48. EVERLEE – HAPPILY EVER AFTER
EVERLEE – HAPPILY EVER AFTER
The last several months have been a blur. Anniston and Brooks are all-consuming, and I don’t think we’d have it any other way. The guys have taken to their role of dad seamlessly and anywhere they come up short, the pups step in. When we first brought the babies home, Woodford and Blanton didn’t know what to do with them, but now they never leave their side. They each have picked their own baby- Woodford is always around Anniston, while Blanton is always around Brooks. Knox has trained the pups to get burp cloths, diapers, and wipes on command. Jax, of course, thought it was the stupidest thing until we all caught him sending Woodford away to get a diaper when Anniston had a blowout.
We moved the babies into their room when they turned two months and the pups either lie at their door or, if someone- Knox- forgets to close their bedroom door, they’ll lie at the foot of their cribs. For the first several weeks, we let them sleep in the same crib together, but now that Anniston is rolling around more, we’ve separated them. This has been our largest struggle since the twins are nearly inseparable.
Beckett and Will have visited twice already and have such a hard time leaving. Uncle Becks always has a baby, if not two, in his arms the entire time he’s here. And of course, he and Will brought each of them a firehouse onesie that he used his Cricut on.
Lizzy had baby boy Bronson on the sixteenth of March. I was right by her side through the entire birth, coaching her and encouraging her.
For twenty-six hours.
I think near the end she was trying to hold out to have a St. Patrick’s day baby, but Dr. Yiminitz wouldn’t let her. Said she had an hour left before they change tactics. Lizzy insisted it was Bronson’s enormous head getting stuck in her tiny vagina canal. Her words, not mine.
She did me the solid of bringing an oversized dildo to grab instead of my hand because she didn’t want to break it since I had two babies to feed. Nurses thought she was weird, but fortunately enough, Nurse Bea and Dr. Yiminitz led her delivery, and they remembered her from mine.
Timing worked out great for her delivery because Will and Beckett were already coming up for a visit for the St. Patrick’s Day festivities, so they were able to see Bronson. It was at the hospital where Uncle Becks let us in on a secret. He and Will are trying to adopt and are a few weeks into the process. Lizzy still offered to be a surrogate, but they thought they would try this route for now.
Mom and Dad have, of course, been really excited and are talking about finding a place up here so they can spend more time with the babies. Callum said he’d talk to them about it at Easter and then help them find a place which is both parts exciting and nerve wrecking. While I’d love to have my parents here, it’s also been nice visiting them on my schedule and then what happens when Will and Beckett have a kid. Are they going to think I stole mom and dad? It’s a lot, but I’m trying not to focus on it too much right now.
When they were here after the babies were born, they ended up staying for a month. The guys didn’t seem to mind it too much since it allowed us all more time to spend with one another and the babies. Mom was beside herself cooking in Chef Emmett’s kitchen, a thing she only put on social media about a dozen times.
Now it’s mid-April, and we just landed in South Carolina for the babies’ first Easter. Becks already warned me that mom has gone overboard with the babies' Easter baskets, decorations, and outfits. She insisted that the seven of us cram into their house, since there’s more room since Beckett moved out, but I’m not sure her math is mathin’. I told the guys I wanted to stay in the same house we stayed in last year, but they said it was unavailable and when I was talking to Beckett about it later, he said it had actually burned down two months after we left. Something about faulty wiring, which didn’t shock me. It was an old house, but it was so cute.
Callum said he and the guys found another one they think I’ll like better, and at this point I don’t know if I care too much. I just need to get somewhere and pump, because I feel like my boobs are about to explode. Last time they felt this tight, they started spraying.
On their own.
Imagine two firehoses going off at the same time, only it’s not water coming out. It’s milk. Precious, precious, liquid gold. I’ll tell you. Anyone who says don’t cry over spilled milk has never pumped breast milk before. Here I am screaming and crying, trying to catch the liquid gold as I’m running around in a circle, because clearly the milk was shooting everywhere, and I had to catch it. Not me being the one it’s shooting from running around like a crazed hormonal lady. The guys burst into the room thinking I’m getting mauled by a Siberian Tiger only to find me cupping what little milk I could save. Emmett ran to the kitchen and grabbed two clean bottles and we just stuck those over my nipples until enough pressure was released that they stopped. I asked the guys if they were up for a water gun fight after that, but the joke didn’t land. And that’s ok. I think I was just trying to save any sliver of dignity I had remaining.
