Even the Best of Plans Have Ways of Being Obliterated

Bob was gasping for breath and clutching at his swollen stomach and the dashboard in front of him. “Frank… please… slow… the fuck… down!” Bob managed to pant out between breaths. Frank was going at least twenty miles over the speed limit and it was scaring Bob more than the contractions were.

“We have to get to the hospital Bob! You’re in labor!” Frank squealed, his blood pumping through his veins violently as the adrenalin of fear and panic made his foot press even harder on the pedal.

Bob waited until the pain passed and he could relax again. He sighed in relief, then a second later was grabbing for the door handle to hold on as Frank slammed on his breaks, almost causing them to spin out. “God damn it Frank Iero if you kill me before I give birth you are going to be so fucking sorry!” Bob screamed at the jittery man next to him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Frank rambled as his hands began to twist in his lap, because they were stuck. They were at the very end of a gridlock and more cars were piling up behind them by the moment.

“Shut up! It’s fine!” Bob snapped fumbling for his phone and pressing the three on his phone. He pressed the phone to his ear and waited for the calm, soft voice that he knew would bring him some semblance of peace and calm.

“Hey baby, how are you doing?” Mikey asked the moment he hit send. He looked from his left to his right and saw a wall of cars, he was in the same gridlock situation as his husband was now, only, he wasn’t in labor.

“I’m okay,” Bob squeaked, his voice raising several octaves as the tears instantaneously rolled in. It wasn’t because he was sad or afraid even, they came because he was relieved, as long as he heard that voice, everything would be okay.

“Where are you?” Mikey asked, keeping his voice calm and loving, the way he knew Bob needed it right then.

“I’m on highway 35 with Frank who’s about to have a nervous breakdown I swear Mikey.” Bob cleared his throat and wiped at the tears as Frank tittered about trying to be helpful. Bob wanted to punch him. “Stop touching me!” Bob screamed when Frank once again tried to rub at his back and Bob had once again pushed him away.

“Baby don’t scream at him, he’s just trying to help, you know he wasn’t part of the plan,” Mikey soothed quickly. “Frank doesn’t know how to help you like I do; you have to actually tell him what you need.” Mikey had barely finished his mini-speech when he heard Bob suck in a sharp breath and not let it out. “Bob! Breathe! Come on, do your breathing, with me, come on baby.” Mikey then proceeded to do the Lamaze breathing he and Bob had learned together in the classes they had so diligently attended.

Frank was right there with Mikey, letting Bob clutch his hand in a death grip and listening to what Mikey was saying and repeating it back to Bob, because Bob had shoved the phone at him. “Breathe in calm, breathe out relaxed,” Frank said in a low, calm voice trying to keep his panic pushed way, way down.

“Frank, how far apart are they now?” Mikey asked as he listened to Frank and Bob breathing together. He started to cry silently. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go; he was supposed to be there with his husband for the birth of their first live child, he wasn’t supposed to be on the phone with his best friend who was with his husband. Nothing was going right.

Frank looked at the clock again really quickly and whimpered quietly, “Five minutes, Mikey what do I do? I can’t deliver a baby! Especially not Bob’s, seriously I cannot look down there! I’ll pass out! You know I can’t take blood in large amounts!”

“Frank! Frank! Stop it, calm down okay? You have to relax and take some deep breaths. There have been cops driving up and down the shoulder checking on people to make sure there are no emergencies okay? If you need to, you can jump out and flag one down.” Mikey did everything he could to reassure Frank that it would be okay and he’d be fine and not have to deliver his friend’s baby. Mikey could hear Bob sobbing in the background and he asked Frank to put him on. The moment the sobbing was closer to his ear Mikey started in on his soothing again. “Baby, I love you, and I promise you, I will be there.”

Bob sobbed even harder at that, because Mikey always knew just what to say and when to say it. “I love you too,” he managed to get out. “Every….thing’s…. going so…. fast Mikey!” Bob sobbed out clutching his stomach again and leaning up to let Frank finally rub his, screaming with pain, lower back.

“I know it is baby, but you can do this, I know you can,” Mikey put as much force behind his words as he could manage with tears still streaming down his face. Bob suddenly screamed, loud and high pitched like something was extremely wrong. “Bob?! Bob what’s wrong?!” Mikey became frantic to get an answer right away. That scream was not good. “Bob! Please answer me!” Mikey didn’t even try to hide the sobs and panic in his voice this time. All he could hear was Bob gasping harshly for oxygen and then the dull thud of a phone dropping. “BOB?!? FRANK?!?” Mikey screamed down the line his sobs doubling in intensity.

