Jolly laughed as she leaned back a little so she could run a finger along Mimi's bottom lip. "I think it would've hurt more if I'd told her she hasn't crossed my mind once after seeing you naked."

"More than what?" The voice sounded like it hadn't been used in days and Mimi tried to clear her throat before opening her eyes. It died in a squeak when Jolly squeezed Mimi so hard she lifted her off the bed.

"I knew you were going to be ok." Tears ran down Jolly's cheeks when she felt Mimi lift her hand and rub the back of her neck. "Thank you for coming back."

"I was never gone, love. I've just had the hardest time getting my eyes to open." Even with the dim lighting in the room Mimi blinked rapidly until her eyes adjusted. "I missed seeing you, so I guess it was time to wake up."

"I've been talking to you, did you hear me?"

"I kept calling for you in my dream, but you never answered me, but knowing you, you're never too far away so I kept looking." Her hands went from the back of Jolly's neck to her midsection that wasn't completely flat, but now was missing the three people who had stretched it to the limit. "We lost them? Oh, Jolly, I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened."

"No, sweetheart, they're small but they're fighters like their mama. Three perfect little girls."

"All girls?"

"All beautiful blonde girls who get bigger and more gorgeous everyday. You did good, honey." Jolly wiped the tears from Mimi's face and laughed. Every bad thought and fear she'd experienced in the last couple of weeks just faded from her mind.

Mimi laughed with her and ran her hand over Jolly's face into her hair. "No brunettes?"

"Not yet, but my hair was fairly light for about a year so you still have a shot. Not that I'm not enjoying this but let me go and get them to call Ellie."

"Not yet." Mimi's hands moved again mapping along Jolly's body like they were hungry to touch her. "Would you kiss me first?"

"You never have to ask me that, love. Of course I will."

"Even if I have nuclear strength morning breath?"

"Even then." Jolly rolled Mimi onto her back and leaned over her and started on her forehead. As her lips touched now responsive lips, Jolly had a feeling this was what it felt like to win the lottery.

"I love you so much, and I'm sorry I worried you. I wanted this to be so different." Mimi put her hand on Jolly's chest over her heart.

"We're here and we're fine. All five of us are so you've got nothing to be sorry about."

"Good, now answer my question." Mimi demanded as she pinched Jolly on the arm.

"What question?"

"It would've hurt the supreme b.i.t.c.h more than what?"

"Before I answer that, I should let you know Christina's probably going to try and sue us for everything including the kids."

"Jolly, I would rather be talking about them anyway so just tell me."

Taking a deep breath Jolly forged on, "She told me it was time to let you go and move on, or in with her. My reaction to that was to try and choke the life out of her."

"Figuratively or literally?"

"That would be literally."

"Even if it costs us everything it's worth the price of admission."

Ellie and Sam checked her from head to foot before calling Jolly back into the room. Both of them were scratching their heads in confusion. "You're sort of an anomaly, Mimi. There was no explanation as to why you were unconscious for so long, and there's no explanation as to why you woke up," said Ellie.

"Some woman was trying to put the moves on Jolly so I had no choice." The group laughed and looked toward the blushing brunette holding Mimi's hand. "Can I go and see our daughters?"

"About that. You do realize they're going to have to hit four pounds before you can take them home. Until then we want you to come as often as you want so they'll know you. We've been giving them breast milk and they're improving rapidly, so hopefully they'll be in that great room Desi told us about before too long." Sam rocked on her heels and waited for the objections that usually came in similar situations.

"Whenever I want, I can see them?" Mimi looked like she too was ready to do battle.

"Day or night, sweetie. The more interaction you have with them, the better they'll do," answered Ellie.

"I want to see them now."

A nurse walked in pushing a wheelchair at Mimi's request. "We figured, so let's go get you ready." Sam unfastened all the monitors and leads not necessary since they were moving her to a private room closer to the children after the visit. "Besides, we got a look at Harry heading into surgery, I sure don't want to be the one to p.i.s.s Jolly off by not making you happy. Harry looked like she'd been mauled."

"Jolly, what'd you do?" Mimi's question made Jolly take a small step away from her.

"It was an accident."

"Spill it, Andolini."

To the amus.e.m.e.nt of the two physicians Jolly's blush got darker. "I accidentally punched her in the eye."

"Jolly! Good G.o.d, what for?"

"I was busy strangling Christina when Harry snuck up on me. It's not like I meant to do it, and I did apologize."

