Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House

1/27 - 22 weeks

“You comfortable?”

“Yep.”

“Seat belt ok? It’s not pushing on the babies, is it?”

“Nope, it’s under them.”

“Need a blanket? A pillow?”

Cara squeezed his hand. “Jamie, I’m fine. Relax.”

He grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. It’s their first flight. I’m nervous.”

“Everybody’s good over here, Papa Bear,” she smiled as she set his hand on her belly.

He actually did relax a little then, feeling his girls squirm around with their mom stretched out and calm, and he took a deep breath as he sank back into his seat. Cara folded her hands over his and closed her eyes, hoping that would encourage him to close his too.

The next thing she knew, Jamie was nudging her awake and telling her it was time to put her seat back up for landing.

“Already?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “You slept the whole flight.”

“Well hell, maybe we should’ve taken the longer flight,” she laughed. They had scheduled an extra stop because she was worried about sitting for five hours at a time, but she felt like she had blinked and missed this first flight altogether.

“Nah, it’ll be better to get up and walk around. I'm already tired of sitting, and I’m not the one who’s pregnant,” he winked.

As soon as she stood when they arrived at the gate, she very much agreed. She had slept well, but her hips were stiff and achy.

They had a fairly short layover before the second leg to Vancouver, long enough for a bathroom break and leisurely stroll to their next gate before it was time to board. Jamie didn’t hover this time, just got comfortable and settled his hand back on her belly, then closed his eyes and drifted off for his own little nap. Cara took the opportunity to scroll through Instagram, catch up on email, Snapchat a couple of friends, and read a chapter of her book.

After a longer layover and trip through customs in Van followed by a 30-minute hop on a tiny plane, they were touching down in Victoria. Randy picked them up, and Heather had food waiting for them at the house when they arrived.

“Hi, Mama,” Jamie said as he wrapped her up in a hug.

“Hi, Sweetheart. Flight ok?”

“Yeah, they were all fine. Little windy between Van and here, as usual.”

“And how did my grandbabies behave?” she smiled as she hugged Cara.

“They were good. I slept all the way from Dallas to Denver,” Cara laughed. “I’ve gotten used to their squirming now.”

As if on cue, the twins shifted their positions, and Cara grabbed Heather’s hand to let her feel.

“Geez, they are busy in there, aren’t they?”

“All the time. Bouncing off each other like ping pong balls. I hope they’re not already fighting,” Cara giggled.

Cara and Jamie put their bags in the guest room and cleaned up a bit, then they all sat down to eat and catch up on all the latest family news. After dinner, they visited with Heather and Randy for a while before turning in for the night, exhausted from the day of travel.

The first half of the week was filled with relaxing and spending time together. Monday, Jordie and Jess arrived, and Tuesday, Jenny and her little clan came over for a big family dinner. Wednesday was spent hanging out with some of Jamie’s old friends.

Thursday, Jamie and Cara dropped Jordie and Jess off at the airport and then drove up to Tofino for their last romantic getaway before the babies’ arrival. In winter, the Wickaninnish was a beautiful spot to watch storms as the Pacific Ocean crashed onto the rocks and beach where they were married just six months before. The inn even provided rain gear, so Jamie and Cara decided to go for a walk and see the temperate rainforest in all its glory.

“You warm enough, Babe?” Jamie asked as they headed down the trail.

Cara patted her belly and laughed. “Yeah, got my little internal furnace running overtime today.”

Chuckling, he took her hand, and they walked along in comfortable silence.

They had made it to the beach and were meandering back toward the inn when a huge wave crashed onto the rocks, and Cara was so busy watching it in awe that she stumbled over a piece of driftwood and lost her balance. Jamie still had hold of her hand and tried to keep her from falling, but her momentum pulled him forward, and the best he could do was break her fall by landing on his butt in the sand and catching her.

“You ok?” they asked in unison.

Giggling, Cara nodded. “Nice catch.”

“I think I’m broken,” he groaned.

“Oh no, what hurts?”

“Everything. You’re heavy,” he smirked.

Cara smacked him on the chest. “I thought you were hurt, you asshole!”

“Babe, you weigh maybe 150 lbs. I’m used to 200 lb. hockey players plus equipment falling on me. I think I can take it.”