He finally heard some fumbling and then Frank came on the phone, “H-his wa-ater broke. M-Mikey i-it’s coming! What am I supposed to do?!”

Mikey frantically scanned the surrounding area for a cop and saw one. “Frank, put Bob on the phone,” he barked down the line. Bob came on, sobs coming harder now and fear making his voice quake.

“M-Mikey I ne-eed you!” Bob sobbed into the fucking piece of plastic and wires that was his only way of being with his husband.

“I know, I know. Baby I’m coming. Just hold on okay? Honey hold on.” Mikey told Bob he loved him again and he’d be there as fast as he could before hanging up. He shoved his phone into his pocket then shut off his car and scrambled to get out. He jumped up on the hood and waved his arms over his head, he could see a cop car not too far away. The cop seemed to see him right away and pulled up near him in record time. Mikey jumped down and scrambled to get to the window.

“Is everything okay with your husband sir?” The officer asked. Mikey almost sighed in relief; he’d spoken to this officer already and told him everything that was going on with Bob.

Mikey shook his head, “No it’s not. He’s stuck in this gridlock and his contractions are getting closer and his water just broke.”

“Get in,” the officer said and Mikey almost climbed over the hood of the car to get to the other side. His ass was barely on the seat before the cop was zooming down the side, sirens blaring. “Is he alone?”

Mikey shook his head no, “He’s with our friend Frank, but Frank’s half an inch from having a panic attack and Bob’s freaking out.”

“Do you know how far back they are?” The officer got another negative response and then slowed his speed, “Do you know the car?”

“Yes, you can’t miss it, it’s bright orange with black stripes on the sides. There! There!” Mikey half screamed pointing out the car and a jumping Frank. The car wasn’t even fully stopped before Mikey was out of it and running to his husbands side. Mikey nearly ripped the door off in his frantic attempt to get his arms around Bob.

Mikey wrapped himself around Bob as much as he could and Bob sobbed into his neck, “Th-ey’re c-cons-t-tant now.”

“Its okay, it’s okay. We’re going to get you to a hospital now, but you have to stand up, can you?” Bob shook his head no. His legs were like Jell-o and he knew they wouldn’t hold him up.

By this time the officer had joined Mikey at Bob’s side and together they got Bob out of the car and into the back of the cruiser. Frank looked wide eyed at Mikey when he asked if he was coming, “No, I’ll stay, make calls. Get someone to get your car. I don’t wanna see it,” Frank informed him as he handed over Bob’s bag and the baby bag they’d managed to snatch before racing out of the house.

Mikey nodded and then they were speeding down the shoulder again. Bob was on his back now, knees bent, gasping hysterically for air, trying to make it penetrate his lungs. Then he got the urge to push and a strong pressure in his lower half. “I have to push!” Bob cried before doing just that.

“No, no, Bob, no! Don’t push! Stop pushing!” Mikey squealed frantically before racing to get Bob’s shoes and sweat pants off his lower half so he could see Bob’s progress. The officer was on his radio the entire time relaying to the people on the other line what was going on. Mikey finally got Bob’s pants off and threw them on top of the bags then whimpered a little.

“What’s his progress?” The officer asked.

“H-he’s crowning, but it’s backwards. The baby isn’t coming out right!” Mikey near screamed, now, he was panicking. This was so not good, he’d read and heard the horror stories of breech babies. How some got stuck and suffocated before they could get it out. Some had to have their shoulders dislocated to get them out. Some had brain damage because they couldn’t get enough oxygen. He had every right to freak out.

“No-th-ing’s go-oing right!” Bob sobbed hysterically. He was in constant pain now and it felt like something was trying to break its way out of his body, which, really, it was, but he didn’t know it’d feel like this. This was painful, this was rushed and all too fast, this was all wrong. It was supposed to feel like a miracle, it was supposed to be the best experience in his life. He was supposed to be in a hospital with his Mom and Mikey there, holding his hands and telling him he was doing amazing. He wasn’t supposed to be in the back of a cop car with his husband between his legs about to deliver their baby that was coming out ass first.

