All My Life

Chapter 20

It was late morning on Sunday and Don and Meryl were now home. She convinced him to let her drive again; and Ross helped them with their luggage and the babies up to their apartment. Don wouldn't let Meryl unpack; though she tried to say she could. Even though she protested, she was glad Don talked her into using the hotel's laundry service so she didn't have to worry about that. They were surprised to find their daughters had cleaned their apartment and had food in the refrigerator for them; as Don was still adamant she rested until she was released. He made her rest in the den; and that is where he found her with the babies when he walked in. The babies were on the sofa in front of her; and she was looking at her phone. He was concerned because she looked sad. Don hobbled over to the couch and sat down so the babies were in-between them. He was even more concerned that she didn't hear him come in. "Baby, did something happen?"

"Our babies aren't babies anymore." Meryl choked showing him a picture on her phone from Halloween. "That was only a month ago, Don. Look at how much they've changed."

Don tried not to laugh as she showed him a picture on her phone with the babies dressed up with their niece Lily. "Baby, they haven't changed that much. I still consider them newborns."

"Me too." Meryl wiped her tears. "Was I like this with the others?"

Don smiled as he leaned over the babies to kiss her. "Every one of them; especially Henry and Louisa."

"Well, that is true." Meryl laughed. "He was our first; and we THOUGHT she was our last."

Don looked at the pictures on her phone again. "Where did you get these? I don't think these are the ones I took considering we are in them."

"No, they're not." Meryl said. "Hen sent them to me this morning, finally."

Don laughed at her; Henry had been saying for the past month that he would send those pictures to them. "That's our boy. That was a fun time in the midst of the chaos."

***

"I can't believe you made these." Don laughed as he put Brady in a black onesie and sweatpants.

Meryl laughed as she put Mags in a white onesie and sweatpants. "Are they dorky?"

"They're the cutest Mickey and Minnie I have ever seen." Don said as they continued to put the handmade costumes on their babies. "When in the world did you find time to HAND KNIT Mickey and Minnie costumes for them AND Lily's costume? I mean between caring for me and them and having twin newborns you are nursing!"

Meryl laughed at him as they put the knitted Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears on the babies. "We couldn't let them miss their first Halloween; even if we are just staying in."

"You even included tails!" Don said in astonishment as he looked the knitted costumes all over. "You amaze me, Meryl Streep."

Meryl gave him a playful look. "That's Meryl Gummer to you."

"This isn't too much?" Don asked concerned. "You were just released from the hospital after bravely confronting that fucker, Mann; and we have to fly to Indy in 4 days for the damn trials."

Meryl knew he was worried about her. "Baby, Hal said my levels and heart rate are all fine. They got the fluid off. You aren't letting me clean or cook. I think I can handle relaxing with my family and dressing our babies up for Halloween."

"Just making sure." Don said with a kiss to her lips.

Meryl then looked around. "I think we are missing a few people. Where are your parents?"

"They wanted to go out on the town tonight." Don said. His parents had come to help when Meryl ended up in the hospital after confronting Mann and his role in Don's accident. "I told them not to worry about us."