Wedding on the Baby Ward / Special Care Baby Miracle (29 page)

‘What were you doing in Grandpa’s study?’ Mary asked him softly as she bent over him and kissed his cheeks. Will administered the medicine, knowing it wouldn’t take too long to take effect.

‘I wanted da big book. Da one with all the pictures of the horsies.’ Jesse told his grandma. ‘It was berry high up and I climbed and I climbed and then it was stuck.’

‘You should have come and asked a grown-up to get it for you,’ Mary scolded lightly, and Jesse’s eyes began to tear up.

‘I sorry, Grandma,’ he said, and within a moment was crying, although Sheena had the feeling it was more because he was upset at having disappointed his grandmother than because of any pain. Carefully, Sheena and Will applied the splint and bandage to Jesse’s right leg.

‘How are you feeling now, little man?’ Will asked his nephew.

‘Am I still in trouble?’ he asked softly, reaching for Sheena’s hand and holding it tight. She smiled at his words as Will lovingly shook his head.

‘No, matey. You’re not.’

‘Then I feel better,’ he confessed, and Sheena couldn’t help but laugh, the action helping to release her concern. It also made her wonder what the rest of her life was going to be like, being a mother to two small girls.

‘One day Ellie and Sarah are going to be three years old, just like Jesse,’ Sheena mused out loud, shaking her head as though she couldn’t quite believe that day would come. ‘How am I ever going to cope?’

Mary chuckled. ‘You’ll do fine. You simply take each day at a time and deal with whatever life throws at you. Never borrow trouble.’

Will was pleased with his mother’s sensible advice but he could hear the depth of Sheena’s words. ‘You do realise that where Jesse is one little boy trying to get a book down from a bookshelf, you’ll have two little monkeys getting into mischief. Double the trouble.’

‘And from what I’ve seen, Sarah will be the one to lead the charge,’ Mary added as she headed out of the room to check on everyone else.

Sheena shook her head in bemusement. ‘It’s so hard to imagine. Both of them running around, doing their own thing.’

‘Living their lives like normal little girls.’ Will smiled and reached over, taking her free hand in his and giving it a squeeze.

‘Normal and filled with mischief.’ Uncertainty gripped Sheena’s heart and she bit her lip, unsure what her future held. ‘What have I got myself into?’

Will chuckled before brushing a kiss to her lips. ‘A whole world of love and laughter.’ Which he was determined to share with her.

They stayed beside Jesse, making sure he didn’t move until the ambulance arrived.

‘Hey, Sheena. Hey, Will,’ Dieter, one of the paramedics from Adelaide Mercy, greeted them. ‘What are you two doing here?’

‘This is my nephew,’ Will explained, and as he and Sheena went to stand to give the paramedics some room, Sheena found her hand gripped firmly by Jesse.

‘Stay,’ he whimpered, and she could hear the panic behind his words.

‘Of course I’ll stay with you, sweetie,’ she reassured him, and helped the paramedics transfer Jesse to the stretcher. Even when he was secure in the ambulance, Jesse still refused to let go of her hand and Sheena knew she’d have to stay with him. Her mind raced ahead, thinking of Sarah and Ellie.

‘You’ll need to go in the ambulance if he’s not going to let go of your hand,’ Will pointed out as he came and sat beside her in the rear of the vehicle.

‘I realise that because it’s important to keep Jesse as calm as possible. Would you mind taking care of the girls? Driving them back to the hospital? I can meet you there.’

Will tried not to let his jaw drop at her words. ‘You … trust me that much? You’ll entrust your girls to my care?’

Sheena leaned over and kissed him. ‘Of course I trust you. You
love
my girls. That much is quite clear to anyone who watches the three of you together. You honestly love them, Will, with all your heart, and I know you’ll always protect them and keep them safe.’

He swallowed once, twice before answering. ‘I will.’ His tone was husky but it was also laced with determination. ‘Right, then. I guess I’ll see you back at the hospital.’ He kissed her once more before saying goodbye to his nephew and climbed from the ambulance so that Dieter could shut the rear doors.

As Will watched the ambulance depart, he couldn’t believe the gift Sheena had just given him. Complete and utter trust for her daughters. Sheena could see how much he loved Ellie and Sarah. She could see that he wanted to protect those little girls for ever and she was willing to let him do it. She was willing to let him into her life and that was the biggest gift of all.