“Yes, and you have pads and still get hurt sometimes so hush. It’s a legitimate concern.”

“Ok, ok, you’re right. But I’m fine. Are you sure you’re ok? Babies ok?”

“Yeah, we’re ok. You’re pretty soft,” she smirked back at him.

“Oh that is it,” he grinned, and he dumped her onto the wet sand just as a wave rolled in. She shrieked and splashed him with the freezing water. “Hey, I’m already soaked!” he protested, laughing.

“Cold! Cold cold cold! Jerk!” she yelled as she stood and brushed off as much sand as she could reach. But she was laughing too, and Jamie pulled her into a soggy hug when he stood up, eyes crinkled with mirth and dimples cutting into his cheeks.

“We should go dry off and warm up.”

“Yeah.”

But instead of pulling away and running toward the warmth of the inn, they stood wrapped in each other’s cold, wet arms and grinned into a kiss. A long moment later, they broke apart when he felt her shiver.

“C’mon, I can’t have you three freezing to death out here.”

They walked quickly the short distance to the inn and stripped off their rain gear at the door. After explaining their little incident to the hotel staff, they were given towels to dry off with and bathrobes to change into, and their clothes were carried off to the laundry while they hurried up to their room for a nice warm bath in the double soaker tub.

“I wish we could have the water hotter,” Cara lamented.

“No cooking my babies.”

“Yeah I guess that would be bad.”

“We can go sit in front of the fire instead, if you want.”

“No, the water feels good,” she sighed. “It takes the weight off my hips and back.”

Picking up her left foot, he rubbed long strokes from her heel to her toes with his thumbs. She closed her eyes and sank further into the water with a long moan.

“Mmm, that feels amazing.”

Curious, he experimented with different spots on her foot and was rewarded with another moan as she lolled her head back in ecstasy when he dug into her arch with both thumbs.

“Does it feel that good?” he giggled. “You’re making sex noises.”

“I told you,” she almost panted, “foot massages are better than sex.”

“Better?”

She opened her eyes and drank in his naked body. “Ok not better. Really close though.”

“Are you ... turned on right now?” His eyes showed amusement, but his voice was husky.

She looked him dead in the eyes and said simply, “Yes.”

“Oh.” His jaw dropped a little and his thumbs stopped moving as he lost concentration.

“Don’t stop,” she whined.

“Sorry, sorry,” he apologized. “I got distracted.” He watched her as he resumed rubbing her foot and swallowed hard when she moaned again, eyes closed as her hand stroked his leg. Setting her left foot down in his lap, he picked up her right and worked on it for a while, and every sound she made turned him on more.

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. “Ok, that’s it, out of the tub. You’re killing me with the noises.”

Cara giggled. “But Jaaamieeee,” she mock-whined. “It feels so gooood.”

“I can make you feel even better out there, I promise.”

“Oh. Well when you put it that way …”

Jamie climbed out of the tub first and then helped her out before kissing her and wrapping a towel around her. Once they had dried off, he pulled her over to the bed, gently pushed her onto the pile of pillows against the headboard, and then hovered over her, kissing his way from her lips down to her belly button.

“I love you,” he murmured between kisses, “so much. You’re beautiful. And sexy. And talented.  And growing two little humans inside you. And still doing all the things you did before. You’re so strong. You’re amazing.”

“You’re making me cry.”

Looking up at her over her baby bump, he smiled softly. “Can’t help it. You need to know.”

“I thought we were going to pick up where we left off in the tub.”

“Oh we are. Let me finish, yeah?”

“Ok but right now I just wanna hug you.”

“Later,” he chuckled. “Where was I? Oh right, amazing. Incredible, even.” One perfect eyebrow arched up as he smirked at her. “And I wanna see how many times and how many different ways I can make you come tonight.”

“Oh. That’s …” Cara licked her lips. “Oh.”

As it turned out, six. Six times and four different ways. Now he was spooned up behind her, one hand resting on the underside of her belly, not far from where it had just finished her off. Again. He nuzzled the back of her neck, now that he had caught his breath, and curled more tightly around her in a full-body hug.

“Have I told you lately how wonderful you are?” Cara asked dreamily.

