*And sooner or later it's over*

“What happened to her?” a young nurse asked the head nurse.

“Mmm, honey, that girl just had what will turn out to be the best and worst day of her life.”

“Sweetheart, hurry up, it’s a twenty minute drive down there and my appointment is in twenty-five minutes,” she called to him from downstairs. He whispered his apologies to her as he grabbed his coat on the way out the door.

The sky was turning that ugly-gray that just let you know snow was on the way. They sped down the highway to the high-rise office of Dr. Martin Haley. She flipped through radio station after radio station looking for something good to listen to. Finally, she landed on “Slide” and leaned back in the seat. He glanced at her for a moment and then reached over and took her hand.

They were both too happy to speak. They were on their way to what should be the last check-up before Skylar gives birth to their twins. It had been the longest nine months of both of their lives but they were happy, ecstatic even. Skylar and Trey arrived at the office just in time. After a quick examine the doctor announced that both she and the babies were in perfect health and within a week’s time she should give birth.

Every little thing she did seemed to exhaust her now. When they got back out to the car she got into the back seat and laid down. Trey got in front, started the car and began to loop his way down to the exit from the parking garage. Outside snow had blanketed the city and night had set in. Trey had driven in these weather conditions for years and was not in the least bit concerned. They got onto the highway and began slowly working their way home.

Suddenly the semi-truck in front of them began to slide sideways.

“Oh fuck!” Trey yelled as he attempted to stop. The tires couldn’t grip the road and their car slid directly into the overturned semi, smashing the front of their car and starting it on fire. The bus behind them had managed to stop before hitting them, but was dangerously close.

Smelling smoke Skylar picked herself up off the floor. “Damn!” Both doors were jammed and the windows wouldn’t roll down. Realizing there was only one way out she laid back and began kicking one of the windows. Glass flew all over the pavement as she broke her way through. She was climbing out the window when she felt someone grab her.

“Here, let me help you,” he said as he pulled her out of the car. He walked her away from the car just in case the fire got out of hand. Before she could even say thank you she screamed out in pain. Too much pain, she fainted but he caught her and laid her down gently. “Robby, man, call an ambulance. This chick is hurt bad.”

The sound of sirens tore through the night just as he yelled this. The paramedics rushed over and got her off the ground and into the ambulance. Her savior insisted on coming with her. He didn’t know who she was but he wanted to see that she was okay.

In the ambulance he overheard the paramedics discussing the chances of survival for her baby. “Baby?” he thought as he looked down at her. Suddenly he saw what he had missed earlier, she was most definitely pregnant. When they arrived at the hospital he was told to stay in the waiting room. An hour later he was called into a labor and delivery room where she lay half conscience.

“She’ll be okay and...” He didn’t hear a word the doctor said after that.

Visiting hours were long past over when the nurse woke him. He asked if she would still be there tomorrow. When the nurse said yes he got up and left. The nurse turned out the main light.

“It was only supposed to be a routine visit to the doctor. The day didn’t even start out like one I should pay attention to,” she mumbled to herself delirious from pain killers.

“What happened to her?” a young nurse asked the head nurse.

“Mmm, honey, that girl just had what will turn out to be the best and worst day of her life.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, she was just in a horrible car crash and her husband did not survive. She not only survived but gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy and baby girl. So in one fell swoop she became a mama and a widow.”

“Sweety, it’s time for you to be waking up now. Those babies need fed and so do you.”

She groaned as sunlight flooded in through the window. Her first attempt at sitting up revealed every sore muscle and bruised place on her body to her. The nurse came over and pushed the button that made the bed move instead. She was still extremely disoriented.

“Where, ow, where am I?” she asked while accidentally putting too much pressure on a sore spot.

“Well honey, I’ll give it to ya straight. Last night you were in a car crash. A shock to your abdomen caused you to go into labor. You delivered a perfectly healthy, yet to be named, boy and girl. But...” she trailed off with the realization of the harsh news she had to deliver.

“But, what?”

“But you’re husband did not survive the crash. I’m sorry, honey.”

She felt as if someone had hit her straight in the gut. She lay back and began to cry softly. As the news hit her piece by piece she realized she had given birth. She pulled herself together and asked for her babies. As the nursed walked out the door she felt a twinge of hunger, “and my breakfast please.”

“Comin’ right up honey>”

She fed her rosy-cheeked darlings and held them until they fell asleep. She laid them back in their cribs and started on her breakfast. As she ate her fruit cup there was a slight tapping at the door.

