The Tower: Family

Sarah and Rose

As Wanda got closer and closer to her due date, we all started hovering around her in case she went into labor. I was by her side almost constantly, as was Natasha and Sam. The others seemed to take shifts, but we all went to bed at the same time in the same bed which hadn't always been a given before. Everyone was a little worried that she'd go into labor early and that someone wouldn't be here for it so they were staying pretty close by.

In the end, we were all worrying for nothing. She made it to thirty-seven weeks just fine and they decided to induce her.

Wanda wanted to go through a natural labor despite the advice that for twins it would be very difficult. She knew she'd most likely need some sort of intervention at some point, but she thought that given her new powers, she might be able to get through most of it without any. She was so into being pregnant, and so connected with it, she wanted that to be the case right until the end.

By the time we got to her induction date, our new nannies had been working for us for nearly a month. They hadn't been super actively involved with the care of the kids yet. With the ten of us, things like baths, stories, and bedtime were covered. We had maids and cooks, so they didn't have to clean up or feed them. They'd done a few drop-offs with Happy driving the car and they would help during the morning chaos to get them ready to go, but otherwise, they were mostly not needed and were just getting the feel of the household.

The first real taste of really having full responsibility for taking care of the kids was after breakfast on Wanda's induction day when we kissed Riley and Pietro goodbye and went down to the medical ward with Wanda.

They'd designed a delivery room just for the three of us because Wanda had very specific things she wanted there, but Tony was adamant that we all get the best medical equipment too. The room had all the medical things needed in case of an emergency. The bed, while you couldn't tell it to look at it, was an adjustable hospital bed. The functionality of it was hidden in dark purple linen and soft pillows. The whole room could be lit up in harsh hospital lighting, but with the flick of a switch, the room was lit in low soft lights that were placed in sconces on one side of the room. The walls were painted in mint green, with a burgundy feature wall on one side. There was a large clover-shaped bathtub in one corner of the room. A sitting area with couches that would fit all of us. A spot to do yoga or meditation with yoga mats and exercise balls, and around the room were scented candles we could light. Music that Wanda had selected was being piped through the speakers and there was a large screen TV if she wanted to watch anything. All the rest of the medical equipment was hidden behind a secret wall.

It had to be opened up, to begin with, because of the induction process, and Wanda waited impatiently on the bed, strapped up to a fetal heart rate monitor until she was told she was allowed to get up and walk around.

"Just a little white longer, záĭka," Natasha soothed, running her fingers through Wanda's hair as Wanda flinched with a contraction.

"I know I should relax while they are still mild," Wanda reasoned. "But I hate this equipment around me."

"We'll get rid of it as soon as we can and you can try the meditation thing you wanted to do," I said. "But I'm not getting on the floor with you."

Wanda giggled. "I'm much more pregnant than you are."

"Clearly," I teased. "But you have flying powers. I just get to know when you're in pain."

"I'll get on the floor with you," Sam said. "Don't worry."

"And I'll go through the meditation script we've been practicing," Bucky added.

Tony was pacing up and down by the door, and he poked his head out to see where the doctor was. "Oh good, there you are," he said, holding the door open and letting Doctor Schroeder in.