He’d let her down in the past. He realised that now. He hadn’t spent the time to really get to know her, to understand the upbringing she’d endured, how sad and lonely she’d been. He’d been so wrapped up in finding the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, so happy that he’d get to have his picture-perfect fairy-tale life that he hadn’t
seen
Sheena for who she was deep down inside.

Since he’d returned to Australia and spent more time with Sheena, and her girls, he’d come to discover how sad and lonely she’d been all her life. He understood now why she’d never talked about her past or her endometriosis, but back then he’d only considered his own happiness and had blamed her when she’d turned his proposal down.

He’d let her down in the past but as he headed into the house to care for her beautiful daughters, he vowed that he wouldn’t let her down again.

W
HEN
they arrived back at Adelaide Mercy, Sheena handled Jesse’s care, requesting X-rays to see if the little boy had sustained a greenstick fracture. Anna arrived just as Jesse was being wheeled to Radiology and finally the little boy was more than eager to let go of Sheena’s hand when he had his mother right beside him.

‘Hi, Sheena,’ the triage sister said with surprise as she walked into the nurses’ station where Sheena was writing up Jesse’s notes. ‘I didn’t know you were scheduled for a stint in A and E today.’

‘I’m not.’ Sheena smiled and quickly explained about Will’s nephew Jesse.

‘So … where are the girls?’ Sister was clearly puzzled.

‘Will’s bringing them back to the hospital.’ Sheena looked at the clock on the wall. ‘In fact, they should be back by now. Perhaps he’s getting them settled in their room. It’s been a big day. Do you mind if I use the phone to ring the ward and check?’

‘Go ahead,’ Sister remarked, a secret smile touching her lips. ‘You and Will seem to be very close. At least, that’s the impression we all have from the photo in today’s paper.’

‘Paper?’ Sheena turned with the receiver to her ear and accepted the cut-out picture Sister offered. It was one of the photographs from the other day in the park when the photojournalist had caught them out, although it wasn’t one of the ones they’d posed for. Instead, the paper had decided to go with the photograph of the babies in the pram, Sheena and Will sitting on the blanket, Will raising her hand to his lips. She read the caption below.

Sheena stared at it, stunned that she seemed to be some sort of celebrity and that people were interested in her love life.

‘So I guess this means there
is
something going on between you and Will?’ Sister fished. ‘Is it serious?’

‘As a heart attack,’ Will remarked as he walked towards them. Sister quickly cleared her throat and returned to her duties as Will stared at the piece of paper Sheena held in her hands. She turned to face him and replaced the phone receiver in its cradle.

‘You’re here. Where are the girls?’

‘All tucked up in their beds. Aunty Nessa is more than content to stand there and watch them sleep.’

Sheena sighed and smiled up at him. ‘Good. Thanks for taking care of them.’

‘No problem. Where’s Jesse?’ he asked as he took the picture from her fingers.

‘Radiology.’

‘You look great in this picture. It’s definitely not my best side, though.’

Sheena chuckled. ‘You’re so vain.’

Will put his head on the side and looked at her. ‘You don’t mind about this?’

Sheena slowly shook her head. ‘Not really. Perhaps before today I would have had a bit of a rant and rave about the media but … I don’t know, today has changed things. Brought perspective.’

‘Really? In what way?’

‘In the way that a little boy climbing on a bookcase and hurting himself could have been a lot worse. In the way that families care and interact and show love for each other. In the way that even though I feel I’m floundering in a sea of parental confusion, everything will turn out right in the end. The media can take photographs and print what they like. They don’t know the
real
story behind that moment. They don’t know
me
and they probably never will. My girls are no longer conjoined and therefore no longer high-profile news. They’re going to be able to grow up and enjoy normal lives. The past belongs in the past.’

She smiled and sighed as she said the words. ‘And it feels great to say all of that out loud.’

Will nodded and reached for her hand. ‘Come with me.’

‘But I’m waiting for Jesse to return from Radiology,’ she said as Will led her from the nurses’ station.

‘Call Dr Woodcombe in Paediatrics when Jesse returns, please,’ he instructed the triage sister as they walked past. He was quiet as they took the stairs up to Paediatrics, walking along the busy corridors until they were back in Ellie’s and Sarah’s room.

