It's Time

7:52 am

Spencer's POV

"No, no contractions. Just the headache and a little bit of blurry vision." I say to Michelle as Julia attempts to weave her way through the traffic.

"Okay, Spencer. I'm getting in my car now, and I will meet you guys at the hospital. I'm going to call a friend to tag in for help and fill them in on everything. Keep Olivia calm, okay. I'll see you guys soon." The line clicks, and I turn to look at my wife, whose hold on me gets tighter by the second.

My hand instinctively finds its way to her stomach as I silently pray over Olivia and our sweet girls. I'm trying to be strong for her, but my heart is in my throat; I'm so scared. I think about how I wasted the past two months sulking around the house. Valuable time with my family that I took for granted.

"Michelle is going to meet us at the hospital. Slow, deep breaths, baby." I kiss her forehead.

"We're almost there, you guys." Julia's voice shakes, and she's obviously just as scared as us.

"Julia, none of this is your fault. Please don't beat yourself up." Liv chimes in, never moving herself from my arms. It's just like her to be thinking about others even when she's the one with the crisis right now.

"Liv, you mean more to me than I've ever been able to put into words. I hate that you're going through this right now. Anything I can do to help, consider it done." Julia responds, and I see the white on her knuckles as she grips the steering wheel tighter.

"Actually, Julia. I need you to go get Jace. I don't know how long Spencer and I are going to be here, and he's going to be scared. He hasn't spent a night without us."

Silence takes over the car as we all realize how big of an ask this is. Not only of Julia, but also of Jace. He hasn't seen Julia in months. The questions slowed, and we settled into a sense of normalcy, but the transition was still tough on him. This, no doubt, will spark more questions, and we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, I think my wife is right. Our son will need to feel safe, and right now, Julia is the right person to do that for him.

"Oh, uh... yeah. Of course." Her hesitancy is undeniable. "I— I don't want to leave you, Liv." She begins to cry, and I mentally punch the air because Julia getting emotional will only make Liv more emotional.

"I'll make sure Spencer updates you every step of the way. The book we've been reading after bath time is on his nightstand. He'll read it to you. It should only take a few pages before his eyes get heavy. If he asks where we are, tell him I wasn't feeling well, and daddy took me to see the doctor. He's young, but he's tough. I don't want to lie to him. Finally, if he wants to facetime us, it's okay. I know this is a lot, but you're the only person besides Spencer and me who can get him through this. I need you, Julia."

Our kids really hit the jackpot with Liv. She is the most selfless, committed, and loving mother. Even with the uncertainty surrounding our twins, she's making sure Jace's needs are still a priority. He has such an attachment to Liv. She always does bath time, even when it's my turn. She never misses a good night kiss. She is his best friend.

We pull up in front of the hospital, and Olivia insists that she can walk. In an effort not to stress her anymore, I don't argue with her and instead hold onto her hand like my life depends on it as we make our way to the labor and delivery triage section of the hospital.

Just as the elevator is closing, a foot stops the door, and Michelle appears in front of us. Her calming demeanor couldn't have come at a better time. My wife immediately lets go of my hand and throws her arms around Michelle. I don't blame her. I'm way out of my element here, and I've honestly never been more relieved than I was the moment Michelle stepped into the elevator.