Your name is Dr. Autumn Kaylee Morrow and you're a trauma surgeon at Kruger-Smith Memorial Hospital. You are 29 and single, too wrapped up in your job to think about a man. But, one day, in walks a handsome man, tall and tan with caramel brown hair and steel gray eyes. He introduces himself as Dr. Declan Austin Cahill, and he's the new neurosurgeon at Kruger-Smith!
You convince yourself that there's no way Declan would ever go for you, but you flirt with him now and then anyways. One day, it's just you and he in the break room. You're talking for a bit, laughing and such. But then the conversation pauses. You maintain eye contact, intense eye contact at that. You've got a million thoughts racing through your mind in just the few seconds since you stopped talking; does he like me back? will he ask me out? will he ki-- your thought is interrupted when his lips touch yours. It's such a sweet kiss, but when he sees the clock, he realizes he's late for surgery. He apologizes and rushes off. You're left standing there, overwhelmed and happy all at the same time.
A few days later, Declan approaches you in the hallway and he asks you out to dinner, he mentions a nice Italian restaurant he loves. You say yes!
Autumn Kaylee Morrow (29)
Declan Austin Cahill (29)
You are so excited for your date with Declan. Your best friend, Nicolette Hope Underwood, helps you pick out the perfect thing to wear. You decide on something casual, a blue-and-white polka-dotted dress and a matching blue sweater. You love it! Declan shows up right at 7 o'clock, not a minute late. He comes to your door to get you, and he tells you how beautiful you look! He's looking quite handsome, too, in his classic blue suit and tie. Throughout the night, he opens doors for you, pulls out your chair, and lets you go first. He's a true gentleman. He walks you back up to your porch at the night's end and kisses you goodnight. He asks to see you again, and you say yes!
You continue to date for quite a while!
DGF: Autumn Kaylee Morrow (29)
DBF: Declan Austin Cahill (29)
~~~~~
After one and a half years of dating, you are absolutely smitten with each other. Declan proposes to you by writing “Marry Me?” at the bottom of your coffee mug. It's so sweet! And your ring is absolutely stunning, it's a jaw-dropping snowflake ring. You wonder if he had help picking it out, he did such a good job!
You are engaged for six months, and then you have your wedding! The venue you chose was perfect for you two, a nice, traditional Episcopal church in the country. Nicolette is your maid of honor, and she helps you pick your dress. You select a princess dress. You look gorgeous in it, and your hair is perfect. He's wearing a handsome tux that you picked out for him, plus a tie that matches your wedding color. It's a fantastic wedding over all, one that exceeded your dreams for it! You take his last name.
You and Declan honeymoon to Milan, Italy, for a romantic getaway.
DW: Autumn Kaylee (Morrow) Cahill (31)
DH: Declan Austin Cahill (31)
~~~~~
You and Declan have been married for three years. Work at the hospital is hectic, you feel like you might as well move in there for as little as you are home. Somehow, you and Declan manage to keep your love going, and he always makes time for you. You love how he still hasn't stopped being a gentleman to you.
One day, because of increasing suspicions you decide to take a pregnancy test. It comes up positive! You know it's going to be hectic for two surgeons to raise a kid, but nonetheless you are excited. You tell Declan by writing, “Congrats, Daddy!” on the bottom of his coffee mug, and he so excited to be a father. He tears up when he hears the news.
9 months breeze by and soon you're holding a baby boy in your hands! He's as handsome as can be. You and Declan talk it over and quickly agree on a name; he's most definitely a Jude Harry Cahill. You and Declan have a perfect nursery waiting for him at home, it's a perfectly nautical nursery.
DW: Autumn Kaylee (Morrow) Cahill (34)
DH: Declan Austin Cahill (34)
DS1: Jude Harry Cahill (nb)
~~~~~
Life is good with Declan and your little son, Jude! He's already three years old, you can't believe how fast time has gone by! You love his caramel brown hair, one blue eye, and one green eye. You and Declan start to miss having a baby around the house. Together, you two decide to try for baby number two!
It doesn't take long to get pregnant with a second baby boy! During your pregnancy, you re-decorate Jude's bedroom into a fun fire truck room, with a huge picture of a fire truck over the headboard, red-and-white bedding, and red valences over the windows. He loves it! You also decorate a nice nursery for your coming baby boy, you pick a forest animal nursery, with a white crib, a mat with forest animals on it, and a matching baby blanket. This pregnancy seems to drag by, and when month 8 comes around you are ready to be done. But he finally arrives, one week late! You love him more than words can describe. You and Declan select the perfect name for him; Coby Griffin Cahill! You're in love! He has blond hair and Daddy’s gray eyes.
Jude is such a fantastic big brother!