“You might’ve mentioned something,” Jamie murmured into her skin. “But you could refresh my memory.”

“Not to give you a big head …”

“Took care of that already.”

“Jamie!”

Giggling, he kissed up to her ear. “Go on.”

“Fuck. Can you … I can’t … was I saying something?”

“Something, yes,” he nibbled into her earlobe.

Cara whimpered. “You’re the worst, Jamie Benn.”

“That’s not what you said five minutes ago,” he giggled into her shoulder. “Or thirty. Or an hour.”

“The. Worst.”

His hand skimmed up her body to her face and turned it toward him, and he pressed a soft, sweet kiss to her lips.

“The worst, eh?”

“Mhmm. Can’t stand you,” she sighed. “Hate your guts, even.”

“That’s a shame,” he grinned. “Cause I’m kind of in love with you.”

“Eww. Creep,” she smiled as his lips touched hers again, and she rolled over to face him. Her hand went to his cheek, and she traced the line of his jaw and around to the nape of his neck before leaning in for a deeper kiss.

“You’re still the worst,” she giggled, “but I think I might actually be in love with you too.”

“Might?”

“Mmm. Maybe just your lips.”

Jamie laughed and kissed her again, one hand on her breast.

“Ok maybe also your hands.”

Still kissing her, he moved his other hand lower. “Wanna go again?”

“Oh god. See? Trying to kill me. The worst. Jamie, if we go again, these babies are going to be very very premature.”

“Well we can’t have that. Can I still just …” he ran his hand lightly over her hip, “touch you? Like this?”

“Yes, please,” she sighed.

“I love your skin. So soft,” he said as he kissed her neck, then her collarbone.

“Jamie,” she whined, “Love, please. Lips up here. I can’t … I’m already gonna be so sore, but I can’t resist those lips. Please don’t get me going again. Just … touch.”

“Ok, Baby, I’m sorry.” He brought his lips back up to hers. “It’s just hard not to. You’re so beautiful, especially when you’re all wound up for me.”

“I know. I feel the same way about you. I just … I can’t go ten rounds right now. It’s too much.”

“Yeah, ok. I get it.” Another soft kiss on the lips turned into a longer one, then a deeper one, and they ended up kissing and lazily trailing their hands over each other’s bodies for a while.

Eventually, the twins woke up and started tapdancing on her bladder, which broke up the party a bit, and Cara and Jamie grabbed a quick shower before they snuggled back up in bed to watch the ocean.

Nestled into his chest, baby belly resting on his hip, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the soothing sound of his heartbeat and feeling of his hands, one softly rubbing her back and one resting on his babies, as she drifted off to sleep.

Jamie stayed awake for a while, watching the waves crash against the rocks outside while his daughters pushed and squirmed against his hand. Occasionally, he looked down at Cara and watched her sleep or kissed the top of her head, but mostly he just listened to her soft breathing, content to be in a place he loved with his little growing family in his arms. Eventually, he closed his eyes and drifted off with her.

When she stirred a couple hours later, Jamie was still fast asleep, but as she rolled over onto her side to relieve the pressure on her hip, he instinctively curled around her, one hand on her belly and the other on her breast. She snuggled back into him, chuckling, and rested her opposite hands on top of his, completing the hug.

She was enjoying the warmth of his big body and the view out the windows when she felt him take a deep breath and stretch before nuzzling into her neck and placing a soft kiss there.

“Mmm, hi,” she smiled.

“Hi,” he returned in a sleepy murmur.

“Good nap?”

“Mhmm. You?”

“Mhmm. I suppose we should get up eventually and give some thought to dinner. Or something.”

“Mmm, nope. Staying right here forever.”

“As wonderful as that sounds, you know neither one of us is gonna last more than another hour in this bed.”

“What time is it?”

“Five. Look, sun’s going down.”

“K. Let’s watch it. Cuddle some more. Then we can get dressed and go down to the restaurant.”

“Sounds perfect.”

They snuggled through the sunset and kissed for a while after before Jamie’s stomach growling prompted them to get moving. After a delicious, romantic dinner, they curled up in front of the fire to watch a movie, which they only ended up seeing about half of because the babies started squirming, which led to a giggle-filled conversation about them and their future siblings, which led to making out and a forgotten movie.

