Chapter 39
CANDRIN
Just for show
Armelle was suckling and I had my eyes closed as there was a ruckus from the nursery.
All three mates were in there and while there wasn’t a peep from Barrett or Orsen, they were either asleep and oblivious to their fathers or they were very much awake and being entertained by whatever my mates were doing.
“I changed Barrett’s diaper five minutes ago. There’s no need to do it again.” That was Oberon who considered himself the best diapering dad around.
“And it was falling off.” I didn’t need to see Huston to know he had his hands on his hips.
“You just woke Orsen with your arguing,” Tanner said.
“Are you sure?” Oberon asked. “He didn’t make a sound. You probably just wanted to pick him up.”
“Hello.” My three mates, two of them holding our sons, poked their heads in the room. “If anyone would like to burp Armelle, we can get dressed and go to the other house.”
The other house was my mates’ former home and today they were going to show the babies their bears.
I had no idea about the appropriate time and had asked if my mates should shift when the babies were born.
But today was the day apparently. My mates said it was a tradition in their family to show the babies their beasts when they were only a month old so who was I to argue.
My mates said they’d get the three kids dressed and the baby bags prepared. There was a lot of stuff needed for three babies when you wanted to leave the house. But I was able to take a leisurely shower while they got everything organized.
We’d had to buy a new car once I gave birth, though honestly I’d left the house maybe once since they were born.
My mates had wanted to chip in for the car but I refused.
They’d forked out a ton of money for the PI and now I had heaps of cash, I wasn’t going to have them drain their bank accounts further.
We’d come to an agreement that I’d buy big ticket items, plus pay Molly and Saul’s salaries and the house upkeep, and the four of us would pay for food, utilities and the kids’ necessities.
“We’re ready,” Tanner said as my mates stood in the nursery surrounded by bags, a playpen, a box of toys and who knew what else.
“We’re not going on an expedition,” I told them.
“You never know when one of our kids might need some of these things.” Oberon extended his hand to indicate a toy giraffe that was as tall as me.
“Fine, but you’re carrying all that.” I took Barrett, and Huston carried the other two babies, while Oberon and Tanner struggled to get down the stairs with the mountain of stuff.
With the babies strapped in, Oberon drove with Tanner beside him, I sat between my two sons and Huston was at the back with our daughter.
My mates had ultimately agreed that the house should be left empty—at one point they’d discussed maybe renting it out—because they used the wooded area to shift.
But I suggested they hire it out for functions such as weddings.
It needed some DIY but it was a beautiful home and I could see humans clamoring to be married there.
“Sometimes I miss this place,” Tanner said as we pulled up.
I’d offered to live here with them more than once, but it wasn’t practical with three babies. Besides, even though they didn’t say anything, I suspected my mates enjoyed having Molly cook for us and Saul do the odd jobs they didn’t have time to do.
“Me too, it's where we met Candrin, so we can never sell it,” Huston added.
We got the babies situated in the triplet stroller. It wasn’t suitable for the deep woods but we weren’t going far, just along the path. As all three mates were going to shift at the same time, I needed the stroller as holding three babies wasn’t recommended.
“This is far enough,” Huston said.
I looked back and caught a glimpse of the roof but we were surrounded by trees.
“The reforestation looks so good. We can’t thank you enough for that Candrin.” Tanner kissed my brow and the others did the same.
My mates stripped off their clothes and I kneeled beside the stroller, telling our children to look at their daddies. They weren’t paying them any attention with one staring at his hand, another dozing and a third about to cry.
But the moment my mates’ shifted and the bears took their fur, our little ones eyes were fixed on the beasts. The three bears came over to the stroller and our kids kicked their heels and giggled. Each bear bent his head beside the babies, allowing them to sniff and hopefully memorize the scent.
It was only a brief introduction. Even though shifter babies' senses developed faster than human babies, our children were going to get hungry or thirsty or bored or poop their diapers if we stayed too long.
When my mates took their skin, they talked of how proud they were of our children.
“Did you see the way Armelle’s eyes lit up?” Huston gave our daughter a kiss.
And Orsen reached out and put a hand on my beast.” Tanner gave our son a high five, or as much of one as a one-month old could give.
“And Barrett squeed when we got close.” Oberon did a little dance.
“I’m glad it went well but can we go now?
” Childbirth, feeding and the responsibility of being a parent to three little ones saw me taking two naps a day.
I was so privileged to have a beautiful home, staff and three mates and I couldn’t imagine how single parents managed or families who lived in one room.
Those weeks when I had no money and came to live with my mates-to-be was the closest I ever got to struggling financially.
Maybe my charity could expand and incorporate families who dealt with food insecurity and children at risk. No not maybe, but definitely we could do that.
“We have a surprise,” Tanner said as he got into the car.
“Ice cream?” Since having the triplets, I’d developed a craving for it. Molly made the best but also my mates scoured the city’s ice cream parlors for new flavors I hadn’t tried.
“No, though Molly made some before she left,” Oberon said from the back seat as Tanner was driving us home.
“Left? Where did she go?”
“We gave her and Saul the rest of the day off.” Huston leaned over from the passenger seat. “And we’re going to cook dinner.”
“Nothing fancy.” Tanner caught my eye in the rear vision mirror. “Just roast lamb and the usual vegetables with fruit and ice cream for dessert.”
My mouth watered and dinner was a ways off. “But knowing how hungry you get during the day, Molly stacked the fridge with yummy treats for you, Candrin,” Oberon told me.
“That sounds great but can I ask one favor?”
“Anything,” my mates said in unison.
“Can I eat in bed? With you three and the babies nearby? I want to head to our room when we get home.”
“Absolutely,” Huston said but he turned and stared straight ahead. Oberon was suddenly quiet and Tanner avoided my gaze when he checked the mirror but nodded in agreement.
They were disappointed but had swallowed it because they wanted to make me happy. I thought about all the meals we’d cooked together. Half the fun was in the preparation and with them in the kitchen and me upstairs, I’d be missing out.
“How about you drag a sofa into the kitchen and the babies can be with us, out of the way of the gas flame and the ovens?” We had three ovens which was a lot. “The children can sleep in the stroller.”
My mates faces lit up as we got out of the car and they wheeled the babies inside.
I lay on the sofa feeding my little ones one or two at a time while my mates filled my glass with juice and I nibbled snacks. They bantered as they got the dinner ready.
Huston cut up the vegetables that would be placed in the oven and his brothers complained he cut them too small and they would burn.
Tanner prepped the lamb, inserting cloves of garlic into slits he made in the meat and Huston said we’d need a lot of mouthwash tonight.
Oberon cut up broccoli and bopped around the kitchen.
It was so normal and after this momentous year, I craved normal.
“Remember that holiday you talked about Tanner.” He stopped what he was doing and glanced up.
“You want to get on a plane with the babies?” His brow furrowed.
“No. I can’t think of anything worse right now.
” Armelle squirmed and I sat up and put her over my shoulder.
“When the kids are older we’ll go somewhere.
” I didn’t point out that we could hire a private plane.
Tanner would not be impressed with someone else flying the plane.
“No, I wanted to let you know that right now I don’t want to be anywhere else but here, with my three mates and three children. ”
“Me too.” Huston dropped the knife on the counter and hugged me.
“And me,” Tanner agreed.
“And I make three,” Oberon added.