Chapter 44
***JACK***
5 YEARS AGO
"Hey Larissa, good to see you're awake. How are you feeling?" I asked as I walked into the ward where she was resting.
She gave birth to a set of triplets a few hours ago before falling asleep right after.
"Hey Jack, I'm doing okay, just a bit tired," she responded, her voice still groggy from the anesthesia.
"How are the babies doing?" She asked, her face lit up in curiosity.
"They're doing well, you only held one of them before falling asleep," I said, chuckling, and Larissa v laughed too.
"Where are they?" She asked and she sat up on her bed with a low grunt.
"I sure do. They're with my mom right now and she told me they're all fine and sleeping soundly," I replied with a smile.
Larissa let out a sigh of relief. "That's great to hear. Thank you, Jack. I can't wait to see them."
"You're welcome. Rest up for now, you'll be ready for discharge by the time I close for the day," I said and nodded before walking out of the ward.
Later that evening, I drove Larissa home from the hospital. I brought the car to a slow halt on the front porch and I retrieved my keys from the engine before climbing down from the car.
I walked to the other side quickly and I opened the door of the car so she could climb down.
"Thank you," she said with a smile as she moved one leg out of the car. I didn't move away so our faces nearly collided when she stood up.
I stared into her eyes for a while when I heard the front door of the house open. I immediately moved aside and let her pass through.
I looked up at the door to see my mom standing in the doorway.
"Welcome home, Larissa! Congratulations on the arrival of your beautiful babies!" my mom exclaimed as she hugged Larissa.
"Thank you so much, Mrs. Rivera. I owe it all to you and Jack," Larissa replied.
"Oh, come on, you carried them yourself for nine months didn't you, and please, call me Margaret," my mom said and she directed Larissa into the house. I followed them and closed the door as I got in.
Larissa immediately walked to the strollers in the living room and I smiled as I watched her admire her babies. My face darted to the couch as I saw all the shopping bags on them.
"Oh, yes, Jack, help me carry them to her room. I got toys, clothes, and accessories for them," my mom said excitedly as she motioned toward the pile of shopping bags on the couch.
I walked to the couch and picked up as many of the shopping bags as I could. My mom had gone all out with her shopping and it was clear she was so excited about Larissa giving birth as if they were her own grandkids.
"Wow, Mom, you really outdid yourself. This is amazing," I said as I looked at all the gifts.
"I couldn't help myself! I'm just so excited to spoil these little ones," my mom replied with a smile.
I carried them up to Larissa's room and climbed back down, turning my neck sideways and using my hand to massage it. Today was very stressful at the hospital and I was feeling very tired.
"Oh, I almost forgot, I was preparing dinner before you two came in," my mom said and I looked in the direction of the kitchen just as a slight burning smell hit my nostrils.
"Let me help you," Larissa said quickly and dropped the baby she was holding back in this stroller.
"God no, you need to rest. Jack will help me," my mom replied, shaking her head and I followed her to the Kitchen.
My mom hurried to the gas cooker quickly and turned down the heat.
She opened the lid of the pot and steam rose from inside the pot until I could see the pasta.
My mom stirred it and I went to grab the plates and dishes she would need to set the table.
"She's a nice girl," my mom said and I glanced at her as I placed a dish on the cool side of the large cooker.
"Yeah, I know," I said and smiled lightly.
"Her picture has been all over the news for months, and the father of those cute babies must have seen it, too bad he's a jerk," she continued as she began to dish the food.
"We don't know, anything could have happened to him," I said and she shrugged.
As she finished dishing the food, we both carried them to the dining and I went to the living room to call Larissa.
"You can come now," I said and she stood up from the couch. She followed me to the dining room and I helped her pull her chair back for her to sit before walking over to my seat.
"So, have you decided on what you're going to name them?" My mom asked as we began to eat and I faced Larissa to hear her answer.
"No, I've not really thought about it, I'll let you know when I come up with something," she replied and poured herself a cup of milk that my mom got from the fridge while setting the table.
"You need to drink enough of that so you can regain your strength quickly," my mom said and her face suddenly lit up as if she remembered something.
"Yes, I got a letter from Georgetown today,' she said and pushed her chair back as she stood up and disappeared into the living room. She soon came back hiding an envelope and she held it up with a smile.
"I didn't open it yet," she said and handed it to Larissa. Larissa immediately took it from my mom and she looked very excited.
She said she was interested in saving lives like I did and so she applied to a few medical colleges. My mom was an alumnus at Georego and she knew a few people there so I knew what kind of news to expect.
Larissa tore the envelope open as she had a hard time unsealing it and I chuckled. She took out the letter and quickly unfolded it. I watched her eyeballs move back and forth as she read it and a smile lit up on her face.
"I got in!"