The officer suddenly came to a dead stop and Mikey really, really, started to freak out. “What are you doing? Why are you stopping?!” Mikey squealed at the officer. He wanted to shake him, scream at him, order him to keep fucking driving!

“We can’t get any farther than this and they can’t get an ambulance to us, so they’re having a helicopter sent here, but we’re going to have to deliver the baby.” The officer sounded calm, but really, inside he was freaking out. He had never delivered a baby before, not even his own children. He never thought this would happen to him. “One of the paramedics on site is trying to get to us and another one will walk us through this. We can do this.” The officer turned to look in the back of his car at the couple. The blonde was entirely flushed from his forehead to his chest and his legs were shaking violently. The other man was pressing his palms to the blonde’s inner and he had this deer in the headlights look on his face. The officer assessed that they were both scared to death and so was he.

The officer unbuckled and started opening his door. “Where are you going?!” Mikey screeched loudly. “You aren’t leaving us are you?! Please, don’t, I can’t…”

“No sir, I’m getting the birthing kit in my trunk, I will be back very quickly.” The officer hopped out of his car to do just that.

Bob reached a trembling hand down towards Mikey’s hand and he whimpered loudly. “I’m scared,” he whispered into the almost silence. “I need to push but I’m scared to.”

Mikey grabbed Bob’s hand and squeezed it then kissed the palm and each finger then the back of it. “I know you are, and I am too, but remember what we said? As long as we do it together we can do it. I’m not going anywhere.” Mikey reached up and caressed Bob’s face with a tender touch.

“Please Mikey, don’t let it die,” Bob begged, a fresh wave of tears filling his eyes at just the thought.

Mikey nodded and squeezed Bob’s hand once again before promising, “I won’t. Are you ready to do this?” Bob nodded slowly as he desperately kept eye contact with Mikey, trying to find the strength he knew was there. “Then let’s bring our baby into the world.” With those words, he found the strength in the honey-golden eyes he loved so much.

He closed his own baby blues for a moment to steady himself and to ready himself for the pain he knew was coming. He opened them again just as the door at his head was opened. He let his hand slip from Mikey’s as the cop crawled in next to him.

“We haven’t even introduced ourselves, I’m Braxton Mills, you can call me Brax. I figure I’m getting personal with you, we should be on a first name basis,” the officer said, trying to lighten the mood desperately.

Mikey nodded, but could not crack a smile, “I’m Mikey Way-Bryar and this is Bob Way-Bryar.”

Braxton nodded and tugged out a blue paper drape and spread it over Bob’s swollen stomach. “So have you two picked names yet?”

Mikey shook his head no, “It’s bad luck to pick a name before the baby is born, so we haven’ t even looked. We were going to do it after the birth.”

“Oh, okay,” Braxton pulled out a second blue paper drape and placed it over the first one, before talking to Bob. “Bob do you think if I help you, you can get your shirt off?”

“Wh-why?” Bob asked as his entire body began to shake.

“Because, when the baby is born we need to keep it warm and the best way to do that is to lay it on your chest, skin to skin. Is that okay with you?” Braxton didn’t want to push Bob too far, he was already half naked and probably feeling extremely exposed, he didn’t want to make him expose himself more if he wasn’t okay with it.

“O-okay,” Bob whimpered and grasped for Mikey’s hand again. “It’s a bu-button up.”

Braxton went to open the shirt, but Mikey jumped in, “Let me.” He knew Bob said he was okay with Braxton opening his shirt, but he also knew Bob really wasn’t. He was so self conscious about his body now, with his new breasts and stretch marks. Mikey knew Bob would need him to strip him of his last barrier against the outside world.

Bob whimpered in relief as Mikey’s long, slim fingers deftly opened his shirt. He sighed in pleasure a moment later when Mikey dragged his fingertips over the swell of his tender breasts. The simple caress, though somewhat sexual, calmed him ten degrees more and he stopped shaking. For a moment.

Then Mikey’s hands were back between his legs and their eyes were locked as Braxton pulled several other things out of the birthing kit. “You push when you’re ready.”

Bob had been needing to push for the last several minutes, but he wasn’t yet ready to push. Needing to and being ready to, were two entirely different things. He didn’t think he’d ever be ready. So he gritted his teeth, wrapped his fingers around the back of his thighs and pushed with everything he had.

