Marlene

A very annoying beeping sound rang in my ears over and over. I was well aware of a few things, I was numb, I was tired, and I was cold.

Slowly I opened my eyes and looked around the room I was in. Memories flooded back into my head on the previous day. Had it been more days? God if I woke up years later and was in a coma this whole time I'm gonna be pissed.

"Well look who's up and awake?" I looked over to the left side and saw a nurse checking my IV.

I looked down and my belly was gone. "My baby?" Please for god's sake, tell me she was okay.

"Ah yes, baby girl is doing fine. She's with her daddy and is eating." My heart jumps at this and I begin crying. "Oh sweetheart, let's stay calm. Let me check your tummy and I'll talk to the doctor about letting you see the baby." I nodded quickly.

She lifted my hospital gown and checked everything. "My leg is numb," I told her.

"That's normal, you've only been out for a few hours. You're going to be very tired, you lost a lot of blood and had to get transfusions." I nodded. "I'll let your husband know you're awake and talk to the doctor." She left me alone and I laid back just glad to be alive.

The last thing I really remember was telling Harry that I loved him and then seeing my baby for a split second before my vision went dark.

Harry must have been terrified.

I don't remember what she looked like but I knew she would be small. I was only seven months and knew that my baby might have trouble breathing. I tried to relax but immediately couldn't as I saw Harry's figure come into the room.

"Princess." He ran over and smiled big. "Oh my god, my love you're awake." I put my hands out and he carefully hugged me and kissed every inch of my face. "I love you so much."

"Oh, Harry how is she?" He smiled at me.

"Perfect, tiny little thing, but our Serena is perfect." I sniffled. "They're going to bring her in a bit so you can see her. You have to stay put for a few days okay." I nodded.

I could tell he was holding back tears so I gently touched his face. "I'm okay." He nodded leaning in to hug me.

"I was so scared Marlene, you never do that to me again." He laid down beside me and gently brushed my hair back. "I thought I lost you." My eyes began to water. "You are the love of my life."

"You're the love of my life, I never want to be apart from you again." He chuckled kissing my forehead.

"Never, I'll quit my job and stay with you." I giggled.

"That's all I ask."

*

Hours passed by and all I wanted was to see my baby. I had dinner and was able to be seated. The numbness went away and Harry brushed my hair and put it in a braid.

"You look beautiful." He smiled big.

He had my whole family come in and say hello to me so I wasn't lonely. If I'm honest it made the time go by faster while I waited for them to bring me my baby Serena.

"Where's Oliver?" I asked him.

"He's with your dad, I don't want him to get too excited and accidentally hurt you." I sighed. "But I can bring him if you'd like." I nodded.

He left and came back a few minutes later. According to him, the waiting room wasn't too far from this room.

Oliver held onto his dad's hand and he smiled at me when he saw me. "Mumma! You okay?" I giggled.

"I'm okay baby, come give me a kiss." He ran over with Harry who picked him up.

"Remember Ollie, mumma is sick so we have to be gentle." He nodded leaning in to give me a kiss.

The nurse came in and my heart skipped a beat at the sight of the incubator being pulled in. "Baby." Oliver smiled big.

"Yes, is this big brother?" The nurse asked. "I didn't know you had another baby?" I smiled.

"Yes, this is my little boy." I pinched Oliver's cheek. The nurse gave me a look.

"Did you have complications in your first pregnancy?" I shook my head.

"Well no I didn't give birth to him." She nodded understanding what I meant.

"Well, he's just adorable." She opened the incubator and had me pull down my hospital gown.

The second she placed my baby on my chest, was the moment I felt all was right in the world. Her skin was a bit pink and she was wrinkly like an old grandma. All her toes and fingers were accounted for and surprisingly she had a bit of hair on her head.

"Hi baby, I'm your mommy." I heard a small gasp and looked up to see Oliver staring down at Serena. He pointed to her chest where she was hooked up to wires to monitor her heartbeat. "Oliver this is your baby sister, Serena."

"Baby sister." I nodded. Harry leaned down and brought him closer to see her. He then leaned down and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

Just like when she was in my belly.

*

Three days in the hospital was too many for me and I was beginning to get antsy. Serena was doing amazing, she was eating, and gaining weight, breathing on her own, and making her parents proud.

Can't relate.

As for me, I kept getting fevers and my stitches got infected. The doctor said I wasn't allowed to leave and because I was sick, I couldn't risk being around my child.

I felt an anger building inside of me at this because Harry agreed with the doctor. "This is horse shit Harry I need to get the fuck out of this bed," I told him. One of the other nurses who came in to clean up my scar gave me a look for the use of my words.

