Chapter 5 - Life

The house was pristine as usual. Maria had returned from her few days off while Michelle had stayed in the hospital and hurriedly made sure that everything was just perfect for Michelle returning home with the babies. Cam had been staying with her, so Maria wasn’t expecting it when Cam came bounding down the stairs and almost knocked her over.

“Dear God, will you please stop this child from injuring herself anymore?” Maria said, crossing herself over and over. “Why are you here?”

“Sorry, I was just…I just popped back to get some things. They’re coming home today.” She grinned, then leaned in and kissed Maria’s cheek. “Sorry, I’m just…”

“I know, you excited to go and bring them home. They prefer you in one piece, you no help with your leg in a cast.” The diminutive Mexican laughed as she tried to whip her with her cloth.

“Hey, now put that away,” Cam warned playfully. “I am a mother now; you can’t be going around chastising me…” She jumped out of the way as Maria flicked out the cloth again.

“Oh, trust me, I will. Anytime you step out of line.”

“Well, Darcy Maria Rose will soon learn whose side she is on,” Cam said, waiting for her to catch up.

Maria came to a halt and stared up at the lanky blonde woman whom she had come to love like one of her own. “You call her Maria? After me?”

Cam nodded, emotion filling her throat. “Yeah. So, you better be nicer to me.” She grinned as happy tears filled her eyes and threatened to run over.

The diminutive housekeeper wiped her face. “I can’t believe it. It’s such an honour.”

Cam pulled her into a tight hug. “I’d best get off. They should be ready when I get there so I don’t think we will be long, but you know Michelle, and I imagine there will be more photographers there today too, so she’s going to wanna make an exit,” she said, rolling her eyes and smiling. Her wife was every inch the movie star at times, and she loved it. She loved her, every inch of her. Even her flaws; Michelle was everything to her.

“Go, bring back those babies. I need my cuddles.”

* * *

The entrance to Cedars Sinai Hospital was indeed surrounded by photographers and TV cameras. Cam sighed. It was the one part of this relationship she really didn’t enjoy: the media. It didn’t matter where they went; there was usually someone hanging around, not always waiting for them. Mostly the paparazzi just hung out where they expected celebrities to go. Restaurants and night clubs especially, but of course, they kept tabs on the pregnancies and illnesses of anyone who might be of interest and grab them a headline. Shelly Hamlin, as she was known to the world, was now a bigger name in Hollywood since she had begun dating a woman, especially a woman whose ex, Jessica, had stalked Michelle and attacked Cam, leaving her for dead in an LA park the previous year. They were headline news again when Michelle announced she was pregnant and leaving the cast of Medical Diaries.

Janice Rashbrook, Michelle’s agent and long-term friend had cashed in on it, of course. Appearances on every daytime talk show and interviews in every magazine had kept Michelle’s name on everyone’s lips. And now, she was headline news again as word got out that she had given birth.

“Hey, Camryn.”

“Boy or girl?”

“Is she coming out today?”

“Can we get a picture?”

The questions kept coming as Cam ran the gauntlet. She had learned a long time ago to just smile and not speak. Once you started to speak, they would keep you there asking question after question. Never stop; just keep moving. That was Michelle’s advice, and it generally worked. Just like today. She put her head down, smiled, and moved as quickly as she could through the throng.

When the doors closed behind her, she breathed a sigh of relief. A young woman stood before her, eyes wide with fear, while her male companion grinned and preened like an idiot at the thought of going out there.

“Sorry.” Cam shrugged. The woman nodded.

“Oh, don’t worry. You’re with Shelly Hamlin, right? Wow, I can’t believe we’re here at the same time. It will be something to tell my little one when he is older.”

Cam smiled politely and peered down at the small bundle snugly fit into a carry car seat. “Congratulations,” she said, more to the woman. She still looked terrified. “Anyway, must dash…good luck.”

