“The babes are being stubborn, not wanting to be born yet?” he asked hopefully.
Zia shook her head. “One is turned the wrong way, which is what I suspected, and it prevents both from being born.”
“What will you do?” he asked anxiously.
“What I’ve been taught. What I know. Now go and see to Cavan. I will send word now and again with your mother.”
She turned and hurried back into the room before Artair could even give her a kiss. This was going to be a long night, for he knew that Cavan, Lachlan, and he would not sleep until the ordeal was over.
Artair stretched the aches from his shoulders as he raised his head and worked the kinks out of his back. He had fallen asleep along with his brothers at the long table in the great hall hours ago. Cavan had sworn he wouldn’t sleep, but as the night wore on and pitchers of ale were drunk, the three of them dropped one by one into a sound slumber, Artair being the last, and now the first to wake.
When he saw his mother enter the hall, he shook his brothers awake.
Cavan jumped up wavering, the deep sleep not yet gone from him.
Addie smiled and took Cavan’s hand. “Come meet your sons.”
“Honora?” Cavan choked.
“Is tired but well.”
Artair and Lachlan slapped their brother on the back and teasingly praised his prowess for having not one but two sons.
Addie looked at the two of them before she walked off with Cavan. “Well, do you want to see your nephews?” she called over her shoulder as they moved away.
The two men stumbled over each other, eager to meet the new babes, but Artair more eager to see how his wife was.
Damn, but he could think of her no other way. To him Zia was his wife and always would be. The vows they exchanged would see them properly bound, but he was bound to her far deeper than any documents could make them.
Love had seen to that, and love would continue to bind them.
He was the last to enter the room, Lachlan teasingly pushing past him, but he didn’t mind. His eyes were set to find his wife before anything else. He didn’t have to search for her, she came right to him, slipped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.
It was her special place there nestled against him. She came there when she needed comforting, when she was tired, when she wanted to be near him. It was familiar to her and to him and he did what he always did, wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him.
Soft mewling cries caught everyone’s attention, and all eyes went to the twins yawning in their mother’s arms.
“They’re so small,” Cavan said, looking on his sons with pride.
“So were all of you,” Addie said with a laugh. “And glad I was of it.”
The women laughed.
Cavan knelt beside the bed and reached out to tenderly touch his wife’s face. “I can’t believe—”
“Neither can I.” Honora laughed, then winced.
“You are in pain?” Cavan asked anxiously, and turned to Zia.
“It is normal and will pass,” she said, to Cavan’s relief.
Soon everyone was taking turns hovering over the twins, taking hold of their tiny hands.
It was Lachlan who asked, “Have you thought of names?”
Cavan looked to his wife and she smiled. “The firstborn…”
Honora nodded to her right to let everyone know who that twin was.
“…will be named Tavish, for Father.”
Addie wiped a tear from her eye.
“The second,” Cavan said, pointing to the little lad in Honora’s left arm, “will be named—” He stopped and looked to his mother. “—Ronan.”
Addie couldn’t contain her tears, and it was Bethane who went to her and slipped an arm around her. “What an honor that will be for him when he returns.”
Artair felt a sting to his heart. Did Bethane know something they didn’t? But then, that seemed to be her way. He caught the same questioning look in Cavan’s eyes that had to be in his own, and sensed that his brother would speak with Bethane about Ronan.
“I think there are some who need rest,” Bethane said, glancing around the room. She nodded to Addie, and the two women each took a babe from Honora. “Cavan, you may visit for a while with your wife and sons, though they will sleep. And Zia…” She turned to her granddaughter. “You need to rest.”
Artair was pleased that Zia didn’t argue. She simply nodded, and along with Lachlan, they were shooed out of the room.
“I’ll see to the bishop,” Lachlan said, and gave Zia a hug. “Thank you for helping Honora and the babes. This is surely a joyful day.”
“I am pleased to help and will do the same for you and your wife.”