Behind The Church

LXXI

Christina

I held Adrianna's hand while she pushed through contractions. Ricky was at work and while trying to get here, there was a crash so she's stuck in traffic. I was able to get Adrianna here as her water broke while she was at home.

Ricky and Adrianna have been living with us while they work up the money to buy a nice house to live in. I've noticed that Ricky is very cautious with me. Like I'd snap at her or something. I think she thinks that I don't like her. Which isn't true.

It turns out, Adrianna was pregnant with twins and Ricky was ecstatic about that. Sarah is happy too. Adrianna was really nervous about it but I knew she'd be fine, even though she is currently crushing my hand on this wonderful January morning.

"Holy fuck." she swore.

"Hurts like a bitch, huh?" I ask her.

"Definitely. I feel for you, Tina. I really - Oh my god! I think the babies are coming."

"Yup, one of them's crowned." the doctor confirmed. Adrianna started pushing and the first baby was out, crying with the biggest set of lungs I've ever heard. Not even Ruth and Zoey were that loud, "It's a girl!"

"She sounds like you did, Christina. Loud as a jet engine." Adrianna attempted a smile. Two minutes later, the other one came out and Adrianna held her two babies.

"I'm gonna go and see if Ricky is here yet." I say.

"Okay." Adrianna nods.

I head out to the hall and call Ricky, she answered quickly, "Did I miss it? Please tell me I didn't."

"A girl and a boy. I'm sorry, Ricky." I tell her.

"Fuck!" I heard her shout, "I've only just gotten out of the traffic jam. I'm two minutes away."

"Okay. Adrianna isn't going to sign anything without you here. Drive carefully." I advise.

"I can't believe I missed it, man. These are my first kids and I fucking missed their birth. I'm gonna be a terrible parent. I should've take maturity leave. I should've been there." Ricky rants.

"It's not your fault. Adrianna isn't angry. She just wants you to get here in one piece."

"Okay, I'm just pulling into the hospital parking lot now. I'll be up in a sec."

"Okay. Bye." I say and hang up. About a minute later, she rounded the corner of our hall and I stepped aside and allowed her to see her little family. I decided to leave the hospital, to give them a bit of space and went home.

"Hey, you're back early." Kate smiled as she greeted me with a kiss.

"Yeah. Ricky missed the births but she's there now."

"I bet she's bummed about that." Kate tilted her head.

"She was." I nod.

"So, what were the babies like?"

"A girl and a boy. Adrianna reckons the girl sounded like me when I was born. But I don't know. I was just born when I was born. I don't remember that." I shrug.

Kate laughed, "Baby, you're so adorable." she rested her head on my chest.

"Okay."

"When do you think we can have a baby?"

"Kate..."

"Seriously. We've always wanted lots of kids but we're not having kids. Why can't we, Tina?"

"We're not in a good place to have kids."

"By that logic, we'll never have kids. I think we just need to accept that we'll never not be busy and just try and make a baby.