Page 68 of Coming Home to Inishbeg Cove

Chapter 46

Sarah

Monitors, bleeps and wires was my first impression of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. So many things pulled at my attention, and I didn’t know where to look.

A nurse walked over and shook our hands. ‘You must be Sarah and Greg. I’m Martha, a neonatal nurse here. Your girlies are doing great,’ she assured us. ‘I know it seems overwhelming right now and it’s still early days, but we take it one day at a time here and so far, so good.’ She smiled at us. ‘Come on, they’re over this way.’

Greg and I followed Martha across to two side-by-side incubators where two tiny babies were curled up inside. They were wearing nappies that swamped their small bodies and were topped with knitted hats that looked as though they belonged on dolls. Tubes and wires that Martha explained were helping them to breathe, trailed from their miniature bodies. Our daughters. These babies were ours. I burst into tears. The enormity of everything that happened over the last twelve hours – actually, over the last eighteen months – hit me. What a whirlwind life had been for us.

Greg put his arms around me, and tears glistened in his eyes as we stared in wonder through the glass at the babies we had created.

Greg turned to me. ‘They’re beautiful, aren’t they?’

‘So beautiful,’ I agreed, barely able to get the words out. ‘I still can’t believe they’re ours – that I’m their mother.’

‘And I’m a dad,’ Greg said in amazement, as we watched them, mesmerised.

Greg turned to me and took me in his arms. ‘I never thought I would get this lucky. Since the day we met, you’ve made me happier than I ever thought possible, but today – well, today has topped it all. A year and a half ago, my life was falling apart and now, I can’t believe I have a wife and two beautiful daughters.’

‘You’ve made a lot of dreams come true for me too, you know,’ I said, leaning my head against his chest.

‘I know we’re only at the start of our journey, but I wanted to say thank you, Sarah - for everything - to have a family of my own is all I ever wanted.’