Page 121 of Don't Think

I glare at Trevor, trying to speak through the pressure in my chest. “You. Call her. Right now, and make sure my babies are okay,” I demand, my voice shaking. “You call her, and you make her bring themhere.”

He stands and exits fast, phone already pressed to his ear. As soon as the door clicks shut, Abigail gives me a soft look.

She leans in close, speaking low. “Allie, we’re gonna give you something to calm you down. We need to bring your heart rate down.”

It takes what feels like forever for the meds to kick in, but finally, I can catch a full breath. I sit up in bed, wincing while I do.

Then there’s a soft knock at the door.

I glance over just as it creaks open—and the sound of tiny footsteps fills the room.

My heart practically jumps out of my chest when I finally see my babies.

“Mommy!” Charlotte squeals, racing straight to my bedside.

Even with the pain slicing through my side, I sit up fast, arms wide open. She flies into them, and the second I feel her in my arms again, everything else fades away. The beeping monitors, the pain, the antibacterial smell—all of it fades.

“Hi, baby,” I whisper, hugging her tight. “I missed you both so much.”

The scent of their strawberry shampoo hits me, and my eyes sting with tears. Charlotte buries her face in my shoulder, her small arms tremble slightly as a sob bubbles in my throat.

Trevor lowers Lydia to the floor, and she makes a beeline for the bed, climbing up quickly. She rests her little head against my leg, and just like that, I lose it. Tears fall, but this time, they’re happy ones.

One month.

I haven’t seen my girls for an entire month. And now they’re here, clinging to me like they never want to let go.

I look over Charlotte’s shoulder at Trevor and mouth,“Thank you.”

He gives a small nod and steps closer, resting a hand on Charlotte’s back.

“I’ll give you a little time with them,” he says. Then he adds with a half smile, “Do you want Jax to come meet them after? Seems fair, since they’ve already met Marissa.”

“Ha ha, hilarious,” I mutter, grunting while I try to pull Lydia closer.

Trevor steps in and easily lifts her up, gently setting her on my lap. “Be gentle with Mom, okay?” he tells her with a soft smile.

I let out a slow breath, trying to ignore the pain from already overdoing it. “Yeah. Go ahead and send him in after a few minutes.”

Trevor nods and exits the room, leaving me alone with my girls.

I cup their cheeks and press a kiss to each of their foreheads. “I love you both so much,” I whisper.

They grin in unison, snuggling in close on either side of me. The past few weeks have felt impossible without them, but this? This right here iseverything.

And now it’s time for all the pieces of my heart to be in the same room for the first time.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Jax

I hate hospital waiting rooms.

They always smell like antibacterial soap and bad memories. That scent alone is enough to mess with my head. It yanks me straight back to being a kid, stuck next to Mum in some stiff plastic chair, waiting for Dad to get discharged. It was always something stupid. Just a few stitches, but it would takehours. If he’d just stayed out of the bloody pub, he wouldn’t have needed them in the first place.

I try to distract myself, thumbing through the band group chat, but everyone’s busy recording. No new messages.

With a loud sigh, I shove my phone back into my pocket. That’s when I catch some movement from the corner of my eye. Allie’s door opens, and Trevor steps out, dragging a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath, and he starts walking in my direction.