Chapter 18* (wow, never thought that I'd ever get here!)
The first thing I did when we walked into the house was collapse onto the couch. I hadn't even bothered to turn any lights on or move the stuff off the couch. I was tired, I had jet lag, I seriously needed to use the restroom, and I was craving potato chips. Touring across the pond and pregnancy was not a good mix for me.
Before I became too tired to even move off the couch, I followed Andy up the stairs to our bedroom. I set my bags down and then raced out the door to the bathroom. When I returned back, Andy was in nothing but his boxers with a towel in hand.
"Babe, it is too late to be taking a shower," I told him, an involuntary yawn escaping my mouth to prove my point. I looked at the clock on his nightstand. "It's almost midnight."
He walked over and kissed me on the forehead. "It's never too late for a shower, especially when you just got off of a nasty plane, prior to playing a show."
I shrugged as he left me in our room to start the shower in the bathroom. I stripped off the the t-shirt and jeans I was wearing and tugged on a different t-shirt and sweats. It was still a bit chilly here in good old California, but not as cold as it had been in most places in the UK. It was always raining and cold over there. Not that I was complaining, because I personally love the rain, but it was good to be back home.
Flipping on the hall light, I trekked downstairs to grab something to eat. Looking in the pantry, my options were peanut butter, potato chips, applesauce, or a can of raviolis. I was going to stick with good old Skippy Super Chunk peanut butter, not really wanting the chips anymore.
Grabbing in the jar of sticky goodness, I snatched up a spoon and walked back upstairs. I opened the jar on the way up and stuck my spoon right into the middle, pulling out a big glob of peanut butter. Mmm, peanut butter, how I've missed you so.
I climbed into bed and flipped the TV on, surfing through the channels until I found something good on. The original Nightmare on Elm Street was just starting, so I kept it on that channel while I enjoyed my peanut butter and waited for my fiancé.
Not five minutes later, Andy emerged from the bathroom, steam spilling out onto the carpeted floor. He was wrapped in a black towel from the waist down. He shook his head, dispelling the water from his hair like a wet dog. I chuckled as he closed the bedroom door and walked over to the dresser. He got dressed quickly and was soon in bed next to me, stealing my spoon.
"Hey!" I protested, pretending to be angry. "You just stole my spoon! I was using that." I crossed my arms over my chest with a huff.
"Sorry, but you know how much I love peanut butter," he said, handing me the spoon after he had licked it clean.
I glared at him. "I bet you love it more than me," I said, jokingly.
"Oh, now that is not possible," he said, rolling over so he was leaning over me. I was slightly sunken into the bed, only my upper back propped up by the pillow that was resting on the headboard. Andy kissed my forehead softly before continuing. "I love you way more than anything else in this world."
I smiled up at him. "I love you, too." I raised myself up slightly to peck him on the lips.
"Good, now go to sleep, you look tired," he ordered, rolling back onto his side of the bed. I nodded compliantly as he pulled me down all the way onto the bed and cradled me to his chest.
{**************************************BVB********************************}
"So, what's on the agenda for the day?" Lottie asked as she bounced into the house at noon the next day. Andy and I were in the kitchen, finishing up our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches we had made for lunch. We were on a peanut butter binge since we got back from the UK, which was weird. I mean, it's not like they don't have it there, because they do. It was just weird.
"Well," I said, swallowing a piece of my sandwich, "Andy was going to put the dresser together today, weren't you, babe?"
Andy looked up at me, some jelly left on his lips. "Mhmm, sure was," he responded. I chuckled as I reached over and swiped the jelly off his lip with my finger. I stuck it in my mouth before turning back to my sandwich and Lottie.
"So, what are you doing today, is the more appropriate question," Lottie corrected.
I shrugged my shoulder. "Not a whole heck of a lot," I told her honestly. "Maybe sitting and playing some COD or Zombies. I don't know, I was thinking of kind of a lazy day."
