“Great,” his mother said. “Now that’s all sorted let’s focus on these babies. I can’t wait to tell them down at the club that my son is having triplets. I’m going to be able to shove how viral you are in their face for years.” Argh, there she was. That was more like his mother.
Dawn’s hands settled over his, and he threaded their fingers together as they listened to his mother. Home, Dawn made any place feel like home, not just a place he came to sleep. Dawn was his family, the love of his life, his home.
****
She lay in bed exhausted. Gordon’s parents had been around until late. Catherine, had started organizing exclusive appointments with baby places, and in the end, Gordon had to practically kick them out.
Snuggling her head on Gordon’s chest, she sighed in contentment as his arms squeezed her tight to him. “Thank you for being so patient with Mother.”
“It’s nice she’s taking an interest in the babies. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”
“I’ll make sure we have only the best.”
“I know you will. But I don’t want our children raised by other people, and that brings me to my next question. Are you going to go back to work now? I love that you’ve been home. I now know why you’ve been so over the top protective, but as much as I love you, I need you to go back to work because you’re driving me nuts.” Easing up so she could stare at him, she kissed his lips. “I know now how important my security is. I promise I won’t go anywhere without them. I want these babies just as much as you so I won’t miss taking my vitamins or eating the colossal amount of food and water I’m supposed to ingest.”
“I’ll trust you to do all that, but it’s just I’m scared. I love you so much. I don’t think I could function without you now.” He brushed kisses over my face before lingering on my lips. “I’ll go back to work. Just give me time. When you fainted, I swear I almost had a heart attack. I knew I loved you before that, but when I saw you there on the floor, it was like my whole world crashed. You, Dawn, are my world. Before you, I didn’t know what I was missing. I didn’t know what it was like to be loved and to love. You’ve giving me everything I wanted and more.”
Dawn could feel the tears slide down her face, and before they got to her lips, Gordon brushed them away.
“Oh, don’t cry. I didn’t, don’t ever want to make you cry.”
“They’re not sad tears. I’m just so happy. If you would have told me two, hell, a year ago I would be this happy, married, and pregnant with triplets, I would have told you that you were high or on something. I never planned for any of this, but it turned out better than if I did. I love you, Gordon Wilks, and together, I know we can battle anything.”
“I love you too, Dawn.”
Resting her head back down on Gordon, she settled against him and let her contentment and love wash over her, as she closed her eyes, allowing sleep to claim her.
Epilogue
Jacob suckled on her breast, and every time Dawn thought he was done, and she went to take him off and give his sisters a turn, he’d suckle again like his life depended on it. If Dawn didn’t know any better, she’d swear he knew she and Gordon were going out tonight. She didn’t want to leave them as much as she knew they didn’t want her to go. Jacob was a mummy’s boy at three-and-a-half-months old. His sisters, Lillian, and Grace, were daddy’s girls even though they were still nursing. She breastfed as much as possible and supplemented with formula. Jacob hated the formula and very rarely drank it.
“He’s hungry tonight,” Gordon said leaning down with Lillian cradled in his arm while he brushed his lips over hers.
“I think he knows we’re going out without him. Watch.” Dawn showed Gordon what happened when she went to unlatch him.
Gordon burst out laughing. “Oh, yeah, he totally knows somethings up.” Lillian blew bubbles and made happy noises at daddy’s laugh.
Grace’s cry could be heard when Catherine entered the nursery holding her. “She’s hungry too and is not having the bottle I did up for her.”
It was our one year anniversary. Gordon’s parents, her sister, and her nephew were there to help celebrate and look after her babies while she got ready to go and then went out for dinner. So far, Jacob, Lillian, and Grace were having none of her leaving them, even to get ready.
Catherine, Gordon’s mother, was amazing, and the babies loved her, but she wasn’t one to change nappies or let them cry even for a second. She came around at least every second day to check on and be with them, and Dawn was grateful for any help. Gordon had hired a wonderful nanny Selena, but Dawn wanted to do as much as she could and not have the hired help always taking care of things. She loved her babies and didn’t want to a miss a moment with them. Selena stood by the door with Destiny ready to help when she asked.
Gordon knelt down beside her, still cradling Lillian. He lifted her shirt, unhooked the maternity bra, and helped Lillian latch on. Gordon then went to her other breast and carefully detached their son and stood. “Buddy, you have to share. I understand why you don’t want to, but if I have to, so do you.” Dawn rolled her eyes at the serious way Gordon said it as he gazed at their son.
Gordon was an awesome father. Dawn couldn’t ask for better. She was so proud of how he did everything, even changing diapers. She glanced around the room, seeing the faces of her loved ones and knew she’d been blessed beyond compare. Gordon came into her line of view again and eased down to the ground again, this time he held a whimpering Grace. He helped latch her on, and then instead of getting up, he sat down in front of her.
“I can have something delivered and set up outside.”
“You’re amazing right?” She smiled down at him.
“I know you don’t want to leave them. So we’ll try baby steps. We’ll leave the house, but won’t be so far away you can’t come running if they desperately need you.”
“Thank you. I love you so much.”
Gordon got up off the floor with a smug grin on his face. “I know you do.” He leaned down and kissed her. Dawn savored the kiss like she did any from her husband. “How long will you be?”
“Give me another ten minutes here, and then fifteen or so minutes so I can have a quick shower and change.”
“That’s perfect. The chef told me he’d be ready in about thirty-five minutes?”