Chapter Text
Levi Timothy Bradford
November 30th, 6:09pm
8lbs 6oz 22 inches
***
June Lucille Bradford
November 30th, 6:12pm
6lbs 4oz 18 inches
***
“Baby B’s heart rate keeps going down.” Lucy doctor tells her, as she shifts uncomfortably on the bed. Tim is on the other side of the bed, and looks up at the doctor.
“What does that mean?” He asks reaching out to grab Lucy’s hand feeling a little anxious. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine.” The doctor reassures them. “I’m just a little concerned it might dip down even more. I am recommending a c-section.”
Tim feels Lucy freeze a little, because that was not part of her birth plan. She wanted to have the twins just like she had Ava and Daisy. And after two births that did not go according to plan, she just wanted one normal one. One that did follow exactly what she wanted
“Do I have to?” Lucy asks him, her grip tightening on his hand as a contraction hits.
“No,” the doctor says but he looks a little hesitant. “You can still give birth vaginally but if something happens it could turn emergent.”
Lucy swallows and looks up at the heart monitors, Tim follows her gaze and then presses a kiss to the top of her head. Baby B’s (June’s) heart rate was a little lower than her brother’s, Tim could feel Lucy’s hand sweating a little as the doctor continues to talk.
“It could stress out her heart a little.” The doctor says. “You are moving along just fine. We will just watch okay? You don’t have to make a decision now.”
Tim thanks him, and watches as Lucy falls against the pillows. “How do you feel?” He asks running a hand across her cheek. The last few days had been hard on her, and when she had been having contractions since early this morning.
Lucy had decided to wait it out, but by mid morning she knew she couldn’t wait any longer. So they had dropped the girls off with Genny and made their way to the hospital.
She was moving along fine, slowly but fine.
“I’m tired.” She mutters. Tim sighs and presses a kiss to her forehead, this pregnancy had not been easy between her going on maternity leave early, her high and low blood pressure. And everything hurting all the time. He didn’t blame her for being tired. And he knows the thought of her birth plan going awry again was just adding to her stress.
“I’m sorry baby.” Tim mutters running his fingers through her hair in a soothing manner. “But we are going to meet our babies soon.” Lucy sighs and closes her eyes.
“If I have a c-section that’s major surgery.” She says. “We are going to have four kids Tim. I can’t—”
“Lucy,” he says softly. “Don’t even worry about that. You have me and we have a whole village behind us. Okay? If you need to have a c-section it will be okay.”
“It wasn’t in my birth plan.” She mutters. He huffs out a laugh, she had good intentions with the birth plans but neither Ava or Daisy’s birth went according to plan.
“Those are just blueprints.” He mutters into her hair, he gives her a soft kiss and he wishes he could do something to relieve her pain. “Nothing was concrete.”
Lucy closes her eyes and then opens them again, looking over at the heart monitor. June’s heart rate is even lower now, and it makes Tim feel a little queasy.
“I—” Lucy starts but she is interrupted by the fetal heart monitor going off. A bunch of nurses rush in, and check Lucy. And then her doctor comes in too, his face full of concern.
“I’m sorry Lucy.” He says. “But it looks like Baby B is in distress. You need to have a c-section.” Lucy nods and she looks a little panicked as she looks up at Tim. He just gives her a kiss, as they start to unhook her.
“We will let you know when you can come in.” A nurse informs him. They wheel Lucy out, and he is left there alone. He feels a little sick to his stomach, knowing his wife is about to have surgery and his baby girl’s heart rate is so low.
His heart pounding hard in his chest. And he can only hope that Lucy and the babies are okay.
Because he needs them, the girls need Lucy and their siblings.
His heart pounds and he closes his eyes tightly.
Please be okay. Please be okay.
***
Tim is pulled back to the operating room fifteen minutes later, he has a gown and a silly white hat on. Lucy is already laying down, her face pale as he sits next to her.
“This isn’t how I wanted it to go.” She mutters. He sighs softly and presses a kiss to her forehead head. “This wasn’t part of the plan.”
“I know baby.” He says trying to sound reassuring but he’s a little shook up too. Everything was happening so fast. “But we get to meet them soon, and that’s all that matters.” She nods and he hears the doctor’s talking but he has no idea what is going on. His focus is on Lucy, and keeping her calm.
He presses another kiss to her hair, just as he hears a cry. He looks up and sees the doctor holding up—his son.
“Oh my god.” He says softly. Levi is wailing and Tim tears his eyes away from his son to look at Lucy, although it’s hard to tear his eyes away from his boy.
“Is that our son?” She asks her voice shaky and unsteady. Tim nods as a nurse comes over with Levi. He’s still crying, and so is Lucy.
“He’s perfect.” She mutters. “He’s your twin.” Tim looks back at Levi who is now being weighed, he is still screaming. And he does look just like Tim, light hair, Tim’s nose and mouth.
And god—
He has a son.
He never thought he would have a son.
There’s another cry, and Tim looks over to see their baby girl. June. She’s crying too and she’s so tiny.
