Flowers for Thandi

Flowers for Thandi- All Good Things

"What do you remember anything?" he asked softly. What did I remember? Not much from what I recall.

"Just the party. Feeling some pain and then everything going black."

"The pain you were feeling was caused by your heart. Your heart stopped." He said sounding distant, as if he were recalling something that was painful.

"My heart stopped?" I repeated stunned.

"It was an unforeseen side affect of the medication. When the doctors finally got you stable you feel into a coma for three weeks. There was no change in those three weeks."

"And then I woke up?" I asked.

"No. The twins started to stress and the doctors were worried we would lose you and them, so we took them out in surgery. They also took out the tumours. After the c-section and surgery you went into another coma which lasted two weeks. The cancer and the pregnancy took a toll on your body."

"Oh my G-d!" I whispered. Had I really gone through that? Rafe must have been through hell these past weeks. Not knowing if he'd be burying his wife, children or all three. A great sense of guilt arose in my chest, causing tears to stream down my face.

"I don't want you to cry unless you're happy." He said, as he rubbed my back in a comforting manner.

"I can't help it. I just feel so guilty for putting you through that. You didn't deserve it." I said between sobs.

"No one does." He answered softly.

He held me in his arms for what seemed like eternity. He didn't feel the need to fill the silence and neither did I. We just lay there on my bed; my head on his arm and my arm around him. Like it had always been.

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THREE DAYS LATER STILL IN THE HOSPITAL

"I want to see them." I said, looking at Rafe as he ate his lunch with me. He put down his fork to look at me. I could tell he was going to protest with some lame reason. I want to see our kids and that's final.

"But you're not-", He started; just as I predicted. I lifted my hand to silence him.

"I want to see our children. I never got the chance to see them when they were born and I'll always feel guilty for it. I'll never be too weak to hold my children when they mean so much to me, to us." I explained.

Rafe looked at me for while and stood up. "Ok, I'll call the nurse to bring them down."

"Thank you."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'd do anything for you. You know that." He quickly walked out to fulfil my request.

"I know." I said as he walked back in. I looked him in the eyes and saw his heart. "Tell me about them. How do they look like?"

He smiled. He had that smile I saw often at the Neonatal Floor. The loving smile fathers had for their newborns. They must be amazing to earn such a thing so quickly.

"You'll see for yourself." He said with a smirk I hadn't seen in a while.

"Ah no fair!" I pouted but it broke out into a smile.

A sudden noise at my door caught my attention. I looked over to see what it was about.

"It's them." He sad as he walked over to help the nurse. The babies were kept in one big crib. One baby had on pink clothing and the other had blue clothing. There was a sign on the crib which read 'Duke Twins'.

"Which one would you like to hold first Mrs Duke?" the nurse asked. This is a tough one. I don't want them to think I had a favourite. I looked over at Rafe for some guidance. He rolled his eyes and took Paz in his arms. I thought he's give her to me but he shook his head.

"It's father daughter time. You can have her back when she's sixteen and wants to go shopping." He said as he rocked her back and forth in the rocking chair.

I pouted.

"Fine. Marcus came to mama." I said as the nurse handing him to me.

I'm not saying this cause he's my child but he really is perfect. He had this caramel soft skin with these big cheeks you wanted to kiss all the time. The best part was when he opens his eyes. He had these green eyes that had these from flecks in them. My son is going to be heartbreaker, I can just tell.

"He's so beautiful. How old are they?" I asked in a trance looking at my son. He yawned and scrunched up his nose in that precious baby manner. That action alone made me melt.

"Two weeks." He answered. He was equally taken in by Paz. Little Paz had her dad around her little finger and it was only day 14.

"I can't wait still we get home with the kids. To finally be a real family." I said as I nursed Paz. Marcus had been fed and was sleeping in his father arms.

"We will be soon." He answered.

I sure hope so. I don't think I'll be able to take anymore surprises today or ever.