Mimi shook her head and pointed an index finger at her partner. "We'll talk about this later."

"I told you you'd get in trouble," Sam taunted Jolly.

"Shut up."

"Sam, do not make me turn around," threatened Ellie. She pushed Mimi out of the room toward the elevators. "You're worse than a two year old."

"Wait." All three women stopped laughing and looked to Jolly to see what the problem was. "In all the excitement I forgot to go out and tell your father."

"Daddy's here?"

"He's like old faithful here," Sam pointed to Jolly. "The only time I think I saw him leave was when he was going home to get stuff for Jolly."

"How long was I out exactly?"

"A little over two weeks," replied Ellie.

"Oh, Jolly, I am so sorry." Mimi started crying again at the thought of how out of her mind she would have been had it bee Jolly lying there. "I never meant to hurt you like that."

Jolly knelt next to the wheelchair and held Mimi as well as she could. "All that matters to me is you're all right. We just worried so much because we love you so much, but just like always you never let me down. You fought your way back to me and our babies are going to do the same. They're yours so it's in their makeup to be beautiful and gutsy."

"Let's go get daddy and see the girls."

He was standing looking at the painting over the sofa not really thinking about anything when the caravan stopped in the hallway. "Daddy." Ricky spun around and just as quickly his knees echoed loudly when they hit the tile floor. "Come on, daddy, let's go see your granddaughters." Mimi held her hand out trying to not let the emotions of seeing both her father and Jolly so vulnerable.

Ellie and Sam smiled at each other as they walked behind the two tall protectors holding Mimi's hands looked down at her every so often as if convince themselves she was really awake. By the time they walked into where they were keeping the babies no one had dry eyes when they watched Mimi look at each one of the small creatures in turn. The two doctors had no doubt the three angels would have a wonderful life at the knee of Jolly and her special partner.

"They look so much like you when you were born," said Ricky holding his hands close together. "Only smaller."

The pleading face turned toward Ellie and Sam was hard to resist but Mimi would have to wait at least a week before they could take them out and let her hold them. "Give them a little time to get stronger then we promise you never have to put them down if you don't want to," said Sam.

Jolly helped her to stand and showed her where to reach in so Mimi could touch them. "Hey, guys, this is the lady I've been telling you about. Say h.e.l.lo to your mama." The first little head moved a little as if to better hear the voice that spoke to her all the time. "Didn't I promise she'd be ok?"

"They're so beautiful, and you're so dead if you really named them Larry, Moe and Curly." Mimi turned and glared at Jolly with tears in her eyes when she saw the pink nametags taped to each incubator.

"Even I'm not that brave, sweetheart. You carried them so that means you get to name them. All these girls in here have been more than persistent that I come up with some names but I couldn't do it without you." Jolly pulled her arm tighter around Mimi's waist and kissed the top of her head.

"I want us to do it together, baby." Mimi pulled off the first name tag and looked inside to the smallest baby, one of the twins. "I sat and thought about this for months, and like I told you in the beginning, I wanted to give you something of your grandfather, your cousin, you and me all wrapped up in one little bundle. It would've never crossed my mind I'd get three bundles to give you."

"You always do things different from everyone else, but that is the most unique thing about you." Jolly held her tight so that there was no pressure on Mimi's st.i.tches.

"I hope this little girl inherits Francois's strength and perseverance, so what do you think of Francis?"

"I love it."

Mimi moved to the next baby, the other twin with the white blonde hair. "I'm thinking this little girl will steal your heart every time she bats her eyes at you. It'll be my job to teach them how sweet you are." She turned and ran her hand over the little back, loving how soft the skin was. "Daddy's right, you may never survive into their teens since these two little ones look so much like me."

"Then it's only fair she share a little of her mama, and they don't need any lessons on how to play me. You do that well enough already." Jolly turned Mimi's head and kissed her. "How does Laine sound, Madeline Laine Andolini?"

"I didn't mean for you to name her for me."

"Madeline, if she grows up to be like you, how lucky would we be?"

"Then I get to name Moe over there." Mimi pulled off the last of the nametags the staff had put up after listening to Jolly talking to the babies. "So Jolly Lee Andolini, how about Lee?"

"Francis, Laine and Lee welcome to the world and welcome to our family."

"Ok, I can't stand it anymore. Here put these on." Ellie held out two sterile gowns and a pair of masks. "Come on, Ricky, let's give them a few minutes alone."

