June 14th, 1984 (Thursday)

After Walter's death, the days passed by very slowly for the rest of the family. It was difficult to have meals at that table without his presence.

Regina was huge and couldn't sleep or eat properly. She was walking with difficulties. The couple started sleeping in the guest room, that was on the ground floor, to avoid the stairs.

Robert asked Louise to reduce the most she could his appointments, and he was only working in the morning. He needed to be around Regina in case she needed him.

There were still many things to take care of regarding Walter's inheritance, but he left most of it to the lawyer. He couldn't deal with this now. His father-in-law was an organized person who planned everything ahead, so it wouldn't be complicated to deal with everything.

It was Thursday and Regina woke up at 5am with her throat very dry. She also needed to go to the bathroom very badly.

The twins were pressing her bladder.

While she was sitting on the toilet, she remembered the dream she had had. In it, her father asked not to give her son his name. The boy needed to have his own identity, a different name from everyone in the family.

─ Why did my father give me this message? She thought out loud.

─ Re, is everything ok? ─ Robert asked from the bedroom.

─ Yes, honey. I'm coming back to bed.

Regina held onto to the sink to get up from the toilet and felt a liquid running down her legs.

Would she have peed without knowing? She was drying herself when she felt a kick.

─ Honey, I don't think everything is ok.

Robert jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. Regina was with her underwear down and there was a slop around her feet.

─ I thought it was pee, but I think my water just broke. I felt a kick when I was trying to clean myself.

Robert grabbed a towel to dry her legs, helped her take off her underwear and dry the slop on the floor so she wouldn't slip.

Then guided her to the bed and called the obstetrician.

─ Good morning, Adrianna. It's me, Robert. Sorry about the time, but the water broke.

─ No problem. Monitor her heartbeats and her contractions and let the hospital know. I'll take a shower and meet you there. Let's bring these kids to the world.

─ Alright. Thank you, Adrianna.

When he hung up, he noticed that Regina was frowning her face. He took her blood pressure, checked her heart beats, auscultated her heart and, also checked for any contractions.

─ I want to take a shower before going to the hospital, Regina asked.

─ Of course. Come, I'll help you. Robert kept himself calm on his looks and voice, but he was frightened.

He helped her get dressed after her shower. Noticed that she frowned again but didn't scream at all. Robert decided to tell Sonia. Andrea was still sleeping with her grandma.

─ Good morning, Sonia. The water broke. We are going to the hospital. Your grandkids are coming. I'll call you from there once we have some news.

Sonia went with Robert to the living room and hugged her daughter to make her feel confident.

─ I'm counting the minutes to see their little faces.

─ Thank you, mom. Be cool. Take care of Andrea.

As she had been called, Andrea appeared in the living room and hugged her mother's big belly.

─ They are beautiful mom. Troy and Beatrice are not going to hurt you.

─ Troy and Beatrice? These are the names for your siblings?

─ They told me their names: Troy and Beatrice, Andrea confirmed.

Regina looked at Robert with a questionable look on her face.

─ I like the names. Troy and Beatrice. For me, it's settled. Now let's go before they decide to be born in a car.

He helped Regina who was walking with some difficulties. Nurses were already waiting for them once they arrived at the hospital. Regina was sent to a room that was already prepared.

Dr. Barnes arrived right after them.

─ Good morning, daddy and mommy. How are you feeling, Regina? Anxious to see the babies? Would you still like the normal labor?

─ Good morning, Dr. Barnes. Yes, I would like to try the normal labor as much as possible.

─ Well, you still don't have a lot of inches. Let's wait and keep an eye on. The contractions haven't really started yet.

Five hours later, Regina was already feeling a lot of pain. Robert didn't leave his wife alone for a second and tried to help her by massaging her back and giving her his hand to hold when she had strong contractions.

In the early afternoon, the doctor sent her to the surgery center. The babies were coming.

In the middle of all that mess of voices, tools and light, Regina saw her father next to her, smiling. He was there, but only she could see him. Walter caressed her face and whispered that everything would be ok. Emotive tears-soaked Regina's face.

At 2:45, Troy arrived in the world. The obstetrician gave the baby to the pediatrician. Robert watched his son from a distance while he continued next to his wife. She was exhausted, but smiled when he kissed her, even still having contractions.

