︎Mathis
22 Months Later
“I can’t wait until Riley turns one! Payback is hell, and Nick is going to regret this,” I hear Claire telling Grace followed by loud huff. On this, I will agree. Nick insisted on choosing the cakes for today’s celebration and, stupidly, we agreed. Teal and orange icing mixed with two overexcited one-year-olds was a disaster.
At the sound of her voice, my sons lift their heads from my shoulders and look around. I kiss each of their foreheads and round the corner to the kitchen. Grace is scrubbing a wall while my mom and Bizzy clean the floors. Through the back doors, I spot Mitch and Dad hosing off the high chairs. Nick and Shaw are chasing their kids on the beach as the dog runs after them.
Claire is leaning on the counter, her hands on her slightly swollen stomach, and when she sees us, her eyes grow warm. “How bad was bath duty?”
“I had to wash their hair twice, and I’m pretty sure their outfits are ruined.”
“Ranger licked the majority of the cake off the floor before I could stop him.”
“He’ll be okay.”
“Good, I’d hate to kill your brother for poisoning my dog.”
Caleb and Lucas lurch for her at the same time, and I tighten my hold to keep them from tumbling. “Go sit down.”
“Why?”
“Because these boys want you.”
“So give them to me.” She spreads her arms.
“I’m not going to argue about this again. They weigh over forty pounds. That’s too much for you right now.”
She rolls her eyes but goes to the sofa. Both boys give her about three seconds of attention before crawling down and tottering to the back door to bang on the glass.
“I’ll take them out,” Kelly offers.
“Fine with me.”
“Are you going to bathe them again when they roll in the sand?” Claire raises an eyebrow.
“Yep.”
She nods to her mom, and Kelly scoops them up, covering them with kisses as she goes outside.
“I think we have it all,” Bizzy announces, blowing out a deep breath. “I don’t remember pink icing ever being this hard to clean.”
“Because it isn’t. Can we please call a truce? I’m not sure I can handle your payback after Kayla’s birthday. I’m still cleaning up glitter,” Grace pleads, her eyes on me to reason with Claire.
I sit next to her, scooting her gently onto my lap and placing my hand on her stomach. “Let’s call it even.”
“I’m not sure you’re in a position to ask for favors.”
“There’s no way I can control these things.”
Claire getting pregnant with twins was a surprise, but when we found out they were boys, she made me promise to wait a few years before even discussing more children. She swore our predicament was caused by working so closely with Dr. Andrews since he had twin boys. Then she said we were done after their birth. Her argument was I got my sons, and she only had to endure one pregnancy. Lucas and Caleb were born and, immediately, I wanted more. I didn’t hide this from her. It took months, but she agreed we’d discuss it again when the boys turned two.
So, seven weeks ago, we found out she is pregnant again, and she went into shock. This baby is a complete surprise. She’s convinced I jinxed us.
This morning at her OB appointment, the sonogram was easy to read. I saw him clearly. She took one look at me, back to the screen, and knew as well. She isn’t getting a girl.
“I’ll try better next time.”
“You think it’s a joke, but I’m dead serious,” Claire insists. “This is it. No more after this.”
“I had three boys and survived. You will do just fine.” Mom tries to sound reassuring.
“Maria, you had three boys with a healthy time span in between. I’m going to have a newborn when my kids hit the terrible twos.”
“You’re being dramatic again. It’s going to be wonderful.” Bizzy rolls her eyes. “Grace and I are the ones you should feel sorry for.”
“Why should I feel sorry for anyone?”
“Because Shaw and Nick are not going to let this go. He’s already told me he’s ready to try again for a boy. Evelyn is only six months old.”
“Nick said the same thing, and Riley is four months,” Grace agrees.
“Oh my God! This is ridiculous.” Claire twists into me. “You and your brothers have to stop. It’s dangerous to keep reproducing all these Bennetts. Pretty soon, a reality show is going to come after us.”
“You want me to tell my brothers to stop having children with their wives?”
“Yes.”
My mom barely stifles her laugh, hearing the suggestion. She’s in love with the thought of having a dozen grandchildren, and it looks like she may get her wish… and then some. I glance over at the pack ‘n play set up with Riley and Evelyn sleeping together. They both lasted long enough for family pictures with the boys before the cake smashing and then passed out.
I’m not surprised to hear Nick and Shaw have started in about more children because we have all learned, in our own ways, it takes time to convince our wives to agree. Shaw and Nick are competitive by nature, so the twins upped the ante.
I had great fun in rubbing it in Shaw’s face that taking the slow boat paid off in spades. He didn’t think it was funny and had Gail plan a romantic getaway. Brinley stayed with us while he and Bizzy took the boat to the Bahamas for four days, hence came Evelyn. Nick wasn’t far behind, taking Grace to New York. This time, we didn’t get Kayla because the whole Monroe clan descended to Miami. As we all suspected, Grace announced her pregnancy nine weeks later.
“I think maybe we can try for one more.” I caress Claire’s stomach, pulling her earlobe between my lips. “I swear to try for a girl next go-round.”
“Meaning you aren’t hearing me that this is the last time. I have a lifetime of hell-raising, head-banging, stubborn boys to wrangle in. Even my dog is a boy!”
As if on cue, the door opens and Ranger bolts in. Ranger’s tongue hangs out of his mouth as he looks around and finds Claire. He rushes to her, nudging my hand to the side, and nuzzles her stomach affectionately.
“I do love my boys,” she admits so only I can hear, her eyes going outside. “And I’ve always loved the name Seth Mitchell.”
My heart skips a beat, and I peer over my shoulder at Dad and Mitch following the boys who are teetering in the sand as Kelly takes pictures. “It’s perfect.”
“And you have to promise me, if we don’t have a girl after this, we are done.”
“I’m not promising that.”
“We really are brooding a cult.”
“I don’t think cult is the right word.”
“A lawyer, a doctor, and an undeniably talented athlete having babies like crazy. I’d say that’s an elite group.”
“When you put it that way, I guess so.”
She smiles slyly and nudges Ranger away, standing and grabbing my hand.
“Where are we going?”
“Outside to play with my babies on their birthday until we wear them out enough to sleep twelve hours straight.”
“Sounds good to me.”
She leads us to the back deck where everyone is out of earshot, whirls around, and throws herself at me. “I’m ready to give you another challenge.”
“Hit me with it.”
“I’ll give you Seth Mitchell, and you give me my little girl. Then we are done.”
She knows, without me saying, this is a challenge I accept.
︎
Three years later… my twin daughters are born.