Lennox
By the time Avery and I make it down the hall with Lexxas in our arms, she’s a sleepy puddle of giggles and wiggles. Her curls are a mess from all the snuggles and wrestling during dinner, and her little nose crinkles when she yawns wide enough to squeak. I tug Avery close as we walk into the nursery.
“We’re going with the penguin pajamas tonight,” I say, lifting the soft cotton set from the top drawer of the dresser. “She always sleeps longer in these.”
Avery grins, brushing her hand through Lex’s curls before tugging out her hair bow. “Only because she knows how cute she looks in them.”
We share a quiet laugh, careful not to wake her up too much. Usually, we let her splash and babble in the bath until the floor’s half soaked and someone ends up needing a wardrobe change. But tonight? She’s already halfway to dreamland, her limbs heavy and her eyes blinking slow.
“She’s wiped,” I murmur, adjusting her on my hip.
Avery leans over to turn on the faucet, testing the water with her fingers. “A quick rinse, then straight to bed.”
We tag-team it like we always do—gentle, practiced, and totally smitten. I hold our baby girl upright while Avery carefully washes the stickiness from her cheeks and the sweet potatoes from behind her ears. Her little hands barely grip my fingers before she’s resting her head against my chest with a sigh.
Once she’s warm and dry, Avery pulls the penguin jammies over her arms and zips them up while I rub circles over her back. Lexxas doesn’t even fuss, just hums something that sounds like a dream trying to finish itself.
Together, we walk her into the nursery. The soft nightlight casts a gentle glow across the room, painting everything in the kind of peace you don’t realize you need until it settles over you. Avery hums a lullaby under her breath as I lower Lex into the crib and adjust the blanket around her.
“Monitor’s on,” I say, flipping the screen to double-check the video feed. The camera blinks green, steady and clear.
Avery nods beside me, brushing a finger along Lexi’s cheek. “She’s so perfect.”
“We did good,” I whisper, sliding an arm around her shoulders. “Now let’s get you to bed before you fall asleep standing up.”
She laughs softly, leaning into me. “You just want to tuck me in.”
“Nope,” I whisper, pressing a kiss to her temple as I guide her gently out of the room. A quiet chuckle escapes me—because we both know exactly how we plan to spend the rest of the night.
We walk down the hall, and I keep a hand resting at the small of her back, more to touch her than to guide her. She leans into it like she always does, and it makes something in my chest tighten—this familiar warmth that comes from knowing she’s safe, loved, and ours.
The moment Avery says she’s heading to the kitchen for a bottle of water, I don’t buy it for a second. She flashes me that innocent look—the one where her eyes sparkle just a little too brightly—and I can’t help the smirk that tugs at my lips.
“Uh-huh,” I say, crossing my arms. “You sure this is about water and not a certain group of guys finishing up in the kitchen?”
She shrugs, way too casual to be convincing. “I’m thirsty.”
“Right,” I murmur, already stepping beside her and placing a hand at the small of her back. “Come on, sweetness. Let’s go.”
Sure enough, when we turn the corner into the kitchen, Kam’s rinsing off a pan, Jaxton’s loading the dishwasher, and Liam is wiping down the counter with a dish towel slung over his shoulder. The place smells like leftover dinner and dish soap, the quiet hum of a house finally winding down for the night.
“There she is,” Jaxton says with a soft smile. “How’s our little marshmallow?”
“Out like a light,” Avery answers as she grabs a bottle of water from the fridge, cracking the seal.
“She’s getting too used to being passed around like royalty,” Liam jokes, tossing the towel onto the counter and stepping forward to press a kiss to Avery’s cheek. “Pretty sure she expects lullabies and foot massages every night now.”
“Can’t blame her,” Kam adds, flicking water from his fingers before drying them. “She’s got four ridiculously good-looking dads and one badass mom.”
Avery rolls her eyes, but her smile says she’s soaking up every word. Jaxton leans in next, brushing a kiss to her temple and whispering something that makes her blush. I don’t catch it all, but it’s something about her being the real queen of the castle.
Kam’s last, stepping close and pressing a hand to her lower back as he dips his head to kiss the tip of her nose. “Bedtime, Sunshine. And don’t act like you don’t know what we’re all thinking.”
“Oh, I know exactly what you’re all thinking,” she teases, taking a sip of her water. “And it’s not happening tonight.”
Liam groans dramatically. “Is that a hard no or a negotiable one?”
“I vote we carry her back and see where the night takes us,” Jaxton says, already inching closer.
