A New Chapter
The three of them crossed the room's door anxiously, expectantly. But what they saw left them frozen. Their little sisters were waiting to meet them and they were very tiny.
Naomi was the first to approach, moving toward Deanna. Her face changed with each step, and finally, standing next to the bed, she burst into tears like she always did: like a madwoman. Deanna smiled and took her hand.
"Don't cry, sweetheart..."
"She's so tiny!" was all she said before continuing to cry.
Meanwhile, Ethan approached Daniel. Like his father, he didn't need many words to express himself; he did it through his eyes. He looked at his new sister and then directly at Daniel's face, and the communication was instant. Both smiled, proud.
But even though he also wanted to meet them, Jonathan's main concern was his mom. He asked Naomi to lift him up next to Deanna and he stared at her for a long while, as if searching for something unusual in her face. Finally, he looked at his little sister and a huge smile spread across his face. Grace's tiny hand peeked out from the blanket, and Jonathan couldn't resist the temptation; he took it with his own. It was as small as Emma's doll hands but much softer.
He contemplated her little fingers for a while and compared them with his own. Deanna watched him silently, waiting for the boy to finish his inspection.
"She's very small," he stated seriously.
"Yes, she's very small, but she'll grow just like you. One day she'll be as big as her big brother."
Jonathan looked at Ethan.
"You are her big brother, grasshopper."
The boy thought about it; he would no longer be the youngest of them all, he would now be a big brother. It seemed the idea pleased him because he just nodded.
"Which one is Grace?" Naomi asked.
"This is Grace and Dad is holding Audrey," Deanna replied.
"How are we going to tell them apart? They both have dark hair."
"Audrey is smaller," Daniel said.
"Yes, but she'll grow... And then?"
"They're twins, Naomi, not identical twins," Ethan clarified.
Daniel looked around carefully and patiently, at his five children and his wife. All together. His family was complete. With doubts, fears, and insecurities, and facing a path that wasn't always kind, he had reached this point. The losses he had suffered could never be replaced, but they could be balanced. He understood that it wasn't about what he was "expected" to do, but about what he had achieved over the years. What he had learned from his parents and what life itself had taught him, he combined to be exactly where he was: surrounded by his family.
If Naomi had made a fuss, Leonard couldn't move. He stood in a corner watching while the others greeted and met the new members. He even felt like a fish out of water. He didn't dare to approach. His daughter looked fragile and tired, and Deanna was never like that. Not even during the months of pregnancy. He glimpsed the tiny pink bundles and knew they were his granddaughters, but he still didn't dare.
Deanna looked at him and asked for her daughters. She held them and called out to him:
"Leonard, come, your granddaughters want to meet you."
She knew just by looking at his face that he felt intimidated and overwhelmed. But Reed took a deep breath and walked slowly. Susan was expectant.
"Hi Grandpa, we are Grace and Audrey," Deanna said, introducing her daughters.
"Grandpa." Leonard's eyes widened as he looked at them. He experienced something he had never felt in his life, as if an invisible spell was cast over him, pulling him away from reality, but not from those two girls: love at first sight. And he was scared.
"Do you want to hold them?" Deanna asked, seeing he was very passive, almost unresponsive.
"No... No, no, no..." he said, shaking his hand.
"Why?" Deanna was getting distressed.
"I don't know how. What if I drop one? No, no..." and he took a few steps back.
"Are you scared, old man?" Daniel joked.
"Shut up, Crusher."
Daniel exchanged a look with Deanna and took Grace.
"Sit in that armchair, Reed," he ordered.
"No."
"Sit down, I'll give her to you, I won't let her fall. Come on."
And Daniel placed her in his arms. He adjusted one arm and then the other so she was well-secured. To Leonard, it felt like holding warm bread. He looked at her, looked a lot. And suddenly, the spell took effect; tears began to fall without him realizing.
Time seemed to stand still as Leonard held Grace in his arms. The little one, wrapped in her blanket, breathed softly, unaware of the profound impact she had on her grandfather. Leonard, with tears in his eyes, couldn't look away from her. Silently, Daniel brought Audrey over too, and now he could see them together: his granddaughters.
Leonard's silent crying doubled. He never would have imagined feeling something like what he was feeling.
"It's a new chapter, old man," Daniel said with a smile. "Enjoy it."
"Shut up, Crusher."