"Okay, then lazy day no more, because I want to do something with you," she said, coming to sit beside me at the counter. "Bone and Skin are in Victorville making some last minute decisions about Skin and Christina's soon-to-be living arrangement, and I'm bored out of my mind. There is no one to talk to!"
I laughed at her in a friendly way. "Okay, I'll do something with you today, Lottie. I need some girl time, too. I just spent two and a half weeks in hotel rooms with five guys. The testosterone levels were through the roof, especially with two of them getting married."
So, here's the deal. Bone, Lottie, and Skin know that Ash and Lexi are getting married. They both told the three of them when they had told the rest of the band and me. But, due to my stubbornness, I had not told anyone, except our parents, that Andy and I are engaged. My mom hadn't told Tay and Dyl yet, I hadn't told Jordan (because that was going to be a real walk in the park), and Amy and Chis hadn't told the rest of their family. In addition to all them, I hadn't told Bone, Lottie, Skin, Christina, Candace, Scout, or Sandra. Speaking of, I haven't talked to her in a long time, and I'm missing my hug buddy. (Yes, we are hug buddies. She gives the awesomest hugs and she's so small and adorable. It's hard not to have her as a hug buddy.)
Lottie nodded sympathetically, until it finally sunk in what I said. "Wait, who else is getting married?" she asked excitedly.
I held up my left hand and put my ring finger up, where the beautiful engagement ring sat. At first, Lottie looked like she was ready to flip me off, like I was flipping her off. Then, she seemed to clear her vision and see what was on my finger. She squealed and jumped up and down in her seat, grabbing hold of my hand and examining the ring.
"Oh my gosh! Who, what, where, when?" she asked hurriedly.
I chuckled at her. "Andy and me, um, I'm not even sure the 'what' part is pertinent to this, while we were in Europe, on the beach in Portsmouth, and the night/morning we first flew in."
"Ahh!! I am so excited for you guys! Congratulations! Wait, I'm gonna be in the wedding right?"
Of course she would ask that. But I had a simple answer for her.
"But of course, my lovely friend. I don't really have a lot of girlfriends, so my options are a bit limited," I assured her.
"Yesh! Thank you, Wardo," she said, hugging me.
I laughed, "You're welcome."
"Okay, now, shopping day!" Lottie announced. I groaned as Andy snickered.
"I'm glad I'm putting a dresser together today," he mumbled, kissing my cheek as he got up to put his dish in the sink. "Have fun in that asylum."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh thanks," I mumbled sarcastically.
"Oh, come on, Zandy, it's not that bad," Lottie consoled, rubbing my back. "I promise we'll leave when you ask and I won't drag you into any unwanted stores."
I groaned. "Fine." I got up from my position at the counter. "Just let me get dressed and straighten my hair. I took a shower and then got back into pajamas."
"Kk, I'll be down here, snacking on something," she said, getting up and looking through our pantry.
"Have at it," I offered.
I walked up the stairs and went into the bedroom Andy and I now permanently shared, my former bedroom. Andy's was converted into the new nursery. I changed out of my PJ's and into a too-big KISS t-shirt Andy had gotten for his birthday, a pair of black maternity skinny jeans, all black Chuck Taylor's, and a black hooded sweater. I straightened my hair quickly and put on the usual make up. Grabbing my Batman bag, I walked into the nursery where Andy was sitting on the floor putting together the dresser.
Most of the room was put together and painted. We didn't change the original color, we just added the pinstripe of light grey like Sammi had suggested on Christmas. It looked really good with the dark furniture we had gotten from everybody. Both cribs were set up, the changing table, rocking chair; all that was left was the dresser Andy was putting together and then I'd be able to put all their clothes in it. We were definitely prepared.
"Looking good, babe," I complimented as I stood next to where he was sitting on the floor. It looked like he already had four of the six drawers assembled. I patted him on the back and then leaned down to kiss his cheek.
"I'll be back in a few hours. If I'm not back by three, can you take the chicken out of the freezer and put it on the counter to thaw?" I asked him. "I'm making breaded chicken tonight, so it needs to be unfrozen."
