke before I let out a breath and nodded my head.
"Okay."
<<<<<<< >>>>>>> <<<<<<<
I could just watch them all day.
The way they lay there, so small and pure, a peaceful expression on their face as they slept. No worries, no anxiety, no stresses, just pure peace.
The best thing was when I held their hands and they would automatically make a fist around my finger.
They were so damn innocent.
I'd been sitting in the room with Madison for an hour after they finally moved her to a ward. The doctors said that our daughter may have to stay in hospital for a little longer since she had some difficulties to begin with. After the doctors visit, Madison fed them for the first time before they all went to sleep.
So I just sat there watching the twins since everyone else had gone home to get some rest now that everything was settled and it was the middle of the night.
The silence around us was interrupted when one of the twins started fussing quietly in their bassinet. I glanced over at Madison who was fast asleep before I stood up and tentatively went over to the bassinet, taking our daughters hand in mine.
It seemed like the action soothed her for a moment but then she started fussing again, but still Madison didn't wake up.
Before I knew what I was doing, I carefully picked her up in my arms, holding her against my chest.
"¿Que pasa princesa?" (What's wrong princess?)
I rocked her gently in my arms, watching as she stared up at me for a while before she closed her eyes again and a peaceful expression over took her face again.
Instead of putting her down straight away I just held her in my arms, staring at her beautiful little face.
She was my daughter. She was part of me.
That thought was just insane.
"What are you doing?"
The sound of Madison's voice brought me out of my thoughts
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