Chapter 88
Alex and Avora: almost 5 years.
“Skye loves your twins, Anna smiled, her eyes watching the way her little girl roamed around Alex wherever he went. If he went into ball pool, her little feet followed him there. If he played with his cars, she got her stuffed animals there too.
As if just in queue with my thoughts, Alex decided he had enough of his cars and walked over to Aurora who was making something with the blocks, I’m not quite sure what it was maybe a castle with two and half walls?- and knocked it over, grinning.
Aurora pouted, but she’d given up crying about her brother’s destructive antics a long time ago. She grabbed a block and threw it at him, and it missed his stitches scar by just a few inche
“No hitting,” I tell Aurora in a firm voice, and then switch to Alex And Alex? No breaking things.”
“But Mama!” Alex protested.
“No.”
“No hithing?” Skye repeats with a hiccup, and Anna sighs.
“She’s two and a half, Soph.” Anna tells me, “And she already has a crush?”
I laugh, “I’m sure it’s more like her fangirling over Alex. She thinks he’s super cool because he can jump high or something.”
“Yup, she’s not supposed to be fangirling so early on!” She whined, “She’s two and a half!”
I giggle more. She definitely wasn’t wrong. Skye, with her chubby cheeks and shoulder length hair should be busy toddler- ing, but instead, she was busy fangirling, which often mivolved clapping whenever Alex did something he was proud of us (even if we weren’t), and mimicking anything that any of us told him.
“How prepared are you for the third baby?” Anna asks, looking away from the kids.
“Oh my, so ready!” I keep a hand on my swollen baby bump. “I’m like a million months pregnant.”
“The doctor says anytime now,” she reminds me. “Do you think this one’s going to be your last?”
“I don’t know?” I tell her honestly, “I think yes? It just feels like this baby is going to complete us in every way.”
“Girl or boy?” She asks, her eyes shining. “I think it’s a girl.”
“I think it’s a boy,” I tell her.
“Well, a boy would certainly balance out the ratio. Alex is surrounded the girls now.”
“Trust me, he’s enough,” I smile at my little tornado. My heart aches thinking of the accident he had a few months ago. He was bed bound for a month, and I didn’t leave his side even for a day, especially not when my last conversation with him included him thinking me and Gabriel didn’t love him.
I sigh smile. “I can’t wait for the baby, but I’m going to also miss giving all my time to the twins.”
“I know how that feels,” She frowns, “Every time I and Zach have the conversation about another baby, I’m scared Skye would feel I’m not giving her enough attention once the second baby is born. She’s so little.”
“Hm, yes.” I buzz.
“At least with Alex and Aurora, they have each other’s company
1/3
“Ouch.” I gasped.
Her eyebrows knit immediately. “Sorry? I didn’t mean it in an offensive way. I meant like when you and Gabriel are busy, at least they can play with each other, not that you would ever let them feel lonely:”
“No. No.” I stop her little rant. “I- I think I just had a contraction.
Her eyes widen. “Are you serious?”
I nod, cradling my bump before wiggling on the couch to get up and she gets up first to help me up. I feel the little wetness through my inner thighs and I wince. “I’m sure. I’m- I’m in labour.”
“Okay. Okay. Gabriel? GABRIEL?!” She shouts so loud, the babies flinch.
Within seconds my husband is out, fear in his eyes that relieves on seeing everyone in the room is okay.
“Your wife is in labour. She’s..” Anna starts taking deep breaths, and I look at her. Didn’t this woman give birth too? She looked like she would have a panic attack.
Gabriel’s eyebrows knit, and then his eyes widen as he rushes to my side. “Okay. Okay. There’s no need to panic.
“I’m not panicked.” I tell him. “I’ve done this earlier too, remember?”
“I’m not talking to you, Freckles. I’m talking to myself.” He shoots me a nervous smile. “I’m going to get the baby bag, and then we’ll go to the hospital, okay? I’ll call your doctor on the way”
“Baby! Baby!” Aurora quickly picks up, jumping and clapping.
“Baby?” Skye repeats, her eyes searching for Alex, who was diving through the ball pool.
His b
His head perks up from the balls he was covered in, “Did you say baby? Is it time?”
“Yes, it’s baby time.” Gabriel tells them all, before turning to me. “Bag, yes. Bag.”
“Mh-hm.” I nod at him with a small smile and he spins to leave, but turns again, inching towards me to place a little kiss on my lips. “I love you, Freckles.”
I melt in his arms. “I love you,” I kiss him again while cradling my bump, and then wince as another contraction comes through.
My
y labour lasted for over six hours, at the end of the very painful and sweaty three hundred and seventy three minutes, there was a cry at the end and a little baby boy was placed in my arms, with my husband hovering over the both us.
I was tired, tears in my eyes as I stared at him.
*I love you,” Gabriel muttered for what would be the hundredth time before placing his lips on my forehead. “You’re the strongest woman I know.”
I smile at him.
He goes on, “I am going to love you and our three babies to the end of time, okay?”
“I have no doubt about that” My smile widens when he kisses my lips, and we both turn to our baby boy who had fallen asleep
The door opens and my twins rush in, stopping when they see their little brother tucked safely in my arms.
“Come in, my loves, 1 usher them, and Gabriel puts each one on the hospital bed. They walk close, but not too close, leaning
to see.
“Your brother,” I tell them, “Ronan Whitlock.”
“So little.” Alex was in awe.
I smile, and Gabriel places a kiss on his forehead. “This is how little you were when you were born.”
“Really, dada?”
“Yes. And I used to take you in my arms and talk to you for hours”
“Dada, you’re the best.” Alex swung in Gabriel’s arms, who picked him up effortlessly with a laugh.
“Mama?” Aurora called
“Yes, my baby?”
me.
“I will always protect Ronan.”
I share a little look with Gabriel and smile at our daughter. “I know, princess. If I could lean down enough to kiss her. I would right now.
“And I will protect Aurora and Ronan both!” Alex announces.
Yes, champ,” Gabriel ruffles Alex’s hair and he huffs about it before jumping back to the hospital bed. I keep Ronan down and the twins both sit on each side of him, placing little, delicate kisses on Ronan’s cheeks and I stare with tears in my eyes at my little family.
All my tiredness had disappeared completely watching my older kids gush over their little brother.
“Our family, hm?” I look at Gabriel, who was staring at the kids with an expression that mirrored mine.
“Our family,” he repeats with a dreamy sigh and seals the deal with a kiss on my lips.