Andy nodded, concentrated on the screw he was trying to drive into the stubborn wood. "Chicken, freezer, counter, three, go it," he mumbled.
I rolled my eyes. "That's real reassuring," I said under my breath. "Just make sure to get it out. I'll even call you."
"Stop worrying, I'll make sure to thaw the chicken."
"Okay, thank you," I said, running my fingers through his hair.
"Have fun with Lottie," he said as I walked down the stairs, closer to my ultimate demise.
{************************************BVB***********************************}
"Alright, Lottie, where to first?" I asked as we opened the doors to the mall. It looked a little busy today, but it was the weekend, so most people were my age and just hanging out, not really shopping.
"Hmm, where do you wanna go?" she asked, looking at the directory. It was surprising because Lottie usually knew malls like the back of her hand.
"I don't care, I came here to spend time with you, I said, shrugging. "I'll go wherever you do."
"Okay, well, let's head to Tilly's and Pacsun and all those," she suggested, grabbing ahold of my hand and hauling me to the stores she had in mind.
Lottie escorted me into Pacsun first, where, I must admit, they were having a really good sale on jeans. Too bad I couldn't fit into any of them. While we were there, Lottie found a few shirts that would fit me though. They were cute, not t-shirts but not overly dressy. They fit tightly around my stomach, but it wasn't too bad.
After buying our stuff from Pacsun, we headed into Tilly's, where they had a lot of cute stuff that I could fit into. I even bought some guy t-shirts and a new sweater because they looked awesome, and I needed a new sweater, none of mine zipped closed.
When we were done there, Lottie dragged me into this cool store that was kind of like Hot Topic. I can't remember the name of it. But it was cool. They had a lot of band tees and cool colored skinny jeans. And they sold a lot of merch for bands and TV shows. There, I ended up buying an Asking Alexandria, Escape The Fate, Avenged Sevenfold, BVB, and Alesana t-shirt. After Andy had suggested we named our daughter that, I started listening to them and they were really good. I loved them now.
After getting out of the cool store, Lottie and I took a break at the nearest Starbucks. I ordered a white chocolate hot chocolate while Lottie got awhile mocha. Oh coffee, how I missed you. Soon, though, we will be reunited.
Lottie and I sat down at one of the little tables to rest and talk.
"So, have you decided on the theme or anything yet?" she asked as she fixed her coffee the way she liked it.
"Not so much of a theme," I told her. "We're gonna do black and red though."
"Have you any idea what you want as far as a dress goes?" she asked, taking a sip.
I thought about it. "Not really," I admitted. "I just know I don't want anything too low cut and none of that mermaid *chizz*." I shuddered as I thought of it. "That crud seriously creeps me out." Lottie nodded in understanding. "I was thinking more of a ballroom style, or just more of a fuller skirt. I definitely want it to have black in it, but I don't want it all black. The wedding is going to be dark enough already. And I have a feeling Andy will be wearing an all black tux."
"Very true," Lottie agreed. "When do you guys want to have the wedding, and where?"
Again, I shrugged. "We're not really sure. All we know is it obviously has to be after the babies are born, but before I start school and the guys leave for Warped Tour. After that they are so booked they won't have time to eat."
"Well, at least they're getting big," Lottie said, looking at the bright side of things. "That's what they've always wanted and now they're getting it. I mean, they're one of the headlining bands for Warped Tour, they are the headlining band for the AP Tour. They just got finished with their first tour in Europe, and they're heading back in the fall. They've got it all, Zandy!"
I smiled. "Yeah, I'm so happy for all of them, especially Andy. He's wanted this for so long, now he's finally got it."
"And he's got the girl he's been after for years," she said, winking at me. I laughed and took a sip of my hot chocolate.
"You're a weirdo," I told her, still chuckling.
"At least I'm not a Wardo," she said in a sing-song voice. That just made me laugh some more.
{*************************************BVB**********************************}
After our hot beverage break (I can't say coffee break because I didn't have any), Lottie dragged me into Victoria's freaking Secret! How many times is she going to do this to me? Her reasoning this time was 'I needed something pretty for our wedding night and something I could wear while I am still pregnant'. I swear, this girl was trying to help along the inevitable.