Not wanting to miss seeing Mimi hold her daughters for the first time, Ricky stood at the edge of the observation gla.s.s and looked on, his forehead pressed to the window. He might not have been the best father in the world but Ricky remembered the day the nurse put Mimi in his arms for the first time. In his mind he had made so many promises that day. He'd failed at keeping most of them, but making Jolly wake up to the life she was meant to lead had made up for a lot Ricky had done wrong. He waved to Mimi when she stepped up holding Lee; behind her the nurse put both Francis and Laine in Jolly's arms.

"Honey?"

Jolly looked down at the two tiny miracles in her arms and thought her lips would crack from the smile on her face. "What?"

"Why are my b.r.e.a.s.t.s killing me?"

"They wanted to give you something to stop the milk you're producing, and I know what you said, but I thought it should be up to you. If you want the nurse said it wouldn't take long and we can give them formula instead. Whatever you decide will be all right with me."

With careful steps Mimi sat in the rocker and waved Jolly over. "I was miserable at the time, which in most cases makes me an idiot. There's nothing I would enjoy more than to feed them. If I do I'll get to hold them and maybe they'll come home sooner."

Jolly sat across from her and played holder as Mimi held all three of them to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. When she was done one of the nurses came in and changed them all before putting them back. The room they had put Mimi in allowed for everyone to be able to come and see her together and after a long afternoon of kissing and crying, the young mothers were left alone for the night. Before they got ready for bed, Jolly walked Mimi back to the nursery so she could sing each of the little girls a song to put them to sleep.

"Are you ready for all this, honey?" Mimi moved around until she was comfortable lying next to Jolly. She was glad they hadn't had to punch anyone else for trying to keep them apart for the night. After everything that had happened she could tell that Jolly wasn't quite over the trauma of it all.

"One of the things I was telling you when you were out of it, was what we'd be doing about thirty years from now. We'll be sitting out in the yard with a whole bunch of grandkids running around. Inside there'll be a whole house full of art the girls did. Since we raised them they'll give us a few pieces at a reasonable price." Mimi laughed and slapped Jolly's arm.

"They all won't be painters, goober. I bet we get at least one whittler in the bunch." With slow circles, Mimi ran her hand over Jolly's chest feeling her partner relax with the attention. "You know something?"

"What?"

"I feel so happy right now that I'm about to burst." Jolly laughed and nodded her head. "And you know what happens when I get like that don't you?"

"Yes I do, and you're in no shape to be that happy so think about something else."

"Come on, Jolly, we can talk about it can't we? You just wait until I get over all this child birthing stuff, you're in for the night of your life."

Jolly bent her head and kissed Mimi as a down payment on the promise the blonde had just made. "Lucky me."

They snuggled down for the night each thinking the same thoughts after the memories Mimi had evoked. Ellie and Sam had suspended their s.e.x life for months, but they had more than saved up on experiences before that had happened. Mimi might have started as a novice, but with Jolly a now willing partic.i.p.ant to her advances, she had driven the older woman to distraction.

"Ricky, call the lumber yard and tell those idiots they delivered two by tens and I specifically asked for two by fourteens. If they don't get their a.s.ses here in an hour I'm going to have to send all these guys home, and I'm taking it out of their hides." Jolly was screaming in frustration but Ricky didn't take it personally. They had been rained out for the last couple of days that Jolly had used to fine tune a few things on the plans, and to spend time with Mimi. Time well spent, but now the work was backed up.

"Will do, boss, and since you're already p.i.s.sed, I'll go ahead and tell you now that I'm leaving early."

A pair of aggravated blue eyes looked up at him from the blueprints and Ricky could have sworn Jolly had growled at him. "What in the h.e.l.l for?"

Ricky twirled a nail punch in his fingers and tried not to look smug. "I've got a date tonight, so I want to go home and wash my hair. I'm taking Veronica out to dinner."

"And here I thought I was the fairy in the ointment," teased Jolly.

"Bite me."

"You better not let Mimi hear you threatening me like that, grandpa."

He stopped his twirling so he could glare back at Jolly. "I'm not the whipped one, smart a.s.s."

A swift pinch to the back of his arm made Ricky drop the tool he was playing with. "Daddy, I'd appreciate if you didn't tell Jolly she's whipped. That's supposed to be a secret."

"d.a.m.n, girl, that hurt like h.e.l.l." The grumble quickly change to a laugh when Mimi kissed his cheek.