Speaking of, I need to pump soon. “Hey guys. How much longer? Not trying to rush, but these nipple ladies are screaming for release.”
Emmett turns around with a smirk on his face. “I can give you release.”
“Cute. I’d take you up on the offer, but I’m pretty sure only Jax and Knox have experience being water-boarded. With each thrust in, you’ll get a face full of milk.”
“I could think of worse things.” He gives me a wink, then turns to look at Callum, who finds me in the rearview mirror.
“Ten minutes.”
“And why won’t you tell me where we’re going?”
“I did.”
“You said to our rental house.”
Callum nods, then looks down the road as he keeps driving.
My phone dings, pulling my attention before I can fire back a smart ass response.
“Mom asked if we got in ok and then asked when we’re going over for dinner.”
“Tell her in an hour,” Callum dictates.
Ten minutes later, we’re pulling down the road that leads to the house we stayed at last year.
“I thought you said we weren’t staying here.”
“Where?”
“The house we stayed in last time.”
“We aren’t.”
“I know because it burned down. So where are we going?”
“To our house.”
“What?” I’m so confused.
Knox cuts his eyes at me. “They’re being super evasive with me, too.”
“They?”
“Knox,” Jax scolds.
“What is going on?” I ask when we turn onto the driveway of the house.
“Well, the other place did burn down,” Callum starts and then pauses as a beautiful house comes into view standing where the old house stood.
“Cal.”
Jax and Emmett say in unison, “So we bought the land and built a new one.”
“You built a house for us to stay in?”
Mom’s car and Beckett’s Jeep are parked to the side.
“What’s going on?”
Callum pulls the car to a stop beside the big oak tree with a tire swing attached, then turns to look at me. “This is our home. If you want to move here.”
“What?” My eyes burn as tears form on the rim.
“Man! Why couldn’t you tell me? I wanted to be part of the surprise,” Knox pouts.
“You would have ruined it,” Jax says simply.
“Lies.”
“Wait. I still don’t get it,” I say, opening the door to look at the masterpiece.
It’s a large white house with a wraparound front porch with several swings and rocking chairs surrounded by miles of fields.
Callum walks around the car and loops his hand around my waist. “This is our home. If you want to move here.”
“Move?”
“You don’t need to decide right now. Take a look inside.”
Jax hands me the pump bag while Knox and Emmett get the babies out of the car.
As we walk up to the front porch mom, dad, Beckett, and Will step out and shout, “Surprise!”
“What are you all doing here?” I ask, still in complete shock.
“We wanted to be here for the big reveal. It’s been so hard keepin’ our mouth shut,” Mom says.
“They knew?” Knox whines.
“Dude, you would totally ruin it! Hell, I almost did,” Beckett adds, reaching for Anniston, while Will reaches for Brooks. “Though to be fair, I wasn’t looped into the big secret at the time.”
When I walk up the three stairs onto the front porch, I’m overwhelmed.
“Sis, you’re going to love the inside.”
I feel like I’m in a dream as I step through the oak-stained double doors. The entry way is huge- three stories with a spiral staircase starting on the left.
“We’ll go up there later,” Callum says, guiding me through the hall into the kitchen.
“Oh my God.” I gasp. “It’s huge.”
“That’s wh-” Knox starts, but Jax cuts him off with a look.
Three stainless steel stoves, an oversized white granite island with ten barstools around it. On the back wall is a large farmhouse kitchen sink overlooking the backyard, and two refrigerators on the wall to the left of the sink. To the right is a huge family room with a white shaggy carpet, and a fireplace with a wooden herringbone pattern running up the wall.
“This is…”
“Totes gorge,” Beckett feels in the space I left.
“This is what you’ve been working on? The business trips you’ve been taking?”
“Yes.”
The timer beeps. “Perfect timing.” Mom clasps her hands together and does a quick twirl. “I’ve had the best time cooking in this kitchen.”
“You… what?” My brain feels like it’s going a thousand miles an hour.
“I made us some dinner. It needs to set out for about thirty minutes to let the flavors marry. Will that be enough time for you to pump?”
