Marcus: The M Series, Book Three (25 page)

I grinned again as I approached Reverend Andrew Miller, Dad's golfing buddy and lifelong friend, and shook his hand.

“Congratulations, Marcus. I'm glad to be able to do this for you.”

“Thank you, Reverend. So are we.”

I heard a piano begin to play. Nathan walked out of the house with Evelyn then Joshua walked out with Monica. Finally, Matthew walked out with a red and giggly Lisa. No doubt Matthew was saying lewd things to her, as he did with Mandy's friend at Joshua's wedding. He was quite vivid in my ear about how Joshua and Mandy's wedding night was going to go while the Reverend was marrying them.

Finally, Thomas appeared. Mariah walked up to him and took his arm. They spoke for a moment and Mariah nodded. I smiled as they slowly walked down the stairs. Purple was still a winner. She looked beautiful.

“Your face is going to hurt later, Cramp,” Matthew whispered at my ear.

“What? Why?” I replied as I stared at that beautiful woman.

“That big of a grin is using too many rarely-used muscles in your face.”

I laughed and he circled my shoulder, patting it.

When Mariah and Thomas made it down the stairs, she stopped him and patted her thigh. She’d gotten winded, but made it down safely. Smiling, Mariah held up a finger to me.

“Don't move,” she yelled. “Be with ya in a minute. Whoo!”

That drew a big laugh and applause.

Matthew gripped my shoulders. “I got him, Cookie! He ain’t going anywhere!”

More laughs filled the garden.

“He’d better not! Rachel has the shotgun loaded and ready,” Mother called out.

Bigger laughter sounded after Rachel shouted, “Double barreled!”

Mariah laughed and nodded to Thomas. They started walking again. Finally, they get to me.

“No exchanges or refunds, Cannon,” Thomas mocked glared at me.

I shrugged. “I lost the receipt, anyway.”

He laughed. “Good answer!” 

Thomas smiled at Mariah, kissed her cheek then placed her hand in mine. She watched as he sat next to an emotional Rachel then, smiling, she looked at me.

She grinned and, a little winded, she whispered, “Yay! I made it!”

I grinned and caressed her cheek. “You okay?”

“Better than okay. Let's get married.”

I squeezed her hand as Reverend Miller began.

* * *

“Dr. Alexander! Mariah's asking for you. You better get in here before you miss the next one.”

“The next one,” I yelled as I scrubbed my hands faster. “She delivered one already?”

“Oh, yes, Doctor. He's here and screaming up a storm!”

Damn it! Hold on, baby, I cannot miss both births, I thought as I reached for a towel and entered the delivery room. My son's screams blocked out every other sound in the room. I walked to him and stared. He was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, outside of his mother, of course.

I looked at the pediatrician on call, happy it was John Brewer. I trust him.

“John?”

“Congratulations, Marcus. He's great. It's time for the second Apgar. You want to do it?”

I grinned. “Yes.” I put on gloves and look over my boy. He was nice and pink, his pulse was excellent, he was moving well and screaming loudly.

“Nine,” I smiled and continued to stare at my son.

“Ms. Jones,” John called. “Apgar 9 /9.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Let's get a fetal monitor going, see if we can figure out when number two wants to make his appearance.”

Just then, Mariah screamed; the next one was coming soon.

“Never mind! Mariah, baby number two is still in his sack, so I'm going to puncture it. I need you to keep still, all right?”

She panted. “Okay. Where's Marcus?”

“I'm here, baby. I'm just looking over, uh… Which one is he? What's his name, baby?”

“Donald! Ahhh! What the hell, Rob? I hate you as much as I hate Marcus right now!”

“You'll get over it in a few minutes, Mariah,” Rob chuckled.

“Ms. Jones? This is Donald Harvey Cannon.”

“Yes, doctor.”

“All right, Mariah. Number two is set, so when you're ready you can push, all right?”