He screamed his way through it.

Mikey’s eyes locked with the tiny body being expelled from within his husband. Within seconds after Bob started to push, the baby’s bottom half was out, and half its chest. Mikey wrapped his hands around the body to support it and help guide it out.

Bob collapsed back down and gasped for breath, whimpering continuously from the pain. It fucking burned, like when he’d had sex that one time without lube, only, ten times worse, and it hurt. Oh boy did it hurt. It hurt him so much he was close to blacking out. It was that feeling that had him stopping and sobbing once again. “I can’t. I can’t. I can’t do it.” Bob sobbed out, shaking his head vigorously.

“Yes you can Bob, you can do this!” Mikey encouraged, sternly. “And even if you think you can’t, you fucking have to! The longer this baby’s head is inside you, the longer she’s deprived of oxygen. So you find that last nugget of strength and you push like your life depends on it, because our daughter’s life does.”

Bob only heard one word from what Mikey had said, “D-daughter?” He asked, choking up for a whole new reason now.

Mikey nodded and grinned like the Cheshire cat, “Yes, now push baby.”

Bob whimpered and Braxton moved to take his hands, “You can do this Bob,” he whispered softly.

That seemed to be what Bob needed, the conformation from someone else that he could finish this. Bob gripped onto the large hands now in his took a deep breath and then pushed with every ounce of strength he had left. He felt Braxton squeeze his hands back and it made him feel comforted, like someone solid was there helping him, not just being there, but helping him.

Mikey sent up a quick prayer that the baby would come out smoothly and not get stuck a second before Bob pushed. The moment he began to push it was like water flowing through your fingers. One moment the baby was in Bob, then the next Mikey had its head in his hands and was flipping her over to use the bulb syringe to clean out her mouth and nose. A moment later there was a loud scream from the tiny, tiny human and everybody breathed a sigh of relief.

Mikey laid his newborn daughter on one of the blue cloths to clean her off just a little so she wouldn’t be so slippery on Bob’s chest. A moment later and he was placing her, stomach down, between his husband’s breasts and wiping his own hands.

Bob brought shaking hands to the warm body on his chest. He was in awe, and maybe a little shock, and the thought that he had brought this tiny being into existence, was the cause and the only thing he could think of. His fingertips traced a line from the top of the tiny girl’s head, covered in brown hair, down her warm back, over her tiny bottom, and to her legs. Everything was just so small and it all seemed so fragile, he was afraid of hurting her if he touched her too hard. Eventually though, he summoned the courage to press his hand to his daughter’s bottom and at the base of her neck. He realized then, that this was his first time trying to calm his crying baby girl. His heart swelled.

Braxton relayed the information over his radio to the base and listened to the instructions and news. His heart sunk deep into his stomach as he let them know he understood. He turned to Mikey, who had just finished tying the umbilical cord with the string that had been in the birthing kit. “They can’t get a helicopter in for another hour. They’re all tied up with critical patients from the bridge collapse. An EMT should be here any moment though with a stretcher and more supplies.”

“What does that mean?” Mikey asked, his eyes going wide with fear.

“It means we’re stuck here for awhile longer,” Braxton said, in as soothing a voice as he could muster.

Mikey tried to remain calm, everything would be okay. He had to believe that for Bob’s sake. Mikey’s eyes shifted to Bob’s face; there he found a smile of pure joy. He watched Bob stroke their daughter’s head slowly with his eyes closed and it calmed him down slightly. Mikey reached up to touch Bob’s hand and the baby at the same time and it suddenly hit him full force. He had just delivered his daughter. He didn’t even know how to feel about it, it was so overwhelmingly amazing.

Bob curled his fingers around Mikey’s and opened his eyes to look at him. “Does she have everything?” He asked Mikey softly.

Mikey nodded, “Ten toes, ten fingers, two eyes, a nose, mouth. Everything, she’s perfect.” Bob’s smile grew more and he opened his mouth to say something, but ended up gasping loudly and grabbing for his stomach. “Bob? What’s wrong?” Mikey asked, panic back in an instant.

“A-aren’t c-contractions supposed to stop after you g-give birth?” Bob asked quietly.

“Yes, they are, why, what’s wrong? Are you having more?” Mikey asked frantically.

