A Summer To Remember

#36

#36
Ayla's POV

I slowly start to wake up with the warmth of someone else's hand in my left hand. I start to blink before eventually opening my eyes, the room bright. I look to my left seeing that the hand in mine is Brennan's, along with a nurse to my right.

I open my mouth to talk but my throat is extremely dry, a foul taste in my mouth.

The nurse starts to talk, "Ayla, you just got out of surgery, do you want some ice?"

I nod my head and open up my mouth. She uses a spoon to scoop a couple of ice chips out of a cup and into my mouth.

"My babies" I croak out. 

"Your babies are in the NICU, they need a little help breathing. But the should only need to stay for a week or two. Congratulations mom and dad, you have two beautiful baby girls. Baby A was born at 4:16 am, weighing four pounds and one ounce, baby B was born at 4:18 am, weighing four pounds and four ounces. Do you guys have names?" The nurse asks.

I look to Brennan, tears brimming in my eyes. We shake our heads simultaneously. 

"We will give you a little bit to fully wake up and then we will take you two to go see your baby girls." The nurse says before going to walk out of the room. 

"Thank you," Brennan tells her.

"Of course" she replies. 

After the door closes I turn back to Brennan and smile, "I think I know what I want our babies names to be"

***

The nurse from before pushes my IV bag while Brennan pushes my wheelchair.

"Just around the corner up here we'll get to see your babies," the nurse says while she points towards the left

As we turn the corner I see big glass windows and two incubators with my babies inside. Both of them have a tiny tube into one side of their noses.

I put my hand on the window, Brennan leans down and kisses the top of my head.

"Can we hold them?" I ask.

"Of course, right over here." The nurse points to a door on the right of the windows.

Brennan wheels me through the door, I notice four other couples in the room sitting next to their babies.

"We will have you guys wash your hands first over here" the nurse motions to a sink on the side.

After we wash our hands we go to the side of our babies. 

The nurses in NICU prepare our babies for us to hold them, "We recommend skin to skin with the babies, it helps the babies that are born early."

I nod my head.

The nurse that walked us here helps me to unbutton my gown exposing my sports bra. Brennan takes off his shirt and sits in the chair that was set out for him. 

One nurse hands me my baby, "here is baby A".

Another sets a baby on Brenna's chest, "and baby B".

Both of the babies are covered with hospital blankets.

"Dad, do you have your phone so that I can take a picture of you guys?"

"Yeah" Brennan reaches into the pocket of his athletic pants and hands the nurse his phone.

"Everyone smile" the nurse quickly snaps a few photos.

"Do your babies have names?"

I look to Brennan and smile as he smiles back at me.

"Nova Katherine," I say looking at the baby in my arms.

"And Raine Jillian," Brennan says.

Nova is for the stars and Raine for the rain, the night we knew we were in love. The night we kissed under the stars.

The two most important and powerful women in both of our lives before these babies were Jill and Katie, which is where the middle names come from.

***

Brennan and I walk into our house, each of us carrying a baby car seat. 

"Welcome home" the Donnelly's say as we walk into the house.

"It is nice to be home," I say setting down Raine.

"I can't believe you named a baby after me," Jill said.

"I can, I'm awesome," Katie says, "which one is which?"

"This is Nova and Ayla has Raine," Brennan says. 

"Okay I love both of my grandbabies so much, but I want to hold the one named after me first," Jill says as she walks over to Raine and I, looking at both of the babies, "They look exactly the same, how do you tell them apart?"

Brennan laughs, "we don't"

"You should have them wear different colored anklets" Ryan suggests.

"That's a really good idea, I'll get on that as soon as I hold the one named after me," Katie says. 

Katie and Jill both scoop up a baby.

"Oh my god, I never knew that my ugly brother could make such beautiful babies," Katie says.

Ryan and Mike walk over to look at the babies. 

"Well they definitely got all of Ayla's genes," Ryan says.

I admire my babies, Nova stirs a little it and smiles.

"My baby just smiled," Katie says excitedly.

"That means that she just farted," Brennan says, smiling.

"Shh, don't ruin my moment," Katie says jokingly. 

"Smells like someone pooped," Mike says in a soft voice, touching Nova's stomach.

"I'll change it," I say.

"Oh no I got it," Mike says, "It'll probably be the only time I get to spend with my grandbabies"

"And you just had two babies, have a seat ill grab you some iced tea and a blanket. You too Brennan. We've got the babies, take a nap." Jill says.

"Or make a couple more so that there is a baby for each of us"

Brennan and I laugh a little bit, "Maybe a nap first" he says. 

Brennan and I walk over to the couch and grab a fluffy blanket, I lay my head on his chest listening to his heartbeat. 

We have a family.

This is my family.

This is our family.

And I love every second of it. I honestly don't know what I'd do without all these amazing people to help me through this.

I honestly think I'd go crazy if Brennan's family wasn't willing to help.

Brennan and I are teenagers, and we have two babies.

We could do it, but it's be so difficult.

I think about how amazing my life has gotten since I met Brennan and his family as I drift off to sleep.