057:

"Hey, Aubrey Angel, can you hold still just a moment longer, honey, so I can take a couple of pics? Your doctor--- you--- well--- whoever you get to be your doctor is gonna want to see this."

Rafe was crying too. "Is it dangerous?" He whispered against my cheek, in my ear.

I nodded. "Yes, and no. About a sixty percent chance we will lose one or more of them."

"But they looked okay, right? They all looked okay?"

I wiped my eyes and scanned the screen. I checked for things that a neonatologist might look for, not the expectant mom to be. What I saw were four fetuses--- two sets of identical twins, two sacks, four babies. They were not crowded, not obviously ill-shaped. I saw everything I was supposed to see.

"Aubrey, Rafe--- you have no reason not to be jubilant. Aubrey, your mom had the only natural set of full term septuplets in the world. You're going to do exactly what she did, and long about next August---- hopefully no sooner--- you're going to have four beautiful bundles of joy. And I will come and help you. Because you're going to need all the help you can get." Angie wiped at her own tears as she cleaned the wand off and turned off the machine. She patted my leg. "I'm glad you took that picture Rafe, a momentous moment for sure!"

"I'll tell Mommy, okay?" I managed, sitting up.

"Of course, I won't tell a soul till you say it's okay. Are you worried about miscarriage? You know all the stats Aubrey, but you also have a lot going for you. There's no need to think--- anything."

She spoke exactly like I would be if the patient presented like me. I got dressed.

The noise downstairs assaulted us instantly, as Angie smiled and left the room.

I dropped to the bed with its dark green and gold coverlets, the gold and deep red pillows on top. I wiped my eyes once more and looked up as Rafe stood with his hands on his hips and his legs spread.

"Stop being scared." He said tenderly. "Being a doctor right now isn't helping you."

"I know." I swiped at my eyes again.

"I'm totally happy, Aubrey. Let's say it together--- with all the amazing joy we are feeling!"

I slid my eyes to look at him.

He was holding out his hand.

I took it half-heartedly, and he yanked me up next to him with that freaking vitality he exuded.

"Where do you want to stand? How should we do it?"

I looked around. There was a window overlooking the frozen backyard. I jerked my head in that direction and he pulled my reluctant feet over there. He looked outside. It was bleak--- the trees looked like phantoms, swaying and dancing like marionettes. The snow was drifted against piles of leftover lumber and supplies. No landscaping had been done.

As far as Montana was concerned it was the dead of winter.

As far as I was concerned, my womb was fertile--- very, very fertile. I swiped again as my eyes clouded over against my wishes. Rafe squeezed my hand.

He held up his phone to face us and then pulled me close looking at the phone and then at me.

"Together." He said.

"Yeah, what are we saying?"

He considered that for a moment and then busted up laughing. "Everything I think of really does sound corny."

"But we are corny people, so that makes sense." I laughed through my tears. "Let's just say---- well---." I remembered how mom and dad did it. The story was reflected on many times. On the ultrasound, the babies would be labeled A,B,C and D. They tried to pick names to go with the letters. They got to Ashlynn, Braylyn; couldn't think of a C name they liked, skipped it and named Dylan, skipped letters they didn't like and named the rest. I told him that and he shrugged and smiled.

"We already named them, right? The day we fell in love. And then we already rearranged them too. So, let's welcome Peyton Call, Sereneti----, Sailin, and Jackson Troy." He'd been videoing us already.

I bit my lips trying not to laugh hysterically. Later would these children watch this video and wonder why I was nearly hysterical?

"Welcome to our family little Peyton Call, Sereneti, Sailin Sea, and Jackson Troy--- are we going to call him Troy?"

"Do you want to?"

I nodded.

He grinned. "Then Troy it is--- you make me very happy, Aubrey Angel. That's a happy moment for me. Welcome to the family kids. We already love you, and we just saw your picture and you're gonna be fine for the next however many months, growing inside mom's belly. No worries, guys. You do the growing part and we'll do the --- the---- Mom and Dad part. We can do this! We got this, okay?"

I turned his hand to make sure the video was on me completely. "And just in case you are not those names, and you are all boys or all girls, rest assured we have already named you--- on tour--- during our courtship--- we already named all of you. So, if we got it wrong in this video----."

"What do you mean if we got it wrong? There's got to be two boys and two girls!"

"No, there is no law that says if you have quadruplets they will be two boys and two girls."

"But that would be so dope."

"We don't know the sex. We won't know for another four weeks or so. But whatever sex they are we are beyond happy. We are so excited! And we are going to do everything in our power to make sure you all arrive safely, and have a wonderful life!"

Rafe clicked off and tossed the phone on the bed behind us. He grabbed me, scooped me up and twirled. "Can we have sex?"

I threw back my head and laughed. "Seriously? Right now?"

"I want you really bad."

I smoothed back his hair and kissed him long and lovingly. "I already told you once before--- anytime, anywhere as much as you want---- as long as the time is right."

Rafe fell onto the bed and rolled with me. "In the supply closet?" He remembered the quote! I laughed and laughed.

"Now? You'd go down there with me right now?" He leaned up on an elbow.

"If that is your wish." I fervently hoped it wasn't. The thought of going out in this blizzard gave me chills.

He shook his head, still grinning, but loosened my jeans once again.

*****