"Please, Zandy?" she begged, trying to pull me into the store. "Just this once and I promise I won't bug you about sleepwear until after your wedding."
I thought about this for a moment. It was a pretty good deal. I'd have Lottie off my back about her said 'sleepwear' for over six months. It sounded good to me.
I heaved out a long, dramatic sigh. "Fine, do with me what you will."
Lottie jumped up and down on the spot, clapping her hands together. "Yay! Thank you, Z!" She then pulled me straight into the awaiting tape measure of a store associate.
I was honestly shocked when she told me the size she had calculated. "What?! That is ridiculous! How the *heck*?"
The lady smiled at me knowingly. "Honey, you're pregnant, it happens to every woman," she said kindly. "Usually, it goes away after a few months, promise."
"Thank the gods!" I exclaimed. "I can not do this my whole life."
Lottie and the associate chuckled. "Now, let's go find you something gorgeous to wear."
{***********************************BVB************************************}
"Oh my gosh, thank you so much for boiling these," I said to Andy as I stepped through the threshold to the kitchen. I dropped my multiple store bags onto the floor beside the sectional. Andy was sitting on the couch, reading the latest issue of AP Mag. Of course, the guys were on the cover because they were headlining the AP tour.
Andy smiled up at me. "You're welcome, love," he said, looking up from whatever he was reading. "What did you buy today?"
"Some t-shirts, a pair of jeans, some cool earrings and a lip ring, and some things that you are not allowed to see yet," I said nonchalantly as I started putting the breading together for the chicken.
I heard rustling behind me. "And don't even think about looking inside." The rustling stopped.
"How the *eff* do you do that?" Andy asked, amazed. "I swear, you have eyes on the back of your head."
I turned and smiled at him. "All women do, hon," I said. "And, you're not exactly the most quiet person I know."
He smirked and turned back to the magazine. I rolled my eyes and set back to cooking dinner.
{**********************************BVB*************************************}
*One Month Later*
I snuggled closer into Andy's chest. I had barely done anything today, and I was extremely tired. On top of it, there was this shooting pain in my stomach and back that I was getting periodically throughout the day. At first, it was happening every few hours, and then every hour, and then every fifteen minutes. Now, as Andy and I laid down to go to bed, it was closer together than ever. And now it hurt like a mofo.
I grunted in pain as another sharp sensation jabbed through my abdomen. Andy cradled me to his chest and wiped my sweaty hair off of my forehead. He kissed the top of my head and said, "Zandy, I think we should go to the hospital. You're probably in labor."
"How the *heck* would you know what a woman in labor looks like?" I grunted out as I recovered from the flash of pain.
"I was there when my aunt was in labor with my youngest cousin. She was pretty much doing what you are now," he explained. He threw the blankets off of us and swung his feet over the edge of the bed. "Come on, we're gong to the hospital."
I whined as he took me out of my sweaty t-shirt and put me in a clean band tee I had bought last month. He slipped me into some sweats and handed me my Vans. I was able to get those on on my own while Andy packed clothes for the both of us for a few days. He tugged a shirt on and pulled on his jacket before helping me into my sweater.
"How can you be so calm while I'm freaking out that I could possibly be having our children in the early hours of tomorrow morning?" I asked, trying to level my breathing. It was becoming harder now as my body protested against the minimal movement I had been causing.
Andy shrugged as he helped me out of the bed and down out through the door. "I guess it's because I'm not the one awaiting impending birth." I glared at him.
"Yeah, lucky you," I said. It was amazing I was still able to put my sarcasm level to the maximum setting even in this condition. I just continued to amaze myself.
Andy chuckled as he basically carried me down the stairs. By the time we made it out the front door and he had me in the front seat, I was about ready to keel over in pain. This *chizz* was not fun!
He kissed me on the cheek before excusing himself. "Wait here," he said. "I'm gonna go call the guys and get the car seats. I'll be right back."
