403
1tstan
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Three weeks had passed since Adrian and Arisons were, nghe day at se a small intacte
I stood at Adrion’s later, watching him sleep without any wire and wept for the monitoring feat. Neving nie. He ingen support hust mis son, breathing on his own, eating on his own, getting strenger every dry.
The gained another two ounces overnight, the nurse told me, updating his chart. And Arianna gained three. They both user the prod
Five pounds, 1 repeated, feeling that familiar swell of pride and relief when they d been born, Adrian had been four prends the maintes, Arianna just under four pounds. Every ounce they gained felt like a victory
Dr. Chen wants to talk to you both this morning, the nurse added. She should be by during rounds.”
My heart jumped. Talks with the doctor could mean anything–good news, bad news, complications we hadn’t anticipated. Even though hoth babies were doing well, I’d learned not to take anything for granted in the NICU.
Athena arrived a few minutes later, having stopped to pump in the mothers room. Her milk had come in strong, and she was determined to provide as much breast milk as possible for the twins, even if they had to take it from bottles for now.
“How are they this morning?” she asked, immediately going to check on both babies.
“Good. Really good, actually. Both gained weight overnight.”
Her face lit up. “Really? How much?”
I told her, and she actually did a little victory dance right there in the NICU, making me laugh.
“Every ounce is a step closer to bringing them home,” she said, reaching into Arianna’s isolette to stroke her daughter’s soft cheek. Int that right, Ari? You’re getting so big and strong.”
Arianna stirred at her mother’s touch, her tiny mouth making sucking motions in her sleep. She’d been the stronger feeder from the start, always finishing her bottles enthusiastically while Adrian took his time and often needed breaks.
“Dr. Chen wants to talk to us,” I said, trying to keep my voice neutral
Athena’s hand stilled on Arianna. “About what?”
“The nurse didn’t say. Just that she’d be by during rounds.”
I could feel Athena’s anxiety spike through our bond. ‘Do you think something’s wrong?
I think if something was wrong, they would have called us in the middle of the night,” I said reasonably. “It’s probably just a routine
update.
But we were both on edge as we waited, going through the motions of our morning routine–changing diapers, taking temperatures, talking to the babies about nothing and everything.
1/2
09:41 Wed Feb 11 00 A
Chapter 403
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my was unding a hard Inl過ぎる
Adelinally wed」 「Patar than wa initially expected for thiny three wasions, shy They to Hyow bush breathing, somely to thair rows with arteRonst g full feeds by hottle without any retinal exeed for the westiny”
That’s all dated tentatively,
That’s all very good, Dr. Chen confirmed. “In fact, I think we can start talking about discharge
The world seemed to stop.
‘Discharge? 1 repeated. “As in… taking them home?”
“Yes. We typically keep babies until they’re close to their original due date, but Adrian and Arianna have met all the criteria for going home early. They’re gaining weight consistently, feeding well, maintaining their temperature. There’s no medical reason to keep them here longer.”
“When?” Athena asked, her voice shaking “When can we take them home?”
‘I’d like to monitor them for a few more days, make sure this weight gain pattern continues. But if all goes well, possibly by the end of this
week
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