I moved over to her side and caressed her head. She moaned, tiredly. “Okay. I'm ready!” She clamped her jaw and pushed as the nurses counted slowly.

“Stop counting,” Mariah screamed, completely irritated. She stopped pushing and fell back, looking like she wanted to give up.

I glanced down and saw the top of the next baby's head. I took her hand and entwined our fingers.

“One more and you're done. He's right there, baby, come on. You can do this. One more, let's go.”

She whimpered as she sat up and pushed with everything left in her. Suddenly, she screamed bloody murder and the baby glided into Rob's hands.

“And stay out,” she mumbled, falling back on the bed again as the nurses chuckled at her.

“Congratulations, Marcus and Mariah; another boy,” Rob announced.

I high-fived John and a few nurses. Rob handed me scissors and I cut the cord. He passed the baby to a waiting John. I turned to Mariah, who looked like she was going to be asleep in less than a minute.

I kissed her head. “You did it, baby. I love you so much.”

“Shut up, Marcus. You aren't going back in there, either.”

I laughed hard, along with John, Rob and the nurses.

“Dr. Alexander? What's this one's name?” Ms. Jones asked.

My throat constricted. “Stephen Alexander Cannon,” I croaked out. As she gripped my hand, I kissed Mariah's head again. “Thank you, Mariah. For everything.”

She smiled and her eyes drooped. “Yeah, you better thank me because I'm never doing this again!”

The room laughed as Mariah nodded off.

“All right, Rob, you be careful down there. I have an appointment in six weeks I want to keep and I will sue you if I have to cancel.”

He smirked at me then shook his head. “She's fine, not even a tear.”

“Congratulations, Marcus,” Greg said, slapping my back.

I shook his hand. “Thanks, Greg. What are you doing up here?”

“Mariah's donating the cord blood. I need to get it harvested.”

“She is?”

“Yes, she is, Frank,” Rob said, passing the clamped placenta to a now-gloved Greg. “She signed on her first visit. She didn't tell you?”

“No, she didn't,” I look at my sleeping wife and fall in love with her all over again.

* * *

“Where's Mariah, Marcus? And the babies,”
Rachel grinned as the family entered Mariah's room.

“Rob is checking her out thoroughly. I threatened to sue him, so he's be extra cautious,” I laughed, then nodded my head. “Here come the babies now,” I murmured as Ms. Jones wheeled in my sons. Everyone cooed over the boys as they quietly laid side by side.

“Oh, look at my grandsons,” Mother cried as Dad gripped her shoulders. I think I saw a tear in his eye, too.

“Good job, Marcus. Nice looking boys,” Thomas patted my back.

“Thanks, Thomas,” I grinned.

Lisa clapped. “So who's Donnie and who's Alex?”

I smiled as I walked over and lifted a sleeping baby from the bed.

“This one is Donnie,” I said proudly.

“How can you tell, Cramp? They look exactly the same.”

“My secret, Toad. Not sharing.”

“You can't tell; you're shittin' us,” Nathan laughed.

I smiled. “Check the band on his ankle, Matthew.”

Ms. Jones squeezed hand sanitizer in Matthew's palm and he rubs it in sneering at me, looking determined to prove me wrong. He gently tugged a little foot from inside the blanket. 

“I'll be damned. How the hell did you do that? They look exactly alike!”

“You're a detective; figure it out,” I murmured, placing Donnie next to his brother, again.

Matthew stared and stared, even getting right in their faces, which drew laughs all around. He tried a few minutes more but finally gave up.

“Damn,” he muttered walking away. He froze, came back and stared again. “Shit,” he muttered. “I feel so stupid.”

I laughed. “You got it, huh?”

“Yeah, right in my damn face. When did you figure it out?”

“As soon as they were born.”

“What,” Nathan frowned, staring.

Everyone mumbled they couldn't see it either. Matthew and I laughed.

“Hi, everyone.” Mariah smiled softly as she's wheeled into the room. We watched as Ms. Jones and another nurse helped her in her bed.

