I heard a small crying noise coming from the guest room as I was waking up. Immediately, I jumped up and rushed to the small infants.
"Are you hungry?" I cooed at Lafayette as he continued to cry. I walked into the kitchen with him in my arm and I had a prepared bottle of whole milk from the night before and put it in the microwave.
"Sorry, it's the only thing I got." I said to the little baby. The microwave beeped signaling the bottle was warmed. I put the bottle to his mouth and he immediately latched his mouth onto it. It only took ten minutes before the bottle was finished. 'Should I burp him next, oh I know ill call my mom.' I thought as he cried again. Immediately I picked up my phone and pushed my mother's contact.
"Hey mom." I started as she picked up.
"Hi Bella. What on earth is that noise?" She asked dumbfounded.
"Yesterday, I saw four baskets on my doorstep, and there were four malnourished children in said baskets so I took them in and adopted them. Now one of them is crying and I've got no clue what to do." I explained trying to get help.
"Have you fed the baby?" She asked slowly
"Yes. What do I do?" I asked getting impatient.
"Now you have to burp it." She stated.
"How do I do that?" I asked hoping she could tell me.
"Put the baby stomach down on your shoulder and firmly but gently pat it's back. Once you hear a burp stop." She said as I followed the instructions.
"He stopped crying. Thanks mom your a lifesaver."
"No problem, darling bye."
"Bye, mom" she hung up after I said that and immediately after another person called. I returned the call before I could check the caller ID.
"Hi. Who is this?" A man chuckled into the phone.
"How could you forget about me? It's me, Lin." He said as three loud cries sounded from the other room.
"Who's that?" He asked
"Oh um you might want to come over for me to explain. Also, bring the cast but be quiet no matter what be quiet." I said warningly.
"Uh ok see you when I get there bye."
"Bye Lin" I said hanging up. I sighed as I fed and burped the other three infants before wrapping their blankets around them. Twenty minutes later I heard a knock at the door.
"Hey, Bella it's the cast!" They said at once in a sort of loud voice. Oh no I thought as four cries came from the guest bedroom.
"Now you have to explain where the noise came from, Bella." Lin whisper shouted. The cast agreed as Renee pushed forward. I rushed to my guest bedroom unable to stand their cries any longer. I took the infants into my arms rushing back to the group.
"So, you finally had kids did ya Bella?" Daveed, my childhood friend asked.
"I can't have children remember." I sternly explained tearing up.
"Then who's are they?" Leslie asked in a calm voice.
"I don't know I adopted them yesterday because they were sitting on my doorstep in separate baskets." I said again as the infants were sobbed louder.
"Hey, hey, ssssshhh" I tried calming them down. They wouldn't stop so I racking my brain for a song to sing to them. Finally a song came into my head.
"Dear, Theodosia what to say to you, you have my eyes, you have your mother's name." I started as John started to slow his crying. Suddenly Philippa chimed in as the group followed me to my guest room.
"When you came into the world, you cried and it broke my heart." She sang beautiful as ever.
"I'm dedicating every day to you." I sang again. As Lafayette slowed his cries and John completely quieted down falling back asleep.
"Domestic life was never quite my style." Leslie sang trying to keep it going as the rest of the gang sat clueless as to what was going on.
"And when you smile....." I continued with tears in my eyes. Alexander closed his eyes drifting to sleep at the sound of the song.
"You knock me out, I fall apart." Lin jumped in his voice cracked a bit.
"And I thought I was so smart. You will come of age with our young nation, we'll bleed and fight for you, we'll make it right for you and you'll blow us all away someday, someday." I sang wrapping up as I heard Hercules giggle falling asleep as well.
"Thanks guys" I said quietly as I tucked them back into the baskets.
"What are their names?" Renee asked after as small bit of silence.
"Well, I kept their last names as middle names" I started, pointing to the first basket.
"This is Alexander Hamilton Burr." I said. I was related to THE Aaron Burr.
"Marquis de Lafayette Burr." I said pointing to the French flag blanket clad child.
"Hercules Mulligan Burr." I said pointing to the baby with the hand stitched blanket.
"And John Laurens Burr." I finished pointing to turtle blanket child. Smiling I waited for the cast to reply.
"T-they're named after the founding fathers." Daveed stammered his jaw dropped to the ground in shock.
"Yes but I have no clue why. Those are the names on the notes that I had found." They all oh'ed realizing the situation.
"If you don't mind me asking. Where is your boyfriend, Derek?" Thayne asked quietly.
"He left me yesterday after I told him I couldn't bear children." I said breaking down into tears.
"Sh it's ok I'm sorry for asking." Thayne said giving me a huge supportive hug. I cried into his arms for another ten minutes until I realized that I had kids now. Then, I heard yet another knock at the door as a distressed Natalia fell through the open door holding another four small bundles in baskets. Not again. I thought as she set them on the bed. Lin and Oak just stood off to the side as glanced over seeing the notes.
"Looks like I've gotta get them legalized too." I realized as I pulled a hundred dollar check from one of the baskets. I picked up the note from the royal looking basket.
"Dear, finder of my children,
I am sorry to dump my children off on you but I've nowhere else to turn. I'm a King but my throne has been overthrown by the citizens. The children's names are Prince Thomas Jefferson and Prince George Fredricks. I have two daughters with you as well their names are Princess Jayde and Princess Maria Reynolds I am giving you the last of my money so use it to pay for the groceries for them. Take good care of them.
Signed,
King Daniel of Antarctica." I read as everyone just stood there. Then Thomas began to cry waking up George.
"Sweet Jesus" I muttered picking up George rocking him as I started to sing a song I was sung as a child.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." I finished the part as George began to doze off again. Jasmine beamed as she picked up Jefferson.
"Look at how cute he is." She squealed quietly as she cuddled the boy. Everyone awwed at how cute the babies were.
"Guys, I have to go shopping for supplies. Renee, Philippa, Jasmine, Lin, Daveed, Christopher, Oak tree, Leslie and Anthony come with me. Thayne and Groff are on child duty. Call me if you need help guys." She said grabbing her keys and walking out the door as selected people walked out.
