“What about Betsy, she was late?” Kenni again, I smile, it does something funny to me to hear him saying her name in his southern twang and I feel all warm and fuzzy.
“Yes, this one has been trouble right from the start, we have our hands full with her I’m afraid. She was completely different to the boys, she was two weeks late, they had to induce me in the end and after a twelve-hour natural birth, which I cursed you throughout by the way, she came out weighing 8lb 10oz, more than her brothers combined weight.” I once again root around my handbag and find the picture of Betsy and pass it to him, he stands there for a couple of minutes comparing the difference between all of his kids.
“She’s just like you.” He finally says, his facial expression still giving nothing away, at this point it could still go either way and in all honesty, I wouldn’t blame him if he sent me packing.
“I hope you’re not implying that I’m a handful.” He looks directly at me and gives me his dimpled grin, possibly the biggest one he has ever given me.
“Like mother, like daughter is all I’m saying! But I wouldn’t have you any other way darlin.” Finally, he steps forward towards us and kisses me on the lips, wrapping us all up in his arms, he eventually pulls away.
“Best anniversary present ever babe.” He whispers and then smiles at me before crouching down to speak to the twins.
“Y’all want to come and meet your grandparent’s and your aunt and uncle boys?” The boys just nod their head and dutifully follow their father.
We all make our way up to the porch swings and Emmett and Annett start making a huge fuss of the boys, Kenni is looking on lovingly, he comes up next to me and takes Betsy out of my hands before pulling her in for a cuddle, Betsy is awestruck by her father and starts batting her eyelashes at him, I can see he is already smitten.
“Are you back for good darlin?” Annett anxiously asks me; everyone has stopped talking, waiting for my response.
“That’s the plan, if you’ll have me?” I wait nervously.
“Luci we have told you before, this will always be home to you, even more so now you have my grandchildren.” Emmett tells me, smiling widely.
“Thank you, I know it’s taken me a while to get myself together but I’m here for good.” Every single one of them beam smiles at me. Betsy start grizzling in her father’s arms and I suspect she’s hungry, he hands her over gladly looking slightly panicked.
“Do you mind watching the boys while I go and feed her, I think she’s hungry?” I ask no-one in particular.
“Of course not darlin, you go on in and make yourself comfortable.” Kenni tells me as I grab her nappy bag and head inside, the boys start to follow me, obviously in a panic so I turn around and look at them, crouching down to their level they both wrap their arms around my neck and have a vice like grip on me, squashing their sister in the process.
“You two need to stay out here with your daddy.” They both look straight at Kenni and contemplate what their next move is.
“I’m going to go and feed Betsy and change her nappy.” Both of them bunch their noses up obviously understanding my meaning as we have had many jokes in our house on Betsy’s dirty nappies.
“Bets booby and poo” They both say in unison and giggle causing the others to laugh. It is sweet how they can’t say her name yet but I’m not encouraging their cheekiness.
“Yes Betsy is hungry, you cheeky little tykes, go to your daddy please.” Betsy is getting crankier and I’m praying that they listen to me.
“Boys come on over here to me now, leave your mama tend to your sister.” On hearing Kenni speak they both waddle over to him, he is now sat down and they both attempt to climb on his legs.
My heart completely melts when I see both of them sat either side of his lap and watch him put his arms around them both as he continues to talk to his parents.
Betsy’s grizzling brings me back to earth so I make my way in and head up to Kenni’s room grabbing a towel from his bathroom before sitting on top of the bed. I change her nappy before lifting my top and lowering my bra, she latches on immediately, she is definitely hungry. I change boobs hallway through.
The door knocks a little while later and Kenni walks in taking in the scene he just looks at both of us with pure affection.
“Mom has the boys and is feeding them cookies and milk as we speak.” He comes and sits down next to me on the bed, Betsy is still latched on and he runs his fingers down her cheek and along my breast causing an involuntary shiver to run through me.
“She’s so pretty Luci, I meant what I said earlier, she is just like her mama.” Betsy choses that moment to finish, so I sit her up and I see Kenni looking at my boob which is quite a lot bigger than he would remember.
“See something you like pervert?” He laughs but proceeds to run his fingers over my nipple and then along the top of my boob, I am in mum mode though and I’m currently winding my daughter, I snap my bra back over my boob and pull my top back over my head and down, Kenni puts his bottom lip out and moves towards me to kiss me. When we pull away I feel the need to speak.
“I love you, I know I still have a lot to tell you but I just want you to know I love you.”
“Luci I love you too, I’m just glad that you’re back home where y’all belong, you know you are never leaving me now don’t you? Shit I can’t believe I have three kids.” His hands move around as if emphasising his point.
“I’m sorry for keeping them from you Kenni, I never hid who you were from them and they have always known you’re their father.”
“Not now darlin, let’s just enjoy tonight shall we? I’m going to enjoy my kids tonight.” As if on cue Betsy burps some food up onto the towel.
“That’s going to take some getting used too I’m afraid.” Kenni has his nose twisted in disgust, I feel a rumble in her bottom and can smell her nappy filling up.
“Can you pass me a nappy from the bag over their please, you’re about to have your first lesson in changing a dirty nappy.” I say with a lot of humour in my voice.
“Do you mean a diaper? As in she’s shit in her diaper?” He looks horrified but passes me one anyway. I lay her down on the bed on top of the towel and show him how to change a nappy, Betsy smiles the whole way through, I think I have scarred him for life.
I put her back together and stand up with her, Kenni pulls us into a hug and kisses Betsy on the top of the head.
We head back downstairs and Kenni proudly declares to the room at large that he just changed his “first shitty diaper”, this causes the twins to run around shouting “shitty” as loud as they can, I glare at him and he has the sense to look apologetic.
Everyone else is laughing their heads off, Annett walks up and smacks Kenni across the back off his head and tells him to watch his language, she then proceeds to steal Betsy from me.
The boys have gone absolutely crazy and are running around screaming when I hear Junior and Teddy both shout “Bets shitty” I look straight at their father and tell Kenni to deal with it.
He stands in the middle of the room scratching his head and looking like he’s about to freak the fuck out. I watch with interest to see how he deals with the situation, eventually he takes stock of himself and calls to the boys.