Page 36 (1/2)

The doctor se of questions "All babies under thirty-five weeks go to the NICU Moet hi is he?" Falyn asked

"I think they said five pounds, five ounces," the doctor said, s"

"Thank you," Dad said

The doctor nodded, in a hurry to get hoet some sleep before as likely a full day of prenatal appointroup of nurses and a doctor wheeled past with an incubator, pausing when they saw us down the hall America jumped up first, followed by Shepley, and then the rest of us Ca Ji with hiest son

"He looks just like Travis!" A with tears

"I don’t know," Dad said "I see that stubborn chin sticking out"

"You’re right," A in there, little guy," Trenton said, holding tight to his wife

I wondered what it was like for Trenton and Camille to see us one by one, as we all had our second and third child, and they were still trying I knew they were happy for Travis and Abby--I could see it on their faces--but I could also see a longing; an ache that wouldn’t go away until they had one of their own

The nurses wheeled him down the hall, and everyone but America returned to our uncomfortable bench seats I smiled when I saw Travis tap America on the shoulder, and she threw her arms around him and cried happy tears They talked for a moment, and then he walked her down to where we sat

I stood up, shaking his hand a couple of tiood lookin’ boy"

"That he is," Travis said He looked both tired and energized, happy and worried

"What’d you decide to naether, already proud of the nahed with glee

"That won’t be confusing at all!" Trenton said Dad smacked him on the back of the head "Ow!" He rubbed the back of his head "What’d I say?"

"James, Ezra, Hollis, Eli, Emerson, Gavin, and Carter Maddox," America said "Poor Jess, Hadley, and Stella"

"Ten," Dad said, sitting up a bit taller "I have ten grandkids so far"

"So far," Trenton said "We’re going to add to that soon"

Camille offered a contrived smile I couldn’t tell if she was tired or had lost hope

"I’o with you?" America asked Travis nodded; she hopped up, kissed her husband goodbye, and they were gone

We settled back in our seats for the fourth or fifth round in the short ti in, exhausted and happy to be together I could still see the shock in Ellie, Falyn, and Taylor’s eyes that I felt We were feet away from three deaths, and we still weren’t sure how to process it I wasn’t even sure if we should bring it up

Dad finally spoke up "We should all try to get so"

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

TRENTON