Where did we go wrong?

Part 40

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1 and half years since they started dating
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It's been three wonderful months since baby Max joined the family. With him in the family, for some reason, Alec felt as though their family was truly complete. When Magnus cheekily asked for another baby as they were cuddling just after having sex, Alec couldn't help but smile. Alec knew Rafe was hoping for a younger sibling, and Alec and Magnus knew they wanted another baby. And that's how baby Max came into the picture.

Alec remembered how he sniffed as he kissed Max's delicate forehead for the first time as he let that baby scent fill his nostrils. Of course, even before Max was born, both Magnus and Alec knew that Max was their baby, but it didn't feel surreal until they held the delicate baby in their arms for the first time. Alec still remembered how he took a shuddering breath in as the nurse handed Max to him for the first time. Max was a little bit chubbier than Rafe, and Alec made sure to check if all ten of his toes and ten fingers were there. Of course, Magnus made fun of him at the time, but Alec had caught Magnus caressing Max's little toes and fingers many times when he thought no one was looking. Alec would see Magnus placing soft kisses on the bottom of Max's feet as Max giggled and blew spit bubbles. Alec couldn't help but sigh contently as he watched his better half with their two babies. The image of Magnus in his slightly open satin robes with Max carefully pressed to his chest, Rafe sat next to them, was an image Alec could never get sick of and made him want to get on his knees and propose to Magnus on the spot. Well, as tempting as it sounded, Magnus deserved a better proposal.

The way Magnus sang a lullaby softly to Max as he gently rocked the baby in the middle of the night only made Alec want to propose to Magnus and marry him as soon as possible. He sometimes wondered how Magnus would feel about eloping. Would their families be okay with them eloping, or would Alec be taking the happiness of his family away because of his selfishness? But what if Magnus preferred what they had now and said no to a proposal? Alec would be disappointed, but he would respect Magnus's decision. He would accept anything Magnus was willing to give, and if it meant a lifelong partnership without a formal marriage certificate, so be it. However, he was getting ahead of himself now.

Max has been the missing piece in their family of 5(Of course, Church and Chairman are family members!) And with him joining the family, they couldn't be any happier.

Having to wake up in the middle of the night, being severely sleep deprived, not having time to themselves were only a few prices to pay compared to the little babbling smiles they got from Max. 

In the meantime, Rafe stepped up and became a wonderful big brother. At almost five years old, he was thrilled to be the eldest child in the family. He eagerly anticipated sharing his toys with his baby brother and couldn't wait to play with Max as soon as possible. However, he understood that he needed to be patient, as Max was still very young and needed time to grow. Therefore, Rafe made it a habit to talk to Max for at least half an hour every night before bedtime. He would share stories about his adventures at school, recount the antics of Chairman and Church, or simply express how much their Dad and Papa loved each other. Rafe even created a list of activities he wanted to do with Max as he grew up, and Magnus thoughtfully displayed it on the refrigerator door to ensure Rafe wouldn't forget.

Despite the challenges of waking up in the middle of the night, enduring sleep deprivation, and having limited personal time, these sacrifices paled in comparison to the joy and fulfillment they experienced from Max's adorable babbling and smiles.

But today, Alec felt like crying. Well, he had felt that way since the day before. Max had received one of his vaccines the day before, and the baby had had a slight fever since then. Magnus and Alec had made sure to check up on Max continuously overnight, but right now, it was just Alec. Magnus had to take Rafe to his 7 a.m. football practice, even though he was severely sleep-deprived. Rafe was overly excited about seeing his friends over the weekend, and neither Magnus nor Alec could break his little heart. Meanwhile, Alec took over looking after Max.