“May I come in, please?”

“Uh, sure, come on in.”

The first thing she saw was a bunch of peach roses and then a face that she would have recognized anywhere.

“Oh dear, what... how... uh,” she couldn’t even gather her thoughts to form a question.

“I didn’t know if it was a boy or a girl so I got thes..” he trailed off when he saw the two cribs. “Oh twins.”

Suddenly Skylar got a flash of memory from the previous night, the snow, the semi, their car, the crash, the bus, the man who helped her out... The man who helped her out of the car, the bus, it made sense now. She began to cry at the awakened memory.

“Oh god, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He walked over to her, set the flowers down, and reached to hold her.

“No, no, it’s not your fault. I just remembered what happened last night. Oh Trey, Trey,” she sobbed softly.

He sat down on the bed next to her while she cried. He didn’t know what had made him want to come back here but he felt that he had to and who was Trey? He must have been the man in the car, but who was he to her? What is her name? He would ask that when she calmed down. He picked up a tissue and dabbed at her tears.

“Thank you.” She took the tissue and wiped her eyes. “Oh and thank you so much for helping me last night. I might not have got out of the car without you.”

“Oh it’s quite all right. I’m sure you would have done the same for me. By the way, I never found out your name.”

“Oh it’s Skylar, Skylar...” she paused at another memory of Trey. This was going to be much harder than she thought. “Skylar Zale.”

“Well Skylar, I’m John Rzeznik.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“And what about those two? What are their names?”

She hadn’t thought about it but she knew in her heart what they were.

“The girl is Aurora and the boy is Trey after his fath... father.” Every little thing reminded her of Trey and now she named her son after him. What was she thinking?

“His father?” John interrupted her thoughts.

“Oh, the other person in the car, my husband, he didn’t,” she began crying, “he didn’t survive.”

“Oh god, I’m so sorry.” He didn’t mean to keep making her cry. He hated to see her in pain. He wished he could take it all away.

Aurora began to wail as if her mother’s crying was her own cue. Skylar picked her up and quieted her but her brother picked up where she left off.

“May I?” John asked as he stepped towards baby Trey.

“Be my guest.” Her own crying ended abruptly when her babies needed her. John got Trey to calm down and began to rock him.

“They’re such beautiful babies.”

“Thanks. Oh, how am I ever going to afford two babies on my salary? I didn’t even think about that. What am I going to do? Oh, I don’t mean to burden you with my problems. You’ve done so much for me.”

“Oh, dear, it’s not a burden. I want to help you. Let me help you.” He saw the concern in her eyes and he would do anything to abate it.

“Oh no, I couldn’t ever let you...”

“Shh, don’t worry about that now.”

He charmed her address out of the nurse, then went on a shopping spree. He bought her furniture, clothing, toys, bottles, anything he thought the babies might need, and a few special things for Skylar. He set them up to be delivered the next day.

He arrived at the hospital the next morning with two teddy bears and a birthstone ring for Skylar. She was up packing her bag. He set the bears with the babies and brought the neatly wrapped box to her.

“Ahh, you didn’t have to...” she opened the box and pulled out the ring. “Oh my god, I didn’t even realize. Aurora and Trey have the same birthday as you.” The name stilled pained her, maybe she should call him T.J. John smiled knowingly.

“Come on my car is outside.”

It had taken a good half hour of convincing the day before to get her to let him take her home. He knew he shouldn’t let himself feel this way about her, she wasn’t ready for this yet.

They pulled up to the house and John helped her out. She was still incredibly sore from the accident, not to mention giving birth. They got the babies from the back seat and Skylar let them in. John helped her get the babies settled in and asked her if he could make her dinner.

“Why are you doing all this for me? I don’t understand. You don’t even know me.” She heard the tone in her own voice and cringed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to come out that way.”

“No, no, it’s okay. You shouldn’t be alone tonight. At least let me stay and make dinner for you,” he said soothingly.

“Okay.” He was right, she didn’t want to be alone. But she didn’t even know him.

As he stumbled around the kitchen the doorbell rang. She pulled herself up off the couch and answered the door. It was a delivery man. She was terribly confused but she signed the paper. Two large, burly men carried in several big boxes and asked her where the nursery was. She pointed them upstairs and one of them handed her a card.

“Congratulations” surrounded by balloons and teddy bears. All it said inside was “John.” She went onto the kitchen and leaned against the wall to watch him.

