Them. | The Final Installment of the Him Series | Joe Jonas Fanfiction

seventy-one.

I had never realized how absolutely exhausting it is to have a baby in the NICU. I knew I saw Priyanka struggle, but watching someone struggle and going through it yourself are two completely different things. I had never imagined myself a mother to begin with, but I definitely never imagined becoming one, having another, and then having a third and battling the mental battle with myself as I struggle between spending the time in the NICU with my third and spending time with my healthy children at home. It's exhausting and it's stressful but if I'm honest, my baby has lasted longer than I had expected her to and for that I'm grateful in itself.

Releasing a deep sigh as I walk into the house after spending the day by Braelin's side, the door closing promptly as I hear footsteps immediately, the little pitter patter of my girls running toward me. I'm late tonight, I missed dinner. But I haven't done that yet. We were just trying to work on her latch. She's struggling with it.

"Mommy!" they both squeal happily, two arms wrapping around my legs before I even have a chance to turn around.

"Hi my babies!" I force an energetic, excited squeal, turning and crouching down to hug the both of them. "I missed you today!"

"Mommy, can we do movie night and sleepover?!" Willa asks.

"Oh, I don't know about tonight, baby," I tell her, caressing her hair. "Maybe tomorrow night, okay? Tonight, why don't we do a movie night, but no sleepover and we can try to do sleepover in a couple of days."

She nods. "Okay!"

I give her a small grin, kissing her head. "Come on, let's go into the living room."

She grabs my hand, skipping towards the living room alongside me, Joe sitting on the couch, lounged back as he grins up at me.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, baby?" I ask, glancing down at her.

"Is baby sister still sick?"

I lick my lips. "Yeah, baby, she is. But she's getting better, so that's the good news, okay?"

"Okay!"

I grin, squeezing her hand gently. "Go pick a treat to have with the movie, baby. I'll make your movie tray after I say hi to daddy."

"Yay!" she cheers, running toward the kitchen.

"Me too?" Delphine asks.

"Yeah, baby, you too," I grin.

She giggles, rushing off to the kitchen as well.

I grin, watching them before licking my lips, turning to Joe. "Hi."

"Hi baby," he gives me a soft grin.

"Mommy! I want my tray!" Willa says.

I sigh. "Have they picked a movie?"

He nods, gesturing to the tv where Brave is ready to be played.

I laugh lightly, nodding. "Of course."

"Mommy!" Delphine yells.

"Mommy!" Willa yells again, giggling.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I tell them, laughing lightly. As I go into the kitchen and make the popcorn to put their movie night trays together, the girls run back out to the living room, Joe chuckling at them, their squeals being heard seconds later. He's tickling them for sure.

"Baby, there's a dinner plate in the microwave for you!" he calls after a moment.

"Okay!" I answer, taking the girls their trays before heating up dinner for myself and sitting on the other side of the couch, the girls separating Joe and I as the movie plays.