Early Friday morning, Jamie headed to the hotel gym for a quick workout, letting Cara sleep in. On his way back up to the room, he stopped by the cafe and picked up some breakfast for the two of them, which he left on the desk while he showered, emerging in a bathrobe a few minutes later and waking her up with a kiss.

“Good morning, Beautiful.”

Blinking sleepily, she smiled up at him. “Morning. You smell good.”

“I brought food.”

“That smells good too,” she giggled as she brushed a wet lock of hair out of his eyes. “But you smell edible yourself.”

“Went down to the gym so needed to clean up before breakfast.”

“Last day here. Can we eat in bed?”

“Absolutely.”

Jamie pulled out their breakfast containers and brought them over to the bed, along with their coffees, and lay down next to her, propped up on one elbow.

“You want fruit or scone first?” he asked.

“Fruit please.”

Rather than hand her the container, he picked up a slice of banana and fed it to her with a grin. She smiled back at him and reached over to feed him a bite of kiwi. And so they fed one another their entire breakfast, making a thorough mess of it but enjoying every second.

After breakfast, they opted for a warm bath overlooking the ocean, this one snuggled up together quietly, not leading to anything but a few soft kisses. And then it was time to check out and head back to his parents’ house for one more day before they had to fly home to Dallas.

Back in Victoria, they had lunch with Heather and Randy and then lay down for a nap. As had become their habit, Jamie curled up next to her belly and talked to the babies while Cara combed her fingers through his hair. Normally, his voice lulled her right to sleep, but something about being in his childhood home and her soothing strokes on his head had him drifting off first. Cara carefully reached over to her phone and texted his mom to come see the cuteness, and a moment later, Heather crept quietly into the room, smiling conspiratorially. Immediately, one hand went over her mouth and one over her heart, and she couldn’t resist coming over to place a kiss on his temple before squeezing Cara’s hand and leaving them to sleep.

After their nap, they spent some quality time with his parents, playing cards, cooking together, looking at Jamie’s baby pictures, Cara soaking up stories and advice like a sponge, Jamie blushing furiously before asking his dad if he needed any help around the house. Cara made notes of family names and history in her phone, since she was sure baby brain would make her forget details.

Saturday, they had time for a nice breakfast before heading to the airport. Heather hugged Cara and then Jamie, somehow making him seem like a little boy even though he towered over her.

“Do you two have everything? Passports? Coats? Snacks?”

“Yes, Mum. We’re good, really.”

Cara swatted his arm and gave him a withering look, followed by a grateful smile for Heather. “Thank you for everything.”

“Oh you’re so welcome, Sweetheart. Thank you for making the trip. You call me if you need anything at all, ok?”

“I will.”

“Ok, get going. Don’t miss your flight.”

“Love you, Mama,” Jamie said as he hugged her again and kissed her forehead.

“Love you too, Baby. Be good.”

“I will,” he smiled.

As Randy drove them to the airport, he and Jamie talked baseball and the upcoming season, and Cara mostly listened, enjoying their father-son dynamic, only chiming in when they talked about the Rangers and Astros.

When Randy dropped them off, he gave both of them big hugs, and Cara thought she heard his voice crack the tiniest bit when he said goodbye to his granddaughters. It was a side to Jamie’s ordinarily reserved dad that she hadn’t seen much of, and it melted her heart. He’d shown his sense of humor some, but this glimpse of tenderheartedness was a rare gift.

Once they were on the plane and settled, Cara reached over and planted a kiss on Jamie’s cheek.

Dimples cut into his cheeks as he looked over at her. “What was that for?”

“For this trip. For always bringing me back to this beautiful place. For making me part of your family. For being you.”

“Oh,” he blushed. “Thank you for loving it as much as I do. For loving me.”

“Easiest thing I’ve ever done.”

“We’re gross,” he giggled.

“The worst,” she smiled.

“Love you.”

“We love you too,” she said, pulling his hand to her belly, where the twins were jockeying for position.

Jamie grinned and leaned in for a kiss. They kept it soft and sweet, not enough to cause a scene, but still full of feeling. He couldn’t think of anywhere he’d rather be than on this cramped puddle jumper with his whole world sitting next to him.

Notes