* * *

The light green walls were much more calming now that Cam wasn’t rushing to find the room her beloved was in. Now, she marched right up to the door and enjoyed the surroundings. Michelle was dressed and packing a bag, Martha and Pippa each had hold of a baby. Noah wore a yellow cap and Darcy wore green. They had already decided that there would be no blue and pink distinction. Their kids would be free to choose their own colors in life. But for ease of recognition, their first couple of weeks would be yellow and green.

“Wow, you look amazing,” Cam said as Michelle straightened up. She wore a baggy top and loose-fitting pants, but she glowed with happiness, even if she did look exhausted. She put down the top she was folding and allowed Cam to hold her. Whispering against her ear, Cam said, “I love you so much. I’m going to spend my entire life showing you.”

“I can’t wait,” she whispered back. “Take me home.”

“You bet. Are you all packed and ready?” Cam asked, looking around at all the bags. The baby seats were all ready for Noah and Darcy to be loaded into as soon as the Grannies stopped cooing.

“I think so. Just need to cart all of this out of here,” she said, looking around at all of the bags they had somehow managed to end up with.

Pippa looked up. “Why don’t Martha and I take all of this downstairs and load it into the car, then all you two have to worry about is bringing these precious munchkins down.”

“Yes,” Martha agreed. “We can come back up and help if you need us to.”

“That would be very helpful. Can you manage all of these bags?” Gifts had begun arriving that morning. There was already a bag full of soft toys from fans and well-wishers. It was sweet, Cam thought, but just how quickly did news travel around here?

“We will manage, Camryn. You just take care of these three,” Pippa said, kissing Darcy on the forehead before placing her gently into her car seat.

Martha followed suit with Noah. “Give me the car keys and we will meet you out front.”

* * *

Much to Michelle’s annoyance and Cam’s amusement, the actress was wheeled down to the exit while Cam carried a lightweight car seat in each hand.

“I could have walked,” Michelle complained as they moved smoothly along the corridor. Cam decided that now wasn’t the time to argue with her wife. “I want to walk out of here. I won’t give them pictures of me in a wheelchair,” she moaned.

Cam sympathized. Michelle had already confided that sitting wasn’t the most comfortable position, and being pushed along at speed wasn’t making it any easier.

“Won’t be long now, babe,” Cam encouraged as they rounded the corner. The exit door came into view and the nurse pulled the wheelchair over to the side of the corridor.

“There we go, Mrs. Thomas.”

“Thank you,” Michelle tried to smile as she winced in pain. The nurse helped her to her feet. Once she was steady and ready to move on, the nurse took hold of Noah so that Cam could help Michelle shuffle towards the door. “When we get there, I want you to open the door and let me go through, then you both get the babies to the car while I give them what they want,” she said, linking arms with Cam.

“You don’t have to do that, Chelle. We can just push through and get you all into the car.”

“If we do that, then they will be hanging around the house until they get what they want.”

Cam shook her head. “I don’t like it.”

“You never do.” Michelle smiled, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “It will be fine. Just get my babies into that car and I won’t be far behind.” Double checking that the twins were hidden well enough that flash photography wouldn’t hurt their eyes, Michelle stood tall. “Okay, go.”

Cam sighed; she knew this wasn’t the time to argue. She took Noah from the nurse and waited for her to open the door. And then she was gone, into the small throng of photographers. She kept a firm grip on the carriers and her head down, thankful when they moved aside to create a path, although they were still snapping away and shouting questions. But she was in the car with the doors closed behind them within seconds. Before she even had Darcy fully clipped in, the front door opened and Michelle climbed in.

“Alright?” Cam said over her shoulder as Martha pulled the car out of the spot slowly, aware that Cam was still not buckled in.

“Yes. I gave them my best side and told them I was feeling wonderful and looking forward to some peace and quiet at home with my family.”

Cam flopped into the space between car seats and sighed. “I just want to get them home safely.” She looked over her shoulder. “Is Mum following?”

Martha checked her mirrors and nodded. “Yep, two cars back.”

Camryn finally relaxed.