"Yes, because I am capable of motion right now," I grumbled as he left.
While he was gone, I grabbed my cell phone out of my jacket pocket and sent a text to Lottie, Bone, Skin, Candy, Scout, my brothers and sister, Sandra, Christina, our parents, and Sammi that I was going to the hospital. You would be amazed at how quickly I got responses from that text. The first one was from my sister, and it was later in Ohio than it was here. What the heck was she doing up at two in the morning? Well, I guess she is going to be sixteen, she has a life.
Andy returned to the car, having put the car seats into the back seat quickly, and turned on the ignition. Within a few moments we were backing down the driveway, Andy driving cautiously as I texted everybody. I could barely keep my eyes open I was so tired, but the pain wouldn't let me sleep. My body was so confused.
What seemed like a lifetime later, especially after the traffic and stoplights, we made it to the hospital. Andy grabbed the duffel bag and then helped me out of the passenger side. We walked all the way to the main entrance, which helped to relieve some of the pain. I guess I just needed to relax a little and stretch out. I wasn't feeling spectacular, but I was more comfortable.
The lady at the front desk saw my condition and pulled out a check in sheet immediately. "Someone get her a wheelchair!" she called out to the other nurses that were nearby. One with pretty brown hair wheeled one over to me and helped me sit down.
"Here you go, sweetie," she cooed. "Just relax. Everything's gonna be fine."
"What's your name, sweetheart?" the first nurse asked, holding up a brown clipboard.
"Alexandria Night," I answered, my voice less strained than before.
"Middle name?"
"Corrine."
"And how old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"Date of birth."
"April twelfth, 1993."
"And when was your approximate due date?"
"Around April thirtieth."
"You're about a month early. Has there been any previous complications?"
"Gloria," called a familiar voice from down the hall. The hurried footsteps approached us. I looked up and saw Dr. Mathers. "Please just get Zandy a room. She's carrying twins, it's okay that she's a bit earlier than most."
Gloria and the other nurse nodded and lead me and Andy down a hall, up a few flights on the elevator, up to the labor and delivery area and into a vacant room. The two nurses and Andy helped transfer me from the wheelchair to the bed as Dr. Mathers came into the room.
"How are you feeling, Zandy?" she asked as I settled into the bed.
"Like crud," I grunted as another wave of pain surrounded me. Gods, why was child birth so painful?
"Don't get too comfortable, you'll have to change into a gown," she warned. "And what would you rate the pain on a scale of one to ten, ten being the most painful."
"Eight," I answered immediately. It hurt like a mofo, but I knew I could handle more if I needed to.
"Alright, I'll let Andy help you into a gown," she said, about to leave the room. She stopped briefly though. "Has your water broken yet?" When I shook my head, she continued. "Okay, I'll be back in in ten minutes to check you cervix. And one more thing, are you guys expecting anybody?"
Andy and I nodded. "Scout and Jordan said they would be here as quickly as possible," I said.
"Jinxx, Sammi, Ash, Lexi, and Jake'll be here," Andy added. "CC wasn't feeling too hot."
"Alright, thanks guys," the doctor said, smiling. "There are gowns in the bathroom of various sizes."
When she closed the door behind her, Andy helped me out of bed and into the bathroom. He sat me on the closed toilet seat and unfolded a gown for me. I started to strip off my clothing and he helped me get into it when everything was off. Andy tied it in the back for me and then spun me around and kissed me.
"I love you," he whispered, pulling my hair up off of my shoulders.
I gave him as much of a smile as I could muster. "I love you, too."
Right then, my water broke, and I groaned.
Andy helped me return to the bed, and the doctor came in right as I got settled.
"Okay, spread 'em," she said, pulling on a pair of gloves. Andy pretended to be looking out the window as Dr. Mathers checked on how dilated I was. "You're about four centimeters. Ten is idealistic to deliver. I'll come back in and check up on things in about an hour. When you get to eight centimeters, we'll give you the epidural and then just wait it out until you're to ten."
