“Dashing through the snow… in a one-horse open sleigh… over the hills we go… laughing all the way…” Nick sang as finished wrapping Brian’s present.
”Baby, could you come put the turkey back into the oven?” Meggie asked from the kitchen. Nick slid Brian’s present under the Christmas tree, then went into the kitchen.
“What time did you tell the guys to be here?” She asked, as she watched Nick slide the half-cooked turkey into the oven.
“Two o’ clock. They’ll be here pretty soon.”
”Ok, then I’m going to go get dressed in something decent… that’s not covered in flour,” She smiled. Nick watched her climb the stairs, and then looked into the dining room. The table was set; the fine china lay out carefully. Due to the hovering hurricane, all flights into and out of the Orlando International Airport, had been cancelled. So, Nick and Meggie had invited all the guys and their girlfriends’ (or wife, in Kevin’s case) to come over for a Christmas Eve dinner, and to also open their presents from each other. It was perfect for Nick, for his Christmas present to Meggie, would not only be a surprise to her, but also to the guys.
The doorbell rang, startling Nick from his thoughts. He plucked the red Santa hat from the counter, and pulled it over his blonde locks. He peeked through the side windows, and saw AJ and his girlfriend, Callie, standing on the porch.
”Merry Christmas,” AJ greeted as Nick opened the door.
“Same to you,” He replied, taking their damp jackets. “Ha… it’s going to be pouring by the time the last person gets here… or should I rephrase that? It’s going to be pouring by the time Kevin gets here.”
AJ snickered as he set the numerous presents onto the floor beside the Christmas tree.
”We put up a fire place gate this year… so Brian doesn’t set the presents on fire,” Nick laughed.
“That’s a good thing. Don’t need crispy gifts. Hey Nicky… where’s your woman?”
”Changing. She’ll be down in a second. You guys want anything to drink?”
”What do you have?” AJ asked, plopping down on the leather couch.
”The usual… Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Bud Light, eggnog… probably some juice in the fridge, too.”
”Bud,” AJ replied.
”You didn’t spike the eggnog this year, did you?”
”Nah… not this year,”
”Eggnog then,” She smiled. As Nick disappeared into the kitchen, Meggie came down the stairs.
”Hey guys,” She said, entering the living room. She was dressed in jeans, and a baggy sweater, to cover her growing stomach.
”Merry Christmas,” AJ said, jumping up to hug her.
Within a half an hour, everyone had arrived, even Kevin and Kristen. They all sat down in the dining room and ate dinner, then went into the living room to open presents. The three girls distributed presents, and soon all of them had been opened, except one.
Nick handed Meggie a small wrapped box. With all eyes on her, she opened it, to reveal a small silver key.
“Is this the key to your office?” She asked Nick. He nodded, and helped her off the floor.
Everyone else stood up, and followed the couple of the stairs to Nick’s office. Meggie slid the key into the door handle, and opened it. She gasped, as Nick turned the light on. The small town was painted in light colors on the walls, and the ceiling was painted sky blue, with puffy clouds. Two white cribs, decorated with small animals, sat against one wall, while a dresser and changing table was against another. Each crib was lined with soft blankets, one blue, and one pink. A mobile hung above each crib, teddy bears hanging from the strings. A hand-made wooden rocking chair, sat in the corner beside the bay window.
”That was my grandmother’s rocking chair… how’d you get it?” She asked.
”Talked to your mom,” He grinned. Confused, the rest of the guys peered into the room, surprised at what the room held.
“Jeez… congratulations, you two,” Brian said, still in disbelief. “Two?”
”Yup,” Nick smiled. “A girl and a boy,”
“Great… just what we need… another little Nick AND Meggie running around,” Kevin teased.
“I resent that,” Meggie laughed.
~ June 21st ~
“Baby, I’m going to run over to Brian’s real quick. I’ll be back real soon,” Nick said, kissing Meggie atop the forehead.
”Alright. I’ll be here… waddling around.” She smiled.
”Only about two or three more weeks. Then we’ll have those little rug-rats in our arms, instead of you hogging them,” He teased.
”I’d let you ‘hog’ them happily,” She groaned, looking down at her swollen belly.
“Be good for your mama,” Nick sat, patting her stomach.
After one more kiss, he was out the door. Meggie stifled a yawn, as she stood up from the dining room chair.
”Nap time,” She said to no one but herself, and the pugs, which had been following her around lately. She slowly walked up the stairs, careful not to lose balance with her awkward figure. She walked down the hallway, and into the master bedroom. She lay down on the bed, which she shared with Nick, and soon fell into a light sleep.
