MIRAThe contractions start at 3 am, sharp and insistent, pulling me from sleep with a gasp. Jackson wakes immediately, his hand finding mine in the darkness."Is it time?" he asks, and I can hear the excitement mixed with fear in his voice."It's time," I confirm, breathless as another contraction rolls through me.It’s two weeks early, but the doctors said twins often come early. Jackson is already moving, grabbing the hospital bag we packed two days ago, helping me to my feet, calling ahead to let the medical team know we're coming.The next twelve hours are a blur of pain and pushing, of Jackson's hand gripping mine so tight I think he might break my fingers, of doctors and nurses moving around me with practiced efficiency. And then, finally, the most beautiful sound I've ever heard.Crying of not one baby, but two."It's girls," the doctor announces, placing the first warm, squirming bundle on my chest. "Two healthy girls."I look down at her tiny face, scrunched up and red from
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