Well hello again Drivers. Garrett Norse here and I have news! I am the father to three beautiful babies! Now since none of you know what I am talking about I will tell you a story yet again. First we gotta go back to a few months after Deb and I were in the car accident. So let’s rewind back roughly 11 months.

I had just gotten the cast taken off my arm and learned there was a chance of having nerve damage. I was nervous that I would never be able to play with the guys again. I call Elliot and he tells me that if I can’t play anymore they won’t kick me out, just demote me to merchandise organizer. A few days later Ralphy comes over and takes Deb out to lunch. When they get back she looks all depressed. Ralphy looks at her, says “Remember my offer.” and leaves. Deb asks me if we can talk alone and we go into the music room.

She looks at me with her sad eyes. “Gar, well Ralphy and me didn’t go to lunch like we said. We went to see Gabe Yang.” Now all of us know that Gabe Yang is the Gynecologist that all of us band people go to when expecting babies. “He said that I am pregnant Gar and if I attempt to carry the baby it has a 5% chance of living due to my stitches and injuries.”

I gasped and sat in a chair across from her. “What do we do?”

“Well Gabe recommends that if I want the baby that I should get a surrogate to carry it to term. That is what Ralphy meant by his offer. When Gabe mentioned a surrogate Ralphy said he would carry it for us if we want. I told him I would talk to you about it first.” She looked like she was gonna cry.

I personally didn’t want her to suffer losing another baby since she lost the last baby in the car accident. For in case I never said when we had the car accident Deb was already 3 months pregnant. “I say let him save the baby for us Deb.” I felt bad saying that. If I hadn’t had the problem when having Draco and Rose I would have been able to carry our children for her, but my uterus had to be removed due to serious tearing. A few days later Deb, Ralphy, and me went to see Gabe again. The fetus was taken from Deb and put in Ralphy. He was given severe instructions to not do anything strenuous until further notice and that until further notice sex was forbidden.

A month later Ralphy had an appointment to see if the pregnancy took. Deb went with him and I stayed home to watch the kids. About 45 minutes later Deb comes home all bright-eyed and bushy tailed as Ralphy pushed her wheelchair into the house. Ralphy smiled. “The pregnancy took. I am now a house for HP Nerds.” I walked over and hugged him in appreciation. “So I will call you guys often and I swear to keep you posted. I will visit often so you can get that bond attachment thing that happens before the baby is born and I promise to be a good boy while pregnant with your baby.” We smiled and after a while Ralphy went home to his family.

Time passed and Ralphy reached 4 months pregnant. One day Deb gets a call from him and she later tells me that he woke to feel the baby kicking! That is fantastic! I smiled and hugged her close. I am glad that our baby is ok.

A few days later Deb and I went with Ralphy to learn the gender of the baby. That was when we got a new surprise. Ralphy saved 2 babies for us; a son and daughter. Deb and I were so shocked that we were speechless. Ralphy looked at Deb. “Can you see them?” she nodded happily. “They are so active!” he laughed. “So Gabe? Are they alright?”

Gabe moved the transducer around. “They are perfectly healthy, their hearts sound great. The only thing is that the girl is taking all the food from her brother. She is bigger than him, but not by much. He’s ok of course, nothing to worry about. How are you feeling?”

“Morning sickness gone, but I still feel nauseous on occasion. I mean if I smell some foods it makes me nauseous. Is that at all normal?” Gabe nodded. “Is there any way to help the boy get bigger?”

“Not really. Like I said he is healthy as a horse and his sister eats like one.” We all laughed. “No worries Ralphy. You’re doing right by them.” Ralphy smiled and nodded.

“Thanks.” Later we took Ralphy out to lunch then went our separate ways. I went to physical therapy for my hand to see if we could fix the nerves some. I come home to find Deb walking around the house some with support from things like the wall and tables. I smiled at her. “Babe?” she looked at me. “You’re doing great.” I walked over and hugged her. “I am glad you’ve gotten past crutches. No offense but they made you look weird, like you had 4 legs or something.” I laughed as she glared at me. “Babe I am being honest here. Give me a freaking break...actually let me rephrase that, I’ve had enough broken bones. Just relax ok, I meant it as a joke.”

She kissed me. “Yes pingüino, I will forgive you for that outlandish comment.” I moaned a little. See anytime Deb speaks Spanish around me I go berserk in the reproduction area. She always calls me penguin which is adorable and then having it in Spanish makes me want to take her to bed. “Gar?” I looked into her eyes. “I love you so very much.” I smiled and kissed her.

As time went on Ralphy got bigger which is normal. I mean if you started out big and got smaller that would be so wrong. The day came that we get a phone call at 3 AM. Ralphy is in labor and at the hospital. We call my dad Robert and have him come to watch the kids for us. I am waiting for dad when I hear, “Garrett move your butt! Our babies are being born and you’re just standing there!”

“Well excuse me for worrying about the welfare of the 8 children still asleep in their beds.” I glared at her.

“Sorry, you're right. I wasn’t thinking too clear I guess.” Once dad arrived we left for the hospital. When we finally got there and into Ralphy’s room he was in the middle of a contraction with Aiden playing coach. When the contraction ended Ralphy looked over at us. Deb walked to his side. “How are you holding up Ralphy?”

He shrugged, “Like a normal human male having a baby.” I laughed a little at his remark. “I mean yeah it hurts but I can survive right?” I watched as deb sat by him and hugged him. She said something but I couldn’t understand her. “No problem Deb, I have told you a million times I would do anything for you.”

