Accepting You

Chapter 88 - Motherhood

"Arghh!!" Lily growls, raising her arms over her head and shaking her head like a mad woman.

The two children scream and bolt in the opposite direction. Pickle barks and runs after them, circling twice before running across the backyard and out of sight in the midst of his zoomies. However, in his terror, he trips the younger one and she falls to the ground.

"You're mine!!" Lily yells and stomps towards the little girl.

A little boy, dressed head to toe in a batman costume (but added on Superman's cape) jumps in front of the fallen girl with a lightsaber and Captain America's shield raised over his head. "I'll protect you!"

"You're no match for me," Lily laughs manically. "I'm bigger and stronger than you."

"And uglier!" Julian shouts.

"Ouch, that hurts my feelings," Lily pouts.

"You're the prettiest girl of them all, darling!" Lizzie shouts from the kitchen.

"Ha ha!" Lily laughs evilly. "My beautiful mommy partner has given me a power up. You are double-y no match for me!"

The little girl sniffles and grabs onto her brother's cape. "Don't give up!"

"Never!" Julian shouts a battle cry and swings his lightsaber.

Lily deflects it and snatches the shield from Julian's hand. She tosses it aside but gets swiped by the lightsaber in the leg. She cries out in pain and falls on one knee. Julian takes the opportunity and stabs her in the side. The lightsaber is caught in between Lily's arm and body, clamped under her armpit and she cries out.

"Argh! You got me!" Lily groans. She falls to her back and overdramatically dies, sticking out her tongue in the process.

"Heroes prevail!" Julian shouts, putting a foot on Lily's chest and lifts his arms, showing off his muscles.

The little girl stands and pulls on Julian's cape. "Julian, it's my turn. I get to slay mama now!"

"Okay. But can I keep the cape?" Julian bargains.

"Okay!" the girl says, just happy to finally get her turn.

Julian helps the girl put on the batman mask and then ties the velcro strap of the shield around her arm. He makes sure it's nice and tight before pulling the lightsaber from the carcass of his fresh defeat and hands it over.

Julian is now seven years old. Despite Lily's genes not having been anywhere close to the first pregnancy process, he has her dark brown eyes and dark hair. Lizzie liked to think there was a correlation rather than it being the most common eye and hair color. However, he is a mama's boy. He loves Lily and without fail, you would always see him three steps behind her whenever they were together. He's gentle and kind, but also protective and loyal. He's exactly like his mama.

On the flip side, Cameron is more of a mommy's girl. She sticks by Lizzie in the garden and hangs around when she cooks and bakes. They don't let her work with any sharp items, but she often helps Lizzie measure out the ingredients. She's only one year younger than Julian and she has the same dark hair, but her eyes are green.

"Alright kiddos," Lily says, pulling herself off the ground. "What bad guy am I this time?"

Before Cameron answers, a loud clatter sounds from inside.

Lily bolts up and dashes inside. She slides to her knees beside Lizzie who has fallen to the ground, a bowl of flour scatter across the kitchen floor. Julian is close behind, standing behind Lily with a hand clasped onto Cameron's.

"Lizzie, are you okay?" Lily asks with a hand on her shoulder.

"Y-yeah. It's just..." Lizzie winces. She sits up with a hand on her stomach.