Tangled Hearts.

~Chapter 83~

~Raelyn~

~10 years later~

I woke up with Colby's arms wrapped around me, his warmth making it hard to leave the bed. I leaned up and kissed his forehead gently before slipping out of his embrace. I brushed my wavy copper hair quickly and threw on a comfy sweatset. It was time to check on the kids.

Aspen, now 11, had her princess room decorated with fairy lights and pastel colors. I peeked in and found her still fast asleep, her face peaceful. "Good morning, princess," I whispered, closing the door softly.

Next, I headed to Blake's Star Wars-themed room. Even as a kid, Blake liked a lot of Star Wars and that phase never fizzled out. It was comforting to me as a mom to know that he still could feel like a kid when he wanted to. He was almost 18 and already up, probably getting ready to tackle a day wrangling all of the kids that were now in the house. "Morning, buddy," I said, ruffling his hair as he groaned.

"Mom, I'm not a kid anymore," he said, but I saw the hint of a smile. "I know, but you'll always be my baby, even if you're drastically taller than I am now." I spoke as he had a lighthearted laugh.

I headed downstairs to find Isa already in the kitchen, her baby bump showing through her apron. "Good morning, Isa!" I greeted her, grabbing an apron myself.

"Morning, Rae! Ready to tackle breakfast?" she asked with a grin.

"Always," I replied, tying the apron around my waist. "What's on the menu today?"

"How about pancakes and bacon?" Isa suggested.

"Perfect. Let's make it a feast," I said, grabbing the ingredients.

As we cooked, we started reminiscing about the past 10 years. "Can you believe we've been in this house for a decade?" Isa said, flipping a pancake.

"I know, right? It feels like just yesterday we moved in," I said, cracking some eggs into a bowl. "Remember when Blake was obsessed with that toy lightsaber?"

Isa laughed. "Oh my gosh, yes! He would run around the house pretending to be a Jedi."

"And now he's almost an adult," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. "Time flies."

Isa nodded. "It's crazy. And look at Aspen, she's growing up so fast too."

"Yeah, she's already talking about wanting to be an artist," I said, smiling. "She's got that creative spark."

"We've been through so much together," Isa said, her voice softening. "Remember our first Thanksgiving here?"

I laughed. "How could I forget? The turkey caught on fire, and we ended up ordering pizza."

Isa giggled. "That was a disaster, but it was also one of the best Thanksgivings."

"We've had so many memories in this house," I said, feeling a wave of emotion. "And we've all grown so much."

Isa placed a hand on her belly. "And we're still growing," she said with a smile.

I hugged her. "I'm so grateful for all of you. We really are one big, crazy family."

Just then, Colby walked in, still looking sleepy, with no shirt on, and in some grey sweatpants. "What's all this reminiscing about?" he asked, yawning.

"Just talking about how far we've all come," I said, smiling at him.

He wrapped an arm around my waist. "Well, I wouldn't change a thing," he said, kissing my cheek.

"Neither would I," I replied, feeling a sense of contentment.

The smell of pancakes and bacon filled the air, as Isa and I were bustling around the kitchen, Colby was mixing pancake batter nearby. The kids started trickling in one by one, each bringing their own brand of chaos.

"Auntie Rae, can I help?" Rosie asked, her little hands already reaching for the flour.

"Not today, Rosie," I said, gently guiding her away. "Why don't you go see what Uncle B is up to?"

Nick was next, climbing up on a chair to reach the cookie jar. "Nick, those are for later!" I exclaimed, pulling him down before he could grab one.

"Aw, come on, Auntie Rae!" Nick whined, but I shooed him out of the kitchen.

Paige clung to Isa's leg, her big eyes looking up at her mom. "Mommy, I want to stay with you."

"Why don't you go play with the others Paigy Mack?" Isa suggested, trying to pry her off gently.

Just then, Gracie toddled in, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Auntie Rae Rae, can I have some juice?"

"How about you wait until breakfast is ready, Grace?" I replied, trying to keep my patience.

Kaleb was in Tara's arms, cooing sweetly. "Looks like you have your hands full," Tara said with a laugh.

"Tell me about it," I sighed. "Blake! Can you help get these kids out of here?"

"On it, Mom!" Blake called from the living room. He swooped in like a superhero, gathering the kids with ease. "Alright, troops, let's go watch Peter Pan!"

"Uncle B, can we have popcorn?" Jack Jack asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Maybe later, buddy," Blake replied, herding them towards the couches. "For now, let's get comfy."

Aspen, or Penny as we all called her, walked in with a mature air. "Do you need any help, Mom?"

"Thanks, Penny, but I think we've got it under control now," I said, smiling at her. "Why don't you join the others?"

"Okay, but let me know if you need anything," she replied, heading to the living room.

Blake had already put on Peter Pan, and the kids were snuggled up around him. "Hey, Uncle B, can you do the voices?" Charlotte asked, her eyes shining with anticipation.

"Of course, Charlie!" Blake said, launching into an exaggerated Captain Hook voice. "Arr, mateys!"

The kids erupted into giggles, and even Lorraine, who was usually more reserved, joined in the fun. "You're so funny, Uncle B!" she exclaimed.

From the kitchen, Isa and I exchanged relieved glances. "Looks like Blake's got it under control," Isa said with a smile. All of the kids except for Aspen called Blake, 'Uncle B', even though he was more like an older brother to them.

"Yeah, thank goodness for him," I replied, turning back to the stove. "Now, let's get this breakfast finished before they decide to invade again."

As we cooked, the sounds of laughter and Blake's animated storytelling filled the house.

~

As we were finishing up breakfast, the rest of the adults had come downstairs just in time. Katrina, Devyn, and Tara joined us, along with Isa, Sam, Jake, Corey, Liam, and Colby. We all gathered around the huge dining room table for breakfast together. It was a full house, and the kids were in high spirits, making a huge mess in the process. Syrup was everywhere—on their clothes, faces, and even in their hair.

"Rosie, you've got syrup in your hair!" I exclaimed, trying to wipe it off with a napkin.

"Oops!" Rosie giggled, not at all concerned.

"Nick, stop playing with your food," Colby said, shaking his head as Nick tried to build a syrup tower with his pancakes.

"Uncle Colby, it's an art project!" Nick protested, but Colby just chuckled.