I stand there taking everything in for a second, but don’t speak.
“Is she in shock?” Dad asks.
“Ev,” Callum says, standing in front of me. “Go pump. We’ll talk more in a little bit.”
“You all built this… for us?”
“Yes.” Callum chuckles. “If you want to move down here to be close to your family. We have a place and if you don’t, then we can rent this one out.”
“No!” I shout, catching everyone, including myself, off guard. “Sorry. No, I don’t want to rent it out. This is… mine… ours. But the restaurant and clubs?”
“Bo’s is always looking to expand. There’s a plot of land I thought we could look at while we’re here this week, that’s on the water,” Emmett says.
“And the clubs will still be ours, but we don’t need to be around them. We want you, Anniston, Brooks. Our family. That’s what’s most important to us now.” Callum grabs my hands and brings them to his lips and brushes a kiss across my knuckles. “You are ours, and we are us.”
“But if Knox didn’t know…”
“Love. I want anything you want. Cal’s right. Home is where the heart is.”
“Lizzy…”
Jax lets out a loud sigh. “So…” His hand swipes through his hair. “With Bronson here and Tony traveling off and on for the next year…” Jax’s eyes dart back and forth.
“She can live here with us?” I shout, full of excitement.
“God no!” Jax retorts before he can catch himself. “We built her a house, too. Far away, but close enough.” He points to the field.
“Shut the front door, Jaxie poo! Did you just say what I think you did?” Lizzy chirps and we all look around and find Beckett holding his phone out. Lizzy looks exhausted but beautiful with a cloth over her shoulder, burping Bronson.
“Please tell me you have a top on,” Jax groans.
“Can’t do that, Jaxie poo.” She swipes a hand in the air. “Back to the point at hand. Did you build us a multi-family compound? Do we have a little, rather large, garden in the middle and animals? Are we homesteading? Oh my God.”
“Remind me why I thought this was a good idea?” Jax asks.
“You’re the one who suggested it, brother,” Callum laughs.
“Was I drunk at the time?”
Emmett claps Jax on the back. “We all know you love Lizzy just as much as we do, if not more.”
“Love is a bit strong.”
“Oh Jaxie poo! If Bronson burps in the next few seconds, then I know your love for me is true and deep.” Lizzy pats Bronson’s back quickly, and he burps, and before Lizzy can squeal, he vomits all over her. “This is why I walk around naked all the time.”
“TMI Lizzy. TMI,” Jax groans.
“We’re going to be neighbors. Best day ever! Because judging by the size of that burp, it must mean you reallllly love me. Like so big!”
“Are we doing this?” I ask, tears trickling down my cheek.
“Up to you, love.” Knox smiles.
“We’re all in, if you’re all in,” Emmett adds.
“We go where you go,” Jax says.
“Because this is what’s most important,” Callum finishes.
Knox claps his hands, and everyone looks at him. “We just did the thing.”
“What thing?” Jax rolls his eyes.
“The thing… you know… where you all say cute little one liners and I always get left out.” He points at himself while jumping up and down. “But not this time. I started it!”
Jax shakes his fist in the air and says in a mocking tone. “Yay.”
I nod and without thinking too long about it, I smile and say, “Okay.”
“Oh, yay!” Mom claps and starts crying.
“Does Tony know?” I ask.
Callum nods. “Yes. He helped build and decorate their house.”
“You men have really thought of everything, haven’t you?”
“We try.” Jax walks over and wraps his arms around me. “We didn’t want you to feel the pull of having everyone so far away. And this way, Lizzy is closer to her family and you. It just seems to work.”
Stretching onto my tiptoes, I wrap my arms around his neck and give him a kiss. “I love you. I love all of you.”
“Samesies.” He pats my butt and I fall back to my feet.
“I’m going to go pump real quick, then we can eat, then go see Mrs. Mary Mae and introduce her to her… grandkids? Great grandkids?”
“She’s on her way over.” Jax smiles.
“Oh wow. How?”
“Mason.” His head pulls to the side.
“Oh, that’s great! I know you had plans to meet with him while we are here. Does he know, yet?”
“About the move? No. I wanted to wait until you knew.”
“Oh. Duh. Ok. Let me go pump real quick before they get here!”