After stopping in the village for dinner, they were headed home. Ragnar had had about six hours to get everything ready. All of the maids and his housekeeper had been pressed into service. The walls had been painted a soft peach and the furniture was all white. The only thing was that the reclining rocker and ottoman were white with a grey pattern. The floors were left to the natural wood and polished to a high shine. There was even a sheepskin throw rug for nights when it got cold.
As Haldor pulled the car up to the entrance of their new home, Erika stared in wonder. It was exactly the style that she had wanted. She knew that the wood exterior would be difficult to keep up with in this climate, but it was beautiful. She felt something tug at her hand and turned to find Haldor holding her hand in his, smiling gently at her.
"Like it, Little Wolf?"
"Like it! I love it! It's beautiful. I can't wait to see the inside. It appears bigger than the other house." Erika was so excited she wanted to jump up and down.
Tugging on her hand once more, he led her through the front door and proceeded to give her a very thorough tour except for one place. "Haldor, why didn't we go it that room next to our suite? Is it not finished?"
"No, it's finished. I just wanted to save it for last. It's a very special room, and I think we will be needing it in about eight months." He replied with a large grin on his face.
Erika was confused. What was he talking about. Stretching her hand out she reached and turned the knob and opened the door. What she saw caused her to gasp. Haldor quickly stepped behind her when her face went white as a sheet. Pulling her into his body he whispered into her ear.
"Have you put two and two together yet, love?"
Erika briefly wondered what he was talking about. Then she realized. The fatigue, the "bloating", her missed period, her constant hunger, and her emotional state over the last two or three weeks.
"Oh God! I'm pregnant! I'm pregnant! Haldor, I'm pregnant! We're going to have a baby!" Then it hit her. Her legs folded and she would have fallen had he not been holding her. Swinging her up in his arms, he cradled her like a child and watched the happy tears wash down her face.
"That's right, love. We're going to be parents. I know you will be a wonderful mom. I can't wait. I hope it's the first of many." He walked into their room and sat in one of the two wing-back chairs and just held her while she cried out her joy.
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3 months later
"What do you mean there's two heartbeats? Twins?" Erika and Haldor both were too stunned to speak.
"Yes ma'am. Twins. Maybe triplets." The nurse just looked at the couple grinning at each other. She had never seen such a reaction. You would think that they had won the lottery. "Now, if you'll give me a minute, we'll get a look at the little rascals."
They watched as the nurse squirted some cold gel onto Erika's tummy and began to move the handheld device over her belly. Just as suddenly, an image appeared on the screen. Two, no three babies showed up on the screen. The nurse turned to look at the parents. Now there was a look that she never got tired of. They both had enraptured expressions on their faces and grins. To say that these were happy parents was putting it lightly.
"Three Haldor. Three. After years of not being able to have any, a little hormone tablet and boom! Three little ones. I think we are going to have to knock out the wall and increase the size of the nursery, love." She said as she laughed.
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5 months later
"I want this over! I want drugs! This hurts!" Erika screamed.
"I know love." Haldor began.
"No you don't you ass! You are the cause of all of this pain. You try squeezing a large melon out of an opening the size of a small lime. It hurts! Now shut up and get the doctor! I want pain meds!" Just then the doctor walked in and checked her for dilation.
"Good news, Mrs Landvik, you are fully dilated and are ready to give birth." The ass was smiling the whole time.
'NONONONONONONONO! I want drugs!!!!!"
"I'm sorry dear. It's too late for that. Now, I want you to start pushing. We have a baby's head crowning."
Erika began to push and the first of her triplets made his noisy entrance into the world, soon followed by his brother. Their sister however was being stubborn. Erika was exhausted and the baby was not cooperating. Haldor felt a moment of panic when the doctor stated that they would have to put her to sleep and do a c-section to get the last baby out.
When Erika woke several hours later, it took her a minute to realize that something was different. Gasping her husband's name caused him to awake where he was sleeping in a chair beside her. Standing up, he looked down at his wife. Then he said the words that her heart wanted to hear most.
"They are all fine, love. Ten finger, ten toes each. They are all quite healthy. The reason for the surgery was because the doctor was afraid that you were so exhausted that you or the baby would be damaged. You have some staples going across your belly and you'll be in here for a few days. But that's ok, because the babies are too. Wait until you see them love. Beautiful, everyone of them."
"Have you picked out any names yet?" Laying back and closing her eyes, she asked.
"No love. I wanted us to do that together."
"How do you feel about Bjorn the bear, Ulfr the wolf and Ravn the raven for our daughter. Good strong names for good strong Viking children?"
Haldor looked down at Erika in surprise. "You've done your research, haven't you love? You want to give them English middle names?"
"Yes. Bjorn Malcolm, Ulfr Alexander, and Ravn Rose. Good?"
"Very good, love. Now, rest. The nurses are going to bring the children for you to see later. But, only if you rest."
Erika closed her eyes and was soon asleep again. She soon started dreaming.
"Mom! Can you come help me get ready. The guys are no help, being guys. Dad is nowhere to be found, and I haven't seen Ragnar either. There probably down stairs drowning their nervousness in meade or ale. I swear mom, those or my brothers better not be drunk during my wedding. I know dad can handle his drink, but still....."
"Alright darling, I'm here. Calm down, Ravn. I know you're nervous as well. You have every right to be. Every bride is. It's such a big day for her. When I married you father, he was just out of a hospital bed. He had been in a come for three weeks and just woke up two days before our wedding. He waited only long enough for his legs to hold him up long enough to say our vows."
Flash to another dream. "Love, I'm a nervous wreck. I wasn't this nervous at Revn's wedding. Bjorn's about to marry his sweetheart, and all I can think about is getting a mug of ale to calm my nerves." Haldor said. She leaned over and kissed him. "I'll give you something better. We have time and the door is locked." She smirked at him and dropped her dress off of her shoulders/
Flash to another dream. "Mom, how did you do it?"
"Do what, Ulfr?"
"Plan all of our weddings and stay sane?"
"Easy son, your father helped me a great deal. He still does. If we raised you boys to be even one tenth of the man your father is, then your brides should be very happy." Erika smiled at her middle child. He was always the most serious and the thinker of the bunch. Bjorn had always been hot tempered and Ravn had always been the happy, playful one. All of her's and Haldor's children were good kids. They had grown to be great adults and had done their parents proud. Just then Ravn's husband stepped into the room.
"Alright folks. It's time to get this show on the road. Both Ravn and Bjorn's wife are starting to show signs of going into labor. They would never say anything, because the want to see you married."
Thus began a new generation.
Erika smiled in her sleep. Haldor was watching her, wondering what was going on. He'll ask when she wakes.
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Thank you for your support. Thank you for every vote. Every comment. Every add. This book started out as a simple idea floating around in my head and became something even bigger than I dared believe. For those of you who have followed me faithfully, watch closely. I'll be starting another book soon.
Gosh, I really don't want to end it. But the story is finished. It's written itself and there is no more.
One more time. Thank you for the loyalty.