And Back Again

Chapter 28

"Mr. and Mrs. Reyes, I'm sorry for the wait."

Angel and Zara looked up, startled from their thoughts, when the twins' pediatrician finally decided to greet them. He asked for a meeting but decided to be over half an hour late. When he arrived they had already left the office to wait with their children.

"Is everything okay?" Zara asked, not attempting to shift Reina in order to shake his hand.

"I wanted to let you know Miss Reina will be released today," he said with a sunny smile.

"She's going home?" Angel asked, sounding somewhat sad.

"She is," he said again.

"What about Wyatt?" Angel asked just as Zara was about to.

As his lips turned down, the doctor shook his head. "I'd like to keep him a bit longer. His sleep apnea is still a concern. I want him down to one or two alarms a night consistently. Last night he had four."

Zara and Angel shared a look of sorrow and concern while agreeing wholeheartedly.

"Whatever's best for him," Zara whimpered. "I just...I hate that they'll be alone," she said, her eyes turning back to Angel.

"They're never alone, they're never apart," Angel said. "Can Rei stay with him?"

"Angel," Zara said sharply.

"What?" He asked defensively.

"Are you seriously asking him to keep her here?"

The doctor tensed a bit. "We can't keep her," he explained, "But I'll give you two some privacy."

Neither of them acknowledged him before he left. They sat in angry silence for a few minutes before Angel decided to speak.

"Don't you think it's good for him to have her here?"

Zara scoffed, "Of course I do but I want to bring her home."

"Not Teddy?"

"I want to bring him home too but not before he's ready," Zara snapped. "Jesus, Angel," she grumbled.

"I gotta head out," he said, gingerly laying Teddy back in his bassinet.

There were no more tubes or wires, just one monitor they could remove when they visited. It was easy now and it almost felt normal when they were there.

"How long? I told Bastian I'd come by the office, remember?"

Angel sighed heavily, "I forgot. I'll stay."

"I won't be long," she assured him. "I could use some time out of here, fresh air and stuff, I'm always here, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it," he said dismissively.

Zara didn't pry. She laid Reina in his arms and kissed each of them on the head, then Teddy, before scurrying away.

"Your mom the business mogul," he complained to the twins.

As he sat, Angel's skin began to crawl and his anxiety, although he didn't know that was what it was, began to spike. He didn't want to be there alone with the twins, especially Teddy, in case something were to happen.

"I love you," he said to them, kissing each baby on the forehead before almost literally running away.

—

Zara wasn't looking her best when she arrived at the office and Leary was sure to mention it. Since Gabe's death, Leary was around much more and Zara hated it. Before Gabe went off the deep end she actually liked him but Leary was never one of her favorites.