Once I sat in the chair at the dining table, I couldn’t get up again. “Oh my god, I’m so fat, I can’t even move.” I placed my hand on my stomach and groaned as my knees and back ached. I was carrying a litter, and my body couldn’t handle the twin boys growing inside me.

“If I can give birth to Crow junior, then you can do this,” Vanessa said across the table from me, her pregnant belly only three months along.

Griffin was beside her, holding their son in his arms. Young Crow was asleep, passed out after a busy day of swimming in the sun.

“My back killed me too,” my mother said. “With both of you. It sucks, but it’s so worth it in the end.”

“You told me that last time,” I said sarcastically. “And that’s debatable.”

My father came out of the kitchen holding Emily by the hand, my two-year-old daughter who liked to rock a side ponytail. He tickled her tummy, making her giggle. “I gave her some ice cream, Carmen.”

“I told you she can’t have dessert before dinner.” I was a lot more irritable than I used to be since my belly was getting so big. Now anything pissed me off.

“Not my problem,” Father said. “I love being a grandparent.”

“Wait,” I said. “You never let us get away with stuff like that when we were little.”

Father shrugged. “I like being a grandpa more than a father. It’s more fun.” He took Emily into the other room to play with Luca, even though he was a lot older than she was.

“Babe.” I sat back and rubbed my stomach.

Bosco came out of the kitchen. He was cooking with my brother and uncle, trying to whip up a dinner that could feed nearly twenty people. “Beautiful, are you doing alright?” He kneeled down and placed his left hand on my stomach, his black wedding ring visible.

“I think I need some ice cream,” I blurted.

Mom laughed. “He’s in the middle of making dinner, and you’re going to ask him for ice cream?”

“Father just gave my daughter some, so now I want some,” I demanded. “I’ve got two babies in here.”

Bosco kissed my stomach, amused by my request, not annoyed. “Coming right up, Beautiful.”

“Way ahead of you.” Ronan came up behind him with a bowl of vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and sprinkles. “I know how she likes it.” He set the bowl in front of me with a spoon. “Anything else?”

“You’re my favorite brother,” I said, partially joking and partially not.

Carter’s voice sounded from the kitchen. “I heard that.”

I rolled my eyes.

Bosco rose to his feet then rubbed the back of my neck. “Dinner is almost ready.”

“Thanks for cooking,” I said. “My knees are killing me.”

“I don’t mind,” he said. “Just relax. I’ve got it.” He smiled then turned away.

“You’re so nice to my daughter, Bosco,” my mother said. “Even when she doesn’t deserve it.”

He turned back around and looked at me. “She’s giving me twins. She can ask for whatever she wants.” He walked back into the kitchen to help my brother and uncle.

The house was packed with all our family members. We’d invited them over for another Sunday dinner, and while I loved having everyone here, I wished I wasn’t so pregnant. I was excited to have another baby, but I’d never expected to have twins.

“And you’re going to do this two more times,” Aunt Pearl said. “So, pace yourself.”

“Uh, no,” I said. “Just one more time. That makes four babies.”

“But that’s only three pregnancies,” Mom said. “That’s cheating.”

I grabbed my bowl of ice cream and started to eat. “Do you want me to have more kids or something? Mia and Carter have two kids, and we’re gonna have four. That’s six grandkids. That’s so many Christmas presents.”

Mom shrugged. “The more kids, the better. That’s just my opinion.”

“True.” Aunt Pearl picked up Crow Jr. from Griffin. “Grandkids really are the best.”

I finished my bowl of ice cream in less than a minute and then rubbed my stomach again. The frozen treat helped me cool off since it was the middle of summer in Tuscany. The air cranked, but there were so many people in the house, it couldn’t be controlled.

Bosco came back into the room and placed a glass of ice water in front of me. “You need anything else?”

“I didn’t ask for this.”

“Yeah, but I noticed you didn’t have anything.” Bosco had turned into the most attentive husband and caring father I’d ever seen. It didn’t seem like it was possible years ago, but he fit the role perfectly, like that’s what he was meant to be.

“Aww…you’re so sweet.” My hormones were all over the place, so just a glass of water was touching to me. “Thank you. You’re so good to me.” I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “There’s no one else in the world I would give birth to twins for besides you.”

He chuckled then kneeled in front of me again. “And there’s no other woman I would give up everything to raise a family with…and be the happiest man in the world because of it.” He held my gaze with sincerity in his eyes, not caring that my family was there watching the entire thing.

Again, he touched my emotions. “Bosco…”

He brought my hand to his mouth and kissed it. “I mean it.”

“I know you do.”

He placed my hand over his heart. “It beats for you.” He rose to his feet again and kissed me on the forehead before he walked back into the kitchen.

When I turned back to my family, they were all staring at me—grinning.

Even Griffin was.

“That man’s got it bad for you—still,” Mom said. “Even when you’re seven months pregnant.”

“I know,” I said quietly. “I’m very lucky. The luckiest woman in the world.”