“Who was at the door?” His attempt to hide his smile failed immediately.

“John, you know I can’t take all this stuff.” She spoke in a motherly tone that she was quickly adapting to.

“I’m not taking it back. It’s already paid for.”

“But, John...”

“But nothing. Now sit down dinner’s ready.”

He went over and shut the door behind the delivery men. He set two plates of spaghetti on the table. The conversation was short, awkward, and full of long pauses at first. They warmed up to each other eventually and spent a pleasant evening together.

She cried herself to sleep every night and only got up to take care of her babies. John came back every night to cook her inner and it became the highlight of her day. He made her laugh and kept her mind off everything for a while. He went to the funeral with her and held her while she cried. The funeral brought her some closure to the accident and she began to feel better.

He visited her every night for a month. She had begun to work again and was working out the finances but was still unsure whether or not she could afford the house.

One night they were doing the dishes together after a pleasant meal and suddenly John found himself standing right next to her looking straight down into her eyes. He couldn’t fight the urge anymore. He leaned over and kissed her. She kissed him back at first but then pulled away.

“I think you better go,” her voice was shaking with emotion and if he didn’t leave soon she might do something she would regret. He didn’t want to leave but he did for her, he would do anything for her. He had fallen in love with her, he couldn’t help it.

When he called the next day she made up some excuses as to why she couldn’t see him. She was so confused, wasn’t it too early for her to be having these feelings. She needed to worry about money right now. Money and these babies that was it.

She managed to avoid him for the next month but she woke up every night feverish from dreams about him. It had been a month why did he still occupy her thoughts all the time? She was about to lose her house, why was she thinking about him?

All he could think about was her, but he didn’t know how to approach her again. He had really fucked up the night he kissed her, fucked up bad. He woke up every night from dreams about her, but even in his dreams she was just beyond his reach.

He just couldn’t take it anymore, so he decided to go to her house when he thought she would be home. He was so scared that she would turn him away again that he was shaking when he arrived at her house.

Ding-dong.

“Hold on, hold on, I’m comin’,” she shouted from the nursery. She pulled open the door, stopped cold and just stared at him.

“Hi, um, could I come in, please. I really need to talk to you, please.” It was all he could do to keep from shaking.

“Uh, sure, come on in.” She wanted to see him, but was this really a good idea?

They sat down in the living room together. He was very apparently nervous, but so was she. Finally, he spoke:

“Skylar, I can’t stand this anymore, this separation. I have to see you again. I need to be with you. I... I love you.” She sat in stunned silence for a moment. When she looked at him she saw that he was shaking. She reached over and pulled him to her. She just held him like that until one of the babies began crying. She knew from experience that it was T.J.

“John, I have to get him,” she whispered.

“Mmmhmm.” He sat up, so she could get up. “Well, that had to be a good sign right. She wouldn’t have hugged me if she didn’t feel something for me. Why do I have to be so damn unsure of myself all the time?” he thought.

She returned without a child.

“Are they okay?”

“Oh, T.J. just had his foot twisted up in the blanket. He’ll sleep just fine now.”

They sat in awkward silence for a few moments. Then she spoke, she told him how strange she felt about this with the recent death of her husband. She still loved him and was grieving but she loved John as well. It was all too confusing for her. They sat and talked for hours. They eventually fell asleep together on the living room floor.

She woke up with a start at eight a.m. She had forgotten how comforting it was to sleep in the arms of a man. That was the best night’s sleep she had had since the babies birth. She tiptoed upstairs to check on the babies. They were both awake but thankfully quiet. She began to change them.

John woke up, stretched and looked around for Skylar. He didn’t see her, but he did see something he had missed the night before. There were packed boxes all over her living room. Was she moving? Oh god, did she lose the house, she had mentioned something about that before.

She came downstairs with a baby on each arm.

“So sleeping beauty, did you decide to wake up?”

“Mmm, yes, are you moving?”

“Yeah, I can’t afford the house, so we’re moving into an apartment.” She began to feed the babies and he followed her into the kitchen.

“An apartment? Why don’t you come and live with me?” She looked at him curiously over her shoulder. “No, I don’t mean to suggest anything more than you’re ready for. I have two extra rooms. One for you and one for Aurora and T.J.”

She smiled at him and walked towards him. She stopped directly in front of him and looked up into his eyes. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled his head down to kiss him.