Taking A Chance

Communication Breakdown

When Shiro and Adam arrived, Adam pulled them both into a bone crushing hug and aksed questions in rapid succession.

'Slow down,' said Keith. 'We're fine, and we got home this morning. Everything else we can talk about over dinner.'

'Mama, can we eat in the lounge room tonight?' asked Leo.

'Come and sit for five minutes first,' she said. 'Lance and Keith have some news they would like to share with everyone.'

'News?' asked Shiro. 'Well, we've already done the pregnancy thing, so it can't be that.'

A chuckled went around the table.

'I'm pregnant with triplets,' Keith said.

Shiro looked at him in amusement until he realised it wasn't a joke.

'What?' asked Shiro, stunned.

'Apparently, there was one hiding behind the other two,' Lance said. He dished food out onto his and Jaya's plates.

'What?' asked Shiro, again.

'We only found out this morning,' said Keith. 'The midwife found it on a scan.'

'Midwife?' asked Shiro.

'I think he's broken,' Lance said. He eyed Shiro in concern and glanced at Adam who was just staring at them.

'Wow,' said Rachel, 'you're going to have six kids altogether soon.'

'Um, that's a lot what you say it like that,' Lance said. 'Damn, five kids in nappies, didn't think about that.'

'Three kits?' asked Jaya.

Keith nodded. 'That's right.'

'Brilliant,' Jaya said, his face lighting up. Keith smiled at Jaya's very human reaction to the news.

Luis and Leo just nodded, but didn't seem to be fussed either way.

'Okay, you kids go and eat in the loungeroom,' said Jorge. 'Put a movie on if you want.' It wasn't hard to sense the tension in the air and the kids didn't need to be involve in that.

The kids loaded up their plates and disappeared into the lounge room, oblivious to anything being wrong.

Lance placed food on Molly's plate. 'You don't seem pleased about the news.'

'It's a lot to take in,' Shiro said, carefully.

'You were fine with two, why is three any different?' asked Keith. 'It's not as if the third one has just miraculously turned up, it was always there.'

'We know that,' said Adam, 'and we are supportive of this, you know we are. It's just, it's making you sick and it worries us.'

'You worry because you love him,' said Maria. 'This is good, but remember they are adults and will ask for help if needed.' She sighed. 'I'm sure a lot of your worry comes from being so far away from them.'

'You are all so used to living together,' said Jorge, 'that you have to learn to live normally again. I propose, Friday night family dinners here each week, then Keith and Lance can go to your place on say a Wednesday night for family time with you. You can work out a schedule between you for when you want the kids over, Maria and I are not trying to hog all their attention. They just happened to end up living with us.'

'We're not suggesting you're doing that,' said Shiro, 'and we've been trying to give them space because as you said, they're adults. I think you're right when you say we need to learn to live normally again.'

'Family dinners on Friday's sound great,' said Adam, relieved. 'Wednesday's work for us, and Amaya and Haru have been asking after them every day, they could come as well.'