“Baby girl?” Lucy mutters. Tim nods and presses a kiss to her cheek.
“Yeah.” He mutters and he’s in complete awe. “They are both here.” Lucy lets out a sob as they carry June over to weigh her.
Tim watches as they wrap Levi up, and then June and carry them over. “Here you go daddy.” The nurse says and hands him Levi. Tim feels a tear run down his cheek, and he adjusts so he can hold June too.
He leans over so Lucy can see them, and she reaches out to kiss June’s and then Levi’s head.
“Perfect.” She mutters. “You gave us quite a scare there Junebug.” Tim chuckles and he can’t believe their twins are here.
Perfectly healthy.
“I can’t believe they are here.” Lucy whispers. “We have four kids Tim.” Tim just shakes his head, and stares down at his babies.
His son.
His daughter.
June opens her eyes a little, and he can see they are brown like Lucy’s. “Oh you two.” He mutters. “You have no idea how loved you are.”
He looks over at Lucy, who has a loving smile on her face. “Sir, we need to take them. But we will bring them back to the room soon.” A nurse says. Tim stands up with both babies in his arms. And he’s not even sure how he’s doing this. It’s like he’s a natural holding these babies two at a time.
He hands Levi to one nurse, and June to another. And then watches as the take his babies out of the OR.
“You did so good Luce.” He says. He kisses her on the head, and she holds out her hand for him.
“I love you.” She mumbles.
“I love you too.”
***
Lucy is brought back into the room, and then the twins arrive a little bit later. Levi is wailing as the roll him in.
“Is he okay?” Tim asks looking at his son in concern. The nurse smiles at him but nods, as she looks down at Levi who is still wailing.
“He’s a little upset but let me try something.” She says. She lifts June up who seems to be the calmer of the two and puts her next to her brother. Levi immediately stops crying, and Tim gapes at the babies a little.
“He is used to being with her.” The nurse explains. “They were separated and—” Tim nods in understanding. And watches as Levi slowly closes his eyes.
“Amazing.” Tim says turning to look at Lucy. “They are already best friends.”
“They have to be.” She mutters. “They were womb mates for 9 months and were competing with each other.”
Tim huffs out a laugh, and stares down at his two babies. June is slowly closing her eyes too, her tiny hand on Levi’s arm. It’s like she’s calming him done, like she knows exactly what he needs.
He smiles and reaches down to scoop June up, she looks a little startled but then closes her eyes again and settles into his arms as if she was always meant to be there. “Not as feisty on the outside are you June?” He says. Lucy sits up and he hands June to her, and then he goes back over to pick up his son. He stares at him for a few seconds and takes in his little face, his little features.
It was a little scary knowing this little boy was here but Tim also knows he’s going to show his son nothing but love. Nothing but love and compassion that he never got from his own father.
He scoops him up, and then goes to sit in the chair, and he stares down at his baby boy. His twin.
“Oh son.” He mutters. He feels Lucy’s eyes on him but he doesn’t look over at her, his focus is on his boy. “You already have so many girls who love you. Your mama. Your older sisters and Junie. You are going to be so loved.” Levi opens his eyes and Tim sees he has blue eyes.
Like Ava’s.
Like his own.
“You are going to be very spoiled son.” Tim says and he looks up to see Lucy staring at him a small smile on her face. He shrugs his shoulders at her. “Am I wrong?”
Lucy shakes her head, “No, he’s going to be very spoiled by his sisters and me.” She agrees smiling at him. And she pauses looking down at June with a small smile. “Do you want to trade?” Tim gets up and heads over to her. He slips Levi into her arm and scoops June up.
He goes back to sit down, holding his youngest daughter. His tiniest baby girl. “And you Junebug.” He says. “Your sisters are going to think you are a little doll.” He shakes his head, and he’s done this two other times. He has held all his babies, but it never gets old.
“You look like your mama.” He mutters. “Beautiful.” He looks up to see Lucy just staring at Levi in awe.
“He is literally your twin.” Lucy says running a finger down Levi’s cheek. “He’s very handsome.”
“You think I’m handsome?” Tim teases her. She rolls her eyes, and looks back down at Levi.
“You are okay.” She says. “But this boy sure is.” Tim rolls his eyes and looks down at June who is blinking at him.
He stands up and heads back to the bed, he sits on the edge of it and leans into Lucy.
“We are so lucky.” He mutters. Lucy hums in agreement, and he stretches out so he’s laying next to her.
“The girls are going to be so excited.” She says. Tim laughs softly, he knows Ava and Daisy were going to be thrilled to meet Levi and June. Maybe a little hesitant but—
“They will be.” He agrees. He leans down to kiss June on the forehead, and then Levi. The girls would come visit them soon enough and it would be the six of them. And this was just another chapter in their story he couldn’t wait to get started.
It wasn’t just them anymore. It was Ava, Daisy, Levi and June.
Their four kids. Their four beautiful kids.
And he couldn’t wait for this part, this chapter of their life to begin.
Just the six of them.