Twin Image: Family, Before Anything

Chapter 30

-Two days later-

~December 3rd, Sunday~

~Natalie's POV~

"I love it babygirl, thank you so much." My husband tells Nevaeh, after opening her present for him. It was a bi-dazzled bracelet, that had all his favorite colors. He puts it on, and kisses her forehead. She sits up on his lap, basically claiming her father, and I find it so adorable. She loves him.

 And he spoils her rotten, just like he already does with our princess. And speaking of her, she's set onto his other knee by my mother, and he holds and helps balance her. And the look on Nevaeh's face was absolutely stricken with jealousy. "I want picturess!" My aunt says, running over with her camera. My husband smiles but, Nevaeh was not having it.

 "Veah smileee." My aunt says, and she 'hmph's' just like I do and shakes her head. And that's when my husband takes action and tickles her. She laughs and smiles her butt off, and my aunt snaps the picture. I watch my triplets run my way, laughing, obviously being chased by someone, and I snatch and sit all three of them up as they go by me. And I see that it was my sister chasing them, and I adored the sight of my sister playing with my kids. 

She gets them up go play a game, and I try to watch them but, I notice my eldest looking around for who I assume is me. I stand up and he spots me, lighting up and running over. "Mommy mommy look! Look at what I made for daddy!" He tells me, and I feel my husband look over here as I take what seemed to be a pretty thick and stapled, handmade book. And the cover melted my heart. It was a picture he drew of him and his dad, and it said 'happy birthday dad, you're old!' Which made me laugh. 

I look through it and it made me wanna cry, and it wasn't even my gift. "Do you think he's gonna like it?" He asks me, trying to contain himself. I close it, and I smile at my baby, "No, I think he's gonna love it sugar." - "I think he's gonna love it too." The birthday boy himself comes up saying, and since I saw an unfinished page, I hide it against myself as he tries to peek, "Noo not yet daddy! I'm not done yet. Thank you for hiding it mommy." He says, and tells me as I carefully pass it back to him. "You're welcome son." I tell him, and him and his dad stick their tongues out at each other as he makes his way back upstairs. They make me laugh, and I hug my husband underneath his leather jacket, like I always do. 

And he hugs me back, and kisses the top of my head. "Thank you." He tells me, and I quirk. "For What?" I ask, and he smiles watching our son pass the little upstairs balcony, "For him." He tells me, "He's exactly what I envisioned the moment I realized I only wanted children from you." He says, grabbing my attention. "And I, never really thanked you for him. Nor did I ever thank you for forgiving me, for what I did." He tells me, warming my heart. "So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you." He adds, leaning in to kiss my cheek. I smile and blush, "You're welcome." I tell him, and he smiles down at me.

***

My son hops onto his fathers lap, and hands him the little colorful book he showed me earlier. He laugh-scoffs at the title and tickles our son, like I knew he would. I watch him begin to read and flip through pages, and the further in he got, the more emotional he seemed. He gets to the end and by then he was teary-eyed, and our son hugs him, and I hear him say I love you. And I couldn't possibly help but shed a quick tear.

 I wipe it before it falls, and I sniffle. Just then though, I spot my sister spinning around with my children, playing ring-around-the-Rosie. Literally. I laugh a bit when I see my youngest in the center of the circle they were making. But I stop laughing once I spot my sister getting ready to let go of each of my children's hands, "Teresa No!" I yell, and yet my triplets hold hands together for the first time.