“Touch me and you’re all on diaper duty for a week,” she warns with a wink, stepping back with a playful glare. “Now walk me to bed like the gentlemen you pretend to be.”
We all laugh, falling into easy steps beside her, like a protective wall guiding her back to the bedroom. Kam flips off the kitchen light as we go, and the house settles again—quiet, safe, and full.
And as we walk her down the hallway, all of us brushing fingers along her spine or pressing lazy kisses to her shoulder, I realize something simple and true:
We’ll never get tired of this.
Of her.
Of us.
Kamden
By the time we make it back to the bedroom, Avery’s already glowing. That soft, content hum she does when she’s being doted on echoes in my ears like a song made just for me. Between the kisses, the hand-holding, and the way we’ve all been brushing up against her on the walk back—she’s more than ready for more than just sleep.
She stands near the edge of the bed, her eyes warm and curious, her body relaxed but alert—like she knows I’m up to something.
I step in close behind her, wrapping my arms gently around her waist. My palms find those familiar curves I’ve missed touching all day. She leans into me, sighing, and I lower my lips to her ear, whispering, “You thinking what I’m thinking, Sunshine?”
She hums, turning her head just slightly, lips brushing my jaw. “That depends,” she teases, voice soft and low.
I trail my fingers over her stomach, the place where our daughter once grew—and maybe, just maybe, where another one could be. “You ready to let me put another baby in you?”
She gasps softly, her head tilting back to rest on my shoulder. My hands splay across her middle, and the memory of her round with our baby makes something primal stir deep in my chest.
“I liked the way you looked pregnant,” I murmur. “Carrying our baby. Strong. Glowing. The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” My lips skim her jaw as my fingers gently slide under the hem of her sleep shirt. “Twins run in the family, you know. I wouldn’t mind doubling up.”
She laughs, breathless, the sparkle in her eyes giving her away. “That’s funny,” she says, cocking her head with a teasing smirk. “Lennox said almost the exact same thing right before our little pre-dinner warm-up.”
My pulse kicks up as I slowly lift the fabric from her skin, slipping it over her head and tossing it to the side. Her skin is warm beneath my hands, soft and inviting, and when she turns in my arms and looks up at me—cheeks flushed, eyes shining—I know I’d give her anything.
“Let me take care of you,” I say, brushing her hair behind her ear.
The soft click of the door behind us feels like the closing of the world, leaving only warmth, shadows, and the quiet rhythm of our shared breath.
The others move around the room with practiced ease—each of them knowing what comes next without saying a word. Jaxton lights the candles on the dresser, casting a soft golden glow across the room that flickers against Avery’s skin. Liam pulls the comforter back with care, fluffing the pillows like it’s some sacred ritual. Lennox disappears for a second, returning with a warm towel for her feet, always thinking ahead.
And me? I stay exactly where I am—cradling her in my arms like the most precious thing in the world. Because she is.
She looks up at me through thick lashes, her lips parted slightly, and even though her body is humming from our earlier kisses, there’s something quiet in her expression. Something reverent. She’s not just letting us love her—she’s letting herself be loved.
“Lay back for me, Sunshine,” I whisper, brushing my lips across her temple.
Her fingers tighten on my arm briefly before she nods, trusting, and I guide her down onto the bed like she’s made of something breakable. But not because she’s fragile—because she’s precious.
The moment her back hits the mattress, she exhales like she’s letting go of the weight of the day. One by one, the guys climb onto the bed, surrounding her. A fortress of warmth and devotion.
Lennox stretches out at her side, his hand finding hers. “Ready for round two?” he asks, his voice low and smug.
Jaxton lies across from me, brushing a kiss to her shoulder. “This is the best part of every single day.”
Liam tucks himself behind her, one arm sliding under her head, the other protectively across her waist. “Everything in me settles the second you’re in my arms.”
I take my place at her feet, lifting one to kiss her ankle, then her calf, slowly worshiping every inch of her with my touch. “You’re everything, Avery. Our beginning, our middle... our always.”
She’s surrounded now—in warmth, in whispers, in hands that know every freckle, every breath, every scar. Her eyes shimmer in the candlelight as they flutter shut, lips curving in a peaceful smile. Her fingers reach out blindly, finding and gripping mine.
“I love you,” she whispers, and it’s not rushed or uncertain—it’s absolute.
And in that moment, nothing else exists.
The world fades away until it’s just her heartbeat echoing in our chests.
We don’t need the chaos outside these walls.
We have her.
We have each other.
And we’ll spend the rest of our lives covering her in warmth, in devotion—in soft, soul-deep pastel kisses —until she never questions how endlessly she’s loved.