“Y-yeah, I-I am,” Bob whimpered loudly. “I sh-shouldn’t be.” Nobody had ever said anything about a possible second baby. He was normal size for a single baby; in every ultrasound they’d always seen one baby, but why was he having contractions again?

“M-m-ma-aybe it’s just the placenta coming out?” Mikey asked looking frantically at Braxton who was already a step ahead of them and talking on his radio again. Braxton shook his head in a negative response to Mikey’s question. Mikey’s breath caught in his throat and the only thing he could think was, there’s a second baby coming.

“Mikey, look and see if you can see anything,” Braxton ordered, snapping Mikey out of his frozen state and pushing him into a state of panic. His hands began to shake and his palms began to sweat while his heart took off on a race, beating wildly away below his ribcage.

They hadn’t prepared for a second baby; the thought had never even crossed their minds, because it was never detected. He was terrified, they couldn’t handle two babies at once, they didn’t even have a second car seat or anything. How the fuck could the doctor miss a second baby in there? Why weren’t they warned about this possibility? Why didn’t the doctor tell them there was a second heartbeat? They could have prepared! They should have been told!

“Mikey!” Braxton said a little louder, because Mikey had frozen up and his breathing had begun to speed up and he was a half second away from hyperventilating.

Mikey jumped with the loud voice and tried to focus his eyes on Braxton, he was having a very hard time doing it. “W-what?” He asked with a shaking voice.

“Look at Bob, see if you can see anything at all,” Braxton said, keeping his voice slightly raised and stern. He could tell that was the only way Mikey would process the order.

Mikey whimpered and then shifted his eyes to Bob’s face. It was twisted in pain and his eyes were screwed shut. Seeing his husband’s face seemed to snap Mikey completely out of it and he went into action. He bent Bob’s left leg back up and pushed his legs apart to look down. “I don’t see anything yet,” he said with a slight amount of relief.

Braxton relayed the information to the base and waited for instructions. It came two minutes later and he had to decipher it over a sudden burst of static. “Mikey, put your hand into where the other baby came out and see if you can feel anything.”

Mikey reached down, trying to steady his hand, and pressed his fingers to the same place the little girl had come from not five minutes before. He barely got in up to his first knuckle when the pads of his fingers collided with something very, very solid. He swallowed hard and looked into Bob’s eyes, which had fallen open only a second before. He nodded and swallowed again, “I feel something,” he barely whispered.

In the tense silence that had engulfed the car, both Bob and Braxton heard Mikey as if he had shouted the words. All three of them knew what this meant and not one of them wasn’t shaking from head to toe. There was a second child on the way.

Braxton relayed the information back to base and requested farther instructions. A new and unfamiliar voice came on the line. It identified itself as Dr. Dennis an OB/GYN, Mikey and Bob’s OB. Evidently she had been at the hospital they were taking the victims of the bridge collapse to and had heard about what was happening on the news. She’d bummed a ride on a helicopter that was heading back to pick up more injured. She began to ask rapid fire questions and soon had the situation assed. She told them before the second baby could be delivered the first baby’s umbilical cord needed to be cut. She talked Mikey through what needed to be done.

Mikey listened to her every instruction with intense care and carried them out with just as much care. It really wasn’t all that complicated, he simply needed to tie a second piece of string about two inches below the first and then cut in between the two. He was still terrified. When it came time to actually cutting the cord, he could scarcely do it from the shaking of his hand. When he finally managed it he screwed his eyes shut waiting for the loud scream of pain he expected from his daughter. He heard nothing and visibly relaxed.

Once it was done Braxton took the child from Bob’s arms so he could push his second child out. Mikey answered more questions Dr. Dennis asked and was relieved when he looked down to see the child’s head this time and not it’s butt.

It was pretty much exactly the same as delivering the first, only this time, Bob stopped pushing once the baby’s head was out so Mikey could clear it’s airways, he pushed once more and Mikey guided the shoulders out and the rest of the body came with it. The new child gave a loud cry and everybody heaved heavy sighs of relief.

Mikey cleaned the new arrival off and placed it next to its sister on Bob’s chest. He looked at Bob with so much love and so much pride in his eyes it radiated out to Bob to the point where he could feel the emotions. “We have two daughters,” Mikey whispered getting choked up with happiness.

