Against All Odds

Chapter Thirty-One

Going home is a bit of an experience. We had to stay in the hospital for a few days, in order to make sure that everything had healed properly, and that Ellery's jaundice had gone away. Once Dr. Romero was satisfied that we were all healthy, she had let us check-out, after telling us that she would see us in a week for the boys' first appointment.

Now, as I sit in the nursery, nursing Ellery while Ollie changes Ezra's diaper, I can't help but feel happy. Despite the scariness that came with going into labor a month early and all the exhaustion that comes with taking care of newborns, I feel settled. There is nothing left for me to question, because this is my family.

"He decided to have another blowout," Ollie says, nose scrunched in disgust as he takes soiled onesie and diaper off of Ezra. "This is the second one today."

Laughter bubbles out of me, and Ellery whines in protest as he is jostled while eating. He definitely is the picky one, liking to be held a certain way when eating, and having to be encouraged to continue nursing if anything disturbs him. His brother is completely opposite, being able to eat is a war was happening in the same room.

"Hush, love," I whisper, brushing my fingers through the dark whisps that make up his hair. He blinks an eye open at me, before he continues to eat, making sure that I don't do anything to disturb him.

Looking back up at Ollie, I see that he has managed to completely wipe down Ezra and get a new diaper on him. The little boy doesn't seem to mind the whole ordeal, calmly waiting for his Opa to finish.

"He's a growing boy," I say, a tired smile on my face. "He eats a lot, so he poops a lot."

"He could at least save these for when his aunt and uncle come to visit." Finally, he fastens the last snap, before picking the little boy up. "You're lucky you're cute."

Ezra scrunches his face, little lips puckering in the way that tells me that he is getting hungry. Ellery is still going steady, little hand resting on his cheek as he eats.

"Give him here, or he'll wake his brother."

"How does he eat so much?" Ollie questions, readjusting the pillow on my lap before gently setting Ezra down. "It's like he is always hungry."

Humming, I pull down the other side of my robe. Ezra is quick to latch on, his nose scrunching briefly before he starts to nurse. Ellery makes another noise of discontent, but they both settle down once Olli tucks the blanket around us and I start up the rocking.

"Can you get me some water, Ollie, and maybe a quick snack?"

"Of course, love." He drops a kiss on my forehead. "I'll heat up some of the lasagna Maya brought over yesterday."

He leaves us alone then, his presence sorely missed. But, it is nice to just relax into the chair, the sound of the birds chirping outside the only noise. We have had people over every day the last two weeks, eager to help. Ama and Virginia had even made a schedule, always wanting someone to come by once a day to cook us a meal and give us a brief break while they watched the kids. It had been wonderful, but it is nice to have the house to ourselves.

Looking down, I see that both boys have fallen asleep, the satiation of being warm and full lulling them. My heart squeezes every time I look at them. Already, it is possible to see the little bits of me and Ollie in them. Ellery looks more like me, with my nose and wild hair, while Ezra looks so much like Ollie, with his perfectly straight hair, and upturned nose. But they both have Ollie's dark locks, one of the few features they share.

The sound of the door opening has me opening my eyes. I hadn't even realized they had closed, but I am not surprised. The nights have been tough. If one of the twins wakes up, it isn't long until the other one is awake, as well. They seem to be able to sense each other, getting upset when the other brother is upset. While it is adorable, it is utterly exhausting.