Sweetest Devotion

Love in the Dark

Adeles POV

Simon and I both look at each other smiling holding in our laughter.

 "What are you talking about?" Ashlyn asks. 

"Your cup.. look," Angelo points to both of the girls' cups.

"Big sister again," Anika reads out loud.

"What's that suppo-" Anika began. 

The girls both look at each other and drop their mugs at the same time screaming, realizing what it meant.

I look over to the girls trying to read what that scream meant.

"Wait... I get to be a big brodder?" Angelo excitedly asks.

"Yeah! Are you excited Peanut?" I happily ask picking up Angelo spinning him around.

"Yes mummy!" He yells excitedly as he starts running around the house yelling, "I'm gonna be a big brodder!"

"Well? Are you two excited?" I ask eagerly looking at Ashlyn and Anika.

"Umm.. Yeah..." Ashlyn says looking away.

Anika doesn't answer, she looks down which surprises me because she's usually not like this.

"Mummy! Mummy! When do I get to be a big brodder?" Angelo asks as he finishes running around the house and playfully slams into me.

I turn and smile," It's gonna be awhile Peanut."

"Aw, why mum? Does it take a long for the baby to ship here?" He asks looking up at me.

Simon and I laugh, "No peanut, it's in Mumma's stomach," Simon says picking up Angelo and putting him on his lap.

Angelo looks up at Simon confused, he climbs off his lap and walks over to me.

Angelo stands there staring at me and walks towards me, his eyes glued to my stomach, "But papa, I don't see a baby, are you sure it's in there," He asks knocking on my stomach.

"Yes, Peanut it's in there," I laugh, "if you put your hand on it you can start to feel the baby bump." I look up seeing Simon smiling.

"But daddy, how did it get in there." Angelo curiously asked looking at Simon.

"Um...well you see," he pauses looking at me. I

 wanted to know how he was about to explain this to Angelo. 

He continues to think and then finally gives up, "Well Angelo, when two people love each other they-"

"Simon!" I yell, "No peanut, daddy doesn't know what he's talking about. Umm, God puts the baby in my stomach."

Angelo laughs, "That's funny, Mumma. But what if you don't want another baby." He asks looking confused.

"That's exactly what I wanted to know." Simon sternly said. 

I roll my eyes ignoring him.

Quickly, I turn back around hearing Anika and Ashlyn swiftly running up the stairs.

"Babe? " Simon asks curiously, "I don't think they took the baby thing all that well."

I look down. "I'll go talk to them."

As I walk up the stairs I hear Angelo pouring out as many questions as he can think of about being a big brother to Simon. 

The smile on my face quickly vanishes when I hear whispering from Anika's room.

Ashlyns POV

"Girls? What's wrong? You okay?" Mum asks as she slowly opens the door.

"Y-Yeah mum..." Anika says quickly drying her eyes.

I waited a couple minutes hoping she'd leave after not getting a proper answer, but she didn't. 

I know mum wanted an answer. 

The real full answer. 

She sits down, and puts her arm around Anika, seeing that she's been crying. "Honey, tell me what's wrong so I can help. You're always so open to me, what's wrong, babe," Anika just sits there with her hands covering her face.

"It's your stupid baby!" I blurt out after a few minutes of awkward silence. "We don't want another sibling!"

"What! Why not?" Adele confusingly ask.

"Because that's one more person we have to share your love with, mum! It's just going to take more of your time away, you don't even have much time anymore. So when you do, you're just going to waste it all on a baby!" Anika suddenly yells as tears begin to fall down her face.

"Your not going to love us as much... maybe not even at all if you have more children," I whisper, looking down to the all too familiar floor.

Mum gasps and lock eyes with both of us. I see her own eyes begin to fill with tears.

"I assure you I will never, ever, ever, ever stop loving you. It doesn't matter how many children I have, I will always love you no matter what. I don't know what the heck made you think I wouldn't!" She says as she hugs both me and Anika.

"Why would you even think that? I will never stop loving you. I love you more and more every day and nothing will ever change that." She continues as tears stream down her face, "Not even when you two and Angelo do stupid stuff, like recently," she chuckles, "we all make mistakes, it happens."

Anika whispers, "That wasn't a mistake."

Mum looks confused, "What do you mean?"

Anika's eyes trail to the ground, "The way we have been acting recently, it wasn't by mistake. We didn't want you to have another kid."

"That's why we were so bad..." I quietly say.

"What!" Adele asks raising her voice a little.