Chapter 51 #2
I reach over and place a hand on her shoulder, squeezing her gently. “You did it,” I whisper. “You’re incredible.”
She gives me a shaky smile, her eyes still locked on the tiny lives we’ve created.
And just like that, everything is exactly where it’s supposed to be.
Eventually, we make our way home.
The house is quiet for a moment, as if the world is letting out a collective sigh of relief. After everything, the hours in the hospital, the rush, the panic, the overwhelming joy, it all fades into this new, soft reality.
Ivy’s still exhausted, but there’s a sense of peace about her now, a calm that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. She’s a mother now, and she’s got this quiet confidence that makes her look like she could take on the world, even if she’s half asleep.
I pick up one of the babies, my daughter, and she lets out a little squeak that makes my chest tighten. I never thought I’d be here, holding a child of my own. But here I am, holding my daughter, and my heart is too full for words.
When we walk into the house, everything feels different. The air smells fresher somehow, it’s been cleared of all the uncertainty. It’s real now. We’ve made it through the hardest part. And now, the four of us, no, the seven of us, are finally home.
Penny’s already there, bouncing on the couch, she’s about to explode with excitement.
“Are they here?” she asks, her voice high pitched with excitement. She runs over to Ivy, eyes wide as she catches sight of the other babies in her arms.
Ivy smiles, shifting them carefully so Penny can get a closer look. I crouch down beside her, holding the smallest for Penny to see. “Yes, sweetheart,” Ivy says softly. “These are your sisters and brother. Meet Mia, Lucy, and Max.”
Penny’s little face scrunches up in thought as she eyes the babies one by one. She taps her finger on her chin, trying to look serious, but her excitement is contagious.
“Mia... Lucy... and Max?” she repeats, rolling the names around in her mind.
Ivy’s face softens as she looks at her, a warm smile playing on her lips. “What do you think? Do you like their names?”
Penny scrunches up her nose, tilting her head in that way she does when she’s deep in thought. “Mia’s perfect for the baby girl. But Max... hmm.” She pouts, crossing her arms as she glances down at Max. “Max needs a funny name. What about... like, Dinosaur?”
Ivy laughs, her tired eyes lighting up. “Dinosaur?”
“Yeah! Max Dinosaur,” Penny says with all the seriousness of a child giving the most important opinion of her life.
I can’t help but chuckle. It’s just like Penny to take things in her own direction. She’s the boss of this family already, no question about it.
Ivy’s face softens, her gaze flicking between Penny and the babies. “I think Max Dinosaur might be a little much,” Ivy says gently. “But Max for short is perfect.”
Penny nods enthusiastically, looking very pleased with herself. Then she looks at Lucy, her other little sister. “Lucy’s nice. But... what if she was Princess Lucy? Or Super Lucy?”
“That sounds good to me,” I say, smiling at her. “But I think Lucy’s just perfect on her own, don’t you?”
Penny nods with a smile, satisfied with the decision. “Okay, fine. Lucy it is.”
Ivy glances over at me, her face glowing with exhaustion and relief. “I think Penny’s the real boss around here.”
I’m still in awe. It’s all so surreal, the way we’ve ended up here, in this moment, as a family. Three babies, a rambunctious toddler, and the men who love Ivy in all the ways she never expected.
But as I look at the little family we’ve created, something else sinks in, heavy and undeniable. There’s a thought that’s been lingering at the back of my mind ever since the birth: We need to plan the wedding. And we need to do it soon.
I turn my head and catch Mitchell’s eyes. He’s holding one of the babies now too, his fingers brushing the tiny cheek with a tenderness that almost makes me lose my breath. But there’s something in his gaze, determined and clear. We’re all on the same page here.
I glance at Freddie, who’s standing beside Ivy, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. He looks peaceful, content. But I can see the same thought crossing his mind too, behind the smile.
“We can’t wait any longer,” I murmur, my voice low but firm.
Mitchell looks up from the baby in his arms, a quiet understanding in his eyes. “I know,” he says, his voice soft but resolute. “It’s time.”
Freddie steps closer, nodding in agreement. “Ivy deserves it,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. “She deserves to be our wife. And we deserve to make it official. All of us.”
Ivy looks between us, the realization slowly dawning on her face. She blinks up at us, her lips curling into a tired, but genuine smile. “You’re really going to put a ring on this?” she teases lightly, but there’s no mistaking the warmth in her eyes. “Once and for all?”
“Absolutely,” I say, stepping forward, my hand reaching for hers. “We’re not letting you get away now, Ivy. This family’s ours. And we’re going to make it official.”
Her eyes soften as she looks at us. She looks between all three of us, her smile widening as she carefully shifts the babies into her arms. “Okay,” she says quietly, a little breathless, “I guess it’s about time.”
The world outside the house might still be chaotic, might still be filled with gossip and whispers, but here, inside these walls, there’s peace. There’s love.
And with that thought, I feel my chest swell with a sense of purpose I’ve never had before.
We’re not just going to keep stumbling through life. We’re going to build this family together. And we’re going to make it the kind of love story that survives everything.
I look down at the tiny face of my daughter, Mia, her eyes flickering open. Then to Lucy, then Max.
Yeah, this is it.
The future finally feels real. And it’s ours for the taking.