‘Janessa, would you mind waiting outside for a moment? I just need to propose to Sheena,’ Will remarked, his words and tone direct.

‘Uh? What? Uh … sure. Whatever you say,’ Janessa said, as Will’s words penetrated the haze around their friend. Janessa headed out of the room and closed the door behind her.

‘You’re proposing?’ Sheena asked as both of them peered into the cribs, smiling at the two little girls, who were sleeping soundly.

‘I thought I’d give you a heads-up this time so I didn’t take you completely by surprise.’

‘Very considerate of you.’ She couldn’t help the wide beaming smile on her face. He was going to propose? Really? Her heart rate picked up as her mind processed the information but she forced herself not to jump ahead with a million and one questions, but instead to relax and focus on the moment.

He crossed to the vase that held the freesias he’d brought her that morning and plucked one out before turning to face her. He twirled the bloom in his fingers.

‘I hope this goes better than last time,’ he murmured with a slight frown.

‘It will,’ she replied encouragingly.

‘Oh. Good. That certainly gives me a confidence boost.’ He cleared his throat and took one small step towards her. ‘I love you.’

‘Strong beginning,’ she whispered, her heart leaping with joy at hearing those words from his lips.

‘Shh.’

‘Yes. Of course. Sorry.’ She nodded once. ‘Please. Continue.’

Will laughed then took another step towards her. ‘I have always loved you, Sheena, and I am so grateful that you’ve been able to have children and that those children were conjoined and that I was asked to come and look after them. The past belongs in the past. Hearing you say those words made me realise that you were right.

‘It’s the future we should be concerned about. The girls’ future—
our
future—and I want that future to start right now. I love your girls, Sheena. I love them with every beat of my heart and I will continue to love them for the rest of my life. And, yes, before you ask, I would love to have more children but not at the expense of your health.

‘You
are far more important to me than the possibility of having more children. We have two beautiful girls and they’ll fill our life with so much sunshine we’ll need to wear dark glasses.’

Sheena chuckled and then gasped as he took one last step towards her and slid his arm about her waist, drawing her close to him. As he pressed her body against his, she sighed with delight, her gaze taking in his gorgeous mouth for a moment before she looked deeply into his mesmerising blue eyes.

‘Sheena.’ Her name was a caress on his lips. ‘Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?’ He handed her the single freesia as he spoke the words and she accepted it with a nervous smile.

Sheena swallowed and licked her suddenly dry lips. She was about to give her answer when Sarah started to fuss.

‘And could you be quick with the answer because I think
our
daughter is about to wake up?’

Sheena’s smile was as bright as the love in her heart. ‘I can’t believe this is actually happening. That I’m so fortunate to have you back in my life, to be able to contemplate a future with you. I love you, Will. So very much. And I’m the luckiest woman in the world to be able to have a strong, protective man like you to call my husband. I want to build a life with you and the girls. The four of us together as a family, and if any other children come along—the more the merrier. Thank you for loving my babies and wanting them to be your own. I’m honoured.’

Will’s smile was dazzling as he lowered his head, claiming her lips in a kiss that held all the promise of a wonderful future together. In the background, they both heard Sarah’s fussing turn to grizzles and in another moment those grizzles would turn into her cries for attention, and when those cries came, they would need to part to go and attend to her before she woke Ellie … but until then Will was more than content to kiss his new fiancée, their hearts forever joined with the purest love.

‘Q
UIET.
Quiet, please!’ Giuseppe demanded as he walked through his restaurant, which was closed for a private function—the function being the first birthday celebration of Adelaide’s first previously conjoined twins, Ellie and Sarah Beckman.

The restaurant had been decorated in blue, which was Sarah’s favourite colour, and yellow, which Ellie had declared she loved. Frills and flowers and lace and soft toys in the chosen colour theme were placed around the room, making it feel more like a toy factory than a restaurant.

‘Quiet. Quiet, please!’ Giuseppe called again. ‘The mother and the father want to propose the toast.’

The family and friends gathered to celebrate Ellie and Sarah’s first birthday all shifted back to their seats. While the girls were too young to ever remember this day, Will had arranged for his father to film the proceedings. ‘That way we can embarrass them on their twenty-first birthdays by replaying it,’ he’d lovingly suggested to his wife.

