Nicole Hunter
The Louisiana heat was brutal. It was so hot, I had to put Elijah's birthday cake in the fridge—there was no way I was letting that icing melt.
He wasn't a huge fan of cake, but since it was his birthday and we were throwing a party, I figured everyone else could enjoy it while he got his personal King Cake—a Mardi Gras tradition—his grandma had made just for him.
That was the only sweet thing he would eat. Somehow, the purple, green, and gold sugar didn't bother him the way other desserts did. He'd pinch off a piece with those tiny fingers and take it so seriously like he was conducting some kind of sacred ritual.
Terry and I had been decorating the backyard and the house all morning. Dinosaurs everywhere—on the plates, the cups, hanging from the trees, even a blow-up T-Rex that had scared me half to death when I walked past it the first time. Terry said Elijah would love it, and I knew he was right.
My baby was turning five. I still couldn't believe it. He had been so tiny once, and now he was a wild, energetic five-year-old who looked more like his father every day.
Grabbing another bag of ice from the freezer—the cooler needed replenishing—and made my way outside. Terry, his friends, and his brother were all sitting at the table. Seeing everyone together like this made my heart swell.
Megan was sitting with them too, letting Elijah stick stickers all over her face, while Benjamin manned the grill like the BBQ king he insisted he was.
Amber and Joseph had shown up, and just like that, the backyard was filled with life.
Never thought my life would turn out like this. After Elijah, I ended up pregnant again—with twins, no less. Isabella and Bella were already two years old. I named Isabella after my mother—she was shy and always stuck to me like glue.
It was funny how attached she was, and Terry would laugh every time he kissed me, and she'd give him a disapproving look. telling him no and that's my mommy, not yours." She wasn't much of a sharer, either. I was her world and wouldn't dare share me.
Bella, on the other hand, was more outgoing. She loved following Elijah around, practically from the moment she could crawl.
At first, he wasn't having it—used to be the center of attention, not sure what to make of this fearless little shadow. But eventually, they became inseparable. Partners in crime. Absolute hell on wheels.
Terry didn't help much. He'd let them team up and play fight like it was some kind of Sparta match. And while they were all laughs and giggles, I wasn't always a fan.
Bella was still my baby girl. And I hated how rough they could be with her—Terry and Elijah treating her like she was just one of the boys. But Bella held her own. Tiny as she was, she gave as good as she got—and then some.
Megan and Amber swore I was going to end up having ten more. I couldn't help but laugh at the thought. I didn't want that many—maybe just another boy, and then I'd be done.
Still, every time I was pregnant, it felt like Terry had this baby-making machine running on full throttle. It was like he had a secret plan to fill the house with little versions of himself.
Walking over to the cooler, I dumped in the fresh ice. Just as I stood back up, I heard my name being called.
"Mommy! Mommy!"
Elijah came barreling toward me at full speed, his curls bouncing, his face lit up with excitement.
"Uncle Joseph brought me a four-wheeler!" he shouted, tugging at my shirt.
YOU ARE READING
Jukai
أدب الهواةthere was a woman named Nicole who after losing everything she loved set out to take her own life deep in the woods. 𝖳𝖾𝗋𝗋𝗒 𝖱𝗂𝖼𝗁𝗆𝗈𝗇𝖽 was on his way home from his father's farm, getting ready for the storm which was a Category 4 storm tha...
