Chapter Thirty-One

How the hell did we get here? The originals hit the thirty-two mark this year, Brody a few years older and Brecklynn younger. I rub my protruding stomach and close my eyes, letting the sun warm my face.

“Not fair. I’ve shared an entire pregnancy with Saylor and some with Brecklynn . . . Avery I feel cheated.” Emberlee accuses.

“Don’t know what to tell you.” I yawn.

“I don’t feel like I got the full experience.” Emberlee keeps yammering.

“I’m calm when I’m pregnant.” And nobody could argue with me. My hormones don’t surge, I don’t get irrational— my sex life doesn’t suffer.

“Fucking blow hard.” She crosses her arms. “Are you gonna tell us what you’re having?”

“A baby.” I affirm the obvious.

“Bitch. Saylor is having another girl— bless Deacon. I don’t know why you and Caden insist on being surprised.” She’s still complaining.

“Because you aren’t the boss of me.” I assert.

“All this time.” She fake mocks.

“Aunt Lee Lee, can I swim?” Nolan hollers and I see her looking for his parents.

“I don’t care.” She shrugs.

“Cannonball.” He shouts as he jumps into the water— fully fucking clothed.

“NOLAN!” Shit, Breck is mad.

His head bobs and he shoots Emberlee a wink. “You’re my favorite.”

“I thought I was. You told me that this morning when I gave you another donut.” I tease.

“Love you, Aunt Aves. You’re my favorite.” Fucking Mason Adler Jr.

“He doesn’t have any shame. Like father like son.” Emberlee laughs.

“What is happening here? You tell me I’m your favorite.” Poor Saylor is crestfallen over this news. Nolan at least looks guilty for hurting her feelings.

“You make my dad crazy so that makes you number one. Plus, we have dates. I’m waiting til’ I’m bigger and can kick Uncle Deacon’s butt. You’ll be my girl, Aunt Saylor.” He dives under the water as Breck storms outside. Nine years old and he may be a better player than Mason.

Saylor doubles over as Breck reaches the edge of the pool. “Uh, someone get my husband. We have a problem.” She points to the water at her feet but Nolan splashed so much I can’t tell.

“Saylor Douglas, you best not be playing games so I don’t beat his ass. He knows we have dinner with his grandparents and he jumped into this pool wearing his good clothes. I told him no.” Breck sasses.

“Dude, not cool. I’ll go against your dad but not your mom.” Lee Lee chides him.

“I’m not fucking playing. DEACON!” Her agonized cry spurs us into motion.

“Shortstop.” He’s lifting her and she grunts with the movement. “Okay. Baby time.”

“We’ll cancel dinner and stay with the kids.” Breck narrows her eyes at Nolan who is cheering. “Call.”

Emberlee and Brody stayed back because there are too many kids for two adults. Well, one if you consider Mason in the equation.

I’m squirming in the uncomfortable chairs as we wait for news. “You okay?” Caden rubs my leg.

“Fine. My back hurts. These chairs suck.” I complain. He starts massaging my neck and I try to stay still but my fucking back is killing me.

“She’s here.” Deacon appears beaming with pride. “Laurel Katherine. She’s tiny at six pounds seven ounces but we are two weeks early.”

I stand and hug his neck. “Congrats.” Caden and him do their thing and tell him to call us if they need anything. “We’ll keep Julie and Kinsley with us.”

“My parents may come get them.” He shrugs. Which means as soon as they’re rushing here, meeting their new granddaughter and then speeding to my house to get Kinsley and Julie. And that bodes well because when I cross the automatic doors my water breaks . . .

“Uh, Caden. Call our parents. Someone needs to get Willow and we need to go back in.” He turns, notices the water and laughs.

“Fuck, Picasso. You’ve got perfect timing.” Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Leif Trey is born within three hours and weighs a whopping nine pounds six ounces. But still doesn’t have a huge head. Breck barely made it in time to be in the room— but ya’ know, B comes before E.

And Emberlee tells me she expects a turn. I tell her to fuck right off.

Emberlee is like a scorned woman. Leif and Laurel share a birthday so we’re celebrating together. But that isn’t what burns her butt. It’s the fact that Saylor and I can greet each other— again— with bumping bellies. Two years later and we’re knocked up at the same time once more. “I swear y’all conspire.” She’s pointing at Caden and Deacon.

“Yep. I call him right before I decide to have sex.” Deacon rolls his eyes.

“What’s sex?” Nolan pries into the conversation.

“Go ask your dad.” I push him to the other room. “Can someone go record that conversation?”

“Mason! What the hell do y’all discuss when I’m not home?” I pinch Caden so I don’t laugh and Saylor looks proud that her husband got Mason in trouble.

Thirty-four years. Eleven kids. Two still incubating.

And we’re still side-by-side. Stronger together than apart.