One Year Later
Thalia
“Just breathe, It’s okay. Really.” I watched as Lacey struggled with the pain.
Her face was covered in sweat, and I felt bad. It had been a month since she slipped on black ice coming home from work. It wouldn’t have been that bad, but being nine months pregnant made the fall worse. She tried to protect herself, and broke her arm. Today was her last physical therapy session, and I told Leander I would go with her since he had to leave for a business trip yesterday. He was afraid to go, since their baby girl could decide to make her appearance any day now, but Tristan promised he would go get him and bring him to the hospital.
“I’m so ready for my arm to feel better,” she groaned. I felt for her, before I came into my powers as a demigod, I was very much human. I broke my arm in middle school and it sucked.
Once her session was over, we left the building and went to go get something to eat. I called Tristan to check in and make sure he was doing ok with the twins. He was, of course. They were having a ball. We tried to get out every once in a while, like normal people. I had dates with Lacey and Leander, while he would go and do adventurous things with Set and Horus.
Today was my day. Hang out with Lacey, get a pedicure, go to her physical therapy appointment, then grab something delicious for lunch.
We sat down at a little bistro that was nearby and ordered our food.
“Hubby doing all right?” she asked and put her feet up on a spare chair. She had a good pregnancy until the last two weeks. She was tired, and her feet and hands liked to swell.
“Yep, Ren and Callista are enjoying the beach.” I smiled then took a sip of my smoothie.
“Lucky dog. I think it’s so cool you guys have been traveling as much as you have been. Last week you were in Mexico, and he took the babies to a beach in the Florida Keys today.” I shrugged, we had been pinned down for too long. After the battle a year ago, we decided to live life to the fullest, so that’s what we had been doing. Exploring, and having fun. Ren and Callista were loving every minute of it. And thanks to our family, we weren’t going crazy when we really needed a break. Aphrodite and Isis were too happy to watch them for us so we could have alone time. They were like running around like 2-year-olds even though they just had their first birthday a few weeks ago. Terrible twos were a little more difficult when you had kids with powers, that’s for sure. We kept them busy doing fun things, so they would pass out when it was bedtime.
“It’s been fun. We’re probably going to hang out at our house outside the city for a few months in case you need us for anything.” Tristan sold his apartment in the city and had bought us a house outside Boston so we could still be close to Lacey and Leander, but have a home with some land for the kids to run and play as they got older. It was nice. Lacey and Leander took over our apartment, and turned my room into the baby’s room.
“Thank you. You guys were instantly good parents. Leander will probably be putting fake mustaches on the baby’s face when she naps.”We both laughed because it was probably true.
“Have you guys thought of names yet?” They had tossed out a few ideas, but hadn’t settled on one.
“Yeah, we picked one. But we don’t want to tell until she’s born.” She grinned mischievously, and I rolled my eyes. Whatever it was, I’m sure it was awesome. It took us a few weeks to decide on the twins’ middle names. But eventually we both agreed on Ren Orion and Callista Dove.
“I’m starving,” she growled, while looking around for a waiter with food heading in our direction.
“I bet, that child is half Leander.” She put a hand on her stomach and nodded. She had an insatiable appetite ever since she found out she was pregnant, a month after their wedding. Leander hadn’t waited long; he proposed to her the day after he got back from the battle. They got married at Tower Hill Botanical gardens. It was beautiful, and of course she had a killer dress, lovely music, and the decorations were to die for. Being the daughter of a muse had its perks.
“Yeah this little bug.” Her face scrunched up without finishing the rest of her sentence and then I heard it.
“Uh, Lacey?” I looked below the table, and confirmed what I was thinking.
“Thalia. I think my water just broke.”
“Yeah, babe, I think it did.” I stood up and helped her stand.
“We need to get to the hospital. Shit goes down real quick after that happens. Have you been having contractions and didn’t tell me?” It made me think perhaps she had been in pain all day. I would have hated to think I didn’t notice.
“Yeah, but they weren’t bad. I honestly just thought they were Braxton Hicks.” She wasn’t panting or anything as we walked to the car. As soon as we pulled into Dr. Geoffrey’s office, I called Tristan, who had Isis come watch the kids and went to get Leander to meet us here. Lacey was just getting hooked up to an epidural machine when Leander and Tristan arrived.
Leander was frantic, and acting like the stereotypical husband-about-to-be-a-dad. Freaking out, but in a good way. He was doing everything Lacey asked, and held her hand through it all. Tristan and I stood off to the side, his arm wrapped around my waist. We were there if they needed us, but they had it in the bag. Even though we didn’t get a peaceful labor and birth of our children, like theirs, it was as if we got to experience it through them, which was a special memory.
When their little girl was born, I watched their faces grow into big, loving smiles. Leander kissed Lacey on the lips, and then the head, as she held her arms out and their baby was placed on her chest.
“Congrats, guys. She’s beautiful,” I said, and met Leander’s smile. Lacey was so enamored by their daughter that a bomb could have gone off and she wouldn’t have noticed. I knew the feeling.
“Hello Lillian Thalia, sweet baby.” Lacey said to her baby and I felt a few tears fall from my eyes.
“Is that okay?” She asked, looking up. I nodded.
“It’s perfect.”
We stayed for a little bit longer, but then wanted to give the new family time to themselves.
