Summer was here and the day was gorgeous. The midday sun was high in the sky and the temperature was a perfect 70 degrees as I lay in the grass behind the cabin, watching my two sons.

Garrett was doing his best to crawl towards me, while Austin was sitting back on his butt, clutching a fallen leaf and swinging it up and down like he was trying to get something out of it.

“There you go, Garrett!” Casper called out encouragingly from beside me. “Good job!”

Garrett’s little face twisted into a smile and he giggled as he put one hand in front of the other and wriggled his chubby body towards us. His knees were moving a mile a minute as he got closer. Just as he was about to reach me, his right hand slipped in the grass and sent him tumbling forward, face-planting right into my side.

“Oh, you all right!?” I asked, lifting him up under his arms and holding him in front of my face. He was fine, and I wasn’t sure why I kept asking every time he took a little tumble.

“He’s fine, Red,” Casper laughed, patting my shoulder. “He’s a tough little alpha, just like his father.”

Two alphas. Casper had given me two alphas and I couldn’t be happier. Of course, I’m sure I’d still be saying that if he’d given me two omegas or two betas. Whatever my sons were, I was going to love them just the same.

I pulled Garrett close to me, sat up and looked over at Austin who had lost any and all interest in his leaf, and was now slapping his hands against the ground, apparently amazed by the fact that he could mash the grass down if he chose to.

“Whatcha doing, Austin?” Casper asked, walking on his knees over to him. “Showing the grass who’s boss?”

Austin giggled, which always sent my heart soaring, and turned to his father as he scooped him up in his arms and kissed him on the forehead. Our son’s laughter was the most beautiful music.

Garrett twisted in my arms, reaching down to the ground for a tiny stick, which I picked up and handed to him. He swung it around, but it slipped from his grasp and landed a few feet away. He looked up at me with confusion, and I leaned over and picked it up for him.

How could anyone ever get tired of this? Just playing with my sons was one of the greatest joys I’d ever experienced in life. It had made me realize just how much I’d missed as a child, growing up without parents of my own.

I had anticipated feeling that way, and had prepared myself in case that ended up making me feel sad, but it hadn’t. In fact, it had simply driven me to become the best parent I could be and make sure my children always knew we loved them.

Of course there would be hard times ahead, and lessons the boys needed to learn, but they would never feel as though their fathers didn’t love them. And that was of paramount importance.

“Did you find what you wanted in that leaf?” Casper joked with Austin, bouncing him up and down in his arms. Austin giggled with delight.

The whole mountain was bustling with summer activity, and everyone was delighted with our boys. I couldn’t keep people away from us! Everyone wanted to see them, bring them presents, hold them, spend time with us. Mikey and Jet’s son was only a little bit older than our twins, and once they were able to get around on their own, I was looking forward to them playing together.

They took after us both, with strawberry blond hair, but not quite as curly as mine. They had brown eyes and smelled like someone had taken our scents and mixed them together – blueberry apple with a hint of spice.

“How are you guys doing?” Osana called from the cabin. “Anyone hungry? I made some sandwiches!”

“I’m okay,” I replied, turning to Casper. “Would you like anything?”

“No, I’m gonna save room for dinner,” he called back. “Thanks, Osana!”

Osana smiled and headed back inside. I could see the cabin was filled up with quite the crowd, all ready to take a break from their summer duties. There was a lot to do on the mountain. We’d been felling trees and selling the lumber, tending to the gardens, fixing things on the cabin and the lodge. I should have been doing more to help out, but my sons were taking up so much of my time that everyone understood.

“You know what I was thinking?” Casper said slyly.

“What’s that?”

“I was thinking maybe we could get Kitchi or Osana, or maybe Mikey, to watch the kids for us for an hour or so tonight. Maybe get some alone time?”

“It has been a while,” I laughed. Children were a blessing, but they definitely cut into our time alone together. I’d been pretty backed up, and apparently so had Casper.

“Yes,” I replied, kissing his cheek. “That’s a great idea.”