Grace Anne (26 page)

“Ah, love, you do have a way with
words when you’re trying to meet a deadline.” Michael kissed her full on the
mouth. “Come on, let us show this good man how we put something together. When
he says push, you push. And if you’re a good girl and do it in less than five
pushes, I’ll take you to Paris for Christmas this year.”

“I hate you, you know that, right?
I don’t want to go to Paris. I want you to get this monster out of me. And if
you think I’m having another one, well you can just get that thing cut off. You’re
not touching me again.”

Eight really good pushes later and
both babies were born. The little boy came first and was named Derrick James,
and the little girl was named Kimberly Guinnie. Both were very healthy and had
all their fingers and toes. Cain went to the lobby to tell all the families. The
cheering could be heard all over the floor.

~~~

Trace looked down at his brother.
He certainly didn’t look like he’d ever be able to play with him. He glanced
over at his sister, wondering if he’d be considered a sissy if he told somebody
he wanted to hold her too. He was just trying to figure out the best way to ask
when Sin sat down beside him and plopped Kim into his arms along with his
brother.

“They’re kinda ugly, aren’t they?”
she said to him.

He looked up at her to see if she
was kidding.

“Of course it could be because
they look like your dad and not Gracie.”

He looked at the babies in his
arms. He thought they both looked like wrinkled up old apples, but didn’t think
he should point that out. He hoped to goodness they got better looking as they
grew into their skin. If not, he was going to spend a lot of his time defending
them.

“Mom said that she and Dad were
going to let me have one to keep. That I had to give the other one back.” Trace
looked up at Sin. “You think she was kidding?”

Sin laughed. “I’m sure if you
tried to put one of them back she’d probably brain you. No, buddy, I’m pretty
sure she was kidding.” She touched Kim’s cheek. “They are so beautiful, aren’t
they?”

He didn’t answer. He was too busy
watching his dad kiss his mom. They did that a lot and he was getting used to
seeing them together. When they’d come back from their honeymoon, they’d told
him they were going to be having a baby and he’d been a little scared.

Every day for three months the
bigger his mom got, he kept expecting them to send him away. But they didn’t
and now he had a room of his own in a big house and his dad was home all the
time. Mom, too, when she wasn’t at a runway show, whatever that was.

He grinned when Mom started
crying. He knew she wasn’t upset or hurt, but happy. She smiled so beautifully
when she did that and Trace was beginning to enjoy making her laugh on his own.
He was very happy with his new family.

“Your grandma said to tell you to
take a picture and send it to her. She said to tell you that she wished she
could have been here, but Grandda is sick with the flu still.”

Trace looked up at his dad as Sin
slipped away.

“You like them?”

Trace grinned. “They’re okay. They
sort of look like Grandda when he takes off his shirt in the summer, don’t
they?” He knew it would make him laugh and he wasn’t disappointed. His mom
looked at him and winked. Trace felt his heart swell with love and pride.

“Sort of, now that you mention it.
Though I think they have more hair.”

Trace nodded and kissed his sister
on the head. “Dad, when we get home, do you think I could possibly sleep in
their room? I want to make sure there aren’t any noises that’ll wake them up
and scare them.”

His dad nodded then rubbed his
hand over his head. “That’ll be fine, son. I’m sure your mother will appreciate
it.”

Trace looked down at his newest
family and grinned. He was going to have so much fun with these two and he
couldn’t wait until he could tell them all about their new family.

He kissed them both on the head again
and went to the bed where his mom was. She didn’t even stop talking to her
brother, but pulled him up in the bed with her and hugged him. Trace thought
there was nothing better than being hugged and hugged her right back. Life was
suddenly good.

About the Author

I woke up one morning
and decided to give play time to the people in my head who were keeping me
awake. Little did I know that they would be so relentless and want their time
right now! I wrote for the pure joy of it and to entertain my family and
friends. But mostly it was to get more than an hour of sleep without a story
playing out. Of course, the more I write, the more they want. So…well, as a
result of sleepless days (I work through the night as a gun toting grandma –
nope not a vigilantly but an armed security guard) I have lots of stories
written.

Hello! My name is Kathi
Barton and I’m an author. I have been married to my very best friend Sonny for
at times seems several lifetimes – in a good way, honey. And together we have
three wonderful children and then the ones we brought into the world - Paul and
Dale Barton, Jason and Wendy Barton and Danielle and Ben Conklin. They have
given us seven of the greatest treasures on Earth. They don’t live at home
seven days a week! No, seriously, seven grandchildren – Gavin, Spring, Ben,
Trinity, Sarah, Kelly and Kian.

Follow Kathi on her
blog:
http://kathisbartonauthor.blogspot.com/