Page 22 of Rushing Her: Seattle, Westerners (Gridiron Warriors #2)
Brayden
I glance around me as the room that was quiet and calm a moment ago explodes into full-blown activity.
Nurses bustle everywhere—two to each baby.
Alexandra has three, and each doctor has been assigned one or two, depending on their jobs.
The anesthesiologist and his nurse assistant monitor Alexandra and her epidural.
She’s lying back on the table, arms strapped down, and I sit at her head, rubbing my wife’s shoulder as Dr. Grands starts pulling each baby from her body.
She calls, “Baby A team,” and two nurses step up as Tristan is taken from the doctor’s hands. “Baby B team.” The next nurses move into place and cuddle Bowie in their arms. “Finally, Baby C team.” Those nurses handle Jett and move off to his little incubator just like his brothers.
The respiratory therapist checks the infants over, followed by the neonatologists, before each is weighed. A nurse brings a swaddled bundle over for Alex to see before they quickly place them into their little beds, and a train of them leaves the room.
“Go with them,” Alexandra encourages. I lean down and kiss her on the forehead.
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you, too, but don’t let them out of your sight.” She’s still overly cautious with them, even though the stalker is no longer a concern. We both see counselors to help us through, but I’ll allow her this insecurity.
“See you soon, Lexi.”
Standing up, a nurse waits for me, and I follow along until we are at the NICU, where the boys will reside until the doctors all agree they can come home and will be able to maintain weight, body heat, and breathing on their own.
I peer through the glass as they settle the boys in. Each is given a hat that we had made with their name on it. My boys. This year has been a busy one for me, with lots of exciting, incredible things happening, but these babies are the best part of it.
I rushed for more yards this past season than I ever have.
I was named MVP, and we won the Victory Bowl.
I married the woman I’ve been in love with since I was nineteen years old, and I’ll never again take a day with her for granted.
The coach that I believed was a father figure to me, not only betrayed me, but lived long enough to witness my fourth Victory Bowl win and then my retirement before he died.
All of those are amazing, sad, and wonderful, but watching my three sons being born and my astounding wife carrying them as they grew so big that there were days I didn’t think she’d make it to the thirty-fourth week has been the most extraordinary thing I’ve ever witnessed.
She was a true athlete. But we did it, and I could never ask for anything more than what I have right here.
In all my years of rushing yardage, rushing my wife turned out to be the sweetest victory of them all.