At 3:10, Regina gave birth to Beatrice. She almost fainted from all the effort and Robert was worried. The doctors helped her, and slowly, she recovered.

When the pediatrician authorized, Robert grabbed a baby in each arm and took them to Regina. A nurse photographed the moment. Troy and Beatrice seemed to smile on the picture. Regina breastfed her babies for the first time still on the delivery room all emotional. Robert couldn't hold his tears either.

Dr. Barnes finished her job and congratulated Regina.

─ What a brave woman! Normal labor of twins is not easy. You held on strong without crying. Congratulations, mommy and daddy. The babies are beautiful and perfect, and you are doing great, Regina. I'll let you go to the bedroom.

Regina spent only 24 hours hospitalized.

Doctors and nurses took turns to visit mom and babies, who for being twins, were already a great attraction. Besides that, Robert and Regina were very admired at the hospital. The room was filled with flowers and gifts.

Andrea couldn't stop staring at her siblings.

Eddy and Louise were invited to be Troy's godparents.

Once Eddy grabbed his future godson, the little boy opened his eyes and stared at his uncle who cried of emotion. To disguise it, he made a joke:

─ Lou, let's get the formula with these two so we can have pretty children like this. The boy looks just like his mother. He is beautiful as fuck. The girl looks like this ugly guy that is my brother and, still, is also gorgeous. Regina, did you do some magic?

All of them laughed at the same time and scared the babies.

Andrea asked her parents to invite Jackson to be Beatrice's godfather. Robert had thought about Gill and Marlene. Regina would like for Rosie to be the godmother, since her mother was Andrea's.

They hadn't come to an agreement yet.

From time to time, Robert would ask the visitors to leave so Regina could feed the babies with some privacy.

Besides helping her, he also wanted those moments alone with only his wife and children. It was a new and amazing emotion. Regina was managing to feed both babies at the same time. Robert held one, while she held the other. Troy had a pretty sweet tooth and sucked his mother's breast strongly.

At the end of the afternoon on June 15th, Robert and Regina arrived home with the twins in a basket, a pink one and a blue one. The room had all been decorated with flowers and banners hailing the family's new members. At the table sweet and salty treats, juices and sodas. A meet and greet for family members and friends to welcome the babies.

At night, alone in the bedroom, while the twins were sleeping, Robert and Regina could enjoy more privacy.

Robert took out of his suitcase a small box and gave it to Regina. There was a card on the outside with the saying:

"Thank you for making me the happiest man in the world. I love you for all eternity. Yours Bert."

Regina was thrilled after she read it and kissed him.

─ Open it, Robert asked.

The gift was a gold chain with three pendants: two little girls and one little boy. She cried and laughed at the same time for feeling so blessed with so much happiness.

That night, Robert slept better and dreamt about the gypsy. She and Walter, his father-in-law, were together and joined him in a beautiful garden.

─ Congratulations, my boy! The gypsy greeted him. ─ You've done an excellent work so far. This is the path to evolution. These kids will grow up in the light of love and peace and will also be part of the group of guardians so that a greater mission is accomplished. Always keep your faith and watch your thoughts to help them in all the difficult situations that may come.

─ My dear son ─ Walter said, hugging Robert. ─ You've already overcome many moments of indecision, anger, jealousy, insecurity in favor of a bigger cause, for the well-being of Regina and Andrea. I know it's not easy, because in the limited vision that we have on the real world, many times there's no sense on the present solutions for certain situations. The faith in our Greater Father is what gives us trust and understanding that everything must happen for a reason.
Other occasions will happen where your faith will be tested. Don't wilt. We will always be next to you. Allow Jackson to be the girl's godfather, the same way he allowed you to be the father of the children he created. He is also one of the guardians. Being Beatrice's godfather will help him heal some wounds still open in his heart and will bring him to the light. We need all of the guardians working together for the cause. Stay in peace, my son and enjoy the happiness that you deserve.

Robert woke up with one of the babies making noise. He got up, still shocked by his dream.

He went to the cribs and noticed Beatrice was awake and smiling.

He held her to rock her to sleep and saw that she had similar traces to his. Her hair was lighter than his, but not blond. The twins weren't blond like their mother. 

Robert looked at the clock and realized it was already time for their breakfast. He put Beatrice in one arm and Troy on the other.

─ Let's go, my little calves, let's wake mommy up!