Never Grow Up (A Sequel)

Pink or Blue?

'God, 20 weeks pregnant and I already look like I swallowed a bowling ball. Why did you do this to me, Trav?', Taylor sighs, pulling her shirt back down over her baby bump, before turning and poking Travis in the chest.

'If I remember correctly, it took two to tango. All six times', he teases, winking at her, smiling as he sees it's done the trick, her mouth working overtime to contain her laughter.

'Still your fault with your big ass head and big ass body. You know I haven't had a baby that hasn't been big? Even Gracie was big for her age and she was born early'.

'You're not exactly tiny either, you know? We have an abnormally tall two year old that definitely takes after his mom', he laughs, tickling her side before pulling her close.

'I am only teasing, you know that right? I can't wait to meet this little one', Taylor whispers against him, her hand making circles against his T shirt.

'I know. I can't wait to meet them either. You ready to find out if it's baby girl number 5?'

'Hmmm', she mumbles, her voice muffled against his chest. 'I still think it's a boy. But I thought Charlotte was too, so I'm willing to be proven wrong'.

He chuckles, kissing her lightly, before they make their way downstairs, Theo and Charlotte all ready and waiting for them to head to Brittany and Patrick's. They'd been through this before, but Brittany had insisted on organising a gender reveal for them - for their definitely last baby. Taylor had resisted, but her best friend had gotten Maddie and Gracie on her side, and the girls pleading faces at helping to organise a party had made her give in.

Brittany had collected the eldest three this morning, the girls hopping with excitement as they left with her to help prepare, so the younger two were with them - 'the babies', as Taylor called them, although Theo was such a tall two-year-old that she knew she wouldn't get away with calling him that for much longer. Charlotte was a happy, placid little six-month-old, Travis' double with curly brown hair and green eyes and chubby cheeks, and she had fallen asleep in her swing by the time they made it back downstairs, Theo still watching his show, half laying on the couch.

'Hey bud, you ready to find out if you're getting a little brother or sister? Which would you like, eh?', Travis asks him as he lifts him up, throwing him in the air a couple of times for good measure, Theo collapsing in his arms in a fit of giggles. 'Baby brother', he mumbles, and Taylor rolls her eyes at her husband.

'Stop asking him that, he's going to think he can actually choose', she playfully chastises, lifting Charlotte out of her swing and transferring her into her car seat, grabbing it and the baby bag and making her way to the door.

'Hey hey, now you can't be carrying all that, Tay. Can she, T? We are gentlemen in this family, come on, let's help mommy', Travis instructs his son, who nods, grabbing hold of one of the handles of the diaper bag while Travis easily lifts the car seat out of her hands.

He places Charlotte into the car before buckling Theo in, and then they're making the short journey to the Mahaomes, where they know all their families are already gathered. Theo disappears when they walk in the door, almost certainly racing off to find his cousins and Bronze, his hero. Taylor is scooped into all manner of hugs and embraces, chatting to friends and family who had flown in, when Brittany grabs her.

'You ready? It's afternoon tea and we have to cut the cake!', she explains, and Taylor nods, calling Travis over and telling him it was time, asking that he round up the children so they could be part of it, too.

Brittany instructs them to stand in front of the carefully constructed pink and blue balloon arch, while Maddison proudly hands over the cake knife to her mom before lifting Theo onto her hip, pulling Melody in beside her to watch the proceedings. Gracie stands on the other side of Travis, Charlotte in her arms, and on Brittany's countdown Travis' hand covers hers, he presses a kiss to her lips, and they press down, the knife easily sliding through the cake.

'Oh my god!', Taylor can't help but let out as Travis removes the knife from the cake, giggling as kissing him as the crumbs fell.

'Don't leave us in suspense, we can't see what colour it is!', Jason calls out, snapping her back into reality, and she makes quick work of cutting a proper slice of cake, turning it around so they can see, the pink food colouring clear as day.

'A girl!', she proudly declares, and giggles as Travis fist bumps the air, before lifting Theo from his big sister's arms. 'Buddy, you're going to have a little sister! It's a baby girl in mommy's tummy!', he tells him, but Theodore isn't amused.

'Mommy', he mumbles, his arms reaching out, and the assembled crowd laughs as Taylor takes him into her embrace. 'Always a mommy's boy, just like me', he jokes, earning a pat on the chest from Taylor, before she's cutting more cake and passing it out to the children.

Later, she's sitting at the dining room table with Brittany and a few of the girls and Charlotte asleep in her arms when she feels Trav behind her, crouching down and placing a kiss on her cheek. 'Hey baby. You still feeling okay?', he asks sweetly, just loud enough for her to hear.

'Yeah I'm good, babe', she replies, turning to kiss him properly, before resting her nose against his cheek. 'I love you. And our crazy massive family we stumbled into having', she jokes, and she feels him move from behind her, laughing along too.

'God baby, I love you so much. And all our crazy kids. Speaking of which, I think Melody might pass out or throw up or both from all the sugar she's eaten. Time to call it a day?', he asks, nodding his head towards their six-year-old, playing with Sterling across the room.

'Sure, let's go', she replies, passing him Charlotte so he could place her in her car seat, before thanking Brittany for hosting and saying her goodbyes to everyone who had flown in to join them.

Her mom is her last goodbye, embracing her as tightly as she can around the bump. 'He would have loved this, you know. Always said you'd have lots of kids', Andrea whispers in her ear, and Taylor can feel tears prick at the back of her eyelids, a sniffle escaping from her nose.

'I know. Don't think he thought I'd be surrounded by baby girls, though! If I'm half the mom to my daughters that you are, I know I'll be doing okay', Taylor replies, squeezing Andrea's hands before wiping away the tears that were now falling from her face, too.

'Sweetie, you're a brilliant mom. The best those kids could wish for. And they have a brilliant dad, too. Aren't you glad you both got it together all those years ago? Look at your babies now', she says, grinning, turning Taylor round to look at Travis lining the children up at the door, Maddie fixing Theo's shoes, Melody clutching Travis' hand, Gracie rocking Charlotte in her seat.

'I know, right? Best thing that ever happened to me. For sure. I love you, mom'.

She kisses her on the cheek one last time, before heading to the door, pulling Travis up to full height and pressing a kiss to his lips. 'I love you, baby', she mumbles against him, smiling widely.

'Now let's go. Baby girl wants McDonald's. Who's with me?'