Forever In Your Shadows

Chapter 42

Pippa's POV

Scarlett was married a few months after Hamilton started up again. Two years after that, she had her first baby. A little boy, to which they named Phillip. I laughed when she said it was after me.

"Lao Ye!" Phillip giggled. He was toddling around now since he was two now. He had outrageously curly hair from Ignacio's side of the family.

"Hi baby!" I cooed while picking him up. He started to say a bunch of gibberish and I just encouraged him.

"Mom, you have to stop coddling my son." She laughed. "He'll never learn to speak like that."

"I did the same to you and you turned out just fine." I sassed. Alejandro barged through the door of our new house and smiled at us. "Is that Uncle?" I pointed. Phillip squealed and held his hands out for Al.

"Hey!!" He said while taking the baby from me. "You've gotten so big!!" He laughed. Phillip squealed and giggled. This little boy was filled with happiness and nothing else.

"Mom, look." Amelie laughed while pointing at Scarlett. She was watching Alejandro like a hawk. I knew she was worried, but Alejandro was never going to hurt Phillip. Just the one time they played rough and he did get a little cut. "She's like a worry parent like you." She laughed.

"I had good reason to worry about all of you kids! All of you were into everything at once!" I groaned.

"The photographer is here!" Lin yelled while opening the door. I smiled and looked at Scarlett. She had taken Phillip away from Alejandro and was changing his shirt for the family photo.

We had moved out of the city and more upstate where we could have a little more peace and quiet. Enough room for everyone to come visit for the holidays, but not too much to feel empty all the time. All of us piled outside and hoped that everything would go well.

Lin and I stood near the end. Scarlett stood with Ignacio and Phillip next to us. Alejandro stood with his fiancé, Eric, next to them. And Amelie held up her small-ish dog baby, Boscoe the Scottish terrier.

"Alright! Everyone smile and look at the camera!" The photographer smiled. All of us smiled and took a bunch of photos. Different poses, but all of them were going to be put up around the house.

After we finished, we had a huge cook out and enjoyed what family time we had. Amelie was working on multiple productions and designing their playbills while creating the stage art for them. Alejandro was an accountant for a huge banking company in the city. His fiancé was a stockbroker as well. It amazed me that mine and Lin's genes created such a child. And well, Scarlett of course was working on Broadway with multiple different shows. Ignacio was doing the same but never at the same time. I was happy where Lin and I were. Completely retired and enjoying what time we had left.

"Mom get him! He's running in your direction!" Scarlett laughed. I looked down and saw Phillip running towards me holding a squeaker toy.

"Hey now. None of that." I laughed while picking him up. "That's yucky." I said while taking it out of his hands. "That's doggy toy." I explained to him.

"Doggy!" He giggled.

"Yes, doggy." I laughed. Lin came up behind me and kissed my cheek before sitting down completely. I gasped and looked at him.

"Ew!" Phillip scrunched up his nose and covered his mouth.

"Oh you no like kisses?" I gasped. "Well I'll just give all my kisses to Lao Lao!" I smirked while kissing Lin on the cheek. Phillip whined and held out his hands towards my face. "That's what I thought." I laughed while kissing his cheeks. 

"Are we going to ever change our names?" Lin laughed.

"Nope." I smiled. "You got all three of our kids to call your parents what you wanted." I said while hugging Phillip. "It's my turn now. Besides, my dad never really felt right saying grandpa and all that. I thought I'd let him hear his great grandchild say it. You know... from up there." I smiled. Lin nodded and rested his head on my shoulder.

"Lao Lao!" Phillip giggled.

"Oh you want me now?" Lin gasped. I handed him over and walked over to Scarlett. We watched them all as they talked with each other and laughed.

"It amazes me that I had you at such a young age... And was able to give you everything you could ever want." I sighed.

"Mom, you literally sacrificed everything for me." She smiled. "I can't thank you enough."

"You having Phillip over there was a thank you enough." I smiled. "I can't help but think that it all could've been so much more different if I had done things differently... But I'm glad they all happened the way they did. Because look at us. I'm happy, you're happy. Everyone is happy finally." I laughed. Scarlett nodded and looked at Lin holding Phillip.

"I'm just hoping he won't grow into a little thug." Scarlett laughed. "I won't tolerate that."

"He won't. He has a heart made of happiness." I sighed. She continued to watch him and I smiled. This was going to be our lives now. Lin and I living an hour of two from our kids and grandkid. I was bittersweet, but it was all going to happen anyway.

After everyone left, Lin and I were left alone in our house. I sat in the living room reading a book and enjoying the quiet. It was too quiet for me, but I took it as it came.

"You look upset?" Lin frowned.

"I'm not. I just miss having our kids over all the time... Everyone has their own lives now." I sighed while shutting my book. "I just miss when they were younger is all." I laughed.

"I miss them too." He said while sitting next to me. His arm wrapped around me and I leaned into him. "It won't be long until Al and Eric adopt. Then Amelie will find someone to love and then they'll have kids. Scarlett is thinking about another kid I hope. But then our house will be full of grandkids and we'll go crazy with all these kids in the house." He laughed.

"That'll never happen. I'll love all of them." I smiled.

Well. He was right. All of these kids in our house. But, I wasn't going crazy just yet. And I did love all of them.