I sat in the corner in a chair. A part of me seriously wished I was the one on that hospital bed giving birth for her. Moments like this make me wish that I hadn’t had tearing when I delivered Draco and Rosie. I think there is no crueler fate than not being able to bear children for the one you love. I didn’t even know Deb was talking to me til she grabbed my ear. “Into the hall now.” I stood and lead her out. The next thing I know she shoves me into a bathroom. I immediately felt nervous, Deb was not one for quickies so what did she plan on doing to me? “Talk.”

“About what my love?”

“Why are you acting mopey?”

“I am not mopey!” she glared at me. “I’m not!”

“So sitting in the corner all silent and head low isn’t mopey?” I shook my head. “How about the fit you had a few days ago about Sammie wearing make-up? She is 13 Garrett!”

“First I was thinking about the babies. Second Sammie is too damn young! No daughter of mine is gonna look like a prostitute at 13.” I gasped. What I said was all too familiar from my childhood. My father refused to ever let Sage wear makeup as a kid saying it would turn her into a whore. “Deb I am so sorry! Please forgive me. I don’t know what came over me. Buy her all the make-up she wants.”

“I already have seeing that you didn’t notice Sammie wearing clear lip gloss. And you should also know that she has become a woman!” that last sentence hit me like a sack of bricks. My little girl wasn’t a little girl anymore…she was a woman, with boobs that I had decided to not notice…but now…now she can reproduce if not careful.

I cursed and sighed. “Deb…why didn’t you tell me all of this sooner? Why hasn’t she told me? Is everyone scared of what I will do?” Before she could answer we heard Ralphy scream. “Come on we better see if he’s ok.” We walked out to find Aiden gone and Ralphy shifting in his bed. “Ralphy what’s wrong? Why did you scream?”

He winced. “Nothing to worry about. Aiden went to get a doctor cause my hip popped out. It happens at least once each time I deliver. It’s a normal occurrence for me but a pain in the ass.” Again he shifted trying to relieve the pain. We watched as the doctor came back in, had him lay on his side, and forced the joint back where it belonged. Ralphy winced at first then relaxed. “That is better. Thank you.” He smiled at the doctor person.

The doctor left and Deb went to his side. “So how dilated are you?”

“7 CM. but I was in labor for 4 hours before I called you so…”

“Ralphy! 4 hours?! Really? Estúpido!”

"No me llames estúpido! Estoy haciendo esto para ti! Lo siento por querer ser capaz de caminar en lugar de estar atrapado en una cama!" (To quote Ralphy- for you non Spanish people he said: “Don’t call me stupid! I am doing this for you! Sorry for wanting to be able to walk around instead of being stuck in a bed!”) He crossed his arms over his chest in anger.

“Sorry, you’re right. I just don’t want anything to happen to my cupper cake or the babies.” FYI cupper cake is what Deb calls Ralphy. They have seriously weird nicknames for each other. Sometimes I wonder if they are speaking their own language. Ralphy beckoned Deb over and had her sit by his side. I watched with a smile as she rubbed his belly and did her best to make him comfortable.

At 5 AM Deb gets a phone call. I have no idea who it was but she goes out into the hall leaving me with Ralphy. Well awkward situation, so we both sat there twiddling our thumbs. Deb walks back in looking all motherly and I figured she talked to one of the kids. As time passed Ralphy got closer and closer to deliver. At 6: 43 he starts pushing. First he delivers our little boy Garrett frank Jr. 30 minutes later little Debbie AnnMarie is born. We get a call from Robert, aka dad, saying that something happened to Sammie; that she is in the tub surrounded by bloody water. Turns out she fell asleep in it and when she came too she yelled at dad to get out and started throwing everything within her reach at him. My little Sammie has a good arm too!

Well then another surprise came…there was a third baby. Gabe did an ultrasound then and there. He learned that the baby is tiny but ok. Poor Ralphy ended up going through 5 more hours of labor before he could push again. Once the little boy was out we learned something, the baby isn’t a Norse like the twins are. It turns out that it’s a Song, but it ended up with some Norse features like my nose and ears. But it has Ralphy’s facial structure and Aiden’s eyes. Well poor Ralphy didn’t wanna separate the three babies so he gave us his baby.

Never in my whole life have I seen Ralphy as sad as he was when he gave up his baby boy to us. Right after Ralphy was cleaned up and allowed to rest he curled into a ball on his side crying. He tried to hide it from us but he couldn’t that was impossible. So to honor the baby’s real parents we named him Rafael Aiden Norse. Now all of this happened 4 months ago, but we still haven’t seen Ralphy ever since he gave the babies too us. From what we’ve heard Ralphy is depressed beyond belief and that Aiden is now 8 months pregnant with their baby. And from what I was told Ralphy can’t show that baby love…he has tried but he can’t do it. The poor kid went through so much for Deb and me, and now…now he’s become an empty shell.

The Ralphy we knew is gone it seems. I hope that one day he will return to us, I hope that one day he can love the baby Aiden is carrying. I hope that what he did for us didn’t change him permanently. I hope that somewhere in that rough exterior is the kid that when 11 had a baby of his own and raised that baby on his own not letting anyone push him around or get in his way. I hope we see that kid again soon one day. I feel bad enough for making him this way. If I could have changed things I would, I would make sure that the 20 year old boy he helped us, got helped himself.

♥ Garrett