Tallulah

If I thought that Albert and Momma were bad before, they were really bad after they found out about the baby.

Albert usually helped out around the house, but that was because he was really particular about some things, not that we minded. After Momma broke the news, he took it to a whole other level. Some nights he wouldn't let her cook dinner, and eventually he just kicked her out of the kitchen and told her to put her feet up while we made dinner. He even started doing the laundry. He'd wake up early on Saturday morning and scrub the house down from top to bottom. He started giving her foot massages when her feet started to swell, and sometimes made her breakfast in bed. He even started buying books about pregnancy and taught Momma some breathing exercises (most of which she already knew, since she had already had four children, but it was the thought that counted). He was just kind of nervous because he didn't have any children of his own and he wasn't quite sure what to expect. He was still really excited.

In January, he called Peter and they started clearing out the spare bedroom where Simone and Katie stayed when they came home from college. Lyanna sent us her old crib and changing table, and one Sunday morning Albert and Peter repainted the room, but it took them almost all day. Since Momma spent most of her days in bed because her belly was too big for her to get up and do much of anything, she started knitting blankets and hats. It got kind of ridiculous after a while.

It wasn't until Albert burst into my room in the middle of the night on a snowy night in February that it dawned on me that I'd have a little brother or sister in the next couple of hours. The drive to the hospital was mildly uneventful, save for Momma crying and yelling at Albert for getting her pregnant "in the first goddamn place".

"I love you too."

Momma had been pretty grouchy for the last month or so, but that was probably because she was just uncomfortable, what with her belly and all, and her feet, and the fact that she really couldn't get out of bed to do much of anything besides take a shower and eat.

When we got to the hospital, a nurse with a wheelchair whisked Momma away. Albert was still holding a small suitcase that he'd packed for her a few days ago with some clothes for her and the baby. We called Momma's side of the family and Jean and Sophie. Lyanna wouldn't answer, since it was so late and all. It wasn't long before they all met us in the waiting room, and once they came, he went off to see what room they put Momma in.

Hilda and the rest of my aunts kept arguing about baby names. Apparently, everyone thought that Momma was going to name her baby after one of them. Grandma and Sophie were knitting—it seemed as though everyone wanted to make something for the baby—and Grandpa only stayed for fifteen minutes or so before he had to go open the bakery for the day. He promised to be back around lunchtime. Jean was sleeping behind the newspaper.

I didn't know how long it took to have a baby, but it sure seemed to take a long time. I read every single magazine at least two times while we waited. Peter and Isabel walked me around the hospital. Jean took me to the cafeteria so we could eat breakfast. I paced around the waiting room. Simone and Katie came around ten, and they took me back to my house so I could get a change of clothes and something to do. We went back to the hospital at one, and there was still no news about Momma or the baby. They dropped me off at the doors and promised to be back soon. They were going to the store to buy more baby things.

Around three in the afternoon, Albert came back, laughing and looking mildly surprised. They all but attacked him, shouting over each other.

"What is it?" Hilda asked excitedly, clapping her hands together. "Did you guys pick a name yet?"

"Not really," he said, scratching the back of his head. "She had twins, a boy and a girl." Sophie and Grandma started crying, and Jean and Grandpa got all proud and serious. Twins? Of course. That would explain why she was so pregnant. He took me with him upstairs to see them. Simone and Katie were out buying things for the baby (babies) still, and they wouldn't be back for a while. I was kind of excited. Two babies. That meant double the cute little faces and matching blankets and outfits.

Momma was holding them both with a smile, laughing. She looked up at Albert and me when we walked in.

"How are you feelin'?" I asked, pulling up a chair to sit next to her.

"Super." She looked down at them, sighing with that same sappy look. "Do you wanna say hi?" I picked the girl up first. She kind of looked like me, a little, except she had Momma's nose and her hair was wispy and black. She gurgled and looked at me plainly. She was warm. She squeezed my finger and went back to sleep. Albert was holding the boy, cooing and rubbing his nose.

"What do you think we should name them?" Albert asked me, looking up.

"I like Kennedy for him and Maxine for her," Momma said, sitting up a little.

"But I like George for him and Emily for her," Albert countered.

That was as close as the two of them ever got to an argument.

"I like both of them. Why don't you just use both?" I asked, looking down at her. "Maxine Emily and Kennedy George." I laughed and watched as they exchanged one of their sappy, lovey dovey looks. They could be pretty gross sometimes.

"I'll go get our parents," he said, setting Kennedy down in a crib. He shut the door quietly behind him and Momma laughed, shaking her head.

"So how do you feel?" she asked me. Maxine started to fuss so I gave her back to Momma because I wasn't sure what to do. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. This is great! I've always wanted a little brother, or sister. And now I have both." I smiled brightly at her. I got up to see Kennedy. He looked like Albert, with his thin nose and thick hair and lighter skin. Maxine was pretty tan, kind of like Simone.

Maxine Emily and Kennedy George and Momma came home three days after that.

Of course, every one was slightly disappointed that Momma hadn't decided to name either one of them after anyone, but they quickly got over it once they saw how cute they both were.