“Remind me to never have sex again,” Frankie declared and the doctor chuckled. “It’s their fault we’re here, their dicks—I’m starting to see the benefit of girls—”
I did not laugh. I would not laugh. I swore I wouldn’t laugh.
Archie cracked up as he braced her, and Jake’s lips were twitching.
“I. Hate. You.” She gritted out every word as she pushed.
“Use it. Let it flow through you,” Jake encouraged her, dropping his voice. “Let me feel your anger…”
Then she was laughing and I swore the doctor rolled her eyes at her, but then Frankie screamed as she pushed and there was a second scream echoing hers.
Frankie panted, but we were all leaning forward to see the screaming, messy little thing, and all the videos in the world don’t prepare you for how like an alien a newborn looks.
I’d keep that choice bit of info to myself too.
“It’s a girl,” Jake said, laughing as he lifted his head to look up at us. “A baby girl.” Tears escaped from his eyes, and he wasn’t alone as he clipped the umbilical cord.
He’d won the damn coin toss. Just meant he was out for the next time round.
“She’s looking good, mama,” the doctor said. “But we have a little more work to do here.”
“Wait, what?” I said. Twins? Didn’t that shit only happen in the movies?
“We need to pass the placenta,” the doctor informed me.
Oh. Ick.
Right.
“Go with Bump,” Frankie said to me, and I squeezed her hand gently. I was going to have finger imprints for life and I was okay with it. After kissing her hand and another to her damp forehead, I followed Jake to where they were cleaning up the very angry little thing.
“She already has Frankie’s temper,” Jake murmured.
“I heard that,” Frankie called, and I had to lean on Jake cause I was laughing so hard.
She was so tiny, red-faced, and with a head full of hair. I couldn’t tell if it was dark or light since it was so wet. But they cleaned her up, checking her reflexes, her weight, and her measurements.
Nineteen point two inches. A little under eight pounds. Healthy baby. Nine on the Apgar. Then they were wrapping her up and lifting her. “Does one of the daddies want to hold her?”
Hell yes, I wanted to hold her. Jake and I immediately put out fists. Paper beat rock, and they put the perfect little angel right into my arms. She was so tiny, but her grip on me was nearly as fierce as her mama’s.
I didn’t think there’d been a happier day in my life than when Frankie said she’d marry me, but I was wrong.
This—this definitely topped that. Putting the little girl into Frankie’s arms was a brilliant moment. She looked down at the sweet girl’s face, and we were all enraptured.
“She’s perfect,” Frankie whispered.
“Just like you, Babe,” Archie said, but that went without saying. Even after they moved Frankie into a room and we got the baby to latch the first time, none of us were going anywhere.
“Is it bad that I kind of want to wait to call the grandparents still?” Bubba asked.
Jake shook his head. “They can wait. We’ll send them photos later.”
We did.
Much later.
Three days after she was born, we brought baby Isobel home, ready to begin the next chapter in our lives.
Seriously, I couldn’t wait.
EPILOGUE
A FEW YEARS LATER…
FRANKIE
"You're going to be late," I called, almost laughing as the words fell off my lips. I had the lunches stacked together, and Jeremy stood at the door with jackets and backpacks lined up. He still made the best French toast and coffee, and we'd struck a deal regarding cooking. On busy mornings, he took care of it, but when I had a day off or took it off, I was in charge.
Today was Isobel’s first day of third grade and Joshua's first day of kindergarten. Big days. The first day of any school year was important. We weren't going to be late, but I still glanced at the clock. No, we had time.
The sound of the backdoor opening had me turning, though, and I grinned as a familiar dark-haired man ducked inside. "Am I late? Did I miss it?" Archie asked, worry in his dark brown eyes.
"Nope," I promised. "You're just in time."
"Excellent, look who I found at the airport." He pushed the door wider and Ian followed him inside. My heart did a little fist bump with my ribs. Archie had been gone for just the weekend. The annual meeting for Standish Enterprises required his presence and he'd stayed over to tour the new R&D facility. Jake had planned on going with him, but Charlie got a cold and Ian had still been in California.
Before I could let out a squeal of delight, the sound of feet racing down the stairs reached us.
"I'm coming," Izzy huffed as she preceded Jake into the kitchen. "Daddy was doing my braid. What do you think?" Skeptical didn't begin to cover Izzy's expression. Her green eyes studied me for even an ounce of doubt, but the wild mass of long blond curls had indeed been tamed into a double French braid with one twist coming from each side of her head to meet in the middle.
"I think it looks perfect," I promised and set my coffee aside. Isobel shot across the kitchen as soon as I opened my arms. She hugged with her whole body and squeezed me for all of three seconds before...
"Dad!" she screamed. "Papa!"
Then she launched toward Archie and Ian. Archie intercepted her first hug, and she squealed in delight as she squeezed him and Ian half-hugged her over Archie's shoulder. But as soon as she squirmed, she was in Ian's arms.
"I missed you!" she scolded him, all serious. "Next time, they can't have you for three whole weeks unless I get to go too."
"Duly-noted, Peanut," he murmured, and despite flying what must have been the redeye to get back in time, he looked amazing.
"Daddy did my hair," Izzy informed them as though they hadn't been standing there when she told me. Jake slid his arm around me and then snagged my coffee cup. At his raised brows, I grinned and he took a grateful drink.
He still had the magic touch when it came to getting Izzy to wear anything she didn't want to. Who knew my daughter could be so stubborn? Not that I was stupid enough to ask that aloud.
"Papa!" Joshua yelled as he streaked through the kitchen ahead of Coop, who arrived with Charlie snuffling against his shirt. Archie caught Joshua as he flung himself at him and oofed dramatically. Ian snorted.
"He's going to master that tackle one of these days."
"Don't I know it," Archie groaned. From the corner of my eye, I caught Jeremy's broad grin as he dusted off Izzy's blouse. I was still on the fence about sending them all to private school, but as long as the kids enjoyed it, I would be okay with it.
Izzy looked adorable in her uniform, and Joshua high-fived Ian before squirming to rush over to me, just as Charlie let out a little wail of sound and tried to pitch himself out of Coop's arms. I caught the red-faced toddler and hugged him close. Most of his cold was gone, but he was such a grumpy little puss when he didn't feel good.