Gemini

EPILOGUE

Gemini, you are feeling perky and positively elated. Celebration is in the air. You have overcome dramatic obstacles and you may actually be feeling on top of the world. Congrats on coming through the storm.

“Okay, this might be a little hot,” Vanessa said as she held the blowdryer to my breasts.

Trying not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, I clenched my vagina praying not to piss my pants, because there was no way I could get these spanx off under my gown.

“This cannot be happening right now. Please tell me it’s drying?”

“Patience…we’re getting there, baby,” she said.

“I can’t believe this.”

Elaine walked into room holding one of the twins who was sleeping in the infant seat. She looked beautiful wearing a long sleeveless brown two-piece dress adorned with a corsage. “What on Earth?” she asked.

“Hey, Elaine, come join the fun!” I said sarcastically.

“What happened, Allison?”

“My tits leaked through the satin. I forgot to slip the breast pads into my bra.”

Elaine covered her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh. “Oh, honey…”

“Could you imagine Cedric’s face if the first thing he saw as I came down the aisle were two giant wet milk spots?”

Vanessa cracked up and the dryer accidentally blew some of my hair. “Hey!” I said.

“Sorry, sweetie, sorry,” she apologized, stifling her laughter.

Vanessa’s long dark hair was done up in a French twist. I had asked my birth mother to be one of my bridesmaids, along with Sonia, Denise and Callie. After all, she wasn’t all that much older than me and looked gorgeous in the strapless emerald green satin dress.

“What the—” Jake said looking at the ridiculous scene in this hotel room as he walked in dressed in a black tux, holding the other baby.

“Don’t ask, little brother. Don’t ask.”

Jake lifted her toward me and said, “Um…Holly just tried to suck my nipple…I think it’s time for her meal. What can I feed her?”

“There are some bottles of pumped milk over in the cooler over there.” I gestured to a blue cooler in the corner of the room. “I’ll pump after the ceremony, so you’ll have extra for the reception.”

Just then, Ed walked into the room and I smiled. “Hi, Dad.”

Ed’s eyes began to well up as he caught sight of me in my dress. “Oh, Allison…”

I had pictured this moment for some time…just not with the hot blowdryer on the tits thing.

Vanessa stopped the dryer, as I stood up to hug Ed, fanning the tears away from my eyes.

After the birth of my girls, Ed and I had a tender moment at the hospital, where he thanked me for making him a grandfather and he asked me if I would call him Dad. I had wanted to for so long, but hadn’t done so until I could be sure it was what he wanted. I knew I could never replace the little girl he lost, but I knew he truly loved me at that moment.

***

Holly Amanda and Hannah Allison came into the world three months ago, at the end of May, born naturally at seven and six pounds respectively. It was best day of my life. Cedric was by my side the entire time and when the babies came out, the look of wonder and love on his face and the tears in his eyes would be an image I’d keep with me and replay until the end of my days. He told me he had never loved me more than the moment I made him a father.

It’s been hard balancing summer grad school classes and breastfeeding twins, but with the help of my family, by some miracle, I’ve been able to juggle it all.

My family. It felt so good to say that.

It wasn’t a conventional one, but I went from having almost no one just a couple of years ago, to having a true blended family now.