The paramedic arrived several minutes after the second girl was born and loaded all three patients onto the stretcher and they began the long trek back to base. On the way there Mikey and Bob began to talk about names and it seemed like everything was normal. It didn’t really feel like Bob had just delivered twins, one a surprise, in the back of a police car, because of a bridge collapse. It simply felt like everything was normal and okay.

When they got back to base they were bombarded by news reporters asking them a million questions. The entire event had become a sensation. How could it not? In the midst of all this death and sadness, two lives had been brought into the world. People were calling it a miracle and it was, but for Bob and Mikey it was for a very different reason.

Two hours later Bob was settled comfortably in the hospital, his two daughters settled peacefully next to his bed in a clear bed. Mikey sat next to Bob on the bed, holding his hand and cradling his head against his chest. Mikey kissed Bob’s head and smoothed his hair back slowly. “Bob, I love you,” Mikey whispered softly.

Bob smiled and squeezed Mikey’s hand softly, “I love you too Mikey. We still need to pick names you know.”

Mikey nodded and smiled before kissing Bob’s neck gently. “We have time,” Mikey whispered caressing Bob’s skin now.

“We do,” Bob agreed pushing into Mikey’s touch. “God they’re so beautiful.”

Mikey nodded, “They are.” Mikey changed his stroke to the back of one finger along Bob’s arm. “Do you think we can handle both of them?”

Bob nodded confidently. “I know we can and in the long run, it’ll be so worth it. We’ll get twice of everything even the bad things, but I know, all the good things we get, will outweigh the bad by a million to one. Do you know what I mean?” Bob turned a little to look up at Mikey.

Mikey looked down at Bob and nodded. “I know exactly what you mean.” Mikey smiled and pressed a very gentle kiss to Bob’s lips. When he pulled back he brushed his thumb over the lips he’d just tasted. “You know what I look forward to the most?”

“What’s that?” Bob asked, closing his eyes in enjoyment, loving the tiny, comforting movements that Mikey always did. The caress of his bottom lip with his thumb, the brushing of his other thumb over his knuckles and even the butterfly kisses he ghosted over his neck.

“I’m looking forward to experiencing it all, with you.”

Another several hours and a lot of whispered conversation later, Bob sat with each child at his breast, suckling hungrily at the sweet milk that flooded their tiny mouths. Mikey sat behind Bob, his legs spread out and his hands rubbing slowly at Bob’s shoulders. The tiny girls looked up at both of their fathers as they ate with what were unmistakably Mikey’s hazel eyes and heads covered in Mikey’s soft brown color. Bob had already teased Mikey of the fact that he just had to have dominance in everything. Mikey had laughed and nodded with pride. A moment later Bob confessed his happiness that they had Mikey’s features and not his own.

There was a soft knock on the door and Bob called out a come in. The door opened slowly and Gerard peaked around the door, “You have visitors is this an okay time?”

Bob nodded with a smile, “Yeah, its fine.”

“Are you sure? Cuz you’ve kinda got things attached to you,” Gerard said wrinkling his nose in that all too adorable way he had.

Bob laughed quietly and nodded, “I did happen to notice that, thank you. Yes, I’m sure, it’s just skin, not like everybody hasn’t seen it already.”

“Yeah, but, you were, like, flat then and, didn’t have, humans attached to you.” Gerard pointed out.

Bob laughed again and shook his head, “Gee, I’m sure nobody minds and if they do they can wait.” Gerard just shrugged and came in with the rest of the family who had been waiting to come in and see the newest arrivals. The list of people that filed in started with Gerard, then moved to Frank, Ray, Brian, Bob’s parents, Mikey’s parents, Bob’s sister, Cali, and her husband Zack and their three children. The room was quickly filled with tittering adults cooing at the newborns.

Eventually everything calmed down and everybody organized into pairs. Gerard with Brian in his lap on a chair, Frank sitting in Ray’s lap on the floor, the kids all sitting near the door playing quietly, Zack and Cali in another chair, the father’s in chairs and the mother’s on either side of the bed anxiously awaiting the chance to hold their grandchildren.

“So,” Gerard started once everyone was settled. “Have you settled on names yet?” Bob and Mikey nodded. “Well?”

Bob smiled and brushed his thumb over the forehead of the child on his right, “This, is Amber Jane.”

Mikey moved his hand down and caressed the other baby’s soft cheek, “And this, is Jade Celeste.”