“You think I don’t remember that day on the ferry when you and me became we?”
She melted into his embrace. “You make me feel like I can handle anything, even taking four infants on the ferry to our island.”
“You’ve got this, Mom.”
“We’ve got this, Dad.”
“You bet we do. Now, how about we go home?”
“You’re sure we’re ready for this?”
“Hell no, but we’ll figure it out one minute at a time.”
Abby took a deep breath and released it slowly, searching for the inner calm she’d need to get through the next few hours. The desire to be home, after months away, was the thing that propelled her forward. She couldn’t wait to sleep in her own bed, with Adam, and to finally have their five sons together under their own roof.
Five sons.
She wanted to laugh hysterically at the sheer absurdity of it all.
“You ready, hon?” Adam asked, his brows furrowed with concern.
“As ready as I’ll ever be, and before I forget to say so, thank you for making all my dreams come true times five, Adam McCarthy.”
Smiling, he hugged her tightly. “You’re the one who’s making dreams come true around here. Thank you for the many sacrifices you made to bring our boys safely into the world. You’re a rock star, Abigail McCarthy, and I’m so, so proud of you.”
“I’m proud of us. I’d never have gotten through it without you and Liam and our family and friends who rallied around us.”
“I’m so ready to be home. What do you say we get going?”
Abby took a long look around at the room that’d been home for months and nodded. She still felt apprehensive—who wouldn’t, bringing four infants home—but the minute alone with her husband had fortified her for the challenges ahead.
Adam pulled her suitcase as they crossed the hall to the room where the babies had been left in the hands of their grandmothers while Abby packed the last of her belongings.
Big Mac held Liam, who watched the scene with the same apprehension that Abby was feeling. He was probably putting things together to realize the squalling babies were coming home with them, and he wasn’t at all happy about it.
“Are we ready, everyone?” Adam asked in a cheerful, upbeat tone that belied the anxiety he was surely feeling, too.
“Let’s do this,” Linda said as she picked up the carrier that held Beckett, while Abby’s dad took Murphy, and Adam carried Kane and Rory.
The nurses and other staff had lined the hallway in a send-off party full of applause and elation for the successful arrival of high-risk quads, and for their parents, who’d become friends over recent months.
Dr. Coleman hugged them both. “I’m just a phone call away if you need anything at all.”
“Thank you again for everything. We did it.”
“You did it, and I couldn’t be prouder of what a trouper you were. Go enjoy every minute with your beautiful family.”
“That’s the plan.”
“Call me if you need anything. I mean it.”
“I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too. I’ll be telling the story of my incredible quad mom for years to come.”
The next thing Abby knew, they were in the elevator with the babies and Jessica, the nurse accompanying them to the exit. Abby had refused the wheelchair they offered, wanting to walk after having to spend months in bed.
Beckett was a bit fussy, but the others were quiet, taking it all in with big eyes that probably weren’t seeing much of anything quite yet. Abby had read about that during the long weeks she’d spent in bed with nothing to do but read everything she could get her hands on about infancy and child development.
