⁎𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔗𝔯𝔲𝔱𝔥 𝔇𝔬𝔢𝔰𝔫'𝔱 𝔍𝔲𝔰𝔱 𝔙𝔞𝔫𝔦𝔰𝔥⁎

𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑦 : 𝑃𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝐹𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑒

Henry had to leave to New York for a few days and I kept myself busy with taking the kids out to some outlets and letting them spend their energy there. We even had dinner at a nice family restaurant.

Every time we passed by a couple holding hands, or just being affectionate, I felt a pang of jealousy and longing. Well I'll get him back in a few days, chill Billie.

"Mommy can we get cupcakes please?" Alex asked as we walked through the mall.

"Sure buddy, after we're done shopping. We can get some." I replied, smiling down at him. It was true that I missed Henry, but it was nice to have some alone time with the kids. We found a cute shop that sold cupcakes and I let them each pick out their favorite flavor. As we waited in line, I got a text from Henry saying he missed me and the kids. I smiled, feeling a little warm inside.

We got the cupcakes and headed back home. It was almost time to get these little rats into bed.

I parked the car in the garage and unlocked the door. "Okay you two, it's time for bed." They both groaned, but didn't argue. They knew the drill. "Why don't you go brush your teeth while I put away the groceries?" I suggested. They nodded and headed upstairs.

My phone rang and it was Henry doing FaceTime. "Hey beautiful," he said, his face filling the screen.

"Your eyes look brutal. Sleepy? I guess I am too," I teased him, glancing at the clock on the stove. It was almost midnight his time.

"It's so fucking bright in this hotel room. Why do they even bother with the curtains?" He yawned, rubbing his eye.

I giggled. "Well you could always use a sleep mask."

"Your boobs are my sleep mask," Henry mumbled, his voice slurred with sleep. I laughed, shaking my head. "Okay, well I hope you sleep well. I miss you."

"Me too. I can't wait to get back. I'm so exhausted I think I'm going to pass out right now. Maybe I should just. . ." He yawned again.

"Go to bed idiot. Get some rest. I love you," I told him, smiling.

He yawned again. "Love you too, g'night." And then the screen went black. I hung up and headed upstairs, making sure to put away the phone.

When I got to the kids' room, they were both already in bed, their little bodies curled up under the covers. I took off my shoes and climbed in beside Alex. He was still awake, his back to me. I wrapped my arms around him, resting my chin on the top of his head.

It's either they sleep with me or I sleep with them in their room sometimes. That bed is massive, and I can stretch out pretty well. As I cuddled up to him, I could feel his body relax into mine. His little hand found its way to my chest and curled into my shirt. I brushed my fingers through his hair, enjoying the softness of it. He was such a good boy, and I was so grateful for him and Rose. Even though they could be a handful sometimes, they were my world.

Rose curled up and she hugged Alex's back, her little hand finding mine, and she held it tightly. I smiled, feeling contentment wash over me. It was moments like these that made me feel like everything was going to be okay, even though we'd all been through so much. I was grateful for this little family of ours, flaws and all.

You might ask if I think about Jesse, still cry about him. And my honest answer is yes, I do but Henry made me realize that time heals everything. Sometimes it's slow and sometimes it's fast but it always heals. And I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for Alex and Rose because they made me realize that there's still so much beauty in this world. They're my reasons to keep going. They're my everything.

Jesse would always live in my heart, but I was learning to live with the pain. It was a process, and it wasn't always easy, but I was getting there. And with Alex and Rose by my side, I felt like I could take on anything.

I felt my eyes grow heavy as I listened to the soft rhythm of their breathing. The exhaustion from the past few days finally catching up to me. I fell asleep with a contented sigh, my body nestled against theirs.

In the quiet stillness of the night, I was aware of the gentle rise and fall of their tiny chests, the soft rustle of the sheets as they shifted in their sleep. They had brought so much joy and meaning into my life, and I vowed to do whatever it took to give them the best possible childhood.

𝐓 𝐈 𝐌 𝐄   𝐒 𝐊 𝐈 𝐏

ᑎE᙭T ᗰOᖇᑎIᑎG

I felt a tiny hand wrap around my finger, giving it a gentle squeeze. It was Alex, still asleep. I smiled down at him, my heart swelling with love and gratitude. Even in his dreams, he was still so thoughtful and affectionate. As I looked around the room, I couldn't help but marvel at the simple beauty of our little sanctuary. The pale blue walls, the soft white curtains billowing gently in the breeze from the open window, the small, cozy beds covered in colorful quilts.

Rose stirred and my eyes widened as she kicked Alex in her sleep. He let out a tiny grunt before rolling over, revealing his adorable, rosy-cheeked frown. I couldn't help but chuckle softly as I brushed a stray hair from his forehead. His tiny body stiffened, and then he yawned, revealing his tiny, dainty teeth. It was such a cute sight. I held him tighter, feeling the warmth of his little body against mine.

I looked over at Rose and she was awake and she smiled, rubbing her eyes. "I want huggies."

"You want huggies?" I asked, grinning down at her. She nodded and I scooped her up into my arms, holding her close. She snuggled in, wrapping her little arms around my neck. "You got it, sweetheart." I kissed her forehead and then turned my attention back to Alex. "How about you, buddy? You want some huggies too?"

He gave me a sleepy little smile and then yawned again, his tiny hand reaching up to rub at his eye. "Mhm."

I smiled, feeling my heart swell with love for them. "You sure? Because you know, I could really use some more cuddles from you both."

Alex yawned again, but this time he seemed more awake. His green eyes met mine and he snuggled closer to me. "Okay, Mommy. You can have some more cuddles." I kissed his forehead and then set him down on the bed next to Rose. They both giggled, their tiny legs kicking under the covers.

"Or what if we have a. . . Pillow fight!" I said and they laughed, their tiny bodies wriggling with excitement. I got off the bed and grabbed a stack of soft pillows, tossing them onto the middle of the floor. "Okay, ready. . . Go!" I shouted, and they both squealed with delight, scrambling off the bed and diving into the pillow fight with all their might.

"Take that!" Rose giggled, throwing a pillow at Alex. He ducked out of the way and then retaliated, tackling her to the ground in a fit of laughter. I watched them play, my heart full of happiness. They were growing up so fast, but in that moment, they were just my little babies again, enjoying the simple pleasure of a pillow fight.

𝒯𝒪 ℬℰ 𝒞𝒪𝒩𝒯ℐ𝒩𝒰ℰ𝒟

A/N : AND YES FINALLY, THIS IS HENRY. Found this guy on pinterest, and then I was like yeah okay he looks decent. (I know it's Bobby Brazier lmao.) Also, this story is coming to an end! And yay we reached fourty chapters! Thanks for reading and voting. Bye bye, see yaaaa