𝐅𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 (𝐅𝐘𝐒)

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞

It's funny how life works. You think you've got everything planned out, but sometimes, life has its own way of surprising you. I always imagined giving birth to a child one day, maybe two. But three? Triplets? That thought never crossed my mind until that day.

It was October 21, 2024. The day I had been waiting for—my due date—had finally arrived, but I had no idea what was about to happen. That morning, I woke up feeling a little nervous, but I was also ready.

Ready to meet my babies. I had no idea that my life was about to change in ways I never imagined. Dwayne, my husband, was with me, of course. He'd been there through everything—every doctor's appointment, every check-up, every moment of this journey.

"I think it's time," I said to him as I sat up in bed, feeling the familiar contractions beginning to intensify. Dwayne was calm, as always, his soothing presence always managing to ground me in moments like these. He smiled at me, his hand on my belly where our babies were growing, and nodded.

"Let's go, baby. We've got this," Dwayne said, his voice steady. He kissed me on the forehead, the way he always did when I was nervous.

By the time we arrived at the hospital, the contractions were stronger, and I was feeling the pressure of what was to come.

Dwayne, as usual, was my rock—calm, collected, and ready to support me through whatever came our way. My brother, Joe, who I had insisted on being there with us. He wasn't sure how much help he'd be in the actual delivery room, but I knew he just wanted to be there for me, for us.

The moment we arrived, I was checked in, and everything started moving so fast. I could hear the nurses talking to each other in the background as I was prepped for delivery, but my mind was mostly on the babies. I kept thinking, How am I going to manage three? I had never been one for too much planning, but this was something I couldn't have prepared for.

After what felt like hours, but was only a few minutes, the doctor confirmed it: I was about to give birth to triplets. Two boys and a girl. As the realization sank in, I could feel my heart racing. I looked over at Dwayne, and there was that look in his eyes—he was just as nervous as I was, but he didn't show it. He just held my hand tighter.

"You've got this, baby. We've got this," Dwayne said, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. He always knew how to calm me, and I was grateful for him more than I could ever express.

As the labor intensified, I tried to focus. But all I could think about was the fact that we were about to meet our children. I wasn't nervous anymore; it was more of a sense of excitement, of knowing that life as I knew it was about to change forever. The world would be different the moment I held my babies in my arms.

Joe was standing beside Dwayne, trying to stay out of the way but also trying to offer as much support as he could. I knew he was nervous, too, but he was trying to be strong for me. Every so often, he'd whisper encouraging words to me, letting me know that he was proud of me. But the most comforting thing he did was pray. I'll never forget the moment he placed his hand on my shoulder, closed his eyes, and began to pray.

"Lord, please keep Ayra, Dwayne, and the babies safe. Give them strength, and let this moment be a blessed one. We thank you for this family, and we know you have a plan for them. In Jesus' name, Amen."

His prayer felt like a weight lifting off my shoulders. I took a deep breath and squeezed Dwayne's hand, feeling ready for what was coming next.

The delivery was overwhelming but beautiful. There was a flurry of nurses and doctors moving around the room, each person working in tandem as they prepared for the arrivals of our little ones. Dwayne stayed right by my side the entire time, never leaving me for a moment. Joe kept his promise to capture everything, taking pictures of me, Dwayne, and our babies in the moments leading up to the big event.

And then, the first baby arrived. A boy.

"Here he comes," the doctor said. "It's Aiono Douglas."

I cried the moment I heard his name called, and the first time I saw his face, I felt my heart explode with love. He was small, but he was perfect. His little hands and feet, his button nose—everything about him was exactly what I had dreamed of.

Dwayne kissed me on the forehead. "He's beautiful, baby. We did it."

I could barely speak through my tears, but I managed to whisper, "Thank you. Thank you for being here."

Nine minutes later, another wave of contractions hit, and our second baby boy, Anelu Leati, arrived. He was just as beautiful as his brother, though a little bigger. His dark eyes opened immediately, and I could see the world already sparkling in them.

"Look at him," Dwayne said, his voice full of awe as he held our second son. He kissed Anelu on the forehead before handing him to me. I couldn't believe it. Two sons. I was a mother of two boys, already so full of love and joy.

But there was still one more to go. Our little girl.

Nine minutes passed again, and just when I thought I couldn't go through it anymore, I felt that final push. Our daughter, Attina Ira, was born. The moment I saw her tiny face, her little fingers wrapped around my hand, I felt my world shift.

"She's here," I whispered. "She's perfect."

Dwayne kissed my forehead once more. "You're a mom now, baby. You're amazing."

As I held Attina in my arms, I cried—tears of joy, tears of relief, tears of love. She was perfect. My daughter, my beautiful girl. Attina Ira. I had never known a moment so pure, so full of love. And I couldn't wait to watch her grow up with her brothers by her side.

Joe, standing behind us, had tears in his eyes, too. "I'm so proud of you, Ayra," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "You're a mom now."

His words hit me like a wave. I had always wanted to be a mother, but in that moment, it felt like it was just a dream. I was holding my babies. They were real. And I was a mother.

I looked up at Dwayne, who was holding Anelu while I had Attina in my arms. He gave me a small, knowing smile.

"You're amazing," he whispered again. "I love you."

"I love you too," I said, feeling as if I could barely hold it together. My heart was so full of love for him, for our children, for everything.

Joe took a few pictures of us, and I could see the pride on his face. He had always been there for me, and now, he was going to be an incredible uncle to these three little ones. He was already planning how he'd spoil them.

And then, there we were—the four of us—holding our babies in that hospital room. Dwayne, Joe, and me. Our family was complete. I had no idea how we were going to manage triplets, but I knew one thing for sure: we were going to do it together.

Three little lives, all nine minutes apart. It felt like everything had been building up to this moment. And as I held my children in my arms, I realized just how blessed I truly was. I was a mom now. And this was just the beginning of the greatest adventure of my life.