47. Kennedy
Chapter 47
Kennedy
“ Y ou know what? I love baby wearing,” Micha exclaimed as he walked through the nest, Samuel strapped to his chest. Our son was fast asleep and looked serene. Charlotte was wide awake, sitting on his hip as he carried both babies with ease.
“He’s going to hog both those babies, you know?” Charlie said as he handed me a steaming mug of tea. He was sitting next to me in the nest while Micha was playing with baby carriers.
Eli was taking a shower. He had wanted to stay with me, but I eventually threatened to shove him out of the nest because he was starting to smell a little ripe.
“I can’t believe we will be taking him outside soon. It feels too soon,” Charlie muttered.
“The baby bubble has to pop, eventually.” I pouted. I didn’t want to go back to real life. In my nest, with my pack and my babies, was where I wanted to be. It was comfortable, happy, and easy.
Picking up my phone, I snapped a quick photo of Micha holding the babies and sent it to a group chat I had with Sunny and Beth.
Kennedy:
It looks like the baby hog isn’t going to change his ways anytime soon.
Beth:
Awww, that’s so sweet!
Sunny:
If he's willing to carry the children, let him. They get big and wiggly fast.
Beth:
Let us know the MOMENT you are up for visitors. Samuel needs to meet his aunties.
A picture of the two girls at a café followed the text.
Kennedy:
What on earth are you two up to?
Sunny:
Shenanigans. Also, did you know one of the single dads Beth is flirting with is an ultra-hot, overprotective lawyer?
Beth:
I am not flirting!
Kennedy:
Beth, sweetie, just accept it.
Beth:
Look, you may have found some good men, but the general population of males is crappy, and I have no interest.
Sunny:
I call bullshit! Now, Kennedy, get some rest, and we will see you as soon as you’re up to it!
“The aunties are planning their invasion.” I giggled.
“They’ll have to fight me for cuddles!” Micha declared proudly before scrunching his nose. “I think little man has made a stinky. Come on, let’s go change you before I give you back to Mama,” he said, wandering off with both babies as Eli entered the room, watching him.
“I know we aren't in any rush to have more children, but I've got to ask—how is he going to cope when there are more babies than he can physically carry?” Eli asked pointedly as he crawled into the nest, pulling me into his arms.
“He’ll find a way.” I chuckled lightly.
From the depths of the apartment, Micha’s voice bellowed. “I’ll get a wagon!”
We all burst into laughter. I nestled deeper into Eli’s arms as the sound of the front door opening reached us and Storm came bounding into the room.
“Kennedy! Have you checked your email, by chance?” he asked, a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Hello to you too, Storm. I can't say that I have. Your pack mate has been busy trying to steal all the children.”
Storm shrugged. “Well, we expected that to happen when it came to Micha, didn’t we? If he's getting annoying, just tell him, and he’ll give the babies back.”
I sighed. I didn't have the heart to ask for the babies back. He seemed so blissfully happy wearing Samuel and carrying Charlotte around. It was beautiful to watch, and I didn't want it to end.
I turned on my phone screen. I had kept all notifications for emails and text messages off, only allowing group chats with my friends and pack. I'd purposefully been isolating myself from the rest of the world because I didn't want to think of the harsh reality that faced me. When I was snuggling with my babies, I could pretend that my world wasn't crumbling around me.
My body stilled and my pulse went haywire when I saw an email from the university.
“What did you do?” I asked, looking up at him in panic.
“Read it,” he insisted.
With shaky hands, I opened the email, quickly reading the words. With each sentence I read, the panic in my chest eased, only to be replaced with utter confusion.
“The university is reinstating my student status?” I asked.
Storm nodded. “Yes, it's like the incident at the library never happened, and the university will be getting in touch with child protective services to let them know that the incident they reported was an error on their part, along with providing the CCTV footage from the library.”
Eli gaped at my phone over my shoulder. “How the hell did you manage that?”
Storm snorted. “You know what? As much as I wish I could take credit for that, I have to give it all to Sunny and Beth. My conniving twin sister managed to find some extra evidence of Lorna doing this on purpose, and Beth so happens to know a very scary lawyer.”
I frowned. Lawyer? Was that what Sunny had been talking about? Had Beth asked for help from a pack she had pretty much been avoiding for a year—for me?
“Just like that? It’s over?” I asked numbly.
Storm nodded. “Honestly, I wish you could have been there to see it. The lawyer absolutely ripped the student advisor to shreds. When Sunny said they had found a lawyer, I thought they would have found someone who was newly qualified or wasn't that expensive. Nope, turns out he's a partner at one of the biggest law firms in the country and handed the university their ass.”
“And there's going to be zero repercussions for this?” Charlie asked.
Storm nodded. “Kennedy can take her finals whenever is best for her. The university is going to be very understanding, considering she just gave birth, and give her the option to choose when she wants to take them. They're going to be very accommodating from here on out.”
Eli burst into laughter as I sat there numbly, trying to figure out what had happened.
“So, we’re safe?” I asked in a small voice. It was nice to hear that I could take my finals, but that wasn't my biggest concern. “Our babies are safe?” I asked tearfully.
Charlie hummed in agreement. “They were only investigating us because of bad information, so they can’t keep looking into us now. No one is going to disturb our family again.”
Emotion hit me like a wrecking ball. All of a sudden, I was no longer able to keep a straight face, bursting into large, messy sobs. An overwhelming sense of relief piled on me as all the stress of the last few days melted away.
“It’s actually over!” I ugly sobbed as Eli and Charlie pulled me into their arms, brushing my hair out of my face and whispering comforting things.
“We’re safe,” Eli reiterated, kissing the top of my head.
Looking at the end of the nest, I held my hand out for Storm. “Here. Now,” I demanded with a little growl. He didn’t hesitate, crawling into the nest and joining us.
He hadn't been in the nest for three seconds before Micha appeared at the door with both the babies. His face broke into a dazzling grin.
“Family cuddle puddle time!” he declared, rushing into the nest. Charlotte clambered into Charlie’s arms, and we became a mass tangle of limbs.
“It’s time the babies learned about snuggle law,” Micha said, though his voice was muffled somewhat.
“They can’t even speak yet!” Eli hissed.
“Never too early!”
I giggled. There, in my nest, surrounded by my family, I felt completely whole. My chest felt so full of joy, like it was going to burst.
Nothing was better than this.
My family.