Chapter 2

Moving around became increasingly difficult as the weeks passed. Even the twins' kicks felt more powerful. Luca stopped taking on new jobs until the babies were born.

"Good luck with your delivery, and get some rest," a viewer commented on Luca's website. He received several "best wishes" messages, which warmed his heart. Luca was relieved to know that so many people cared about him.

3/21/2041 (Angel is 1 month old)

Luca waddled around the house, rubbing his belly gently. The babies' kicking had jolted him awake. Thomas emerged from his and Adrian's room, and noticed Luca wandering around the corridor.

"Are you okay?" he inquired.

"They're kicking like crazy this morning," Luca said after taking a deep breath. "It feels like they are exercising in my tummy," he said. Luca headed back to his room, pushed himself onto the bed, and rested his sore feet.

Luca turned to look at the door as he heard a soft knock. Ken entered through the open door.

"Are you okay?" he inquired.

"Yes, the twins are moving around a lot today," Luca explained.

"They'll be here in a week," Ken said in a comforting tone. Luca rubbed his stomach with a smile.

"I wish they would go to sleep," he lamented. "It hurts when they move,"

"Grandbabies, you need to settle down," Ken gently touched Luca's belly. "You're causing your mother pain," The babies' kicks stopped at that point, as if they had heard him.

"They love their grandfather's voice," Luca said with a weak smile. Before Ken left, he said, "If you need anything, just call me,"

3/28/2041

Luca awoke to his babies hitting his bladder. He stood up and waddled to the bathroom. Luca went to the bathroom and then to the kitchen. Thomas and Adrian sat at the table, with Angel asleep in Adrian's arms. Luca grabbed the pickle jar with one hand on his back.

"Are the babies hurting you?" Adrian inquired, noticing Luca wince.

"They're kicking harder today," Luca said with a nod of his head.

Crash

When Luca doubled over in pain, the pickle jar shattered on the floor. Thomas rushed to his side after witnessing what had just occurred.

"It hurts," Luca grumbled, clutching his stomach.

"The contractions began," Thomas explained. "We have to time them," he explained.

"I'll get Ken," Adrian said as he stood up and approached the door.

Adrian arrived two minutes later, closely followed by Ken. Ken knelt down in front of Luca and made eye contact with him.

"You have to breathe through the pain," he advised. Patrick rushed in as the kitchen door opened.

"Get the fuck out of here," Luca hissed as he faced him.

"But I want to help," Patrick said.

"Get out!," Luca said, clenching his teeth.

"Return home," Ken advised. "Obviously, he doesn't want you here," he explained.

"Fine!" he said, storming out of the kitchen. When the pain subsided, Adrian gave Luca a glass of water. Thomas made a mental note of the contraction. Thomas assisted Luca in a chair and called his mother.

"Luca's contractions have begun, Mom," he reported. Thomas put his mother on the speaker.

"Has your water broken?" she inquired.

"No, but it hurt like hell," Luca said, taking a few deep breaths.

"Ken, I want you to bring him in right away." "With him being a high risk, we need to monitor him," she explained.

"We'll be on our way in ten minutes," Ken said.

Ten minutes later, Ken and Luca were on their way to the hospital. Luca closed his eyes slightly and rested as Ken drove. They showed up ten minutes later. It had been twenty minutes since the first contraction, which occurred at 7 a.m. "My son is in labor," Ken said as he approached a desk. An orderly arrived and assisted Luca into a wheelchair. Luca was wheeled into a private room and made comfortable. As the doctor entered, Luca hissed when another contraction started. Luca breathed through the pain while the doctor examined him.

The doctor took note of when Luca's contraction ended and checked his vitals.

"They are twenty minutes apart, so we have a long way to go before your little ones are ready to be born," she said.

"Are they okay?" Ken inquired. "Labor is different for each person," the doctor said, nodding her head. "Luca and the babies appear to be doing well," she observed. When the doctor came back that afternoon, the contractions were ten minutes apart. Luca's water hadn't broken, which made her a little concerned. When she left once more, Ken pulled out his phone.

"I'm going to inform Thomas and Adrian of how you're doing," he said.

While Ken contacted Thomas and Adrian, Luca rested.

"How are they doing?" Thomas inquired.

"He and the babies are fine," Ken assured them. "Contractions are every ten minutes," he explained.

"Please tell Luca that we are thinking of him," they said.

"I'll tell him when he wakes up," Ken promised. Ken hung up the phone and put it in his shirt pocket. After ten minutes, Luca awoke with warm liquid running down his thighs.

"Dad," he cried out in fright.

"What exactly is it, son?" Ken inquired.

"I believe my water just broke," he explained.

"Are you certain?" Ken inquired as he stepped up to the bed.

"It's either that or I peed myself," Luca said, putting his hand under him and noticing the soaked sheet.

A sharp pain ripped through Luca's small body, causing him to grumble. Ken pressed the call button, and a nurse came in.

Ken explained, "His water just broke."

"Let's get you cleaned up and some fresh linen," said the nurse. The doctor appeared once Luca was back in the dry bed. "You are 8 centimeters," she said after checking Luca. "You're making good progress." Luca was moved to the delivery room since his contractions were now five minutes apart.

The doctor checked Luca again and found him to be 10 centimeters.

"With your next contraction, you need to push hard," she said. Ken dressed in scrubs so he could assist. Another sharp pain racked through Luca's body, making him whimper.

"Bear down," the doctor ordered. Luca clutched Ken's hand and grunted loudly. When the contraction ended, Luca panted heavily. After a few more pushes, Luca heard cries from his first baby.

"It's a girl," the doctor said,"

"Elena," Luca said weakly.

The nurse took Elena to be cleaned up and checked over while Luca rested.

"I'm so tired," Luca said, closing his eyes.

"Just rest," Ken said, wiping the sweat that formed on Luca's forehead.

"Shit that hurt," Luca exclaimed, clutching his side as he awoke.

"Push down," the doctor ordered.

"I'm so tired," Luca said.

"I know, but we need to get Elena's brother into this world," Ken said.

Luca pushed as hard as he could, then collapsed back into the bed as the contraction ended.

"If Patrick touches me again, I'm killing him," Luca said, when another contraction started. Thirty minutes and three pushes later, Luca heard the cries of his son.

"Tyson," he said before closing his eyes. A nurse cleaned Tyson up and placed him next to his sister while Luca slept. Luca was still asleep when he and the twins were moved back to his room. Ken glanced over and smiled at his grandchildren

Happy Birthday, Elena and Tyson Hodges