"Love, you need to rest, your body has been through something traumatic and I will not tolerate you acting up." He warned me. "You need to relax and breathe, the faster you learn to do that, the faster your body will heal." I looked down and began crying.

Oh yeah, I was so fucking emotional. It was as if I was still pregnant. "I'm sorry." He sighed handing me a tissue.

"It's okay, let me get you a sudoku book from the gift shop so you can try and keep busy." I nodded. "Alright, I love you."

"I love you more." He left and I felt a bit lonely without him. The past few weeks not being able to be intimate and now him having to be careful not to hurt me is making me stressed.

Later that night I ate dinner and laid with Oliver, reading him a bedtime story. If I couldn't see my baby, I could be with my other baby. "Ollie, when mumma gets home are you gonna help daddy take care of me and Serena?" He nodded. "I love you."

"I wuv you mumma." He hugged me gently and I sniffled. "Again!" He sighed annoyed with my tears.

"Yes again, I'm emotional." He laid back with me on the bed and began singing. It took me a minute but I realized the small tune he sang on repeat was blackbird by the Beatles. He was trying to put me to sleep. "You know Ollie, you might be my best friend." He looked up at me and nodded.

"Night night mumma." I rested my head and held him close. When he fell asleep, Harry came in and smiled.

"Heading home?" He sighed. "I'm gonna miss you." Harry didn't want to leave but he had to go get the house ready for the baby, feed the dog, and make sure everything is good before both Serena and I came home.

I missed being home.

*

A week in the hospital had gone so agonizingly slow. Today I was able to get up and go to the bathroom on my own. My infection has been going away and today I didn't have a fever.

I was able to see Serena but wasn't allowed to hold her yet. She had gained a pound and was just so beautiful.

They told me that when I go home, she was able to go home as well. "Hi beautiful girl, sorry I can't hold you but I will soon," I whispered to her. She was asleep and looked so adorable. "I miss you being in my belly, but I think it's because I can't hold you. When we get home, daddy built your crib but you'll be sleeping in your bassinet in our room so I can keep an eye out for you." I giggled. "I don't want Oliver to get jealous because I love both of you the same, so we can't get too attached to me and not be able to share okay?"

There in her little incubator, she smiled.

*

Harry

I watched Oliver as he examined the fire alarm in the waiting room. Serena was getting a checkup and Marlene's mom was visiting her, so I had Oliver with me in the waiting room.

He tilted his head and took a step forward towards the handle. He couldn't reach it but I knew he would do his best to try. "Oliver Edward Styles, don't you dare." He looked back at me and slowly lowered his hand. "Good boy, do you know what good boys get when they listen?"

"Candy?" I rolled my eyes.

"What am I, mumma?" He giggled running over to me. "You get more than candy, you get ice cream." He gasped. "As soon as grandma comes back, we'll go see what the nurse says and get mumma some ice cream too, hmm?" He nodded.

"Baby sister?" He asked.

"Oh well baby sister is too little, she doesn't have big boy teeth like you. Although what kind of monster eats ice cream with their teeth." Oliver nodded as if he fully understood me.

My phone went off and it was a text from my mum, she had been trying to get a flight out as soon as she can but because of a snowstorm, she couldn't. It was nearing the end of November now and getting colder over there.

She really wanted to be here for the birth and when I called her to tell her about Marlene, she began freaking out trying to get here as soon as she could

When Marlene's mom came out and told us she had to go. I went back into the room with Marlene and saw her sitting on the bed, playing sudoku once again.

I looked over her and noticed she was already halfway through the book. "How are you feeling?" She sighed putting the notebook aside and putting her arms out for me to hug her.

I held her close and gave her a few kisses. "I need a shower, Harry, tell them to let me take a proper shower." She pouted. "This sucks worse than pregnancy, I can't poop, it stings to pee, I'm exhausted, and I can't even lift up my own son." She began crying and covered her face. "And now I just told you all my problems and you know I poop." She began sobbing and leaned into me.

Her crying made Oliver start crying and now I had two crying babies. What the hell.

Just then the nurse walked in and seemed more confused than me. "Um, everything alright?" She said awkwardly.

"Oh mumma is emotional and baby here cries when she cries." She nodded understanding.

"Well I have good news, Marlene, baby girl is doing well and passed all her breathing tests and is eating her bottles. She's ready to go home." Marlene looked down.

"That's good." She sniffled.

"And I got news from your doctor, you're also cleared to go home." Her eyes widened and she squealed in happiness.

"Really!" She nodded.

Thank god, I couldn't deal with this another day.

*

Thank you for reading. Xx

-k