386 The Trio

Mei July 18-19, 20X2 (Saturday-Sunday)

Hospital

"Dear," Grandma Xue gently laid her hand on Mei Li's shoulder. The younger woman wiped the tears that she could no longer hold unto before she leaned closer to the woman. Her newly born children were sleeping quietly in the corner.

"Chang and Ling Ling have been so excited to see their little brother." Mei Li said, although her smile is bitter, "I'm sure they'll be surprised that there are three of them."

Grandma Xue slowly led Mei Li to the pristine white hospital bed, "It'll be a good surprise for them. Children often love more presents."

Mei Li could not help but let out a chuckle as she imagined her two older children's reactions. Ling Ling would for sure be amazed and would go talking or babbling to the infants while Chang would surely hesitate and observe at first with wide eyes. Mei Li covered her mouth as she slowly laughed. Chang and Chang Min may not be related, but they could be so similar sometimes. They're both high IQ but low EQ. 

Mei Li clenched her fists when it dawned on her that they were in danger. They were in the hands of those stupid and vile terrorist group! Yet, she was here, confined in a hospital being protected like a fragile glass. 

Suddenly, one infant cried, then another woke up from the sound and cried also. Not to be beaten, the last one cried the loudest. Mei Li was immediately broken from her dark thoughts and worries. She took one child and rocked her arms but looked helpless at the other two. She was not yet proficient enough to take two infants in her arms. Unless she grows another arm, she doubted she could ever carry the triplets together.

Grandma Xue, without prompt, took the two infants with one hand and, as a seasoned mother, calmed them to sleep once again. Mei Li was once again reminded why she had to rest and stay in the hospital. Chang and Ling Ling were not the only children Mei Li has. She has to trust Yang to take care of the older children just as Yang trusted her with the newborns. 

"Babies and their mother have a connection, newborns especially. It might sound like magic, but your mood influences them too." Grandma Xue said while she sat beside Mei Li after they had tucked the children to sleep again. 

"It"s just hard..." Mei Li admitted, "My emotions are still all over the place."

Grandma Xue nodded, "Understandable. You just pushed three watermelons out of you, that isn't easy. You need to rest. Tomorrow is a new day; it's one day closer to seeing your two eldest too."

Mei Li blinked. Her eyes stayed in contact with Grandma Xue, and she saw that this elderly woman just knew and understood her. Grandma Xue had to bury her daughter, had to separate her grandchildren, had to live with the possibility of death, and had to live only with the hope of a brighter tomorrow. 

As the sun began to rise, and Sunday came. Mei Li got up in her bed when the three infants began to whimper and were beginning to cry. She sat up on her bed in a panic. Looking around the room, she grew more anxious when she realized she was all alone. Mei Li did not know what to do. How do you even start motherhood?

Mei Li straightened herself and gathered all the confidence in her bones. She walked towards the specially designed crib and peered down. Looking down, she blinked in surprise when three pairs of eyes meet hers. 

Her heart warmed.

They look like angels.

She was about to smile in relief when suddenly, a chorus of loud and undeniably annoying cries reverberated on her ears as if it was a powerful bass capable of blasting her eardrums.

Mei Li sighed loudly, which was ignored by the triplets. She peeked inside their cloth diaper to see if any disgusting matters need to be cleaned. When she found none, she checked for wet spots. Finding nothing, she took one child and tried to rock him to sleep. When the crying persisted after a few minutes, Mei Li sighed again.

They must be hungry. Mei Li looked at her breast and wondered... can she grow another boob so she can feed them together? It would probably be weird, but at least they'll eat together.

Mei Li dragged the crib to her bed. She surrounded herself with pillows, making sure that two children could fit snuggly on each of her sides before she took off her top. Mei Li already has a shortage of hands with three kids, so she would not have any more hands to try and make her shirt stay. She noted to buy those pillow contraptions that would make this easier.

Positioning the first child, Xin, on her left and slowly guiding her left breast on his open mouth, Mei Li could feel herself smile in victory. She once again blinked in annoyance when she found herself unable to move to pick up another child since one was already eating. 

"Why did you three came at the same time?" Mei Li lamented with a pout. She was forced to stop breastfeeding the first one to pick up the other two. This time Mei Li positioned the third child, Wei, in front of her before placing the second child, Yun, on here right. With a grin, she let the two children eat. 

Breastfeeding. It felt weird and uncomfortable. There were no words she could use to describe the feeling... the closest would be, it was tingly.

Checking a couple of times that the two infants beside her were secured and were not moving anywhere, Mei Li distracted her third child with her hands. Poking and trying to real in her desire to pinch his cheeks.

In this moment of silence, Mei Li could finally focus on her newborns. They looked the same. She could just feel as if that was not a good thing with such mischievous blood they came from. The only things that were different were their sizes. As expected, the youngest was the smallest. Mei Li noted to start feeding him first, next time.

It took a while for the two to stop sucking, and when they did, Mei Li snickered when the two were already sleeping with breastmilk all over their mouth. With careful movements, Mei Li tucked the two and concentrated on her smallest newborn. 

She'll have to buy a breast pump so the three can eat together. Maybe she'll make a schedule on who can breastfeed directly from her and who gets the bottle. 

When the triplets were settled in their unique crib, Mei Li hurried to the toilet to pee, opening the door to keep watch of the three still. She could not even take a seat on the toilet bowl when all three had their crying chorus again.

"I can't even pee?" Mei Li muttered, shaking her head.

She once again checked for everything that needs to be checked, and when she found nothing wrong, her eyes narrowed. Something in her mind told her to do something, so she dragged the crib into the toilet. Was it even hygienic? Whatever. As long as it shut them up. Mei Li had to shake her head when the three stopped crying when one of her hands never left their vicinity. 

When she went to let the light in and tie the blackout curtains to the side, the triples cried. When she went to open the door to let the nurse inside, the triples cried. When she went to talk to Mother Zhao for news, the triplets cried. The only thing that could stop them was when Mei Li's hands would pat their small bodies.

The triples cried softly when they poop, they whimper when peeing, but they broke eardrums when it was time to eat or when Mei Li was not near them.

At the end of the day, Mei Li could only complain, "Are they joking with me, or do they have mommy issues?"

Grandma Xue patted Mei Li and replied, "With your luck, dear, they're probably both."

Mei Li was too busy with her mini troublemakers that the day passed faster than she thought.