The Irrefutable Flame⎪✓

❨29❩

♀︎

"You fucking passed out after your wife gave birth?" Brock laughs and throws his head backwards dramatically. We just told them about our birthing experience, and I still feel like it's hilarious how Elijah dropped to the floor in seconds after our babies came to this world. The midwife shook her head at him in humor and waited for him to wake up by himself, they had their hands full with our two sons after all. 

"I don't know why," Elijah laughs heavenly and shrugs his shoulders, he gives me a small look before turning towards our friends again. "She was strong and pulled through without ripping my head off, nothing in that room provoked me to pass out. But I did it anyway."

"I think it's cute," Dani cuts in and looks at Brock with a threatening tone in her eyes, her hands are rubbing her bulging stomach and she raises an eyebrow at him. "You better pass out in a couple of months, this pregnancy has pushed me through hell and back. It's only fair."

They found out a short while after us, she will be having a little girl and to say I'm excited would be an understatement. I never would've thought that we could end up like this, Elijah and I broke up in High School, Dani and Brock were terrified of admitting their feelings to each other. And yet here we are. The thought of it has me choking up again and I smile at the small family gathering we're having. 

"Kota," My mom calls from inside. "Zach is hungry and Wesley is still asleep, do you want me to give it from the bottle?"

"Yes please," I say and quickly join her. Wesley is sound asleep in his crib, clutching his teddy close to his face and I smile at the sight. Cries come from the other room where I see Zachary tumbling around in his crib, picking him up I give him a kiss on the cheek and carry him downstairs to my mom. The twins are identical, both of them look exactly alike which has made it hard for me at times, and I'm the mother. 

My mom is feeling the heat of the breast milk from the fridge, nodding in happiness and clapping her hands towards Zach. She grabs him from my arms, "Come to grandma, my baby."

She sits down with him by the kitchen island and feeds him instantly, my heart warms at the sight. "Thank you for being here for us, mom," I say and will myself not to cry when she smiles heartily at me.

"Thank you for believing in me, Kota. I made you a promise, no part of me desires to be parted from any of you ever again. I love you too much and I want to be here for my grandsons, to see them grow up and become as compassionate as their mother. Probably also as handsome as their dad," She laughs and Elijah steps into the kitchen the second she says those words. 

He smirks and creeps up on her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek she squeals happily. "I knew you loved me, Penelope," He laughs and his arm encircles my waist casually, he smiles down at me and my heart sings in happiness. "You're beautiful."

"Seems like I don't have to say it back to you, my mom just ensured your ego for the next couple of years," I joke and smack his hand lightly. 

Dani steps into the kitchen as well, Brock trails behind her and her pregnant waddling. "Penelope loves me more than she loves you, Eli," She jokes and turns to me with a smile. "Now I notched it down a bit, are you happy?"

"No comment to that," My mom laughs and looks at a sleeping Zach in her arms, she turns to take him upstairs. 

"Mom," I stop her and she looks at me with love in her eyes. "Thank you."

"Of course, my baby," She answers easily and walks upstairs with him. She really has been amazing at helping us. Tonight she ordered us to have fun with our friends and she promised to take care of the two, I can't stay away entirely, but all of us knew this already. The mom in me wants to be close to my babies at all times. 

Elijah points his finger at a smirking Dani, the smile on his lips leaves me breathless, "Penelope loves me, she is my mother-in-law after all."

"Nope," She answers confidently. "I've known her for my entire life, she has seen me through my awkward phases and still loves me! She has only seen you in your pretty phases."

"I haven't had an awkward phase," He scoffs and crosses his arms across his broad chest. 

I laugh loudly and point towards a picture on the fridge, a picture of Elijah with no teeth in his mouth, a deep cut down his eyebrow, his hair spiked everywhere and completely black. He hates me for having the picture up, but I made copies and every time he throws it our or burns it, I find yet another way of placing it some random place in our house. "Now that's a lie," I say and Dani shrieks with laughter at the picture. She grabs her phone and snaps her own picture of it, now he won't ever live it down. 

His helpless stare meets mine and he shrugs his shoulders, "Now everyone will see that picture of me. Next thing I know they will print it out at the station and show it to every last recruit."

"Thank you!" Dani says excitedly. "I'll send it to your station right this minute."

Will suddenly steps through the front door, Zara comes trailing behind and she gives us a huge smile. Relly and her boyfriend step in a second later, now all of us are here and my mind falls at ease instantly. Elijah is still worked up and when he spots Will, he stalks in his direction and says something to him. 

Will smirks and directs his attention to Dani, the look in his stare is too familiar and he hurries towards his sister. Picking her up in bridal style, he walks into our backyard and inches closer to our newly installed pool. Probably not the best idea to have something like that with Will in the family. Shrugging my shoulders, I enjoy the sight and laugh when he softly lets her go on top of the water. She falls into the pool and yells profanities at her brother, the sight brings me back to those amazing times and it humors me. Nothing has changed since then, not really. And yet, everything has. It's a weird contrast.