DW: Autumn Kaylee (Morrow) Cahill (37)
DH: Declan Austin Cahill (37)
DS1: Jude Harry Cahill (3)
DS2: Coby Griffin Cahill (nb)
~~~~~
Jude is five years old and Coby is two when you and Declan find out that you're pregnant with number three! Though balancing two kids, romance, and work is hard enough, you still manage to be excited for your baby. It's a third boy, which to be honest isn't that much of a letdown, Coby is so excited to have another brother.
7 and half months later, you give birth to your little guy. He is small as he was born too early, but overall he is healthy. He's got the cutest hazel eyes and brown hair, just like his mommy. Declan has a big say in the name this time, he suggests Dashiell Theo Cahill and you agree. Jude and Coby are so good with the baby, you know when they get older the brothers will be close friends.
DW: Autumn Kaylee (Morrow) Cahill (39)
DH: Declan Austin Cahill (39)
DS1: Jude Harry Cahill (5)
DS2: Coby Griffin Cahill (2)
DS3: Dashiell Theo Cahill (nb)
~~~~~
Jude is 10, Coby is 7, and Dashiell is 5. You are at work right after dropping off the kids at school, as is Declan. A few hours into your shift, you are paged to the ambulance entrance. There's been a shooting at Oakdale Elementary School, the kids' school!! The first stretcher is wheeled in, it's a teacher. You're terrified and frantically checking all of the hospital beds and ambulances come in. You're husband's doing the same thing. You see Dashiell's kindergarten teacher sitting at the end of a bed getting her head looked at. You run to her and she assures you that Dashiell is fine, that he didn't get hurt at all. She mentions she also saw Jude as she was leading her class to the safe area and he had no visible problems. You feel relieved but still terrified, you are still searching for Coby.
A few minutes later, you see bright red converse tennis shoes sitting in the hallway. The same kind that Coby wore to school that day. You recognize them as his because of the little bleach spots from when he dropped a bottle of cleaner on them. You walk into the curtain right behind the shoes and see your little guy sitting there. He is getting stitches on his arm and he has a bruise on his head, but other than that he seems fine. He wraps his arms around your neck and doesn't let go, him crying into your neck and you into his. You finally let go and hold his hand while they finish stitching him up. He tells you what happened. He was on his way to art class (he was late because he had to make up homework for his teacher) when everyone started running. He fell and got trampled by the older kids. He's got to stay the night at the hospital for a concussion, but he'll be just fine.
Your family takes the next few weeks to recover from what your kids went through. They continue to wake up with nightmares, but you and your husband are able to comfort them. One month to the day after the shooting, you find out that you are pregnant with your first daughter. You are overwhelmed and excited all at the same time, as is Declan. Jude, who has been very protective of his younger siblings lately, is especially excited.
Nine months later, your little girl arrives! She's so beautiful, you love her so much. You and Declan quickly settle on a first name you both love; Madeleine. Jude suggests Dove for a middle name because it means peace, a big part of your life since the shooting. You and your husband agree that there isn't a more perfect name for your daughter.
DW: Autumn Kaylee (Morrow) Cahill (44)
DH: Declan Austin Cahill (44)
DS1: Jude Harry Cahill (10)
DS2: Coby Griffin Cahill (7)
DS3: Dashiell Theo Cahill (5)
DD1: Madeleine Dove “Maddie” Cahill (nb)
~~~~~
Three more years have passed. You've got baby fever and you've got it bad. Maddie is already 3, making Jude 13. You and Declan talk about it and decide it's time to try for number 5! He had always wanted a big family- you had been the reluctant one- but now you love it! You don't take long to get pregnant, and this time, it's with twins! One boy and one girl. You're a little worried for what Maddie will think when you tell her she's getting siblings, and when you do she doesn’t really pay much attention, as she’s indifferent about having two new siblings.
It isn't long before two beautiful babies join your family! They're amazing, you're so in love with them. Naming the babies is so much harder this time than anytime previous. It takes you a week of going back and forth, he wants Zayden + Arabella, but you want Romeo + Jemima. Finally, you come together and decide on Zayden and Arabella. You and Declan pick the middle names Caleb and Valentina and in the end you're really happy with the decision you made. No other name could have fit your little twins more perfectly!
DW: Autumn Kaylee (Morrow) Cahill (47)
DH: Declan Austin Cahill (47)
DS1: Jude Harry Cahill (13)
DS2: Coby Griffin Cahill (10)
DS3: Dashiell Theo Cahill (8)
DD1: Madeleine Dove “Maddie” Cahill (3)
DS4/DD2: Zayden Caleb Cahill/Arabella Valentina “Ari” Cahill (nb)