Will stood, scooping Sarah into his arms, shifting her around so he could put his other arm around Sheena’s shoulders. ‘Thank you, Giuseppe,’ he called as the noise died down. Sheena bent to pick up Ellie, the little girl resting her head on her mother’s shoulder as she looked out at the crowd before them.

Miles and Janessa were standing not too far away, almost ready to leave for their next adventure—in the UK, looking after the next set of conjoined twins. They’d delayed their departure specifically to be here today. ‘There’s no way I’m missing my nieces’ first birthday,’ Janessa had declared, and Miles had readily agreed with her.

Anna, Jeff and the rest of their brood, along with a brand-new granddaughter for Mary and Stephen, sat not too far away. Kaycee, Raquel-Maria, Clementine, Charisma and many of their other friends from the hospital were there as well, all smiling and beaming brightly at the two gorgeous little girls who had brought such happiness into their lives.

Two months ago Will had surprised Sheena with a glorious pre-wedding gift of a five-bedroom home with a large backyard only fifteen minutes from Adelaide Mercy. Both Will and Sheena had decreased their hours at the hospital in order to spend as much time with their girls as they could, the four of them bonding together in perfect harmony.

Will had applied to officially adopt the girls but in his heart they already were and always would be
his
sweet Sarah and
his
elegant Ellie. He cleared his throat and looked around the room at everyone who had come to celebrate with them, then his gaze settled on his wife.

His
wife.
His
Sheena. He loved her more today than he had for the past ten years and he knew she felt the same way. They talked daily, about deep and meaningful things, about plans they had for their future.

She looked up at him and smiled brightly. ‘I love you,’ she said softly, before he bent and brushed a kiss across her lips.

‘Love you right back,’ he murmured. Their wedding two months ago had been a quiet affair held in the backyard of their new home. Intimate and relaxed, just the way they’d both wanted it, and two weeks ago, when the girls had finally been released from the hospital, their lives had begun in earnest.

‘Friends,’ Will began, feeling Sarah already impatient to be down and crawling around the floor, getting her pretty blue dress all dirty. He smiled. That was his girl. No doubt she’d have Ellie into all sorts of mischief before the evening was over and he looked forward to discovering what they would do next.

‘Thank you all for coming to help us celebrate the first birthday of these two very special girls. Sheena and I had many things to say, many people to thank, but Sarah’s eager to be down and enjoying herself once again so in order to acknowledge her impatience—no doubt for the incredible cake Giuseppe has created—please, all raise your glasses of milk as we toast Sarah and Ellie.’

‘To Sarah and Ellie,’ everyone toasted, clinking their glasses of milk and laughing.

Sarah squirmed once more in her father’s arms and Ellie snuggled into her mother but as soon as Will put Sarah down, Ellie immediately erupted with energy and was eager to be off after her sister.

Will drew his wife close and pressed another kiss to her lips. ‘We’re going to have our hands full,’ he said.

‘Even fuller than we ever expected,’ she murmured, her words punctuated with deep meaning. She eased back to look directly into his eyes. Just after their wedding, Sheena had needed to have two cysts removed from her ovaries, as well as be treated for her increasing endometriosis. Both she and Will had been told that if they wanted to try for more children, there was an extremely small window of opportunity, and until today, when Sheena had returned to see her surgeon for a review, she hadn’t dared to hope for such incredible news.

Sheena smiled up at him, her heart bursting with love as she nodded, tears beginning to glisten in her eyes.

‘What?’ Will was stunned.

‘I’m pregnant. I only found out an hour ago, and you were finishing up in surgery and then with coming here and … We’re going to have a baby. The ultrasound is booked for tomorrow and I’ll need to take things even easier and—’

Will pressed his mouth to hers in complete happiness. ‘We’re going to have another baby! I can’t believe that we’ve been so blessed already with the girls and now we’re—’

Sheena employed his tactic and kissed him quiet, knowing he wouldn’t mind.

‘We already have the fairy-tale family,’ she murmured against his mouth. ‘But this new baby will be the crowning glory.’

‘And he will be loved and cared for as much as his big sisters,’ Will announced with joy.

‘He? Who said anything about it being a boy?’

Will winked at his wife. ‘Trust me!’