“Ouch…quit kicking,” Meggie said, waking up. As she sat up, a sharp pain shot through her stomach. “Oooh crap,”
She stood up, just as water began to trickle down her leg.
”This is not good.. no it’s not.. Nick?” She called. When she received no answer, she picked up the bedside phone and dialed Nick’s cell phone number. It rang six times before his voicemail picked up.
”Shoot,” She dialed Brian’s home number, but only received the answering machine.
”This is NOT cool,” She shrieked as another sharp pain shot through her stomach.
She dialed Brian’s cell phone number, and waited impatiently for him to pick up.
”Hello?”
”Where’s Nick?” She quickly asked.
”He left my house and said he was going to run a few errands. Why? Are you ok?”
”Aaahhhhh!” She screamed, more pain coming.
”MEGGIE?”
”I’m fine,” She said through gritted teeth. “But I’m about to pop two kids out,”
“I’m two minutes away from your house. Let me hang up with you, and I’ll try to call Nick. Get your suitcase or whatever.”
”Ok,”
She hung the phone up and walked over to the closet, where she pulled out her suitcase. She pulled it behind her as she walked downstairs and onto the porch. As she stepped off the porch, Brian’s BMW pulled into the driveway. With the car still running, he jumped out and ran to her, taking the suitcase. He helped her into the car, and threw the suitcase into the backseat.
”Get Nick yet?” She asked between contractions.
”Not yet, I’m still trying. Just breathe,”
”I’m not planning to suffocate myself,” She replied sarcastically.
Brian rolled his eyes as he pulled out of the driveway. He drove quickly, yet carefully, while still trying to get a hold of Nick. Soon, he pulled into the hospital parking lot and drove to the emergency entrance. He found a parking spot near the doors, and shoved the cell phone into his pocket.
”I’ll get the suitcase later,” Brian said as he ran to the other side. They went inside and up to the service desk. As Meggie was being checked in, Brian tried once again to call Nick, but this time at home.
“Meggie?” Nick asked as soon as he picked up the phone.
“No… this Brian,”
”Meggie’s gone! The cars still here and the door was even locked but-,”
”Nick, chill! Walk your butt out to your truck, get in, and drive to the hospital NOW.”
“She’s there?”
”Yes! You weren’t answering your cell, so I had to take her. I think she’s going to blow,” He laughed as Meggie elbowed him.
“Ok, I’ll be right there. Does she need anything?”
”Nope, we’re all set Nicky. Just need the future father.”
The two hung up, as a nurse put Meggie in a wheelchair. As they reached the maternity ward, a nurse stopped Brian.
”Are you the father-to-be?”
“I’m the sub… just until he gets here,”
”All right,” She laughed. “Give them a few minutes to get her hooked up to everything, and you can go on in,”
Brian waited ten minutes, before lightly tapping on the door.
“Come in,” Meggie called. Brian opened the door, and let himself in. Meggie lay on a bed in the corner of the room, a fetal monitor strapped around her stomach.
”How you doin’?” He asked, sitting down beside the bed.
”I’m exhausted already,” She moaned. “I’m going to be asleep for days after this,”
Brian chuckled as the door to the room opened, and a blonde head peered in.
“About time you got here, mister,” Meggie teased.
”I’m sorry, baby! Somehow the ring tone got turned off on my phone, and I didn’t know you two were trying to call.”
“You’re forgiven, Nicky,” She smiled.
” ”Is that their heartbeats?” Nick asked, watching the small screen beside the bed.
”Yup,” She said, as the doctor walked into the room.
“Hello there, Meggie.”
”Hi,”
“Could you two excuse us for a minute? I just need to see how everything is going,” She asked politely. Brian and Nick nodded, and left the room quickly. As they reached the waiting room, Nick began to pace.
”Getting nervous?” Brian asked.
”Oh yeah… and what if something goes wrong? Oh man..”
”Nick.. chill. Everything is going to be fine. The doctor knows what she’s doing.”
”I know but..”
”No buts,” Brian replied, a twinkle in his eye.
The door to Meggie’s room opened and the doctor appeared, then shut the door behind her.
”Nick?” She asked as she came into the waiting room.
”Yeah?”
“Remember when Meggie and you, and a few other couples with twins, sat down with me and discussed the different options and procedures doing the birth process?”
”Yeah…” Nick said, eyeing Brian nervously.
“Due to both of the babies being breech, we’re going to have to do a cesarean section, to deliver them.”
