Baby Twins Parents Needed

9780373039715_PL.inddExtracted 1 threads from 9780373039715-exw.PDFUntitled Article 01: UntitledRACHEL ADAMS was at war. And the enemy outnum- bered her two to one. Hands on her hips she surveyed two plump-cheeked, hazel-eyed cherubs smeared head to foot in baby lotion. oeCody Anthony Adams, Rachel admonished the un- repentant ten-month-old, oeif you cant keep your hands to yourself, Im going to duct tape them to your diaper during your naps. The sight of the greasy mess acted like scissors to nerves already frayed thin by exhaustion. Inhaling a calming breath, she reminded herself she was a mother now. That it had happened by default didnt matter. Shed made a vow to provide a home for her orphaned niece and nephew. But boy did she have a lot to learn. Already shed discovered that children, like animals, sensed fear. God knows shed had little time to mourn the sister shed barely known. Instead, Rachel had learned that messes happened. Literally. And repeatedly. And if she didnt keep things far enough out of Codys reach, creatively. Usually with food, jelly, bananas, potatoes whatever he could get into when she turned her back. He liked to finger paint.And his favorite target was his sister. Yuck, yuck, yuck. Armed with rubber gloves and a tub of wet wipes she went on the attack, cleaning bodies, fingers and toes. And hair. Both babies needed a bath to complete the job. She made a mental note to move the crib another six inches from the changing table. It struck her suddenly; this must be love. When for- bearance overshadowed disgust and exasperation, letting affection rule, there could be no other explanation. Sometime over the last six days shed fallen in love. And it was huge, bigger than anything shed ever experienced. The feeling terrified her. One thing was for sure, if her co-guardian ever deigned to show his face, shed fight with everything she had to keep her niece and nephew. oeThats right, kiddos, youre stuck with me. Im wholeheartedly, irrevocably a goner. And Im keeping you. I promise that you will always know you are loved. Youll never have to worry about simply being tolerated or that youre here only because of a sense of duty. oeWere a family now, she whispered around the lump in her throat. Stripping off the rubber gloves, Rachel ran her fingers through the slick darkness of Codys hair. She kept looking for signs of her sister in the twins, and caught the occasional expression. But they must have gotten their dark hair and eyes from their father, because Crystal had brown eyes and light brown hair. Crystal had gotten her coloring from her father. Rachel took after their mother with white-blond hair that she kept short and manageable and eyes that couldnt decide if they were blue or green. A sudden knock at the front door interrupted her musings. Rachel tensed. oeWho could that be? Wearily blowing a strand of hair from her eyes, she looked at the naked babies and considered ignoring the door.Carpenter, Teresa is the author of 'Baby Twins Parents Needed', published 2007 under ISBN 9780373039715 and ISBN 0373039719.