After the three ran outside to play, Patrick poured himself a cup of coffee and one for Ginny.
“Have you called Meg’s family yet?” he asked.
“Just about to. I’m going to try the sister first. Should be fast and easy,” said Ginny.
Patrick nodded and sat down to watch.
Ginny dialed the number. “Hello, This is Ginny, Luc’s cousin. Meg and Luc had twins early this morning and I…” she said stopping in midstream. “Fine. I won’t,” she finished and hung up. “That has got to be the rudest woman I have ever talked to in my life!” said Ginny. “No wonder we’ve never met her.”
“Oh?” asked Patrick. He’d heard exactly what the woman on the phone had said and it didn’t take good hearing as she had been shouting.
“Yeah. Here’s hoping mom is better,” said Ginny as she dialed. “Hello, This is Ginny, Luc’s cousin,” said Ginny as she started to hold the phone away from her ear. “Yes, they had the babies. Yes, everyone’s okay. No, I don’t know when they’ll be home, but I’ll call as soon as I know if Meg doesn’t call you first. Okay. Yes. Sure. Okay. Bye,” said Ginny. She put the phone down and rubbed her ear.
“Well, Meg did say she’d probably shout,” said Patrick.
“I think I’ve heard calmer Jack Russell terriers,” said Ginny.
Patrick laughed. “Do you think she’ll fly out to see her new grandbabies?” he asked.
“Oh yes. That’s why I have to call her when I know they’ll be home,” said Ginny.
“That will be interesting. I take it she doesn’t know?” asked Patrick.
“Nope. Neither the mom or the sister know. And before you ask, I have no idea why the sister is such a bitch. Meg said she’s always been like that,” said Ginny.
*
Three days after the babies were born, Luc brought his new family home. Jeff had wanted to make sure there were no problems since the babies were early. There weren’t. While Linsey and Elliot were a bit small, they were healthy.
Luc opened the car door and helped Meg up. She was still sore and felt a bit off balanced. Now she carried the weight of the babies in her arms. Each of them took a baby and they moved inside.
“Oh my god,” said Meg as she walked into the living room. Everywhere she looked there were flowers, cards and gifts. “I… I thought this was all over with the baby showers?” she said looking at the gifts as she walked slowly into the room.
“So did I,” said Luc. “Let’s get you and the babies settled and then we can figure all of this out.”
“Okay,” said Meg. “I just want to curl up on the couch and nurse them.”
“Whatever you want,” said Luc. He was still amazed at the babies. The first night after they were born, he’d shifted and howled his delight until Martha threatened him with a rolled up newspaper. Then he curled up with Meg and the babies and slept.
Meg settled on the couch and after a moment had both babies nursing quietly. She knew she’d have to start feeding them in shifts as they got bigger, but for now it was easy. Her milk had come in that morning and it felt very good to let the babies nurse.
Luc brought the rest of the stuff into the house and almost had it put away when the doorbell rang. He tossed Meg a receiving blanket to cover up with and answered the door. He opened it to find a woman he’d never seen, but recognized as Meg’s mom at the door. Behind her were Ginny and Patrick.
“Hello,” he said as he realized that he didn’t know the woman’s name.
“Hello. You must be Luc. I’m Anna,” said the woman and held out her hand.
Luc took the hand, shook it and then pulled Anna into a hug. She smelled okay and she didn’t flinch. “This might work out alright,” he thought. “Hello Anna, come see the babies. Meg is in the living room.
“Thank you. Your cousin Ginny is a nice woman and her husband Patrick is a dream. So nice of them to pick me up from the airport and call me too when the babies were born,” Anna rambled on. “Oh hello Meggie,” she said as she walked into the living room. “Feeding those babies? Good thing. Breast milk is best milk you know. You and your sister were breast fed. Three years each. Although I can’t see why she didn’t turn out as well as you. Oh well, I’ll have Luc show me to the guest room while you finish feeding those babies,” Anna finished.
Meg just smiled weakly and nodded. There was no way to get a word in edgewise and she knew it. At least her mom was talking fairly quietly.
Luc looked shell shocked, but showed Anna to the guest room with Anna still talking ninety miles an hour. Ginny and Patrick came in carrying luggage and more presents. Patrick followed Luc down the hall and Ginny perched on the couch.
“Is she always so talkative?” asked Ginny exasperated.
“No, sometimes she talks even faster,” said Meg.
“She hasn’t stopped talking since the moment we picked her up at the baggage claim,” said Ginny. “I’ve heard all about all of your childhood ailments, your life from birth to about age four and we were just starting on why your sister is such a failure to her when we pulled up here.”
“That’s mom. My sister Jo and I are almost five years apart. It might as well be fifty. With different parents. I’m auburn, she’s blonde,” started Meg.
“Yes, and she’s fat, lazy, works too much at a stupid job, her husband’s a jerk who takes advantage of her and the three grandsons are worthless piles of snot, just like their father,” said Ginny as she ticked the list off on her fingers.
“You’ve got it,” laughed Meg. The sound of her voice woke Elliot who had fallen asleep nursing. Meg put him back to her breast and he started to feed again. “Worst part is that I think Mom really tried to do her best by Jo, and Jo turned out rotten in spite of all of her best efforts.”
“I understand. One of those you say white, she says black, you say yes, she says no types of situations,” said Ginny.