The Miracle Twins. Lisa Bingham

the baggage claim area.”

      Lucy took Nick’s hand, urging him toward the base of the escalator where a group of people had gathered to welcome arriving passengers.

      Within minutes, two dark-skinned women appeared on the landing. One pushed an oversize carriage-type stroller, while the other carried a large diaper bag and wheeled a small suitcase.

      “It’s them. It’s them!” Lucy waved, bouncing up and down. Impulsively, she squeezed Nick’s arm, then ran toward the elevator.

      At the sight of her, the weary women broke into smiles and called out.

      “Lucy!”

      “Hello!”

      Nick remained behind, watching as the pair maneuvered the stroller and their belongings onto the elevator. As the car made its short trip to the lower level, they peered impatiently through the glass walls.

      Finally, the doors slid open and they stepped out.

      “Tamika, Kyro! Welcome!” Lucy hugged the two nurses, then bent to peer into the buggy. “Hello, sweet things,” she cooed. Her hand disappeared as she caressed the children, then she turned to the nurses again. “Any problems?”

      “No, ma’am.” Tamika’s voice held a hint of her native dialect mixed with a clipped British intonation. “They slept most of the way.” Her lips twitched in a little smile. “Kyro was not so fortunate.”

      Kyro’s cheeks took on a rosy hue. “I did not like—” she searched for the right words “—the height.”

      Lucy offered her another hug. “Don’t worry, Kyro. No more flying for quite some time. I promise.”

      Looking at Nick, Lucy gestured for him to come closer. “This is Dr. Nick Hammond. Nick, I would like you to meet Tamika and Kyro Tabumba. They’re recently graduated nurses who’ve been caring for the twins since their birth. And they’re sisters, as I’m sure you’ve already guessed. They agreed to accompany the children and serve as their nannies for a few months.”

      The women shyly held out their hands and Nick shook them, nodding slightly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

      The women’s smiles grew wide.

      “Would you like to be introduced to the twins?” Lucy asked.

      “Of course.”

      Lucy drew him forward until he could see two infants lying face-to-face. They wore frilly bonnets and were wrapped in a puffy quilt edged in candy-pink ruffles.

      “May I?” Nick asked, indicating the blanket.

      “Yes.”

      He gently pulled the quilt down to reveal two tiny bodies in pink pajamas.

      Even knowing exactly what he would find, Nick’s first full glimpse of the children was shocking. Great care had been taken to sew their outfits together, and the drape of the fabric hid much of what lay beneath, but it was still obvious that the children were fused from sternum to abdomen.

      Automatically, Nick’s training took over as he made a quick examination. He was pleased to see that—although they had feeding tubes and their bodies seemed quite small for their age—the girls appeared stable and strong.

      “They look like fighters,” he murmured, replacing the blanket.

      “Yes, they are,” Lucy agreed proudly. “They’ve gone through so much to make it this far.”

      “Shall we go get the luggage?”

      Nick relieved the nurses of their carry-on bags while Lucy took control of the stroller. As the women marched ahead of him, Nick had to remind himself that he hadn’t formally committed himself to helping the twins. But as he followed in the wake of these three determined women, he knew it would be futile to resist. Not only would he have Lucy and the nurses to contend with if he refused…

      But he’d have to explain himself to a pair of twins who had already wriggled their way beneath his professional detachment.