“How do you feel, honey,” Rachel asked.

“Like I just squeezed two footballs out of my –”

“Mariah,” Lisa gasped.

We all laughed; Matthew more than everyone. “Please, please, please let her finish, Lisa!”

On cue, Mother smacked his head. “Love you, Mommy,” he sung.

“Oh, okay,” Mariah laughed as she was kissed and hugged by everyone in the room.

“Are you okay, baby,” I asked after she settled in her bed.

“I'm fine,” Mariah smiled. “Little tired and sore but for the first time in months, not the least bit hungry.”

Everyone laughed.

“Would you like us to leave so you can get some rest,” Mandy asked.

Mariah smiled. “No, not yet. I would like to see my babies, though.”

I wheeled the babies to her.

“Cookie, can you tell them apart,” Evelyn asked.

“I believe so...” she murmured. She looked for a moment and smiled.

“That's Alex, that's Donnie,” she pointed, exactly right.

“What the hell,” Monica exclaimed, baffled.

Joshua frowned. “I can't tell. Only you, Cramp and Toad have figured it out.”

Mariah smiled brightly. “Really? Huh. I thought it was obvious. It's the–”

“No, baby. I want everyone to figure it out on their own,” I stated.

“See?” Joshua laughed. “Total cramp!”

Everyone laughed with him as I shook my head.

“Mom? Katherine? Nothing,” Mariah asked arching her eyebrow.

“Baby...”

She grinned at me. “What, boo?”

“Oh! Damn it! I got it,” Tom yelled then covered his mouth. “Sorry.”

“Are you sharing, Tom,” Lil asked.

“No, Mother. I'm going to this side and sneer at you slow pokes,” Tom grinned as he walked over to Matthew and whispered to him.

Matthew slapped his back. “Yep. That's it.”

“Come on, guys,” Mariah laughed. “Look at them!”

They all stared. Alissa's face lit up and said something to Mariah in Spanish.

“You got it,” Mariah laughed.

Alissa moves over to us then Monica, Lisa, Mother, Rachel, Thomas, Dad, and finally Mandy puts her hands on her hips and glared back and forth.

“Oh, geez,” she said moving over.

All that's left were Lil, Ethan, Evelyn, Russell and Joshua. Russell's face suddenly lit up as he stared at the twins.

“Yeah, that's obvious,” he shook his head and moved over.

“Uncle,” Lil says throwing up her hands, still staring.

“Uncle,” Evelyn, Ethan and Joshua declare after her, staring at the rest of us.

Matthew walked over to them and whispered into Evelyn’s ear. She frowned at him then looked back at the twins, recognition sinking in.

“Damn it,” she mumbled and smacked Joshua's arm. “It's the eyebrows! Donnie has them but Alex doesn't!”

Everyone laughed then Alex started crying. We hushed and waited to see if he'll calm down.

“I think he's hungry, honey,” Rachel said, softly.

“All right! Lunch! Is this a buffet or sit down,” Matthew called, creeping over to Mariah.

Everyone, including the Dads, smacked him somewhere for that one.

“Everybody out,” Mother demanded, with her clapping. “My grandsons need to eat,” she said as she grabbed Matthew's arm and yanked it. “You stay by my side at every visit.”

“Yes, Mommy,” Matthew laughingly sung.

“We'll be back in a couple of hours, Cookie. Get some rest,” Thomas said then kissed her head.

“Okay, Pops,” Mariah smiled back.

When they left, I picked up Alex, who had gotten serious about his stomach and watched greedily as Mariah lowered her gown and cleaned her nipples.

“Do I have to throw you out, Doctor,” Ms. Jones snapped at me.

Mariah laughed. “Behave, boo. Off limits. These belong to them now.”

“For now,” I murmured, giving her our starving son.

“Mariah, don't be dejected if he doesn't latch on right away,” Ms. Jones encouraged.

Mariah looked at me and smirked. “If he's
anything
like his father...”