I nodded as she smiled. I must have looked nervous about giving birth to twins. "Don't worry Zandy. Both you and the babies are perfectly healthy. All should go well, no problems or mishaps. I think it's great that you opted for this and not a cesarian section."
I nodded again as she smiled one last time and left the room. Andy came and sat in a seat beside me, taking possession of my hand and playing with my fingers. I started to nod off and the next thing I know, I'm waking up to happy chatter of about six voices.
Someone sees that I'm awake and walks over to me. I feel my brother's strong, calloused hands keeping the hair off of my face. I was sweaty still, but more from the stuffiness of the room than the fact that I had had a hard time breathing earlier.
"How are you doing, Alex?" he asked, and I could hear the smile in his voice.
"Fine, better than I was when I first got here," I answered honestly. I did feel a lot better. I was having more contractions now, but the were quick and didn't hurt as much.
Dr. Mathers walked into the room then, pulling on gloves. "If you would all vacate the room so I could check how far she is, that would be great," she announced and everybody except for Andy left the room. She repeated what she had done the first time, and this time when she withdrew, she beamed. "You're almost to eight. I cheated and let you sleep for two hours, but it was worth it. I can give you the epidural now if you'd like."
I nodded eagerly as she ordered me to sit on the side of the bed and arch my back. Andy helped by hugging me and rubbing my back around the area the doctor was going to put the needle in. There was a sharp pinch on my spine and then it was gone.
"There, all done," Dr. Mathers announced happily. "I'll give you another half hour before I come back in and check it out, okay?"
I nodded with a smile this time as she left the room. My family piled back in, all seemingly happy to see me awake.
Over the next half hour, I was asked so many questions, I can't even remember them now. All I know is that in what seemed like only a few minutes, Dr. Mathers was back in the room, checking me again. This time, she smiled and called for some nurses. She told me I was all set to go, and I could literally feel the urge to push. I needed to have these babies and I needed to have them now.
Andy stood on one side and my brother on the other while Candy was assigned to video tape the upper half of my body as I gave birth. The doctor was nice and let me have everyone in the room while I was doing this. Usually it was only the father and immediate family members, but she said I was an exception.
Dr. Mathers had me wait until my next contraction until I started pushing. She said it would help if the baby was breaching to help right it. As a contraction hit, I pushed down and held my breath to keep pushing until the doctor counted to ten. The whole time I was squeezing Jordan and Andy's hands tightly. They all seemed relieved to see that I wasn't a screamer, but more of a grunter. Personally, I was thankful, too. When I watched TV shows and all the girls did was scream, it seriously *ticked* me off.
I went through the process five more times until Dr. Mathers said the baby was out. I heard a sharp, long wail, and I started crying. I could hear my baby. I want sure who it was, but I could hear them. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.
Andy cut the umbilical cord and my baby was soon put on a table to be cleaned up and get the amniotic fluids out of its lungs. Soon, I was ordered to start the process all over again. It was much quicker this time, only taking my three pushes to get him or her out. Another cry pierced through the semi quiet room and I began to cry again. Man, motherhood made you really emotional. But I was so happy to finally have my babies. I had been waiting so long and this feeling was just awesome.
After both my babies were cleaned and wrapped in blankets, they were handed to Andy as I took a breather. I wanted to have my babies in my arms, but I really needed a little break. Child birth was not easy, let me tell you.
Soon, my two little angels were in my arms and I could already see that they had their daddy's eyes. They had bright blond hair, a mixture of Andy and I, but it was really curly, so that would be me. They were beautiful in every aspect of the word.
"You're baby boy was born first, at 2:27, and you're baby girl was born second, at 2:39," the doctor said quietly, trying not to upset the peace. "You have name's right?"
Andy and I nodded.
"Okay, there's just some paperwork one of you will have to fill out, and then we'll have their birth certificates that you both will have to sign."
We nodded, not really listening to her. We were too focused on the two most precious things in our lives now: Alesana Olivia and Andrew Dennis Biersack. Our world.