6 Years Too Late

Forty-Eight

Andi's POV

"I love you girls so much." I coo, the twins laying in front of me on my hospital bed. Calum had helped the nurse give each of them their first baths this morning in the sink in my room, and then I put them into cute little matching outfits we brought from home. And if I do say so myself, they are the cutest baby girls I have ever laid eyes on. Both with the tan skin and dark eyes of their daddy.

I glance at Calum seated on the couch, passed out from pure exhaustion. He refused to sleep last night, wanting to spend all the time he could with the girls before his flight back to Texas in a few hours. Unfortunately for him, he sucks at staying awake, and after the girls baths this morning he succumbed to his exhaustion. And even though he asked, I will not be waking him up yet.

My eyes fall back to the girls as Ashlyn starts fussing, her fist stuck in her mouth. I reach for the bottle on the desk beside me and open it, attaching the nipple lid and shaking it softly before lifting her into my arms. She calms down immediately as she starts to drink, her eyes falling heavy again.

I debated for a long time if I was going nurse the twins or not, I did Kason and it was a great bonding experience for us. But ultimately, with how busy Calum and I are with work, and the fact that there are two of them. We, well mostly I, decided it would benefit my mental health and the girls physical health to not have to stress about pumping enough milk for both of them, or having to feed them simultaneously, so one of them isn't screaming while the other eats.

It was also beneficial last night, since Calum spent the night awake with the girls, I got seven straight hours of sleep to help my body refresh and heal after giving birth. He got to spend that time entirely alone with them, giving him time to bond with the girls while taking care of them and feeding each of them a couple times. I think it also helped his confidence in himself as a parent to newborns, and his fears that the twins wouldn't know him when he comes home from tour in a little over a month.

I focus on my youngest child as she wiggles slightly in my arms, chowing down on her bottle. They are only a few hours old, but Ashlyn has definitely got the larger appetite so far, eating almost double what Ainsley has. She may have been the smaller baby at birth but I have a feeling she will be as large or larger than her sister in no time at all.

I see my phone light up on the desk as I shift Ashlyn up to burp against my shoulder, ignoring it for a minute while I finish attending to her. No matter what the text says it can wait until she is asleep. A couple minutes of soft patting and I can feel she has relaxed, her stomach clear of air. Laying her back beside Ainsley she seems to curl into her sister slightly, their hands almost interlocking.

Watching them find comfort next to each other melts my heart, and I want to remember to ask mom if Brody and I were like that as babies. If our bond started from day one like theirs is.
Reaching over I grab my phone, quickly opening the camera and snapping a photo of the girls. I have done that more times than I can count today, but I can't help it. They are too adorable not to photograph. I attach it to a text to Calum and then click into the text from Dani, informing me that she and Kason will be here soon so he can meet his sisters.

"Ann." Calum suddenly startles awake, looking around until he orients himself.

"Good morning, baby." I chuckle, watching him sit up and stretch.

"I didn't want to sleep, I'm missing time with my girls." He frowns, coming over to sit beside me on the bed, smiling down at the twins as they sleep.

"You needed some sleep, Cal. I don't want you going on stage tonight just to pass out and scare everyone."

"I don't want to go back." He sighs, leaning over onto my shoulder. "I want to stay right here with my family. My wife, my girls, and my Kasibug. I haven't even seen him yet, and I have to leave for the airport in," He lifts his phone to check the time, "an hour and a half." He sighs.