One thing he knew for certain as the dilemma occupied his mind for the rest of the afternoon was that it wouldn’t be as easy to leave this place as it used to be.
Chapter 20
In Providence, Abby’s doctor and the neonatologist had declared mother and babies cleared to go home the next day.
Adam and Abby had looked at each other in complete terror at the thought of being entrusted with the care of four tiny humans without the assistance of the incredible nurses who’d been such a godsend to them. If there was an upside to leaving the hospital, it would be the end to the “fundus massages.” No one had warned her how unpleasant it would be to “encourage” her uterus to return to its normal size after the birth. Add that to the engorged breasts and the litany of other aches and pains, and Abby was thrilled to be done with childbirth forever.
“You’ll be coming with us, right?” she asked Ellen, their daytime nurse who’d quickly made herself essential.
Ellen laughed. “You’ve got this, Mama.”
“Do I, though?”
“I have faith in you.”
“We do, too, honey,” her mother, Carol, said.
“You have to say that. You raised me.”
Linda McCarthy laughed. “You’re doing great, Abby. You’re ready to take this team home.”
“I wish I felt as confident as you all do.”
“We’ve got this, babe,” Adam said.
“No, we don’t.”
“You’ll have lots of help,” Carol reminded her. “Linda and I will take turns spending the night until you find a groove.”
“Thank goodness for the grannies,” Adam said. “They’ll save us from messing up too bad.”
Despite all the reassurances, Abby was filled with anxiety at the thought of taking four newborns—and their two-year-old brother—to the remote island they called home. What if something went wrong that they couldn’t handle there? What if?—
“Abs.” Adam massaged her tight shoulders. “It’s going to be fine. I promise—and I always keep my promises.”
She was reminded of how he’d promised her everything would be okay after she was diagnosed with PCOS and given the devastating news that she might never conceive. Look at them now.
Five sons.
Even with months to prepare, it still boggled her mind that they had five sons.
And then Kane woke from a nap with a hearty cry that roused his brothers, beginning the change-feed-burp cycle once again.
Thank goodness Big Mac and her dad, Tom, had stepped up to take care of Liam, who wanted nothing at all to do with the babies.
They were hoping he’d come around in time, when they stopped making such a racket that he couldn’t hear the TV or get a second of his parents’ attention before one of the babies needed something.
When they got home, they would make a point of spending one-on-one time with Liam each day so he wouldn’t resent his brothers. Liam’s lack of interest in the babies was a challenge they hadn’t expected. Linda had assured her it was normal. She said Mac had had no use for Grant when he was first born, and look at them now, the best of friends.
She burped Kane and walked him around the room until he dozed off again while her mom, Linda and Adam tended to the other three.
Four babies was a lot of babies.
Haha, no shit, Sherlock. What’d you think it was going to be like?
When the babies were back to sleep, Adam flopped onto the sofa next to Abby and put his arm around her.
She rested her head on his chest, closed her eyes and fell off the cliff into sleep.