“Is that…safe?” He asked, his mind going blank.
“Yes. Very safe. I’ve performed over 100 of them. You can even be in the operating room with her.”
”Ok,”
”Why don’t you follow me, and we’ll get you decked out in some scrubs, while they get Meggie ready. And sir,” She said looking at Brian. “You might want to start calling family and friends, because we’re going to have a set of twins on our hands shortly,”
Brian pulled Nick into a brotherly hug, before he followed the doctor down the hallway. Brian dug for his cell phone in his jacket pocket, then began dialing numbers. First Nick’s parents, then Meggie’s parents, then the rest of the guys. Then, he sat down in a fluffy red chair, and waited. Ten minutes passed, then twenty, then thirty. AJ showed up, and joined Brian in the little waiting game.
“I can’t believe our little Nicky is going to be a daddy… and of two,” AJ said, trying to break the silence.
”I know, man. He’s the first of all of us to have kids too… I never would have thought…” Brian trailed off as the doors from the maternity ward swung up. Nick entered, still decked out in scrubs, but with tears running down his cheeks.
”I’m a daddy!” He announced, a wide grin spreading across his face.
The two guys hugged him, then began to question him.
”Names?” Brian asked, curiously.
”Austin Zackery and Madison Danielle,” He replied happily. “Austin weighed 6 pounds 3 ounces, and was 18 inches long. Madison is 5 pounds 6 ounces, and 17 inches long,”
”Well, we can already tell Austin’s going to be like his dad,” AJ teased. “How’s Meggie?”
“She’s fine. They were stitching her up when I left. The nurse was washing the babies up, and said we can go back into Meggie’s room, and she’ll bring them in.”
The two guys eagerly followed Nick back to Meggie’s room, where they sat in silence. Finally, a nurse opened the door, and two other nurses wheeled clear baby beds into the room. The smile reappeared on Nick’s face, as he saw his children.
The nurses left, leaving them alone.
“This is Austin,” Nick cooed, picking up the baby wrapped in a blue blanket.
“And this must be little Madison…” Brian said, picking up the sleeping child in the pink blanket.
Little locks of blonde hair, covered Madison’s head, while light brown hair covered Austin’s.
“Jeez… and to think she’s your child,” AJ laughed.
”You two look alike… she’s got the blonde hair, the nose, lips… blue eyes?” Brian questioned.
”I don’t know… she hasn’t opened them yet,” Nick replied. “This little one looks like Meggie.”
The door opened, and two orderlies pushed Meggie back into the room.
”Hey guys,” She said as she saw them.
“Hey… how are you doing?” Nick asked.
”Can’t feel anything below my chest… I’m doing great,” She laughed. Nick took Austin over to Meggie, and she held him.
”Oh, he’s going to be a mama’s boy,” AJ said.
”Nothing wrong with a mama’s boy,” Brian retorted.
Nick snickered at the two, as he took Madison from Brian.
”Daddy’s little girl,” Meggie said. “That sounds weird…”
“Psh… yeah. Calling Nick a daddy.. and you a mom…”
Within fifteen minutes, the other two guys arrived, and visited for a while. Then everyone left, besides Nick.
”We did it,” He said, as the door closed behind the four men.
”Yup… and look at them… they’re perfect,”
The bedside phone rang, and Nick picked it up.
“Hello?” He chirped.
”Nick? It’s B.J.”
”Hey Beej!”
”Well….”
“Well what?” He teased.
“Aww come on, Nicky. Am I an aunt yet?”
”Yep. Times two. Austin Zackery and Madison Danielle,”
”Aaaaawwwwwwww!” B.J. shrieked. “I can’t wait to get there! I can’t get a hold of mom and dad, but Aaron and I are on our way. We’re in Atlanta right now… waiting for our next flight.”
”Where are the others?”
”With mom and dad… at home. I went on tour with Aaron for a few weeks,”
“Ohh… okay. So when can I expect you two?”
”Two… three hours?”
”All right. We’ll be here,”
”All four of you… dang… that sounds weird,” She laughed.
”Thanks a lot,”
“No problem, bro. Listen, I’d better get off here and tell Aaron the good news. See you later,”
”Bye,”
Nick hung up, only to see that Meggie had fallen asleep. He left a quick note for her, telling her that he went down to the cafeteria, and set it on the bedside table.
”Be good for your mama,” Nick cooed to the babies, before leaving the room.
”Wow,” Nick sighed to himself as he stepped onto the elevator. “I’m a daddy,”
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