The call

It's Monday 5/7 7:00am pst and from the bathroom upstairs I hear matteo answer his phone. I think it's strange that he's speaking English at this early hour and not the usual Italian. Oh no, I feel a pit in my stomach and the adrenaline starts running as I hear him say "oh, hold on, let me get jenn". The babies were born last night! It's a a boy and a girl. They are fine. Quickly the chaos ensues. Two days later we'll be on a plane. In retrospect those days were insane. Rebooking flights takes hours. We run the last trip to the new house in Lafayette. We are moving from 202 Anderson street in bernal heights to the burbs, the land of great public schools! When we leave this house to pick up our twins, born at 34 weeks to our surrogate in Anand, India, it will be for the last time. Home is now 790 Los palos manor in sunny Lafayette. Stella, our 5 year old daughter, comes down with a fever and is vomiting. We debate the cause of this unfortunately timed illness: is she so upset about the twins, or really physically sick? As her condition worsens, we realize she must be truly ill. How can we leave her with her nonno in this condition. For the first time I am feeling the parental pull....who needs me more? My sick 5 year old whose world is in turmoil, sleeping in an empty bedroom (all her beloved books and toys in lafayette) or my newborn twins....just one photo proves their existence? At the same time, having urgent meetings with painters and real estate agent to coordinate last details to get this house on the market. One quick trip to the office and pediatric urgent care clinic later and we are on a plane. We are on our way to our family of 5.